Does Your Cat Seem to Be Itching and Scratching All the Time?

Does your cat seem to be itching and scratching all the time? If you answered yes to this question, your cat may be trying to tell you something. Itching can be a symptom of an underlying medical condition that is affecting the cat's skin. But, if left unattended, all this scratching can lead to other medical problems such as infections.

What can cause your cat to itch? There are several reasons for a cat to scratch or for its skin to be itchy. It could be suffering from a chemical reaction, such as a new shampoo. If a chemical reaction is the cause then the itching is a result of the condition stimulating the nerves, which tells the skin that it itches and the cat scratches it. Dry skin will also cause the cat to scratch and can be caused by inflammation. Other things that can cause itchiness and scratching are changes in the cat's diet that it is allergic to, parasites such as fleas and ticks, thyroid defects, infection and even anxiety.

This itching can be separated into mild and severe. Mild cases of itching will barely affect the cat at all. Severe cases, however, often lead to some serious scratching by the cat and will often lead to other serious problems, such as skin lesions and secondary yeast infections if they are not treated quickly. The most common causes for itchiness in cats is allergies and parasites, so these are the two that are looked at first.

If you have noticed your catch scratching there are other symptoms that can help decide if a trip to the vet is necessary. The cat may bite as well as scratch, but either way if it lasts for more than 24 hours and/or there are lesions forming on the skin then a trip to the vet is necessary. Also, if there are patches of hair loss, red skin or if the cat seems to be in pain or uncomfortable or if the cat is excessively cleaning itself, then a trip to the vet is necessary.

Every cat will scratch itself occasionally. If you see your cat scratching once in awhile, then you do not have a problem. But, if you are aware of your cat's behavior on a daily basis, you will know if it is scratching more than usual. Do not hesitate to take it to the vet because as always, it is better to be safe than to be sorry.