My cat Suarez is looking worse for wear.

[PurpleButterfly]

Hey all,

 

My cat Suarez is 3 years old but he looks so much older than that. His fur is coarse and greasy. He also seems to be getting in to a heck of a lot of cat fights. I mean my street is FULL of cats and I've seen him worn many off our drive way. But he's losing fur around the neck and leg. He doesn't wear a collar but his neck line resembles that of a cat who wears a collar that has chaffed.

 

Today when he came home the top of his left ear had skin pealed away and it was red and a bit bloody. We have another cat, who's 1 years old and he seems to be playing rough with him too. I don't think there's been any changes to his environment to make him stressed. I always hoover when he's out and we never get any products on him at all.

 

He looks so sad all the time, it's been going on for about 6 months or so now. I don't know how to make him feel happier. He's really spoilt and gets so much affection from both my partner and I.

 

Any ideas how I can make him feel better and look better?

 

Cheers. X

[j.man]

Well, you're better off going to a vet than asking us as far as the physical ailments go.

 

While I'm all about giving cats their dose of freedom outside, if he just ends up getting his ass beat every time, you might want to consider keeping him in.

[Lady Amalthea]

You need to take that cat to the vet. ASAP. He needs medical attention that you can't provide yourself.

[carrie8484]

The most impurtsn

[carrie8484]

The most important thing is - is he neutered? If not, please get him seen to ASAP. It will definitely stop him from fighting as much, and improve his general health. This is VERY important as he will 100% be getting female cats pregnant if he's not neutered!

 

Secondly- can you keep him in for a few days and keep an eye on him, or only let him out during the day? Look out for his general behaviour, how much he eats, maybe get him some new toys to keep him amused , a feliway diffuser, a new bed. He may need a change in diet to help with his coat. Pet friendly cod liver oil is great for their coat.You could take him to the grooming parlour for a good bath too.

 

Try seeing to wounds with salt water solution, but please take him to the vet for a proper check over. Also, get him micro chipped and maybe a well fitting coller too.

[melancholy123]

Take him to the vet. People here aren't vets and are not appropriate for diagnosing your cat's problem.

[ParisPaulette]

Take the cat to a vet. When a cat start to look ragged and sad it means they are already sick or in distress. And it can be anything. I've had cats suffering from everything like fleas to feline leukemia to the lovely little tabby I once had who loved to eat plastic bags and had a blocked intestine as a result of it. Please take your baby to the vet, cats can't tell you they're sick and many times they seem sort of okay even though they aren't. If your guy is missing fur and dragging around then that's not sadness, that's him showing you he's so sick he can't hide it anymore.

[alli]

I agree- take him to a vet! Also, it is hard for cats that go inside & outside to transition to only being inside but they are so much better off when they are indoors only. Indoor cats on average live several years longer than cats that go outside. If he is fighting with other cats he may have contracted Feline Leukemia Virus or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. Also, losing fur is a sign of mange. It is an opportunistic infection, which means that the parasites take over when the cat is too sick for it's own immune system to fight it off.

 

When I was a kid I lived in an apartment that didn't allow cats. Of course, I brought them inside sometimes anyway but they lived outside for the most part. Once I had a kitten & when I picked it up to take it inside it started having a seizure. I thought it was struggling in my arms at first. I set it down & it laid on it's side but moved it's legs like it was sprinting. Then it stopped & just died. It was hard. The vet said it probably ate something bad, like a bird. It's gums were white. I still don't know exactly what would have caused that to happen. I'm just saying the outdoors is bad for cats. Cars, eating bad things, cat fights. Not good.