Bald patches

2 male strays who were otherwise healthy have begun to lose hair right before the base of their tail/back area. The patches are about the size of a strawberry. I was able to look at them both. One was bald with no scratches, the other was bald and had what looked like scratching or skin irritation almost like some sort of crust. They both do not like me petting them where the hair is falling out.

Also, one of my male cats (indoor) has scabs on his back that are slowly healing but a lot of his hair in the area is thin, but for him it might have been he cut his back when he accidently ran under the open door and the door hit his back and might have taken some skin and hair off.

Being the outside cats are males (but neutered), could they have gotten into a fight and got an infection, or could it be a parasite/disease? I am concerned if it's a parasite/disease my male indoor cat might have contracted something perhaps from bringing it in on my shoe?

I know that unneutered male cats can have "stud tail" where there is excessive oil in that area and the hair can fall out. But you said they are neutered. Could be: dry/itchy skin from their diet. Ringworm fungus. Flea allergy dermitis. Or even scabies, mites or mange. Hopefully it is just dry skin. It sounds from your description a circular hairloss and that could then be ringworm. This could be brought in to your inside cats so be careful with petting or loose hair shafts because that is where the fungal spores shed off of. That is always a fear of mine if the ferals get ringworm, because I wouldn't be able to treat them correctly. for your strays

Lauren answered the question, so I'll just add my vibes! !!!!!!

How can I tell if it's ringworm, and is there any treatment I can buy in a pet store, I can pet these 2 cats and am able to apply something to their skin if need be.

The problem is worse than I thought. The first picture is of my indoor cat, you can see the hair missing on his back.
The 2nd picture is 1 of 2 male strays who are having this issue. This cat is a longhaired male, and when I parted his fur I realized the hair missing was an area the size of my hand! He has been licking it often now and for the past few days he has been tired and he vomited once, though that might be him shedding trying to get rid of hairballs.
The gray cat also has a URI and he has it worst, his back is scabby with multiple bald patches, he is the 3rd picture.

Any idea what it is?

You might get more info if this is in the health forum. You can ask a mod to move it by clicking on the little red triangle with the exclamation point in it in the upper right-hand corner of each post.

Thanks, I requested it to be moved.

Holy Smokes.. Sorry, that is a large area of missing hair. You could go out and purchase a black light and hold it over the cat in the dark about six inches from the lesions. If it glows bright green or orange (can't remember, but if it glows anything) it is ringworm. Although only 65 percent of ringworm will glow under the light. That could be ringworm from the looks of it.

That could me some sort of mite, and Revolution would help with that. It is a monthly topical and you have to get it from a vet. At this point, after seeing those pictures, I would take the cats to a vet and have that looked at, if you can.

Two of my cats are highly allergic to flea bites, one in particular is so allergic that one flea bite can start her biting her fur off. I would find tufts of fur all over the place. I brought her to the Vet and it was confirmed thats what it is, I have to make sure I never miss an application of Frontline every month. Have you noticed if they have fleas?

Originally Posted by aswient

Two of my cats are highly allergic to flea bites, one in particular is so allergic that one flea bite can start her biting her fur off. I would find tufts of fur all over the place. I brought her to the Vet and it was confirmed thats what it is, I have to make sure I never miss an application of Frontline every month. Have you noticed if they have fleas?

Click to expand...

Yes, this could just be an allergic reaction to fleas, much easier to treat than ringworm for sure.

I've been feeding these cats for over 4 years, in the past they had fleas, and they had never gotten anything close to this. I've never had a cat with hair loss before. I bought frontline and it killed the fleas. I dont think it could be fleas only because of the severity, and the fact only the males have it and the hair loss is the same in all the cats, fleas live all over the body, so you would think areas like behind the neck would be bald then. none of the female strays have this issue.

It might be ringworm but I hope it's not the start of mange, but how is it contagious?

i also have a problem in that no vets nearby will treat strays, as they would require a blood test just to be looked at, and the vet visit charge, and that is to expensive, no less that I have 3 cats to treat! I just cant afford it and there are no places here. All I can do for them is buy over the counter medications a vet does not need to prescribe, like what they sell at pet stores.

Hi - I think this pretty much reiterated what others have said but I had seen this on another forum - hope everything works out - it is scary when your babies have anything wrong:

Hyperthyroidism

As the most common disorder that felines experience, hyperthyroidism is also the leading cause of cat hair loss. Other symptoms of hyperthyroidism include weight loss, a curb or complete standstill in grooming, excessive thirst and urination and insatiable appetite. Luckily, in most cases, hyperthyroidism can be easily controlled with medication or radioactive iodine therapy.
Fleas

If a flea infestation is bad enough or your cat has particularly sensitive skin, hair loss may occur. Itching skin that is hard to reach through dander and fur becomes your cat's only focus. To stop the itching, Fluffy will go to any lengths, including biting off hair in the bothersome area to get to the agitated skin. cats with fleas should be treated immediately to avoid further more serious complications to their overall health.
Allergies

Hair loss and itching are common symptoms when a cat has an allergic reaction to something it has either eaten or come into contact with in the environment. Tracking down the cause of the allergy is the most difficult part of diagnosing the problem. Once the allergen has been identified, treatment usually involves eliminating the substance from the cat's diet or environment. As the allergen works its way out of a cat's system, itchy rashes begin to fade away. A vet may also prescribe medication to temporarily relieve the worst of the itching. Once the system returns to normal, most cats will regrow their fur.
Pyoderma

Pyoderma is a bacterial infection that commonly sets in when the skin is traumatized from scratching and biting. The infection produces localized hair loss as well as a puss discharge that crusts over the lesions. Great care must be taken to clean away the discharge to promote healing, but since pyoderma is a secondary infection, it's still crucial to determine the cause of the irritation.
Mange

Mange mites burrow under the skin and can cause extreme itching even though they can't be seen. Mange is typically diagnosed via skin scrapings viewed under a microscope. Treatment usually involves application of a pyrethrin product under veterinary supervision.
Ringworm

Ringworm is actually a fungal infection that produces circular patches of hair loss as the fungus infests the hair shafts. It is generally treated with various dips or oral medications, but some vets also recommend shaving the infected cat to completely remove the fungus. Once the fungus is gone, the hair should regrow.

I put a Black light over one of the cats bald areas which now has red lumps, and the red areas glowed bright green. I have been spraying the cat with anti-microbial spray that is supposed to kill ringworm fungus, and it seemed to make the red area get larger.

For outside cats I dont see how they can be treated, and stay treated as something outside has infected them and if they go back out they will just get re-infected and the worst part is unless I can find an over the counter medication or cream I cannot get treatment.

Eek ringworm! My kittens just got over a 3 month long battle with it but 2 of my older cats still have it. With my experience, you need to get proper treatment or this will not go away. Plus it easily spreads to other cats and even you. Not to mention fabrics. It can really be a pain if it's ignored.

Yep, looks like ringworm to me.

OH NO!!!!!!!!! I am so sorry, that is what I thought it was and why I suggested the black light. I don't know if that spray will do anything really. For ringworm, they need those sulfur baths, and an oral medication to effectively irradicate the ringworm. I would call your vet and get some advice since these are outdoor cats, but you are able to pet them, so you could give an oral med??????

Even if untreated, it will just run it's course and they will eventually get over it. Alot of cats are carriers of ringworm but show no symptoms. It usually affects young kittens or elderly cats or cats with a compromised immune system whom cannot fight off the fungus. I worry about my ferals outside and this fungus too. It would be impossible for me to treat my outdoor ferals if they came down with it. I can't even touch them.

Thanks for the advice, i'll have to ask the vets and see if they can offer something.