Is my 8-month-old kitten's facial hair loss normal or a concern?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Cats tend to have hair thinning on the sides of the head just above the eyes. As long as the skin is not red, thickened and there are no raised bumps, this is likely normal. If the hair thinning / hair loss continues / worsens, then I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at Apples so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps!

I am sorry to hear about your kitten! From the photos you show, the thinned hair in the areas in front of the ears can be a normal variation. If you notice any redness/bumps/scabs on the area or the hair thins so much that there are bald spots then this would be concerning and we would worry about things such as external parasites, ringworm (a fungal infection), bacterial infection. We may also worry about infection inside the ears from bacteria, yeast, or mites, if the kitten is rubbing/scratching at the ears there thereby rubbing the area in front of the ears as a result causing damage to the skin. If there are other pets or small children in the house I would wonder if the longer whiskers were removed from play with them, or if the kitten goes outdoors. I would, however, recommend an examination if your kitten is acting lethargic. This is a very vague symptoms so there could be a multitude of causes and a physical exam may better help the vet determine the possible cause of lethargy.

Hello, congrats on the new kitty! It is normal to have a small area of thin hair in front of the ears, such as what you're seeing in Brownie, so that is not a concern as long as Brownie isn't acting abnormal by scratching excessively at the ears or showing other signs of discomfort. His hair otherwise looks nice and thick in the photos so I suspect he has normal shedding, which you can help control with regular brushing. However, if there are patches of distinct hair loss, or if he seems itchy, then you should have a vet take a look to make sure he doesn't have a skin condition requiring medication. Hope this helps.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Crabcake. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian to ensure the hair loss is not problematic. Ringworm is unfortunately common in kittens. This could be spread to people and other pets in your home. Hopefully this is not the case, but you will want to know. I hope this information helps!

This area doesn't look terribly suspicious of ringworm. It could have just been a scab that was there that fell off and took the hair with it. If you are really concerned though it is best to have your vet take a closer look at the area. THe hair needs to be parted and then the skin palpated to confirm if this was just a scab or if there is evidence on the skin of a possible infection (bacterial or fungal). I hope that things work out well for your pet Cam moving forward. Take care.

Cats normally have thin hair in the areas in front of the ears. I see no redness or scabbing so I think this is normal. ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/facial-alopecia-thin-hair-above-eye-in-cats/ )

I am sorry to hear about your kitty! The hair loss around the eyelids we see here is not a normal hair loss. I would be concerned about possible allergies, ectoparasites such as mites, or bacterial infection. I would recommend bringing Cairo in for an examination by the vet. They can test for parasites and determine the appropriate treatment for him based on examination. This may include topical medications, oral medications or injections depending on what they find on his physical examination and history.