Why does my scared Siamese cat hide and shed fur when picked up?

Some cats do shed more than others, but if you feel it is extreme compared to your other cats you may want to have your veterinarian do a thorough examination of her skin to make sure she doesn't have evidence of a dermatologic disease that could be causing excessive shedding. Shedding has also been linked to stress. If her skin seems normal and she is otherwise healthy it may simply be normal for her to be shedding like this - make sure she's on a high quality diet, brush twice daily, and consider bathing her every couple of weeks if you think she'll tolerate it.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Angel. I have had one of my cats for about 5 years now and he is still skittish at times even when things are fairly familiar. I guess what I'm trying to say is that some cats are just like this. It may be extremely hard to improve the fear level of Angel but you can try. I would just be very calm around her and try not to have her in really noisy environments. Anything you can do to calm her would be the way to go. Brushing is another story too. Some cats and dogs love being brushed while others cannot stand it. You may want to do really brief brushing sessions with her and increase the sessions as she becomes used to it. They make brushing gloves that fit on your hand so it's more like petting while brushing, you might want to try that. Training cats and working them through problems can be very challenging but not impossible. Just do the best you can. If you feel like Angel is really fearful/anxious and she is not happy you can always consult with your veterinarian to see if they have any other ideas for training and brushing. They can also discuss the use of some drugs to help with these behaviors but ultimately you will have to work on some behavior modification because the drugs alone will not fix anything. They may get you to a good point though and you can then wean her off the drugs slowly once the desired results are achieved. Good luck with Angel.

Ideally, take Buddy in to see your vet, so they can do a general physical exam and determine if there is suspicion for a problem with his skin itself such as an allergy, or if he seems to have any health issues that may be causing him discomfort (since he is meowing strangely). Cymric cats by nature have thick hair and a thick undercoat, so shedding is going to be more dramatic than in other cat breeds. It is sometimes difficult or impossible for these cats to groom themselves (lick their fur) well enough to prevent matting. Additionally, if he is painful anywhere (arthritis, etc) it is more difficult to groom. If his hair is matted, that can very uncomfortable because the matts pull on the skin. I suspect that is probably why he is biting at his hair. This discomfort could also be the cause of the pained "meowing." It may be helpful to get Buddy in to a groomer. He may need to be shaved to get the matts off, and often this may require sedation. Therefore a groomer that works at a veterinarian's office would be ideal. You can try to gently brush out the matts at home if he will let you, but if it causes him a great deal of discomfort or stress, don't overdo it at home. Again, my first recommendation is to take him to the vet--if no reason for this behavior is found, I would recommend getting him groomed. In the future to try to prevent the hair from becoming matted, brush him regularly at home (at least once a week), and you can try a product such as this: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/well-and-good-shed-reducing-cat-wipes Thanks for asking PetCoach!

Poor girl! There could be something that has spooked her. Or she could be not feeling well. Or there could even be an internal conflict with another cat in the household. The first thing I would do is make sure she is healthy. I would see if your vet can look at her and make sure she isn’t painful, no infection, no fever, no urinary tract infection, etc. if she isn’t feeling well, this definitely can cause a change in behavior. If everything is normal then I would make sure she is getting along with everyone in the house. Make sure there are plenty of litter boxes as this is something they commonly will become territorial over. You can even put out some feliway diffusers which are pheromones they help calm down cats. Unfortunately these don’t work on everyone. You make also look into vetriscience composure treats as a natural calming supplement. I hope this helps!

Some cats, especially if they were feral or not handled as kittens, will never be social. You may want to discuss different methods of reducing anxiety with you veterinarian such as using feline pheromones, anti anxiety medication, and environmental changes such as tall cat trees, hiding spaces, and safe litter box placement. It is unlikely that she will ever improve dramatically, but you might notice some improvement with these techniques. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Kittens can purr for different reasons, usually when they are happy and content but sometimes they do it when they are angry or uncomfortable. Some cats purr more than others so I would not be concerned that your cat is more of a silent type unless you have noticed other behavior changes as well. If the hairloss is just normal shedding then this can be completely normal. Daily brushing can help decrease the amount of shedding around the house. If however he has spots of hairloss where the hair has completely fallen out it could indicated a skin infection or allergies. If Leo does have bald spots then I would recommend taking him to the vet to be checked out.

This could be due to Kitty's age. When cats are older, they can groom themselves less effectively than younger cats, sometimes resulting in hair matting, skin odor, and inflammation. It could also be that she has arthritis, making it painful for her to reach around to groom her backside and sides. I would make an appointment for her with a groomer. They can brush out her matts (they may need to be shaved), and get her coat back into a better condition. Then you should brush her daily to prevent further matts from occurring. It's very important to get those matts removed asap, as they will be pulling on her skin and it will be painful for her. I'd also make an appointment with her vet for a health check, geriatric blood panel, and urinalysis just to see if everything is ok health wise for her. The vet can also examine her to see if she has arthritis, and can prescribe pain medications as needed. Please do not give her any human pain medications, many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. Give a groomer and her vet a call today. I hope this helps!