Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Anxious cat who over grooms

32 replies

OkPedro · 03/01/2023 17:54

My boy is just over two years old. He's always been a bit of a nervous cat but got much worse when we moved house this time last year. I noticed he was over grooming in August. He began to lose fur so I took him to the vet. He's had two lots of steroids and antibiotics. He's up to date with flea treatment. The vet said he's healthy, the rest of his fur is in great condition
We're back at the vet next week and I want to know what to ask about treating his anxiety.. Will they think I'm over reacting? I just want him to be less anxious.. He's in an awful state 💔

Anxious cat who over grooms
Anxious cat who over grooms
OP posts:
NotSonicTheHedgehog · 03/01/2023 17:57

You can get those plug ins which can relax them maybe try that. Or catnip? Out cat gets excited with it but apparently it does chill some cats out. Poor little guy he looks lovely

Frostine · 03/01/2023 18:02

Our cat does this , and has done for many years. Not quite as bad as your puss but vet said as no irritation or sore looking , not much you can do about it.
She has plenty of toys , scratching posts , and gets played with etc . It's just something she does.

Original poster
OkPedro · 03/01/2023 18:10

Surely I can't just leave him to continually over groom leading to more hair loss and a possible skin infection 😢 I really think he needs medication

OP posts:
sarahh96 · 03/01/2023 18:11

Ahh poor puss. I have the same problem with one of mine. We got her from a rescue a year ago and she's been overgrooming ever since. After going down multiple avenues to find out what the cause is I finally accepted she will have to be on a low dose steroid for the rest of her life. We tried all the usual. Novel protein diet didn't work.
Private vet dermatologist couldn't find anything wrong on her skin samples.
Regularly flead/wormed.
Hundreds of toys etc to keep her occupied.
Basically, we've spent £100's
Steroids are the only thing that works for her. She has 5mg per week and it seems to do the trick. I was concerned that long term use could cause other problems but have been assured that a low dose is very well tolerated in cats.
I hope you manage to find an answer and if you do, please let me know. There is a FB page for overgrooming cats which I found quite useful, although no one seems to have been able to find the answer either.

AnonKat · 03/01/2023 18:13

My cat pulls out her hair due to anxiety, has all her life. I've had a behaviourist in and they said it's her way of coping as a high anxiety animal. I could put her on medication but she has never damaged the skin. I think medicating would cause her more stress to be honest.

hadenoughforever · 03/01/2023 18:21

My cat suddenly starting doing this. I tried the Plug in thing, took her to vet and was given Calmex for her (which vet said might not work). And it didn’t. Also told rest of fur was good, she has things to play with (places to hide/a cat station thing). Had those before the fur loss. Also about the same amount of fur loss that your cat has. It has lessened over past eight months to some degree (not significantly). Vet hasn’t suggested anything else. Up to date with flea/worming treatments though she doesn’t ever step outside. I was trying to stop her doing it and drove myself crazy (I’d distract her and then she would go right back to it). She hasn’t lost any more fur but hasn’t gained what she lost back, so watching your post with interest.

Original poster
OkPedro · 03/01/2023 18:24

@ssarahh96 Thank you, do you know the name of the fb group?
I'm driving myself crazy, I just hate to think of my boy feeling anxious he's so loved and never had anything bad happen to him. Its frustrating!

OP posts:
Original poster
OkPedro · 03/01/2023 18:25

@AnonKat Had the vet or behaviourist recommended medication?

OP posts:
shreddies · 03/01/2023 18:25

One of mine did this while he was being terrorised by next door's cat. That cat left and he stopped. He does overeat now though, may also be anxiety related, or perhaps plain greed

Original poster
OkPedro · 03/01/2023 18:26

@hadhadenoughforever
Thank you.. I will come back and let you know what the vet says next week

OP posts:
sarahh96 · 03/01/2023 18:32

@OkPedro the FB group is called overgrooming cats support and tips.
It's awful to watch isn't it? My little Chloe is so loved as well. I'd do anything to know what the cause is. I'm just hoping now that she grows out of it but I fear that what was once a stress coping thing has turned into a habit.
How long was he on steroids for? Was it just a short course?

AutumnCrow · 03/01/2023 18:35

Zylkene is good, OP. have you tried it? Your vet can sell it or you can buy it online. It's derived from a milk protein and relaxes many cats very effectively.

