# Overgrooming/stressed cat, running out of ideas.



## LukeNLiz (Feb 11, 2011)

My 3 yr old neutered male cat, Onca, has always been a fastidious little thing but in the last year his overgrooming has become a real problem. He actually rips his hair out at the roots and even grooms the bald skin until it breaks. His target areas are his genitals, backside/tail base, legpits and forelegs but he has caused bald patches pretty much everywhere he can reach. In addition, his mouth and chin are going bald purely because he grooms so much. He's quite a highly strung cat by nature. He dislikes going outside except for about 15mins on a fine day. We've tried shutting him out to give him something to do besides sit around mutilating himself but he just sits by the door looking pitiful.

He has a 2 yr old playmate, Tango, who we introduced about 18months ago. He's a neutered red tabby with a very laid back temperament but none of this has rubbed off on our Onca. We were told to transfer scent and feed them together so they'd accept one another and they are friendly most of the time but they won't sit together, groom one another or play together much. Tango has tried being friendly and playful but Onca won't have any of it. Onca is very much the alpha, despite being half Tango's size. Tango won't challenge Onca over food or territory around the house. Tango likes the outdoors though so he's not under our feet so much.

Onca is regularly treated for worms/fleas so we know it's not that. He has also had periods without these treatments to rule out an allergy to them.

We have tried cool and soothe veterinary cream with aloe vera, tea tree and other soothing stuff. We have also tried an anti-chew spray suitable for direct application to cats (obviously, not to broken skin) but it hasn't deterred him in the slightest. If anything it makes him more stressed and determined to groom. Because he rips the hair out at the roots and attacks the skin till it breaks, he's spent much of the last few months in an Elizabethan collar, which also stresses him. We tried a soft, fabric collar because he wears it so much but he learned very quickly how to flip it back and get to himself.

A few months ago the vet suggested a week's treatment on valium. He said that if the grooming was purely habit or behavioural a week of valium would chill Onca out until he forgot why he was stressed and overgrooming, breaking the cycle. He had a very drowsy week and then went straight back to attacking himself.

So now we're in a total catch 22 with everything. He has to wear the plastic collar, which makes him pissed off about not being able to groom and determined to flay himself whenever he does get the chance. We also have to keep him indoors while he's wearing the collar. While he's a borderline agoraphobic cat and happy to stay in, this leaves him very bored, with little to do but groom. He will sit and compulsively lick the inside of the collar, for about the amount of time he would prefer to spend grooming himself. Telling him 'no' or even smacking him when an area is beginning to look bald has no effect, neither does making a fuss of him and playing with him as a distraction. As soon as play stops, he's trying to wash. Also, when he doesn't have the collar on he manages to cause bald patches so quickly that we can't always intervene. It's very frustrating and God alone knows what effect all this is having on his compulsive behaviour.

Also, while I'd love to be able to move heaven and earth to resolve this for him, I'm on minimum wage and money's very tight right now. I just can't afford hypo-allergenic foods or Zylkene. Just last week we had to pay towards Tango having an anaesthetic and antibiotics because he got a grass stalk stuck in his throat. I've got some basic pet insurance but it won't stretch to what seems to be a behavioural rather than medical issue.

So if anyone has insight to offer or something else we can try that doesn't cost the Earth, we'd be _so_ grateful.

Thanks.


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## AngieB (Feb 9, 2011)

aww sounds like a very stressed little cat, i hope you can resolve this soon before he goes totally bold, im sorry im no help but sending you loads of love n hugs xxx


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## LukeNLiz (Feb 11, 2011)

Thanks :001_wub:

We really are beginning to feel that all our attempts to intervene are exacerbating his issues. It's tough feeling like part of the problem. Would that he could open his mouth and tell me what was going on in his fuzzy little head.

Hopefully we won't have to resort to a tongue-ectomy.


