Why is my cat scratching when she doesn’t have fleas?

Itch has plenty of causes besides fleas. Food allergies, environmental allergies to things like pollen or dust, dry skin, mites or a skin infection can all make a cat scratch, overgroom or bite at herself. It’s also worth a second look for fleas, since indoor cats get them too and flea dirt is easy to miss. Note where she’s itching and how much fur she’s losing, and bring that to your vet. Chronic scratching wears down the skin and invites infection, so it’s worth sorting out rather than waiting.

When to call a vet: Constant scratching, raw patches or hair loss should be evaluated by a vet to find the allergy, parasite or infection behind it.