"Never get a cat."

[sab]

Here's some observations.

1. To LA-area folks. Have you heard this radio commercial for Mike Diamond Plumbing? Where they promise the plumber will show up on time and smell good? And/or the commercial riffs on smelling various plumbers to make sure they're not stinky? Is this a thing, now? Are angry homeowners calling to complain about the way their visiting plumbers smell? I can't imagine ever, in any circumstance, calling anywhere to complain about the smell of another human being. Much less the smell of a human being who's snaking my septic tank. I am FLUMMOXED.

2. And Edith is losing her hair. She's patchy, a little, she has one patch near her tail, on her back, and one patch on her chest, and two little ones on the top of her head. The Internet seems to think it's stress-related compulsive grooming, and she DOES smack her head a lot with her feet. Should I be worried? Note: I cannot afford a vet at the moment, especially since the Water and Power people came and harangued me this morning for the THREE HUNDRED THIRTY DOLLARS I owe him, so the answer to the Edith question must be either a) "I'm sure she's fine," or b) "I'm a vet, here's what you should do for under ten bucks."

3. To Do: DS9 ficathon, Mary Sue novel (done, because I rock), Jed/Leo, Paris/Kim, wish there were Voyager seasons beyond S2 torrented somewhere. Meanwhile, selenak comes home in two days. Be STILL MY NARN HEART!

Comments

[queerbychoice.livejournal.com]

If Edith is not only losing her hair but also getting big rough bloody scabs over the bald spots, and especially if the bald scabby areas are concentrated around her face, that would suggest a food allergy, and there are special cat foods you can buy that will not set off food allergies.

However, if she is only losing her hair and doesn't have scabs in the bald spots, that would not suggest a food allergy. In that case, I would go with the "stress-related compulsive grooming" idea and unless you can figure out what's stressing her and remove it, I doubt there's much you can do that she'd be likely to appreciate.

And I'm not a vet, but I do have lots of experience owning cats with food allergies and bizarre personality disorders.

[iamsab.livejournal.com]

Whew! No scabs, just sort of soft patches where she licks or smacks herself. And she seems happy, it's so hard to tell with her, she's such a bird-eating drama queen. She just flounces around talking to the walls and having patches and eating birds. But she's no weirder than she's ever been, so I trust she's just her normal drama queeny self.

And, no bald areas near her mouth or face. WHEW. Thank you!

[simplystars.livejournal.com]

*comes out of lurkdom with a self-conscious wave*

Hi! My brown tabby Jack (apparently; I've never actually caught him in the act) licks his fur off too... my vet didn't say it was stress-related at all, just that some cats get into the habit of licking, even if they are clean and flea-free and perfectly healthy.

Jack just started out of the blue---I noticed he had some tiny bare spots on his hocks, and then it spread up his back legs (when I took him to the vet). He stopped over the winter (too cold?) but now that the warm weather is here he looks like he's wearing non-furry pants. All the fur on the inside of his back legs, and half of his underbelly, has been licked away.

And yet he's the happiest cat. He snoozes and plays with the other kitties and gets plenty of love and attention. He hasn't progressed to lesions, so I mostly just shrug and tell him he's weird.

Putting something icky-tasting on the lesions is a good idea, to discourage her from licking them further...I use Neosporin ointment for abcesses and things, but I don't know if she'd lick that off too?

Hope everything works out for you and Edith. :)

[iamsab.livejournal.com]

Turns out she did/does have fleas. We took a bath I don't care to repeat. *g* Now she has a flea collar but she's still licked off most of her elbows and the back of her tail -- putting Neosporin on the raw areas is a good idea and I'll try that.

Thanks!