Why is my 5-month-old cat losing fur between her shoulder blades?
I have seen this as a reaction to certain spot-on flea/tick treatments, vaccines and microchipping. If any of these were recently done, then I would be most suspicious of them being the cause.
The skin appears a red, which indicates that something is irritating it and it appears oily, but I'm assuming that's from the antibiotic ointment.
For now, it's best to just keep the area clean with a medicated cat shampoo. You can get this at the pet store. I would clean it once daily and not put the antibiotic cream on it. Use cool water when washing and rinsing to give some relief.
You can stop the daily cleanings when the skin appears healthy again and the hair is obviously growing back. If the hair loss continues and the skin appears worse, then it's best to have a vet look at it, because it may need special treatment.
I hope that helps and Phoebe gets better soon.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025