Long-Haired Cat Losing Hair

Question
My 8 yr old long hair is losing her winter coat clumps in large patches that leave bald spots.  Her skin is clear and normal looking, doesnt seem irritated or infected.  This has not happened before, is it her age?  What causes this?  Should i be worried?  Will her hair grow back?

Answer
With bald spots, this would not be a normal winter shedding process. Look carefully at these bald areas and see if there are small bristly hairs coming out of the skin. If they are, then the cat is pulling the hair out from something itchy, which is fairly easy to treat   Is the skin coming out with the hair in these spots?  That can indicate something like ringworm. If there are no hairs, then there may be a problem within the skin and that should be looked at by your vet.