Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:
My cat has been grooming excessively for several months now. The vet has tried steroids and a special calming cat food but nothing works completely. The steroids did for a while but now the raw patch on her side is about 2 inches across and getting gradually bigger. Has anyone else seen a similar condition, and do you have some advice for me?
~ Heather
Cat cleaning itself by Lucie Provencher, distributed under a CC-BY-SA 2.0 license
Siouxsie: Cats groom excessively for physical or psychological reasons. Physically, overgrooming is caused by itching or other discomfort. For example, some cats have an extreme reaction to flea bites — and even one bite can create such extreme itching that the cat will continuously groom the site even if the bite is long gone.
Thomas: Another reason why cats may develop skin irritation is exposure to allergens. Some cats have limited tolerance for chemicals such as those found in laundry detergents, household cleaners, and even air freshening sprays. Exposure to these products may create discomfort, which the cat tries to relieve by grooming the spot until the itching stops.
Kissy: You might be surprised to know that cats sometimes begin to groom excessively in response to stress. When a cat is extremely anxious, she can get into the habit of using grooming as a self-comforting behavior.
Siouxsie: It seems kind of silly to think that a cat grooming herself to the point of pain would be comforting, but in this case the behavior causes the release of calming brain chemicals which help to reduce anxiety.
Thomas: The fact that the steroids worked well for a while suggests that there may initially have been some physical discomfort that was at the root of the overgrooming behavior. But the fact that she’s continuing to do so now suggests that your cat’s licking has now become a psychological issue.
Kissy: We suggest that you start by removing any potential physical irritants. As we said, cats are very sensitive to chemicals. We’d recommend that you start by using unscented or low-chemical cleaning products. For example, use unscented laundry detergent.
Siouxsie: If you use dryer sheets, find a more ecologically friendly alternative to make your clothes soft and fluffy. The Mindful Mommas blog has some great alternatives to dryer sheets.
Thomas: To keep the air in your house smelling clean, try some natural alternatives to synthetic air fresheners. Mama also likes burning incense, but if you do that, you need to make sure you get high-quality incense. Shoyeido is one of Mama’s favorites because all their products have a light scent and they’re very low in smoke.
Kissy: Use baking soda to clean and deodorize your carpets, and clean up stains with unscented enzyme cleaners.
Siouxsie: And of course, if you smoke cigarettes and you’re not ready to quit, please try to limit your smoking to outdoors.
Thomas: Now, as far as the psychological issue goes — here are some tips to reduce your cat’s stress level.
Kissy: First, use a diffuser like Feliway, which releases a very subtle scent that mimics “happy cat” pheromones. Mama’s been using this to help everybody calm down during the move and to keep us from fighting too much while introducing me into the family.
Siouxsie: Well, it doesn’t stop you from making a big hissing scene every day now, does it?
Kissy: I can’t help it! If Thomas didn’t chase me into my room every day and cussing at me and trying to beat me up …
Thomas: If you didn’t come wandering out here like you own the place, I wouldn’t have to do that!
Kissy: Mama says it’s my house too!
Thomas: It may be your house too, but you need to learn your place! That sofa is mine! And so is the bed, and so is the kitchen, and so is the living room, and so is the bedroom!
Kissy: *hiss* Stay out of my room!
Thomas: *hiss, scream* Oh yeah? Well, “your” room is mine, too!
Kissy: Mamaaaaaa!
Siouxsie: Stop that! Both of you!
Kissy: *sniffle*
Thomas: *grrrrrrr*
Siouxsie: Anyway, Heather. There are other products that can help, including calming collars that release the same happy-cat pheromones wherever your kitty goes.
Thomas: As much as possible, keep an eye on your cat and notice her behavior before she starts grooming that raw patch. You’ll probably see that she does certain things before she starts licking herself, and if you can catch her and distract her with a more constructive and fun way to release her stress — like playing with a toy — you may be able to stop the “feedback loop” that causes her to groom.
Kissy: We’d recommend regular interactive play anyway. It’s a good way to keep your cat healthy and happy. At least one 15-minute play period a day will help your cat to be more relaxed and keep her in shape.
Siouxsie: Another possibility, and one that we don’t discuss lightly, is that a short course of anti-anxiety drugs could help your cat to stop her excessive grooming.
Thomas: Please talk to your vet and tell him or her what’s going on. Your vet may have some recommendations beyond what we’ve shared here. And if your vet does think medication is the best course of action, he or she will prescribe it in an appropriate dose and tell you how to administer it.
Kissy: Of course, we have to say this: If you take meds yourself, do not give your meds to your cat. The dosage would most likely be wrong and you could seriously harm or even kill your cat. Never give any medications to your cat without guidance from your vet!
