Help, I need a Cat doctor/advice

[youtwohearts]

My Bonzi has a little tiny spot above his wiskers on his cute face that is missing hair. I just noticed it last night. He isn't scratching it and it isn't red or inflammed it just is a little spot. He is acting normal and because of the 1.2 million dollars I spent on U2 tickets I can't get him to the vet for a little bit.

Is this a serious problem or could he just have got hurt playing with his four other brothers and sisters?

 

[clarityat3am]

Can you post a picture of it?

 

[Liesje]

PM bonosloveslave. She's a cat vet.

 

[mdw3935]

My cats get that all the time. Theirs is either from playing/fighting with each other. It looks like a little spot with no fur. I have one who actually pulls his fur out sometimes when he cleans himself but he is a long hair cat. I wouldn't worry too much about it if he isn't scratching it or it isn't red and inflammed. To ease your mind just call your vet and ask them about it.

 

[Sicy]

As long as he is eating/drinking/playing/pooping everything normal... you can probably wait to take him to the vet. It could be simple like he scratched at it or from rough housing with the other kittys. Sometimes my guys will be missing a bit of hair in various places for a little bit from wrestling too hard

 

[ruffian]

I agree (long-time cat owner here). The thing to watch for is any swelling. Cats can get abscesses pretty easily, in that everything festers on the inside (eeeeew!) and doesn't show much on the outside. It sounds like he should be fine.

 

[bonosloveslave]

Cat doctor at your service.....

If he does not seem bothered by it, it is fine to just watch it. With that many cats in the house, it is very likely someone got a little rough and pulled a chunk out. If he starts rubbing/scratching at it or it starts to look red or scabbed, that would more likely indicate the start of allergies. I'd be more concerned too if you started to see other bare patches pop up. Hoepfully it's just a fluke

 

[kellyahern]

My cat has had a little bald spot on her head since we got her as a kitten. It's a scar from something, we never found out what

She does like to be petted on her head and have it scratched though

edited to add: With all of us cat owners in Pleba, isn't great that one of us is a vet that we can ask questions of? bonosloveslave

 

[youtwohearts]

to everyone and of course our house vet bonosloveslave

Well like I said he is acting completly normal. Following me upstairs and downstairs and keeping an eye on me sitting next to the radiator.

I'm going to give it a few days and see. Thanks for the advice as always.

When I got nervous I knew exactly who to ask.

 

[U2democrat]

BLS is a cat vet?!! awesome! (i apologize ahead of time for hijacking this thread)

can you give me any advice to help my cat lose weight? she's on diet food and she only gets 1/4 cup in the morning and evening, yet she's still fat. (14 pounds i believe). she's an indoor cat so naturally she doesn't get much exercise. any advice?

 

[elevation2u]

how old is your cat? if she is about 4 years or older, she may just have hypothyroid which will make her heavy no mayyer how little she eats, for that i believe they have to run soem blood tests and if she is positive they'll probably just prescribe her soloxine which she would take daily.

 

[U2democrat]

yeah she's 4, will be 5 in september. i also just saw a commercial for indoor cat food, i'll try that stuff too.

 

[bonosloveslave]

BLS is a cat vet?!! awesome! (i apologize ahead of time for hijacking this thread)

can you give me any advice to help my cat lose weight? she's on diet food and she only gets 1/4 cup in the morning and evening, yet she's still fat. (14 pounds i believe). she's an indoor cat so naturally she doesn't get much exercise. any advice?

This is something I deal with in more than 1/2 of my patients. Which diet food is she on? And are you feeding her 1/4 cup food total for the day or 1/4 + 1/4 = 1/2 cup? There is a pretty wide spread for how many calories are in a cup of food from brand to brand, even among diet foods. Are there any other cats around whose food she may be getting into?

Hypothroidism is actually very rare in cats, but very common in dogs.

If I had my choice, all cats would be indoor cats because there is much less trouble to get into - but they do tend to get less exercise. The main issue is making sure she's not getting more calories than she needs, but also trying to get her activity level up to burn more calories. Be creative! You might be able to move her food/water dish/litter box to another level of the house so she is climbing the stairs more frequently, or try elevating them so she has to jump up and down to get to them. Interactive toys are really good, my cat loves chasing the light of a laser pen, it's low impact for me but gets her running around while I'm watching TV. She also likes the fishing pole with the feather on the end. There is one product I know of called a Buster Cube, that lets you put their food in a ball and they have to roll it around to get their kibbles to pop out one at a time. You might have to show her a few times how to do it (when she is hungry) - but another good way to get her moving around more.

If you give me her food info I can do a diet calculation to see if you need to cut back.

 

[youtwohearts]

Just wanted to update everyone. My Bonzi has a little scab now. I guess he got clipped by some one's claws. He still isn't red or inflammed and it isn't bothering him. He is still adorable.

 

[bonosloveslave]

Glad he's ok!

 

[Liesje]

Beth, is two 1/4ths twice a day enough for a young adult? Beckham's a year old and this is what I give him, one when I wake up and one when I eat dinner. But he's always meowing constantly and begging from everyone. I can't decide if I don't feed him enough, or if he'll just meow nonstop and beg no matter what. It's kind of disappointing though b/c all he really cares about is getting food. He never just plays or likes to be pet. He just whines constantly. His entire life is food. Posh will meow when she's REALLY hungry, but she does "regular" cat stuff like play, sleep, wander around....Beckham just follows people around whining nonstop. He get's Authority brand adult (chicken flavor) if it matters.