Is someone hurting my cats?

[JaneAustinAllegro]

We live in a rural area, a few cats nearby but in the middle of open fields. One of our cats has twice had a major scrape on the scruff of his neck that has taken all the fur out and left the skin bare and exposed. On one occasion, it became infected and we went to the vet for antibiotics. The vet and i couldn't work out what caused it. Now our other cat has an identical bare strip on her side - about 2cm wide and 4cm long. I'm worried that someone is doing something to them deliberately- can anyone come up with a more palatable alternative? I'll try and post a pic

Puc

I'd be guessing a scrap - but not with another cat. What other (eg wild) animals do you have around?

It looks almost mechanical. Is there any kind of machinery they could be crawling under ( maybe because it's nice and warm)?

my guess is that they are crawling under something sharp.

I would say either crawling under something or squeezing through a gap where there is something sharp to catch their fur on.

I agree. Look for an opening in a fence or gap in outbuilding door, maybe with glass or barbed wire? If both cats have the same mark then it's likely they're both using the same "route" and leaving their fur behind.

I thought mechanical burn too.

Thank you ladies. They travel such an open area I don't know what they might catch themselves on. Glad you all think it's purely accidental-,it's the fact it's so clean / sharply defined and with any damage to the skin that made me concerned. She's not distressed by it in any way