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## AngieB (Feb 9, 2011)

LukeNLiz said:


> Thanks :001_wub:
> 
> Would that he could open his mouth and tell me what was going on in his fuzzy little head.
> 
> Hopefully we won't have to resort to a tongue-ectomy.


Would be great if they could invent something to help us communicate more to our extended family members


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## ibbica (Aug 9, 2010)

Cats can drive you crazy sometimes, eh? 

Couple shots-in-the-dark to try...

Can you grow some 'catgrass' inside for him? (oat, barley, flax, etc. shoots - see the 'catgrass' thread in this forum: http://www.petforums.co.uk/cat-health-nutrition/145509-cat-grass.html) Might give him something other than himself to sink his teeth into, lick, etc. I can understand your reluctance because of Tango's recent incident, but fresh shoots grown indoors are likely to be more malleable than the tough stuff you can find outside.

How does he respond to catnip? Maybe try giving him some... separate from your other cat, in case one or the other has a 'bad trip' :eek6: The active component in catnip is also a major ingredient in Feliway, so you never know  Also, whole fresh catnip leaves can be harvested for chewing on and rolling in, if you're willing to plant him a little pan of the stuff (just keep it somewhere out of kitty reach while it's growing, they _will_ destroy it if they can get to it!). A healthy percentage of cats don't respond to catnip, though, so don't panic if he doesn't care for it.

Finally, there are collars that are more of an inflatable doughnut (if that makes any sense... lol google 'doughnut collar' and you'll see what I mean). I *think* they make some in cat-appropriate sizes. Might not be worth stressing him out by collaring him, but it might be an option while you're trying to address the underlying issue.


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## Stellabella (Jan 8, 2009)

I've had a similar sounding problem with my indoor cat, last week we had an unexpected relapse, and I am convinced it is the cat litter which I've been using on and off. I did a thread about it ...

http://www.petforums.co.uk/cat-health-nutrition/146558-cat-allergic-cat-litter.html

Just to update, since changing the litter back on Monday, her skin has cleared up and where she had been attacking herself there is new unbroken skin, and the bald patch on her knee is no bigger so she must be leaving it alone.

I usually use (well known supermarket brand) absorbent odour control hygeine cat litter, but the problem one was the same brand low dust lightweight, which is orange and VERY dusty.

Not saying that this is the problem, but it might be worth looking into 

And I sympathise with having a tatty bald looking cat - Sally looked chocolate box perfect from the front, but a mangy street moggy from behind bless her!


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## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

Have you tried a Feliway diffuser or spray?


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## Pippinpie (Oct 30, 2010)

I really do feel for you, it's so distressing to see. My cat over grooms when stressed. He started after I had to have my other cat pts and it took 6 months for him to stop. He'll still do it now and again after a trip to the vet or if a new cat comes into the garden.

What worked for me was using a Feliway plug in constantly, using the feliway spray on his bed and favourite chair and giving him zyklene. He was only on zyklene for about a month and it seemed to help. I know you have mentioned the expense, but have you checked your pet policy? Pet plan will pay for behavioural treatment if a vet refers you to a behaviour specialist and that includes the cost of feliway for a short time. May be worth you checking with you insurance and speaking to your vet. I also played with my cat whenever I could and tried not to get annoyed when hewas doing it. I think it was the combination of treatments and time that did it in the end. I always have a feliway plugged in now as he does tend to get stressed and have zyklene in the cupboard just in case.

Good luck!


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2011)

I would reccommend Zyklene too I claim mine on (or at least I have been but have now gone into a new policy year) insurance for my stressy girl, you can buy it cheaper from places like vet uk here.

Here is a very good article on Stress in cats from FabCats which is an excellent site.


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## Raelene71 (Jan 15, 2012)

Hi, I'd also really recommend giving Zylkene a go as I have used it on my cat for over grooming and other stressful situations like trips to the vets & fireworks. 
There is also something called Homeopet 'Anxiety' drops which are a homeopathic remedy and when I used it in conjunction with the Zylkene I have seen AMAZING results.

