Cat small bald patch

my indoor cat has developed a small bald patch near her eye. I am pretty sure it is new as I can’t see it on any recent pictures. She seems otherwise fine. Any ideas? Thanks  

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Hello!  I'm not sure what has caused this in your cats' case; contenders might include demodex mites, whch are microscopic little beasties that live in the hair follicle and do not itch!  They can cause small bald patches in any location.   Another possibility may be ring-worm, although that would by no means be the normal presentation, but does have implications for in-contact humans so deserves a mention just in case.  It might well be a sticky discharge that has formed at the medial canthus of the eye for any of many reasons eg an upper respiratory infection, and then dried and flaked away, bringing any hairs in there with it (a slight 'waxing' effect).  Similarly, a scab could have formed here and flaked off, particularly following a period of heavy ocular (eye) discharge.  Other skin lesions eg cancers, cysts, (that fill up with fluid), autoimmune diseases or causes of hair-loss may be possibilities, as may various causes of runny eyes and indeed, if a single runny eye has been noticed, it is worth askimg your vet to triage.  Sometimes, seemingly negligible niggles like this can be a sign of underlying systemic illness, so its worth showing to.your vet, particularly if the area isn't getting smaller.

(Triage = to assess the symptoms and signs of a case in order to establish when it needs to be seen eg as an emergency or next week etc)