Feline allergic skin disease causes chronic itching, hair loss, and self-trauma that significantly affects quality of life, but advances in diagnosis and targeted therapies now allow much better welfare outcomes.
Chronic itch is a profoundly distressing experience for cats. Over-grooming to the point of self-trauma, facial rubbing until skin is raw, and constant scratching that disrupts sleep and normal behaviour all reflect significant suffering that owners may minimise because the cat otherwise appears healthy. Accurate diagnosis matters because management varies significantly between causes — treating flea allergy without eliminating fleas, or managing food allergy without identifying the offending protein, leaves the underlying cause unaddressed and the cat continuing to suffer.