# The vet says our cat is self-harming



## Boluna (Aug 21, 2013)

I have two cats - B and L. The vet said that L had signs of flea-reactive dermatitis on the top of her back near the base of her tail.

We took her back to the vet about a week later after we found she'd picked at the 'flea dermatitis' which had now turned into scabs. We saw a different vet who said it seemed more likely to be stress-induced. This made sense as B didn't have any scabs/missing fur and if it was fleas they both should have had bites, and neither had bites. We added a 2nd litter tray on the vets advice to increase resources, then a few days later we went on holiday and left the two of them at the cattery.

Came back from holiday - her fur had grown back and the scabs had healed. It's now almost 3 weeks since we've returned and her fur is starting to look patchy again and I can't see any bites - just her skin which feels dry (but it could be because her fur is missing and shorn). Because it seemed to get better while at the cattery I'm worried that there's something about the house or the dynamic between them that's different while at home.

Nothing else has changed, apart from B had all of his teeth removed because of gum disease. Since that happened his confidence had increased vastly - he plays a lot more, is more vocal and more demanding when he wants a fuss. I think the dynamic between them has changed as he seems to instigate more play fights... and I've seen him "stare down" L and chase her.

We have -


2 litter trays. One upstairs and one downstairs (the one downstairs was only added recently) in bathrooms. We're going to buy one more to increase this to 3. 
4 food bowls - One dual feeder for wet, one for dry food. 
1 water bowl - a very wide but shallow ceramic bowl. All food and water are kept in the kitchen
1 tall cat tree - it's over 6ft with about 9 scratch posts and in the living room downstairs.
1 XL scratch post in our bedroom upstairs. 

Both cats are housecats and we got them both as rescues - they were abandoned together and the same age (almost 3 years old). They live in a 3-bedroom house with just myself and my partner. Looking for some advice on what we can do to decrease stress for L.


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## Jannor (Oct 26, 2013)

It sounds as if L may be being bullied - chasing isn't good, so could be stress related.

One of mine is a bully - now I lock her in the spare room at night with everything she needs. She seems to like it and if I've not put her in for 10 pm she goes in herself. It's made a big difference, the other cats are a lot more confident now they know she isn't around for half the time.

I'd try that and see if it makes a difference. It will take them time to get used to the routine so keep it up for a few weeks at least to see if it works.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

I agree with Jannor, chasing is bad news for the cat being chased, and can cause a lot of stress for them. Keeping your cats in separate rooms at night is a good idea, and they will soon get used to the bedtime routine.

When there are territorial squabbles such as is happening with your two, it is important to increase provision of all resources and spread them around the home, especially as they are indoor cats sharing a small territory.

So I would feed them each in separate rooms. If that is not feasible then feed them at different heights in the kitchen, one on the floor and one at a height, i.e. a shelf, table or work top. Never expect them to eat near each other or to share dishes.

Water bowls can be placed in several locations around the house, not only in the kitchen.

Litter trays - for 2 indoor cats there should be at least 3 large trays provided. But in view of your current situation I would provide 4 trays, so there will always be one for L to use in safety without being bullied by B.

It's also really important when you have indoor cats in a small space to utilise the vertical space as much as possible and enrich their environment. So provide lots of different high perching/sleeping places. These need not necessarily be cat trees, (though probably at least one more would help), but can be shelves like steps fitted to walls. Or a cat bed on the top of a wardrobe (as long as you ensure the cats have a safe way up and down).

Here are some ideas for shelving which you could adapt easily and cheaply. I bought cheapo ready-made shelves from a DIY store and used those.

cat shelving images - Yahoo Image Search results


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## Boluna (Aug 21, 2013)

So I've added a dual feeder bowl upstairs with dry food in both and a dual feeder with water in both (counts as 2 food and 2 water bowls?) upstairs in an unused bedroom. 

I've ordered a new cat litter tray which will arrive shortly and will bring the total up to 3. 

When we first got them we noticed that L would use a litter tray with a hood on but B refused to use them, so we're going to have one tray with a hood (just for L who is the one self-harming) so B won't use it. We'll place the hood one in a different place to where the 2 trays currently are. 

I'm not entirely sure what their relationship is at the moment - the last few nights B and L have been sleeping curled around each other and they have been grooming each other (although when L (self-harming one) tries to groom B he often rejects it). I purchased them a tunnel toy made of 3 tunnels that join together and L will hide inside the tunnel while B tries to "catch" her and they both give as good as they get. In fact more often than not it's B that "cries mother" and yowls when he's had enough playfighting (if it is play) rather than L. And is is how they've always been with B giving in first. But then, B used to be more submissive generally and he now isn't. 

On that note, how do I tell the difference between play fighting and real between cats? Their fights are silent until B protests.

We're also going to try playing with them separately but at the same time. A friend suggested I get a cone, but I think I'll take her to the vets again soon.


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## Boluna (Aug 21, 2013)

We're going to look at some shelving this weekend. Feeding them separately is something we're going to think about but I've never seen any fighting or "staring down" around near the food bowls - there is some "swapping" between bowls but they will eat out of the same dual-feeder at the same time. 

Separating them at night is awkward. How my house is laid out means that I'd either have to move a litter tray into the kitchen or living room and keep one confined to those 2 joined rooms at night and let the other roam the stairs, hallway and upstairs. We've had them both for more than a year living happily together before now so I think separating them would be a last resort.


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## Ceiling Kitty (Mar 7, 2010)

Great advice so far. Stress in cats can be difficult to recognise and to manage.

The current thinking is that psychogenic alopecia (overgrooming due to stress) is overdiagnosed, and that many cases are actually allergic skin disease. It might be worth revisiting the vet and making sure all the other possibilities have been addressed.


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