What is wrong with my cat?

[Allenberg]

My cat has been hiding all day according to my wife. I finally coerced her into coming out of her hiding spot, I noticed what looks like a scrape behind one ear, which could be because of itching (I let my cat trim her own claws, and sometimes they can get razor sharp), and behind the other, its kind of red, with small red dots on her skin, which kind of look like the clear red sprinkles you'd see on a cake. I can't get her to a vet until Saturday. Should I panic and take her to an emergency animal hospital?

[Liberal Veteran]

1. Do you have a black light?

If so, see if the area glows....if it does, it's probably just ringworm which is itchy as hell, but not anything to panic over.

[Allenberg]

2. Oddly enough, I do.

I'll give it a shot, and get back to you

[Allenberg]

3. My bulb is burned :(

Here's what it looks like

[Liberal Veteran]

4. Could be flea bites...dermatitis...or some kind of mites.

It could indicate an allergic reaction to flea bites which could be an emergency situation. Since she is behaving oddly, I'd err on the side of caution and take her in.

I wish I could be of more help.

[catmandu57]

5. Could be earmites

How do her ears look inside are they brown,sometimes cats act strange when they're bothered by mites, it's a common problem, you can buy a solution to massage in her ears, and on the affected area.

[davsand]

6. Any on her chin or is it just behind that one ear?

That could almost be kitty acne--which is fairly common on the underside of the chin. I dunno about behind the ear, but I'd assume it is possible--people get pimples just about anywhere they have skin so I'd assume cats can too...

Anyhow, I doubt that is ringworm. Ringworm is a kind of crusty patch/scabby kind of thing. If YOU or anybody else in the family has a red raised welt anyplace, however, I'd suggest you get it checked out. Chaucer (THE Cat!) came home with ringworm (unspotted by two vets!) and Material Girl turned up with it shortly after.

The first we knew about it was when her pre-school called and said she had a "Skin Problem" that had to be covered or cured before she could come back to school! The Doc said she got it from the cat and the Vet swore the cat caught ringworm from the kid.

Needless to say, we treated them both at the same time...

My advice would be to take the cat in to the vet. If for no other reason than to be sure. Skin problems in kitties can be a pretty good indicator of overall health anyhow.

Good luck!


Laura

[Allenberg]

7. Well, we got back from the vet last night around 0130AM

Turns out the marks on her skin is an allergic reaction to being bitten by something, according to the vet, likely fleas. I guess her luck ran out after being flea-free for four years.

The worse news we got though, is that my cat may have some form of heart murmur. I guess military veterinarians are just as bad as military doctors. The entire time we were overseas, three years, they never diagnosed it. The good sign is that my cat doesn't show symptoms of a severe murmur, like lethargy, doesn't wanna eat, or respiratory problems. She breathes fine, is a hog, and is constantly chasing the other cat around the apartment.

We're going to setup an appointment to get her an ultrasound so we can tell how bad it is, but I've read some places on the internet that its possible that it only shows up when the cat is excited, and after a bath, car ride, thermometer up the butt, and being around other animals, my cat's nerves were definitely frazzled.

Thanks for the responses, you guys. :)