People want to understand why their cat is losing hair around the eyes. Web surfers also want to know why their cat is losing hair above their cat’s eyes, which is significant in my opinion.
There is a patch of fur above the eyes of a domestic cat which is always a bit thin. You can see the skin below quite easily very often. This is exacerbated by the fact that the hair in that area stands on end exposing the skin which is more visible. This adds to the impression that there’s been hair loss and that the hair is thinner.
This area appears to become even thinner with age or may become thinner with age. It appears to be an example of the what people go through in older age: hair thinning.
However, the reason why this slightly bald patch above the eyes exists is because there are scent producing temple glands in this area. This probably accounts for the apparent thinner hair.
The picture that was on this page has been deemed to be in breach of Google AdSense policies which is unimaginable to me as when you click on the link, you’ll see a perfectly normal black cat!!
Please click this to see a black cat with apparent hair loss around the eyes but which is not.
There is nothing in the cat health books which specifically refer to hair loss around the eyes so my initial thought is that there are possibly no health issues associated with this condition. However, I explore some other avenues.
Here is a Twitter video which inadvertently shows that thin hair above the eyes. It is very clear in the video.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1673381407698173963
The following possibilities are much less likely than the explanation above
If it is not an age-related issue it may be due to over-grooming. It makes cats feel better to groom. If they are stressed for whatever reason they may groom more than usual and groom the area above the eyes with the foreleg. If this excessive it may lead to thinning of the hair.
Other conditions which might lead to over-grooming on the face are allergic reactions (itchiness) to a whole range of possible allergens: airborne, food related, environmental (something in the home) etc.
Another possibility is ringworm. Ringworm is not uncommon and highly contagious. Sometimes there will be scaly patches and irregular hair loss on the face.
Feline scabies causes hair loss on the ears, face, eyelids and neck. This is due to the Notoedres cati mite. There will be itching and scratching. I don’t think this cause of hair loss is one that is connected to the question concerned but it does cause facial hair loss (my thanks to Dee). See feline mange.
My gut feeling is that if the hair loss around the eyes is not age related it will be due to over-grooming for which there are a number of possible causes, the most obvious of which is stress.
For those who want more…there is a good page (link) on hair loss in cats on this website but I can reassure you that even though there are 176 comments none ask questions about hair loss around the eyes.
Hey! I was worried about my kitten b cause of its thinner hair above its eye. I hope it is nothing serious though. My cat is healthy and I’m just a bit worried.
Hi Eva, there is nothing to worry about because the fur in this area is always thinner and it grows vertically rather than lying down against the skin which means that you can see the skin more easily which gives the impression the hair is thinning. It is okay. I have a page on this: https://pictures-of-cats.org/cat-losing-hair-around-the-eyes.html
Help me diagnose this please. We cut down on her thyroid medication.
2 things Jack. I need more information to help. And secondly – and you won’t like this – you know that you must take your cat to a veterinarian immediately. Bite the bullet and do it and if you can’t afford it, you are not able to be a cat caregiver and you should take him/her to a good shelter and giver her up to someone who can be a decent caregiver.
Our cat is 11 years old. She has a bald spot on her back about 2 inches from her tail. There are no bites, marks or scabs. She doesn’t scratch or rub against things at the location. She has never been outside. We don’t know anyone who has any outdoor animals or been near any animals. Do you think this is normal?
I am not sure of this article is still active or not but I am seeking a second opinion on if I should take my Lucky to the vet. He is losing hair around his eyes. See photo. A couple weeks ago it wasn’t this bad. The hair loss was more above the eyelid on the left eye and has grown back some, but now the inner corner of the eye has lost more hair. Ideas of what is causing this?? I am worried.
Hi Randi, I have lightened the image a bit and circled the area of hair loss. I can see why you are a bit worried. My gut feeling is that it is not something serious. If he was my cat, I’d watch and wait a bit longer to see what develops. It may resolve itself and in which case a vet visit would be avoided. But if it gets worse I’d take him to the vet promptly.
I would watch him too as he may be washing that area too much because it is itchy. The best of luck.
Thank you. We did move into a new house and neighborhood in April. I know that it has been stressful on him as the home is new and the street we are on now is much noisier. I was thinking that the the stress may have something to do with it, so I haven’t taken him to the vet yet. We are about 3 months of living at the new space. What is the average adjustment period for cats?
Good to know. Stress can lead to overgrooming because grooming is pleasant for a cat. Six months should be enough to get used it but it can be up to a year in my opinion. Plenty of play and gentle interaction will help.
my cat has been losing hair around her hears and eyes and that the left ear has been losing hair and also that it has bumps on it we do have another cat but i’m just concerned on what to do.
Hello! We have the same problem. It started a bit bumpy and we thought it might be conjuctivitis, but now the inflamation is gone yet the baldy patch still there. Could it be ringworm as we can’t get rid of it on her tail? Thank you!
If you are referring to the area in the corner of her eye I was going to say it is normal but it looks like it might need to be checked out. Is it the same for the other eye? I don’t think it is ringworm. I may be overgrooming. 90% of cases of feline hair loss is due to overgrooming. Is there a reason why your cat might be stressed? I’d watch the area daily and see what happens. If it gets worse go to a vet.
Hi, this all helps but I want to know if this happens to a Maine Coon kitty what should we do. My son has had him for about four months . We just noticed the bald spots between his ears and eyes. He has had shot for worms because when my son got him he had a bad case of diarrhea and was really thin. So after the deworming shot, about two moths ago he took him again because my son noticed tapeworms so gave him another shot, the vet said that he would be ok. But after the last shot we noticed the bald spots . Should we take him back to the vet?
I don’t think you need to take him to the vet for the thin hair above the eyes. It depends what the cause is. If it is naturally thinner fur that’s okay. It is likely to be that. If you cat looks healthy now and is not over-grooming above the eyes I’d just observe and make a decision later. What do you mean by “bald spots”? Is it completely bald of just thinner hair? If it is the former see a vet if not don’t unless there are other indications that there is a health issue. Good luck.
Hello. I have2 beautiful domestic short breed jet black 9 month old kittens whom both seen to have hair loss around the eyes one more then the other. They are both very health, and have had their shots and were spayed and neutered. I got midnite & Jasmine from the shelter when they were 6 months. Lately I have been noticing the hair loss more and more. Should I be worried.
Hello YVONNE LEE, thank you for visiting and asking. I have improved the image quality of your photograph so that I can see what you’re talking about a bit more clearly.
Based on the fact that your cats are very healthy and from what I see in the photograph, I would say that there is nothing wrong at all. The hair is thinner in that area but in my experience this is normal and in any case the hair stands on end there so the skin is more visible. Also, it should be said that with a black cat there is a higher contrast between the skin and dark fur. This exaggerates the impression that there is hair loss.
As I stated in the article, the hair above the eyes or between the eyes and the ear is thinner which is what I see here. My conclusion is that there is nothing wrong but please remember that I am not a veterinarian.