HELP! My cat overgrooms herself :(

[Amethyste]

Hello everyone!!!

I adopted my sweet kitty from the SPCA nearly 2 weeks ago. I have an apt at the VET this coming Friday to have her examined to make sure she is healthy. Aside from being a total lovebug, she just has this very concerning behaviour: She overgrooms herself to the point of maning her stomach furless and she scratches to top of her eyes with her back paws. She is on a special diet, low allergy food by Natural balance - Duck and green pea. I give her a tablespoon of wet food in the morning and evening and free feeding of the dry food version for the day. I don''t know why she is acting this way... Mayve stress? I know she just moved into a new home and she is adjusting. My hubby and I are the most quiet people out there. We really have nothing to stress her out about. She seems relaxed, she purrs, she loves being brushed... She hangs out with me and the hubby...

i have thought that maybe her overgrooming behaviour has just turned into a bad habit... So everytime she spendsover 20 seconds licking the same spot, we clap our hands to disctract her from dong it... I am just concerned about her

Anyone has experienced something similar?

 

[EyeElle]

I know exactly what you are talking about. My friend''s cat does the same thing .. well did.
Her cat was stressed - what happened was that she stayed home with the cat all the time, and then she got a full time job and the cat was alone all day and she got lonely and stressed out I guess.

What she discovered is that she needed to be occupied. My firend''s solution was to get another playmate for her. So if you are willing to, you can get another cat for it to play with. If the cat is used to being palyed with and be around someone then that might help, or you can buy it more toys or leave the radio on to distract it.

Not sure if it will help, but that was my friend''s experience with that.

 

[Amethyste]

Thank you for the reply...
My husband has a home business, so he''s home all the time with her. He takes break and make her chase a laser and plays with her, pet her... Maybe she is just a more stressed kitty by nature. I would like to get her another playmate... But its more vet bills and such. I am not sure I''d be able to care for 2 cats. I live in a small 1 bedroom apartment. I would be scared that it would be too small for 2 kitties.. I just want her to be healthy and happy

no wonder I have no kids

I cannot even make a cat happy

 

[redfaerythinker]

Oh that sucks. I don''t have any suggestions but I just wanted to give you a hug. Maybe the vet will have some suggestions.

 

[Selkie]

HI Amethyste! I adopted a cat about seven years ago, and she began doing the same thing. I took her to a vet, who thought it was allergies, so he sent me to another vet who specialized in dermatology. Sure enough, they tested her and found that she was allergic to many things including dust, pollen, and dust mites. She takes medication now, every 2-3 days, that helps suppress the allergy. She still grooms more than most cats, and gets itchy if we go too long between pills, but it''s mostly under control. The technical name is "Atopic dermatitis." Definitely have the vet check for it. Hope this helps!

 

[ms.halo]

My Maine Coon did this years ago. He cleaned himself so much that his sides were both bare. My vet tried everything first and then recommended I get him a friend. As soon as the new kitten was through the door, my cat was so preoccupied he didn''t have time to clean himself for months! Anyway, turns out this can be a symptom of loneliness. I''d make sure it''s not a skin issue first, though.

 

[Lula]

Date: 9/30/2009 1:16:25 PM
Author: Selkie
HI Amethyste! I adopted a cat about seven years ago, and she began doing the same thing. I took her to a vet, who thought it was allergies, so he sent me to another vet who specialized in dermatology. Sure enough, they tested her and found that she was allergic to many things including dust, pollen, and dust mites. She takes medication now, every 2-3 days, that helps suppress the allergy. She still grooms more than most cats, and gets itchy if we go too long between pills, but it''s mostly under control. The technical name is ''Atopic dermatitis.'' Definitely have the vet check for it. Hope this helps!

Ditto what Selkie said about allergies. Your cat could also be having an allergic reaction to the food he/she is eating.

If it''s loneliness or stress -- and I''d rule out allergies first -- your cat could benefit from kitty Prozac (my sister''s cat got a prescription and it really helped eliminate this behavior and other stress-related behavior -- e.g., peeing where he wasn''t supposed to!!).

 

[*Danielle*]

It could also be an allergy to a plant or fabric. Or a nervous habit as mentioned before. You can get a spray called bitter apple. If you spray it on the spot it will make it taste bad and she wont want to lick it.

 

[vespergirl]

My cat used to do that and the vet put her on Prozac for a while - it helped. She doesn''t do it anymore, though, and she''s off the meds now.

 

[Circe]

Another thing to look out for - check the pads of her feet. If they''re dry and flakey, it could be a sign that she has feline herpes (not transmissible to humans). My cat does, and it''s no big deal (though diagnosing it was frustrating and scary). I just give her some lysine every day or so, and it stays under control ....