A bit of a money saving tip if you do decide to give Zylkene a go - buy the higher dose capsules and just use a very small portion at a time. I get the 225mg and one capsule will last for about 2 days at 3 doses a day. It's really inexpensive when you consider that a pack of 10 will last about 3 weeks and the Homeopet drops last about 4. Both are completely non-toxic and harmless so you cannot overdose your cat on it.

You can buy both items from the VioVet website which is much cheaper than eBay. I think it works out at about £15 every 3-4 weeks but as it should only take a month or two to get him to break the cycle it's much cheaper than vet consultations/prescriptions!

I think that making him wear the collar and shutting him outside would only make the problem worse and as long as the condition isn't life threatening then let him over groom as this is his way of calming/soothing himself.

If you really can't afford to buy some then I could send you a couple capsules that I have got left over as mine are not in need of it any more


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## Raelene71 (Jan 15, 2012)

Hi, I'd also really recommend giving Zylkene a go as I have used it on my cat for over grooming and other stressful situations like trips to the vets & fireworks. 
There is also something called Homeopet 'Anxiety' drops which are a homeopathic remedy and when I used it in conjunction with the Zylkene I have seen AMAZING results.

A bit of a money saving tip if you do decide to give Zylkene a go - buy the higher dose capsules and just use a very small portion at a time. I get the 225mg and one capsule will last for about 2 days at 3 doses a day. It's really inexpensive when you consider that a pack of 10 will last about 3 weeks and the Homeopet drops last about 4. Both are completely non-toxic and harmless so you cannot overdose your cat on it.

You can buy both items from the VioVet website which is much cheaper than eBay. I think it works out at about £15 every 3-4 weeks but as it should only take a month or two to get him to break the cycle it's much cheaper than vet consultations/prescriptions!

I think that making him wear the collar and shutting him outside would only make the problem worse and as long as the condition isn't life threatening then let him over groom as this is his way of calming/soothing himself.

If you really can't afford to buy some then I could send you a couple capsules that I have got left over as mine are not in need of it any more


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## prf42002 (May 28, 2012)

Hi! Wow, our cat has almost EXACTLY the same problem.

I've been researching how to get her to stop, and I'll tell you what I've found.

First, I'll describe what is going on with my girl to give you an idea of how our problems are similar:

We have two cats, sisters from the same litter, with Munchie being the dominant cat. About a year and a half ago, we moved house and shortly thereafter she started acting a little depressed and stopped playing and moped about, looking sad. She then started licking herself and within a couple of months had progressed to self-mutilation to the point where she had terrible oozing sores on her lower abdomen and the backs of her legs. Attempts to treat the sores with creams, etc., simply caused her to lick off the cream or ointment, and enforce the behavior. We ended up having to keep an Elizabethian collar on her to stop the bleeding, after taking her to the vet several times, without resolution. As with your cat, she finds the collar frustrating. I have started her on clicker training to provide enrichment (both are indoor cats), and when I start training, I take off the collar. She is fine as long as I am working with her, but after she eats, she grooms (of course), and then invariably ends up overgrooming her abdomen and legs. At this point, we have to put the collar back on to prevent her from licking herself raw. Does this seem similar to what you are experiencing?

The possible causes I have found are:

Food Allergies:

Some cats develop a food allergy to the food they have been given over a long period of time. While they did not start out having a problems with FoodX, they end up with the allergy after long exposure.

Resolution: To eliminate food allergies as a cause for overgrooming, I have read recommendations to try an elimination diet. With this type of diet, you must feed your cat on food he has never had before, for two months. 
The difficulty with elimination diets is that food allergies often include allergies to grains, and almost all dry foods contain some kind of grain or grain meal (corn meal, etc.). Even ultra-premium foods such as Science Diet and Iams have corn meal as the first or second ingredient. Check the ingredients list. There ARE dry foods such as EVO that are grain free, but usually these are REALLY expensive. As an alternative, you could try switching to an all wet food diet, which I've seen touted as being much better for your cat anyway, since they are carnivores. In this case, your cat would probably benefit from regular toothbrushing, since an all wet diet seems to lead to issues with tooth decay.