My vet used to call it 'cat valium'.

Original poster
OkPedro · 03/01/2023 18:37

@sarsarahh96
Thanks for that.
Yeah he was only on a short course of steroids.. it might be worth doing the same as you are with a low dose steroid

OP posts:
Original poster
OkPedro · 03/01/2023 18:38

@AutumnCrow I have just been looking at that now.. I'll try anything if it helps. Thank you

OP posts:
sarahh96 · 03/01/2023 18:38

@OkPedro actually, just a thought, what are you feeding him? I was warned off Felix/Purina etc as there seems to be some controversy over that brand, mainly in the USA. Cant say it made any difference to Chloe but if you're feeding him that brand, might be worth changing.
Vet told me that the main food allergy, above all others, is chicken and that swapping to a grain free diet is unlikely to be the answer.

peacocktail · 03/01/2023 18:42

My cat is just like this. We lost our older dog a couple of weeks ago and the bald spots started to appear on our cat. It was very sad as they were best friends. She has come around a little bit after sitting alone sulking. I will give her a few more days before the Vet.

Quitelikeacatslife · 03/01/2023 18:46

Our cat was doing this about a year ago and vet was no use really. What I did do was change his food and he's been great since. He was on felix and I read that they'd changed the recipe, not on anything fancy now just whiskas but he's stopped the overgrooming

Notyetacatlady · 03/01/2023 18:48

My cat started doing this a few months ago. Hers was so bad that her skin was damaged and became infected. Went back and forth to the vets and had all the samples etc. She had steroids and antibiotics. Vet thinks she is depressed, we can’t find a reason why as we think she has a lovely life and nothing has changed but our vet says even the smallest annoyance can set cats off. He even mentioned the washer noise has been an issue to a cat he treated once. They are sensitive souls. Mine was put on anti depressants (amitriptiline) for a while but it didn’t help.
We have had the feliway plug ins for ages anyway.
I recently started her on calm cat by youmove and been spraying pet remedy spray around (Amazon). It has all cleared up apart from one small patch.
The youmove tablets you break and sprinkle on food. when she has had one she appears a bit stoned and will stretch out all relaxed.
My cat is fed 100% raw protein now and that may have a difference too.

pinneddownbytabbies · 03/01/2023 18:53

It is probably 80% stress-related, and 20% habit. One of ours goes through phases of it from time to time.

What is causing his anxiety - have you been able to pinpoint anything in particular, or is it generalised? Does he go outside, or is he an indoor cat?

Original poster
OkPedro · 03/01/2023 19:00

@sarsarahh96 @Quitelikeacatslife Yes I've had him on Felix meaty selection for about a year! Oh god I'll kick myself if that is what has caused this. The vet went through everything food/sleep/ noise disturbances etc

OP posts:
Yddraigoldragon · 03/01/2023 19:10

Following with interest, our old lady 17 started doing this before Xmas, ended up at the emergency vet twice, as she ripped at it so much she got really infected. She is still trying even though she has a permanent collar of shame (we take it off for food).

We took in another cat after a bereavement which we think is causing the stress.

DorkingHen · 03/01/2023 19:14

Sorry if I’ve missed you saying but did the steroids stop the grooming? If it did then it suggests some skin irritation is happing (even if it’s an irritation as a result of the grooming). If it didn’t help then it may be purely behavioural.
I’m sure your vet will take you seriously. Our cat stress-wees in the house. We have 3/4 felloway plug ins around the house (the friends ones and we have a few cats) and that massively helps. There are natural options such as zlykene that can often help too.

sarahh96 · 03/01/2023 19:18

@OkPedro definitely take him off Felix and all brands made by nestle, Purina etc. I could be that.
There's another FB site, Cats recently affected by Felix, that might give you some clues as well.

JoanOgden · 03/01/2023 19:23

Mine (rescue I've had for two years) does this. I've realised it's worse during the winter, I think because she spends much more time at home and doesn't have the distractions of messing around outside, sunbathing etc. The vet tried a steroid injection last year which made no difference. So we are just living with it, as the skin is not damaged in any way.

Pelo22 · 03/01/2023 19:23

Mine has done it all his life, he has steroid injections now which have resolved it
I know he needs one when I start seeing bits of fur around the house!