Siouxsie: Good luck, Heather. Please let us know how things turn out.
JaneA Kelley is a punk rock cat mom and award-winning blogger. She is a regular columnist for Catster Magazine, and she and the Paws and Effect Gang share a home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
My cat is also suffering from same problem…I am regularly applying her or rather giving massage with coconut oil and I think, this is helping her a lot.
Cat skin contains natural oils that keep the coat shiny and healthy and prevent dry, itchy skin. However, if your cat develops a skin condition, coconut oil is a natural remedy that can be applied topically or given orally to improve skin and coat.
Coconut oil was recognized for its effect on the skin when it was shown to kill mange, which don’t survive well in oily environments. Without any other veterinary-prescribed medicine, cat owners saw mange and flea symptoms completely eliminated. When applied directly to the skin, coconut oil reduces symptoms of any dry, itchy skin.
It can be applied directly to sores, flea bites and allergic reactions as well. Coconut oil has antioxidant properties, which help soothe the damage skin. The fatty acids also help remove the layers of dead skin causing the dryness and itching and strengthen the connective tissues that make up the skin layers.
My cat is also suffering from same problem…I am regularly applying her or rather giving massage with coconut oil and I think, this is helping her a lot.
You can also check the web site http://www.vetinto.com for treating cat skin with coconut oil.
Great advice exalted felines! May I add that it also could be a food allergy- I’ve heard that some catz are allergic to the grains/ cereals in some dry foods. You might want to consider switching to a grain-free food-expensive, I know!- or to strictly a wet canned food diet. It would probably take a little time to work. Ask your vet. Good luck!
I had a cat that did lose a lot of hair on both sides of torso, but not all from grooming. Turns out he developed a food allergy to beef based cat foods. His vet recommended a chicken or lamb based catfood. Didnt take long & his hair was back and never had the problem again!
Nona
Don’t overlook the litter you’re using! My beloved Marjorie Mommycat developed a sensitivity to the litter we were using, and licked her belly and legs bare! When we changed litter, her excessive grooming stopped and all the fur grew back.
Our vet pooh-poohed the idea that her corn-based litter might be the issue, but nothing helped until we changed litter for other reasons.
The regret I have is that we changed to a clay litter that was extremely dusty, and I am afraid that may have contributed to the asthma that recently took her from me. I guess my advice would be to be as picky about the litter your kitties use as you are about the food they eat. Spending a little more on higher quality food and litter can save vet visits in the long run.
Tried the grain free food, and steroid shots, which worked for a while. Then the grooming just got worse. Now kitty is on Atopica and feeling great. The coat is full and shiny again.
If it is stress that is causing the behaviour, then perhaps an animal peychologist might help. I’m not trying to be funny – some vets do specialise in animal behavioural problems. Your vet might know one or maybe they advertise in the business section of your phonebook or even online. They can help but they might be expensive. I had one to one of my cats (now deceased) at one stage and although he did help his visit was not cheap. It’s just a suggestion.
This reminds me of when one of my cats began licking her arms and we had no idea why. Luckily the grain-free Natural Balance green pea & duck food recommended by our vet finally got her to stop. Turns out she was allergic to the chicken in her food. I learned pets can develop allergies later in life just like people.
We recently adopted a 2 yr old black cat from the shelter where she had spent more than half her life. They told us she had been adopted and brought back because she “missed” pooping in the litter box, but not always. The first thing we did was change her name from Stormy to Lily. She also had very thinned areas of fur on her sides, back legs, and belly. She was confined to my bedroom for the first week. We got her a new litter box, (we also have 2 other cats and a dog) put some litter in it, then watched her to see how she goes, and found that she would try to stand with all 4 feet propped up on the edge of the box, so of course she would sometimes miss. It seemed more that she didn’t want to stand in the litter. So we got an extra large litter box, put in the other bedroom. This helped some what, and then we found a cat litter, Special Kitty, which is clumping, fragrance free, says it’s for cats with sensitive feet. Best of all, it’s only about $4 for a 14lb container! This seems to have solved the problem, though I also notice she is very picky about her box being clean, as in every day scooping, so I’ve gotten in that habit, which is good too. Now we are working on the thin areas of fur. It didn’t occur to me until I read things here that it could be allergies, I thought it was stress from the shelter, which is possible too. But I’ve had cats all my life, and to me she doesn’t seem to be over grooming. I do know they use a lot of disinfectants at the shelter. But I’m going to start giving her coconut oil to see if it helps. I read it can take 3-4 months for a cat’s fur to grow back, we’ve only had her 6 weeks. She doesn’t scratch excessively. Any other suggestions?