Litter allergies:

Some cats are allergic to clay based litters, or ones that produce dust. This includes the clumping litters (which are really easy to clean, so that's a bummer). I don't know if these kind of allergies can develop in the same way as a food allergy. It seems more likely that you would see manifestation of this kind of an allergy if you switched from a different kind of litter, and the allergy showed up with the new litter (IMO).

Resolution:

Do a trial on a dust free, clay free litter. I know there are some biodegradable ones out there, which fall into this category. Also, if you went biodegradable, it would facilitate potty training, if you were interested in teaching your cat to use the toilet (which, incidentally, saves a lot of money on litter, esp. if you use pet store litter, as I do).

Medical issues:

I don't really know enough about this category to comment.

Resolution:

See your vet to eliminate this as a possibility.

Psychogenic alopecia:

This is commonly called 'overgrooming', and results from stress. The stress can be any of a number of things, including moving (I think this started my girl on overgrooming), addition or subtraction of a family member (e.g. new baby or university bound family member, respectively), boredom, or even simply re-arranging your furniture. Psychogenic alopecia seems to be very difficult to diagnose, and I believe is usually diagnosed by eliminating all the other possibilities.

Here is a decent overview of Psychogenic alopecia:

Overgrooming (psychogenic alopecia) in Cats - Causes & Treatment of Psychogenic Alopecia | Cat Care Articles

Resolution:

This condition is very difficult to resolve. Apparently, the cat responds to a stressor by beginning overgrooming, and over time, because of the release of endorphins the process brings about, becomes a habit which is very difficult to break. If you can determine the cause of the cat's stress, you can attempt to reduce or eliminate the stressor (for example, if the cat is reacting to neighbor cats going through the backyard - known as territory invasion - you can pull the blinds, or get cat repellant sprays to apply to your yard - or fix the hole in the fence, whatever).

I have read that sometimes it is necessary to put the cat on medication, such as was recommended by other posters, to break the cat out of the habit. You will have to take the collar off, medicate, and watch your cat in your best attempt to distract him if you see him starting to fixate on the area he overgrooms. I have read over and over that cats do not respond to scolding or punishment, so I guess you should try to avoid this. It sometimes works for me to simply ask Munchie to 'please stop doing that' in a normal tone of voice. It's difficult though, because I think any response that her overgrooming elicits from me simply reinforces the efficacy of overgrooming as a tool for attention-getting. Also, she can be quite contrary, and if she knows I don't want her to chew the potted palm, she thinks it is so deliciously fantastic to do just that.

I would be very interested to know if you find a resolution to your problem, and am wishing you the very best of luck.


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## prf42002 (May 28, 2012)

Okay, so I only just now noticed that your post was from a long time ago. Sorry to bother you, but did you ever get anywhere with your cat's overgrooming? 

Please post if you did! I would be really grateful!


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## Raelene71 (Jan 15, 2012)

My advise would be to look into allergies - I thought my cat was over grooming due to stress. He is very highly strung, nervous and jealous of his siblings but after a tearful trip to the vets I was given some fresh advice with amazing results!

Firstly I was advised to get rid of any plug in air-fresheners that may be in the house as cats are HIGHLY sensitive to these and we had 2 in the house!

The second thing was to try to eliminate certain foods, to be honest I had just started doing that anyway as he seemed addicted to the wet pouches of Whiskas & Felix - but would only eat/lick the gravy/jelly. Apparently it is FULL of sugar & salt and personally knowing how addictive sugar can be thought it was time to get him off it. So know all he has is dry biscuits by a company called James Wellbeloved (british company) which is all complete natural hypo-allergenic food. We also give him cooked chicken, cod or tinned tuna once or twice a week just to vary things a bit.

The third thing was to try him on a prescribed tablet called Ovarid (5mg) which is a hormone apparently. He had to take 1 every 2 days for a week and then reduce to 1 once a week. 

