Bald patch on neck, red skin.

[Opal and Onyx]

I have two adult Bengal cats, one of which has lost a patch of skin on their neck, under which the skin looks red and sore. However, it does not seem to bother them at all.

The other cat does not appear to have any issues, this is despite them curling up together daily.

They are both indoor cats and have had no direct exposure to other animals.

We play with and handle the cats often, and the issue could not have been present for more than a few days.

I bathed both cats with an anti-fungal shampoo prior to taking these photos.

Does anyone have an idea what may be causing this?

 

[Opal and Onyx]

* one of which has lost a patch of FUR on their neck

 

[Opal and Onyx]

The cat absolutely loves heat and today I caught him laying with his neck against the heating pipe... Could he have fallen asleep when it was cool and then got burnt? Although I would have assumed he'd stay away from it if this was the cause.

 

[Opal and Onyx]

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. It is possible that could be a burn due to lengthy exposure to the heated pipe, and he may not make a connection between that wound and the pipe, especially if it isn't bothering him too much (it probably does bother him some). It may also be that after he stops resting on the pipe, the warm skin feels funny when exposed to the cooler air in the house and he is rubbing it/scratching at it causing it to become irritated and sore.

Can you send a pic to your vet, tell them what you suspect, and see what they think? They may be able to advise on the best way to treat it via phone call. I would definitely look into getting something to treat it with so that an infection doesn't set in. You could try plain Neosporin to rub into the area to see if that might help.

Is there a way to insulate (cover) the pipe?

 

[Opal and Onyx]

My first thought was ringworm, hence the anti-fungal bath (although there is only a single patch, and two adults plus one other cat are fine).

With several cars between my wife and I, we've never had a similar problem, so are really just guessing.

If it wasn't visible we wouldn't know it was there, he pays the area zero attention, and having seen him sick/distressed preciously I am confident he is not in pain.

Being a NYC apartment we have several floor to ceiling pipes like the one in the picture, and the same amount of cast iron radiators. With this also being a rental, I don't think alterations are likely.

I'll see if the vet are willing to view a photo, but I doubt they would do anything they can't charge for. I've ordered a new cat carrier (long story - don't have a suitable one at moment), and will take him to the vet as soon as it arrives.

 

[Opal and Onyx]

*several CATS, not cars

 

[Micaela227]

Hi! This happened to my oldest cat like two years ago. Exactly the same thing like in the pictures. Apparently, my other cat may have scratched him (the lession was on his back, almost at the beginning of the tail) or maybe a bug bite him, but it was a small injury that my cat kept licking and because of that it became a "parche caliente", a small skin infection. He was on antibiotics for a week, I think. I'm sorry I can't give you the name in english, but I don't know how to translate it.
Take him to the vet, he needs medication but it will go away super soon. The hair may take a little time to come back though.

 

[Micaela227]

I now realice that because of the location he couldn't had been licking the spot. Still, it looks exactly like what my cat had. I wish I had pictures to show you.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Being a NYC apartment we have several floor to ceiling pipes like the one in the picture, and the same amount of cast iron radiators. With this also being a rental, I don't think alterations are likely.

Insulation for the pipes can be removed as easily as it is applied, of course depending on the type you would choose to try. There are foam and fiberglass insulation that wrap around the pipes and can be affixed by securing the actual covering - not doing anything permanent to the pipes themselves. I would talk to a home improvement store about possible options.

I don't think it would hurt to try the plain Neosporin until you can get him into the vet. But, send pics (or keep them for when you get to the vet) anyway, so if the Neosporin helps any, the vet will still know what it initially looked like.