What's this hairless, scabbed, itchy spot on my cat's neck?

Ouch! Those are some major hot spots in that photo. I would recommend having Lili seen by your vet so the area can be clipped and cleaned and any medications such as pain or antibiotics can be given to help it heal a bit faster. I'd also keep Lili from scratching or pawing at it as this can introduce bacteria and more inflammation which can slow healing. If only Lili is affected and you're not noticing other issues like parasites, etc, it is possible there is an allergy underlying. She could be rubbing up against something causing the itchiness, or could have an ingredient allergy to something in her food (or a treat if the spots correspond with intermittent feeding of a treat or wet food). Other issues such as an underlying illness like an immune or metabolic issue can also cause scabbing and skin issues that affect only one cat in the household. A vet visit is a good option at this point both to treat the current scabs and to see if a food trial, allergy meds, or additional testing such as bloodwork to rule out any underlying health issues may be beneficial in finding the cause.

From the picture I can only say this may be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria or fungal). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics or antifungal meds (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. More investigations like sampling and bacterial swabs would be needed to determine the underlying cause more specifically. In my experience I have seen large wounds like this one from Poxvirus infection (but usually other wounds are present as well). I would suggest to handle this wound always with gloves (you are doing it anyway as I can see from the pic). Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Ouch! That spot looks very irritated. I would have a vet examine Chewy to rule out issues such as fungal infections, allergies, wounds, parasites, metabolic issues, etc that could all be causing what you are seeing, as that is a very large irritated area. Until you can get to the vet, keeping an Elizabethan (cone) collar on Chewie to keep her from scratching can help reduce irritation and the chances of secondary infections.

Skin cancer is unlikely at that age. It is more likely that there is an infection there which did not clear up as antibiotics are needed. Bite wounds must be considered always infected. A check up is needed. Your veterinarian will flush the wound first and prescribe local or systemic antibiotics.

Hello. It is very difficult to know exactly what this might be, but it does resemble a healing abscess. If she is constantly licking the spot, then you might want to put a light Elizabethan collar on her to prevent further self-trauma. But, if she is not bothering the area, then just keep an eye on this for the time being. Anything you put on it will just get her licking it off & perhaps doing more damage to the skin. Any additional concerns, it is best to have your veterinarian physically examine the skin for additional possible treatment. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hair loss is that area could be a few things. If you are using a topical flea medication and applying it there, that could be the cause. Cats can also get skin mites, allergies or ringworm (which humans can get), or an injury. Could the dried blood be from her scratching with her hind paw? From the photos, I don't appreciate any hair loss around the ears. Minor wounds can often heal on their own. Monitor the lesion closely, if it doesn't begin healing within a week or if it starts looking worse, have her examined by the veterinarian. Also make sure she is not scratching at the area. Best of luck.

These areas on the skin look very suspicious of a ringworm infection or bacterial infection. Ms Pussington needs to be seen by a vet to get this looked at and treated. This won't respond to any at home treatment unfortunately. I would recommend scheduling an appt soon for her. In the meantime you can try cleaning the area with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water to provide a topical antiseptic clean. Nothing else should be placed on these wounds. She will likely need a skin scrape/cytology to identify the underlying pathogen and then treatment based on what the cause is. I hope she feels better soon.