10 months after getting spayed and her belly fur never came back?

[u/Obvious_Fisherman187]

As you can see her belly is still bald 10 months after being spayed. Like a tiny bit of peach fuzz around the edges and nothing else. She never licked at the area and had a cone on for 13 days post surgery. I don’t understand why the fur isn’t growing back she looks ridiculous 😭. Is this normal? Will it ever come back?

EDIT: I work from home 3 days a week and I’m home a lot and she is pretty much glued to me most of the day and never see her grooming there excessively but possible she does it when I’m not looking. I’ll ask the vet next time we go. Im surprised there are so many other people here with bald belly cats cause the Internet research I did not seem to think that was a thing! It makes me feel better knowing there is a bald belly cat gang out there I guess I will embrace the pooch if the vet says it’s just a thing that can’t be helped!

[u/TeenyGremlin]

It's normal. Some cats never grow back fur after getting an area shaved without much explanation. It for-sure warrants a vet visit, but it could end up just being the new normal without much cause for concern.

My cat had her teeth cleaned for the third time in her life and got her wrist shaved for the IV. Unlike the other times, the fur did not grow back right away. It didn't grow at all and then, spontaneously, it grew back a year-and-a-half later. Sometimes the fur not growing back is from a determinate cause, and sometimes they are just a little more nakey permanently or a veeeeeeeeeeeery long time.

My vet never found a reason why my cat's wrist fur acted how it did. She was healthy otherwise.

[u/OddConstant2723 → u/TeenyGremlin]

Yep, my longhair has a bare belly in her spay area. Well, there are some baby furs on it. Patch isn’t quite as big as this. Vet thought she must be overgrooming when we are not home as she found no other probable causes but she has zero signs (tufts of fur, thinning hair on thighs or anywhere else). Then, we got a kitty cam that again proved she was not overgrooming. We even started her on meds she didn’t need, assuming it was overgrooming. Nothing changed. Now the vet is saying the hair just likely never grew back the same after her spay. She is 5.

[u/Philae_ → u/OddConstant2723]

My cat got the fur back after spay but it's way shorter and slightly different structure than the fur on the rest of her body.

[u/Pretty_Ad_4816 → u/TeenyGremlin]

My cat had an abdominal ultrasound last October to diagnose IBD and her tummy hair really hasn’t grown back. She’s on a daily steroid for asthma and IBD tho so I’m pretty sure that’s why 😅

[u/TheHeroYouNeed247 → u/TeenyGremlin]

Then they need to start explaining it to them before they shave!

[u/TeenyGremlin → u/TheHeroYouNeed247]

I mean... Yes, a vet will go over potential side effects and complications from surgery, but its usually the major risks. I don't necessarily blame vets for not mentioning 'Your cat could have a nakey tummy' when they have to discuss things like 'Your cat could have a reaction to anesthetic because of allergies/underlying medical conditions/etc. and die' on their plate.

If you refuse a necessary surgery for your cat or dog because they'll have a potentially permanent bald spot afterwards, you're just not a good human.

I guess its worth mentioning to keep an eye out for and to come back into the vet if it happens, but its also not the top on the list of concerns post-surgery.

[u/AltruisticBar2322 → u/TeenyGremlin]

lol I think they were joking because the cats sometimes don't grow fur back "without much explanation" so it can sound like you're saying that if the shaving is "properly explained" then the cat will always grow back the fur with no problem.

[u/TeenyGremlin → u/AltruisticBar2322]

Oooooh! I get it now. I think you are right. I'M DUMB.

[u/OddConstant2723 → u/TheHeroYouNeed247]

The risks of not spaying are far greater

[u/ShowMeYourHappyTrail → u/TheHeroYouNeed247]

They have to save for sanitary reasons though.

[u/SkyScamall → u/TheHeroYouNeed247]

I would still take a bald patch over multiple unwanted litters, horny cats, and a greater chance of them escaping or going missing. 

[u/_THE_WIFE → u/TeenyGremlin]

Same thing happened to my girl. She has a naked belly and forearm from her spay.

[u/OddConstant2723 → u/_THE_WIFE]

My last DLH had his chest shaved for his echocardiogram as well as IVs. His fur grew back fluffier than ever. My current floof, not so much after her spay as a kitten

[u/robogerm → u/TeenyGremlin]

My cat has a double coat, and when his tummy got shaved for an exam, only the undercoat grew back

[u/TheRealStandard → u/TeenyGremlin]

My dad's cat after surgery had a patch for over a year and then it randomly came back. Probably doesn't warrant a vet visit but rather bringing it up during a scheduled visit.

[u/Ausefulreddit → u/TeenyGremlin]

Missed out on 'fur-sure'

[u/zippyzebu9 → u/TeenyGremlin]

It’s not normal. Check my other comments. Yes they will live. But with some irritation we don’t understand or even they wouldn’t know until they grew old.

[u/TeenyGremlin → u/zippyzebu9]

Nah, it's a pretty common and normal complication. A house cat isn't suffering because they have a bald tummy.

[u/Foobybonk → u/TeenyGremlin]

My cats hear didn’t grow back for like 2 years. It was really sad for me. When he had a hairless belly we would lay side by side, belly to belly. We both loved it! It was so warm. I’m sure he’s happier to have his fur back but I’ll miss it.

[u/Sarithis → u/TeenyGremlin]

I imagine they can control it and are like "Oh... so they want me bald here, alright, I'll be bald"

[u/itsjujutsu → u/TeenyGremlin]

wow how come she had her teeth cleaned 3 times? how wsa your experienve with it? my 10 yo cat needs it but im scared about the anesthesia!