Bald cat!

[HowsTheSerenity]

I did think about writing something along the lines of 'hairless pussy' to get attention.

Anyway, my 2yo cat is losing her fur on her shoulder. Her fur has become very dry too. She has always been a skinny cat and despite what and how much food she has she never gains wright. She's also slightly neurotic and twitchy but always has been. She's never been sick. Shes wormed etc regularly. No change in good, lifestyle etc.

What could be wrong?

Just as well you didn't post 'Hairless Pussy' on AIBU, eh?

Does she scratch at all?

No scratching, no fleas, no scabs.

When I was a a child one of our family cats had a bald tummy and that was down to some sort of allergy or reaction to flea bites.

The vet prescribed him some tablets and he was fine and the fur grew back. We never saw a flea but they must have been there.

Archcat was at the vets for a jab recently and I pointed out that he had a bald patch on one ear (has since grown back). Vet said it might have been a fungal infection and checked him out under an infra-red light (I think it was infra-red, it was certainly a red lamp in a darkened room). If it had been fungal then something would have shown up but it was all clear. Could that be the problem? Unfortunately, because in our case it was negative I never asked about treatment so can't help you there.

Thyroid problem?

It's on her shoulder and the skin is lovely and pink. Looks like alopecia actually.
We are off to the vet next week anyway.
Maybe she needs valium.

Sillybilly had this on his chest a few weeks ago. (I had to bath him to break the back of fleas and neurotic licking) and all his fur kind of peeled away leaving him pink and bald. It's all growing back nicely now.

:(

I have an ancient (16) cat who has picked up fleas from our garden - we moved recently and other cats sit in it, as do foxes.

Tried to buy some over the counter stuff and the vet said we had to take her in for a check up as he'd not seen her in 5 years. She'd not been as there had been no need for her to go - she's an indoor cat, is neutered, we have no other pets.

Just got back from a holiday and she's licked/scratched lots of fur on her sides and now is looking really shabby. I'm guessing I have to bite the bullet and take her to the vet (which costs £50 for a consultancy; I'm unwaged) before I can get anything to treat her? There is NO way I can bath the cat. I don't own a suit of armour.