Cat stress grooming - major baldness!

[petitepeach]

Hi there just wondering if anyone has any ideas....

Have adopted a lovely cat from the RSPCA, we were told she had a bit of 'stress grooming', a bit bald around the back end

It cleared up a little bit, but now it is worse, bald around tail and up flank as well, have tried feliway plug in (£28!) with lots of assurances would help, it has been 2 weeks and if anything it is worse!!

She is a lovely and affectionate cat, anyone any ideas?

[beautifulgirls]

I'm not saying they are wrong, but stress grooming is actually only seen in a really small minority of cats with skin issues. Flea allergic dermatitis would be the number one reason and other allergies after that. I would check that you have any possible flea problem under control first and if you are certain that is not a problem then probably worth a trip to the vets for a check over from there and some meds as needed.

[petitepeach]

Thanks for the reply - she had been treated for fleas at the RSPCA, and I treated her 2 weeks after we got her following the treatment chart they gave me, maybe I should go to the vets......she looks most peculiar as she has long fur too

[DontCallMeBaby]

Definitely go to the vet. One of my boys is under investigation for over grooming (he has four balding inner legs, outer thighs, lower belly and underside of tail) and the vet explained that fleas have to bite the cat for flea treatments to work, but it only takes that one bite for an allergic cat to itch like crazy ... If we rule flea allergy out, then it's tests for other allergies, only then is she going to think about stress.

The vet is going through the same elimination process with her cat, who has given himself a bald strip down his back!

[frillyflower]

Our rescue cat did this. Very bad. Got a kitten against advice of Cat Protection. Big cat stopped stress grooming and all hair grew back. Been totally OK since. I think she was lonely.

[shoegal34]

I adopted an old cat after her owner died. She licks herself bald through the stress of the move :-( I take her to the vet every two months for a steroid injection which seems to work - it's about £35 a pop but worth it as it calms her down and halts the overgrooming x

[Lizcat]

I agree with beautiful allergies should be thoroughly investigated before a diagnosis of stress should be made.