Cat Losing Fur From Constant Scratching

[Capttripppp]

My cat has been scratching so much that his hair has begun to thin, and come out. I have been monitoring his feces for some time, and I have yet to see any worms or the like. He used to go outside, but I have kept him inside for the past 3 months.
I wish I could afford to take him to the vet, but the reality is that I am a disabled combat veteran that receives just enough money to cover rent, food (for both of us), and essential necessities. I intend to call around today with the hopes of finding a vet that will work with me, and hopefully set me up with a payment plan. I am open to any help, or advice that anyone may be able to offer. My cat is the most important being in my life, and I can say in all honesty that the only reason I'm still breathing is because of him. I hate seeing him itching all of the time, and his hair coming out hurts my heart.
Thank you for any guidance that the community may be able to provide

 

[LTS3]

Try these organizations for help:

No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life
Financial Aid for Pets

Look for low cost vet clinics in your area. Cost is more affordable than a regular vet hospital.

Some vet hospitals have discounts for military personnel. You can ask the vet hospitals in your area. The local SPCA or Humane Society may know of vet hospitals that may offer military discounts.

An allergy of some sort can cause cats to scratch constantly. It could be environmental, seasonal, or food. What are you feeding your cat? Do you use air fresheners, essential oils, candles, etc in your home?

Thank you for your service

 

[Capttripppp]

I'm hoping to find a place that will be willing to work with me. I have checked out the SPCA already, and they require payment before even booking an appointment. I haven't checked with any other vets yet (courtesy of horrible social anxiety), but as I've stated I can no longer stand by being idle about everything.
I have thought about allergies, and the only thing that has changed is his food. I have tried a couple of different brands of dry food, and I quit feeding him store bought wet food. I have been making his wet food myself (Results being, he went from consistent wet/soft stools to normal stools). Aside from those changes nothing else has been changed. No candles, etc. I'm going to check out the link you provided, and I appreciate your guidance.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am guessing not, but by any chance did the itching/scratching occur shortly after the food change you made? If so, it is just a stab in the dark, but here is an article about the most common food allergies in cats - just in case one (or more) of them are involved in the food change you made.

It isn't going to prevent you from having your guy checked out by a vet for overall health, but maybe you will spot something that is associated to the food changes you've made.

The Nine Most Common Food Allergies in Cats

 

[Capttripppp]

Thank you for the link, I'll check it out. His scratching started before I made the changes to his food; that was the reason for the changes in the first place. I was thinking that it was from him hunting and eating mice, but the trend has continued even after ensuring he wasn't going outside. All in all, he is energetic with no changes in his spunk. It's just the itching, and the hair thing. Thankfully, I was able to score a free coupon for a first time visit. I reckon that I'll be able to get some kind of idea as to what's going on, and I'm hoping that they'll be willing to work with me on any future visits. Thank you for your help!

 

[LTS3]

You make your own wet food? Is this from a recipe you found online? Can you share the recipe? A lot of recipes online are not complete balanced diets.

Banfield, the vet hospital in many Petsmart stores, offer a free first visit. Any blood work, testing, medicine, etc your cat needs cost extra. I think VCA hospitals also offer a free first visit.

 

[Capttripppp]

I have an appointment set up for him with VCA on Wednesday (with the first visit free coupon). I stopped feeding him the dry food that I was feeding him on Friday, and there has been a noticeable change in his scratching and over-grooming. I'm hoping that the dry food is where the problem was. I have been feeding him home made wet food, and I got the recipe from this link: Making Cat Food. I'm going stick with the way things are at least until I get him into the vets office.

 

[meowpassion]

you might also Google "ask a vet online" and there should be a few sites where you can chat online with a vet. If I am not wrong, some of them offer 1st month free.

 

[LTS3]

you might also Google "ask a vet online" and there should be a few sites where you can chat online with a vet. If I am not wrong, some of them offer 1st month free.

I strongly advise against such web sites. You have no idea if the person at the other end is an actual veterinarian who graduated from vet school with a DVM degree and has clinical experience or is just a troll in another country spouting off info copied and pasted from other web sites.

I have been feeding him home made wet food, and I got the recipe from this link: Making Cat Food. I'm going stick with the way things are at least until I get him into the vets office.

The Catinfo.org recipe is very good I assume you are feeding it raw and not cooked.