Hair loss, cat

Question
I have a 12 year old neutered male (Maine Coon Cat) orange with white bib and paws.  He has developed some hair loss on his back. He can't reach the area himself(to lick).  I wonder what some of the possible reasons for hair loss might be.  No change in diet.  He is an indoor/outdoor cat. He has two buddies who live outisde under an eave of the house, one male and one female. We live in VA (Alex.)

Answer
Hi there!  I would definitely suggest a vet visit, as hairloss in this region indicates Hyperthyroidism, which is quite common in older cats.  A simple blood test will diagnose whether or not your kitty has this ailment.
The only other reason that there would be hairloss would be a parasite, like fleas, or an allergy.  If he has fleas, Frontline is the very best and safest flea protection there is.
I hope this helps!
Hilary