Well it has been about 3 months now and he is completely covered in fur again! No more over grooming - I just feel awful that for all this time I have been putting it down to stress when in fact his skin was irritating him so much he licked his fur off. 

Please, if anyone else out there has a cat with these symptoms, TRY the allergy route. It may not be easy or immediate with results but for your kitty's sanity and happiness it is well worth it.

If any one has any questions, please let me know - I am not a vet - but have been dealing with this for a good couple of years now so may be able to offer some advice/sympathy lol!


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## RosC (Nov 17, 2016)

Gosh this thread is so helpful! I have just ordered 100 Zyklene. I am desperate!

I have 2 black cats, sisters age 9 - BOTH over grooming - Pips with a bald tummy, and now Bracken who has a balding back. 

2 years ago Pips developed an allergy which made her skin itch, so she took to licking to alleviate it. Because it was her tummy and out of sight I didn't notice the problem until she rolled over onto her back once - bald as a coot on her tummy and back legs. Shocked, I took Pips to the vet, who suggested she was stressed, or bored (we live in an apartment and Pips is an intelligent cat) and prescribed a week of sedative tablets to stop her licking. The tablets made her drowsy and she looked utterly miserable. Following the stress/boredom route I introduced more enrichment and fun - more play with me, different food dispensers; toys, cat grass, tunnels, valerian pillows, catnip mice, cardboard box hideaways, hunting boxes (cardboard boxes with scrunched up newspaper to sprinkle cat biscuits in so they can hunt for them), cat videos to watch, daily brushing/grooming, another tall climbing frame. The licking went on.

I then looked to allergies. Firstly litter, as her tummy would be in contact with it. From using a clay-based scented one I switched to using newspaper as liners, with natural wood (Greenwoods) and paper pellet litter. This helped a bit but still licking. Next we switched from supermarket cat food to hypo-allergenic - Kattovit, James Wellbeloved and Lilys Kitchen from Zooplus. This helped a lot. Pips gradually became calmer and back to her relaxed and purry self but by then she'd formed a habit, like OCD. She still over-grooms intermittently. I distract her by clicking fingers, calling her to play, stroking etc when I see her doing it, and she stops. She has a fuzz of hair on her tummy like moleskin. It's a big step in the right direction. 

On Boxing Day this year our mill flooded. We are on the top floor so escaped evacuation thank goodness. But for 9 months there was building work of some sort going on downstairs. Drilling, banging, builders and decorators in and out. Every day, it was incessant, dusty and very noisy. We had a new boiler installed and windows replaced. Plus we have been decorating - sprucing the apartment ready for moving to somewhere with a garden. Pips escalated her licking behaviour again, and Bracken, laid-back little Bracken, started ove-grooming, pulling the fur from her back. She's now looking moth-eaten. I took her to the vet to see if there were any underlying problems but no. Stress was diagnosed, a week of tablets prescribed and Feliway recommended. The tablets worked but the vet had said to keep her on them no longer than a week. The Feliway arrived, and both cats seemed more relaxed but Bracken continued to over-groom. She seems happy - she walks around looking confident with her tail up, but I am feeling now that her licking is a habit, like her sister's.

Both cats obviously have stress issues, and when they are stressed they want time alone, and this is difficult in an apartment. Plus they get jealous if I spend more time with one cat than the other. So it's a balancing act, spending exactly as much time playing with them both individually as well as together. I bought fleecy radiator beds last week. Bracken uses them and she doesn't lick when she's lying on it. 

This evening I was considering putting a soft donut-type collar on Bracken as a last resort, so she physically can't lick. I don't like the idea as I know it will stress her, which seems counter-productive. In course of googling the soft collars I stumbled on this thread. So I'm looking forward to the Zyklene arriving. If that doesn't help I will certainly try the homeopathic remedy.

I've found this thread so helpful. I hope any of my suggestions may help others with this situation.


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