The wrinkly skin of hairless cats is caused by what? I have tried to answer the question but I’m reliant on speculating what I think might cause it. Some people might believe that cats with normal coats have the sort of wrinkled skin that we see in these photographs. However, this simply isn’t true. You can check this by looking at your cat’s skin by parting the hair strands. Or you can feel the scalp. The wrinkles on top of the head of this hairless cat are very pronounced. They look fixed and quite solid. What is causing this?
It may be because the genetic mutation which prevents normal hair growth may also remove some elasticity or some other properties within the skin which allows it to be smooth and not wrinkled. In other words the wrinkling of hairless cats may be due to the same gene that causes the hairlessness. Or because the skin is constantly exposed to the elements, as it isn’t covered with fur, there may be a negative impact on the elasticity and normal properties of skin which causes it to become wrinkled.
An exacerbating factor might be the fact that owners of hairless cats need to constantly clean them because the oils from the sebaceous glands stays on the skin where it collects grime and dirt. Cleaning the skin may dry out the skin which in turn might cause it to become wrinkly. Of course I am speculating. Some people might think that I am speculating to wildly. However, I am forced to at least have a stab at the reason but would welcome the input of anybody else who knows better.
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