Cat licking himself bald
Written by stephanieydr
Cat overgrooms himself and is going bald. Have been to the vet repeatedly and been treated for a fungus and being nervous. Medicine helps for only alittle while and then symptoms return
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I have a cat with the same problem. I think I might have identified the source of her stress, which has been a family member's new job requiring him to be absent for long time. I was thinking of adopting a newborn kitten for her to take care of, as she's an older cat (7 years). Would this help her stop licking herself bald or worsen the symptoms?
That is a really great question, but I am not sure of the answer. It is so hard to say how a resident cat will react to a new cat. Most cats eventually will accept a new cat but there are always exceptions. I have had it go both ways, one older female (7)never accepted my two male cats(adults) when they moved to her house and now I have a male (different cat) who was lying on the bed with his new brother in less than 24 hours of him moving in. I think it is worth a try. A younger cat around a year of age would be old enough for you to judge the personality and big enough to stand up for himself if need be. I have had the best luck with orange males myself but this is just my experience.
If you do adopt another kitty please see our articles on adding another cat and introducing a new cat. Don't forget to add litter boxes (one more box than cat). Good luck!
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Stephanie, excessive grooming is a behavior problem that develops as a result of a stress or anxiety from either a medical problem or something that has changed in the cats life that he feels is stressful. It is the cats way of saying, something is wrong. If your vet has checked the cat over and has done some treatments, it may be a stress from his enviroment. Try to think of anything that has changed such as a new pet, a new person, loss of a pet, a person moved out. Have you changed his brand of food or litter or moved the litter box, any new things in the home like carpet, furniture or paint? Are there any new cats in the neighborhood that could be hanging around outside your house? Sometimes it can be a small change that causes the odd behavior.
To fix the problem, you need to come up with some new entertainment such as new toys, a new climbing toy such as a carpet tree or condo, a new scratching post, anything to keep your cat busy. Try to spend some extra time brushing, patting and playing with your cat to keep him from getting bored. There is an herbal supplement that may be helpful, it is called Crab Apple by Bach Flower Essences. You just put 3 or 4 drops in the cats mouth or in some can food twice a day. Herbals need to be in the system for a few days before you see an affect. They can be used long term with no side effects. Another product that may be helplful is called Feliway, it reduces stress for the cat and is available in a spray to treat his bed or other sleeping place or a diffuser that can be plugged into a room outlet that he spends alot of time in.
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