Holes in cat fur

[lost in espace]

I have a white cat about 9 years old, it is covered by insurance so going to the vets is no real issue. I just wondered if anyone could shed some light on this problem.

About a month ago a hole appeared in its fur very suddenly, the skin is reddish and a bit damp. The hole is completely bald and about 2" x 1". I have another cat and it is unaffected.

Today my daughter noticed there was a second hole similar to the first. Both are in the upper shoulder area.

Anyone got any ideas?

[amancalledrob]

It's possible your cat suffers from anxiety, manifesting itself in over-grooming, leading to a couple of patches where there's effectively an itch-scratch cycle. This happened to my girlfriend's cat. The vet administered an injection (a steroid IIRC) that stopped the itch and broke the cycle.

She still grooms a hell of a lot, though.

[Jasandjules]

Have you checked for fleas? Could be chewing as a result of an allergy to them.

[lost in espace]

The wetness could well be because of grooming. I have recently deflea'ed them. Vets I think is best.

[Desiato]

I would say it is some sort of allergy. Our Persian had patches that look just like that and it turned out to be the cat litter we had just changed to. Unfortunately it was at the same time as we had revamped the garden and we thought it was something there that affected him.
Changing back to the previous litter and cleaning the areas with salt water cleared it up quite quickly.

Good luck and hope you get it sorted quickly.