Cat scratching a lot?

[Shaftell]

My cat has been scratching it self a lot. He doesn't have fleas or anything like that. He scratched himself so hard that he lost a little bit of fur under his chin.Now there's like a patch of just skin, which he also continues to scratch. He uses metallic bowls for his food and water.Is there anyway I can fix this at home? I had to take him to the vet a week ago 'cause he ingested rat poison, so we have him on medication. I really can't afford to take him back to the vet if it's not life threatening. Is there anything I can do for him at home?

Thank you

[sugarcatmom]

Rat poison? Yikes!! Glad you got him to the vet in time. Did he find it around the house or was the poison somewhere outside?

As for the itching, it could very well have to do with his diet and the role that food plays in the health of the feline immune system. What does your cat (what's his name?) eat?

[Shaftell]

We had rat poison outside and he's a strictly indoor cat but someone left the screen open over night and Gino and my other cat, Kobi, both got out, triggered a rat trap( luckily they didn't get caught in it) and also ate some poison.

Both my cats currently eat Iams dry food, but only Gino seems to be the one with the scratching problem.

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by Shaftell

Both my cats currently eat Iams dry food, but only Gino seems to be the one with the scratching problem.

Iams kibble, or any kibble for that matter, is really not a good food for cats. Has many problematic ingredients like corn and yeast that can lead to skin and allergy issues, amongst other health problems like diabetes, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, dental disease, kidney disease, bladder and urinary tract issues, and even cancer. If you can, I'd recommend switching to a good quality canned food with little to no grains and no by-products. Something like Wellness, Nature's Variety, By Nature, Weruva, Precise, etc. There's some excellent reading here on why wet food is better for cats that dry: www.catinfo.org

[Shaftell]

Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I'll definitely look into purchasing some wet food for the cats.

At the moment though, is there anything I can do for the kitty to relieve his itchiness? I just checked under his chin and it looks very irritated.

[Catarac]

These are pretty basic solutions but they may help, try brushing your cat, or giving him a bath, maybe get some special sort of shampoo or something.