What this means
A healthy cat's skin is pale pink or pigmented, smooth and free of scratches. If it is red, hot, damp, rough or dotted with tiny spots or scabs, it is inflamed or irritated. Because of the coat, redness is often seen only when the hair is parted or where the fur is thinner, such as on the belly, ears or around the eyes.
Red skin can have very different causes: scratching or licking, an allergy, parasites, an infection or another illness. Do not assume at once that it is fleas or an allergy. Sometimes the cat itself causes the redness by licking or scratching the skin, and the skin is then irritated even more.
Look at a red area gently and do not press, because it may be sore. Note where and since when the skin has been red, whether your cat licks or scratches it, and whether its appetite or behaviour has changed too, and have a vet see it so the cause can be found.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your cat.
-
Scratching and licking
A cat that scratches, licks or chews its skin irritates it, and it turns red. Several different causes can make skin itch.
-
Allergy
An immune reaction to something in food or the surroundings can redden the skin and cause itching. It is one possible cause, not the only one.
About the condition: Food and seasonal allergies -
Parasites
Fleas, lice or mites irritate the skin, and sometimes cannot be seen with the naked eye. Even indoor cats cannot be ruled out.
-
Skin infection
Inflammation caused by bacteria or a fungus reddens the skin and may come with crusts and bare patches. Some infections can pass to other animals and to people.
-
Irritation or contact with something
Skin can redden from contact with something that irritates it. The redness is then usually where the contact happened.
-
Internal illness or pain
Sometimes skin changes go with another illness, or a cat licks a spot that hurts. That is why a vet examines the whole cat.
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- Where the red skin is and how wide an area it covers
- Whether the skin is hot, damp, weeping or crusted
- Whether your cat licks or scratches the spot
- Whether the fur there is thinning or has fallen out
- Whether appetite, mood or activity has changed
- Whether other pets or people at home have similar changes
When to book a routine visit
Book a visit if your cat's skin has been red for more than a couple of days, if it itches, is crusted or has sores, or if its behaviour has changed. If the redness is spreading fast or your cat is not eating, go straight away.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Ringworm (dermatophytosis) Infections A fungal infection of the skin, hair and claws that spreads between animals and can pass to people. Despite the name there is no worm, and it does not always itch, so it can look like no more than a few small bald patches.
- Skin and coat disorders Skin and coat A wide group of problems: allergies, parasites, fungal and bacterial infections, and skin that is too dry or too oily. The skin is the largest organ of the body, so its state and the state of the coat say a lot about a cat's health.
Body systems: Infections Skin and coat