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

Original poster

Overgrooming cat

11 replies

elenacampana · 12/07/2023 12:16

Afternoon MN, I’m posting here in the hopes someone may have some advice.

We have a 5 year old male cat, we’ve had him since he was 8 weeks old. He’s very friendly and affectionate, typically doesn’t like being alone and seeks out company wherever he can. As a kitten he’d follow us around and while he does that less now, he still tends to be wherever we are, whenever he’s in. He snuggles in a lot and has always done this.

He’s a mixed of a long haired mother and a short haired father. He takes the shorter fur, but it’s always been very bushy and healthy looking. Since about September last year, he’s been missing it in different patches all over his body. He’s been to the vets and there’s nothing physically wrong with him that they can find.

I think it’s probably stress and he’s over grooming. We have a toddler, now approaching two years. The overgrooming started when she got mobile. It appeared to calm down after a couple of months, but started again.

I’ve considered rehoming him to a home without children for his own happiness but I really don’t want to. He’s quite hard work in terms of scratching furniture (always has been) and is terrible for stealing food if it’s out etc. I’d hate to rehome him and then someone decide to move him on again. When we got him, we wanted to be his home for life and we really love him.

He doesn’t lash out at our toddler. I feel like he takes all his frustrations out on himself! We allow him upstairs during the day so he can escape her and don’t allow her to bother him all day long if he’s downstairs. We also make a fuss of him, usually of an evening when she’s gone to bed and downstairs is quiet.

I’d love to know if anyone has experienced an overgrooming cat and turned it around.

OP posts:
CurlewKate · 12/07/2023 12:21

Have you considered letting him out?

Original poster
elenacampana · 12/07/2023 12:22

CurlewKate · 12/07/2023 12:21

Have you considered letting him out?

He does go out, as and when he likes and has done since he was fixed. The downstairs window is always open this time of year so he just comes and goes.

OP posts:
CurlewKate · 12/07/2023 12:35

Oh, sorry. I assumed he was indoor because you mentioned him going upstairs to escape and him damaging furniture!
My mother's cat did this and it turned out to be a thyroid problem. Did the vet mention that? Grasping at straws, I know...

Catname · 12/07/2023 12:51

I’ve got an over grooming neutered tom. He started when other cats in the neighbourhood came and sprayed on our house when he was around 3 years old and has continued for the next 12 years. Initially we tried all sorts of things including Feliway, Valium (which hyped him up instead of calming him down) and ended up on a female hormone which was much more successful. Eventually I decided that it was too much of a habit (like nail biting or similar in humans) with him and he would have to be on medication for the rest of his life so I took him off it. He goes through fits and starts, sometimes chews the fur on his legs till he breaks the skin then he leaves it alone and starts on a new part. So, I’m not sure that it can be cured if it goes on for too long. He’s a generally happy little cat otherwise so I’d never consider rehoming but you know your cat better to be able to decide if he’s not happy.

On another note, flea allergy and summer/winter coat growing were suggested to us - have you explored those routes?

Dodie66 · 12/07/2023 13:08

My cat was like this grooming a lot. Is it like he is itching? Has the vet done swabs? Checked for mites etc. also what food is he having. My cat was put on steroids and also piriton and changed her diet which helped a lot

Original poster
elenacampana · 12/07/2023 14:47

Catname · 12/07/2023 12:51

I’ve got an over grooming neutered tom. He started when other cats in the neighbourhood came and sprayed on our house when he was around 3 years old and has continued for the next 12 years. Initially we tried all sorts of things including Feliway, Valium (which hyped him up instead of calming him down) and ended up on a female hormone which was much more successful. Eventually I decided that it was too much of a habit (like nail biting or similar in humans) with him and he would have to be on medication for the rest of his life so I took him off it. He goes through fits and starts, sometimes chews the fur on his legs till he breaks the skin then he leaves it alone and starts on a new part. So, I’m not sure that it can be cured if it goes on for too long. He’s a generally happy little cat otherwise so I’d never consider rehoming but you know your cat better to be able to decide if he’s not happy.

On another note, flea allergy and summer/winter coat growing were suggested to us - have you explored those routes?

This is what my cat does, he ends up looking part sphinx, instead of what he actually is.

I’m pretty much convinced it’s down to our toddler, but there is one particular cat he really doesn’t like so I’ve wondered if it stresses him. He seems to quite like the other cats around. Even before our baby was born, I used to say he was charging himself up when he’d come and sit with/on us for ages purring very deeply before taking himself out for the night. I try to make a point of sitting with him of an evening as it’s almost like he needs the interaction. Appreciate that may sound OTT!

Both of his breeds do have summer and winter coats but he’s very patchy and it happens no matter the time of year.

OP posts:
Original poster
elenacampana · 12/07/2023 14:48

Dodie66 · 12/07/2023 13:08

My cat was like this grooming a lot. Is it like he is itching? Has the vet done swabs? Checked for mites etc. also what food is he having. My cat was put on steroids and also piriton and changed her diet which helped a lot

The vet checked him over but didn’t take any samples. They prescribed steroids for the sores on his skin and some anti anxiety stuff.

OP posts:
Original poster
elenacampana · 12/07/2023 14:49

CurlewKate · 12/07/2023 12:35

Oh, sorry. I assumed he was indoor because you mentioned him going upstairs to escape and him damaging furniture!
My mother's cat did this and it turned out to be a thyroid problem. Did the vet mention that? Grasping at straws, I know...

No mention of a thyroid problem no. Maybe we’ll take him back and ask for some more tests. He just hates the vets, he gets so worked up when in the car and loses control of his bowels there and back so we try to make the vets a last resort.

OP posts:
Dodie66 · 12/07/2023 14:55

I would get the vet to do samples. My vet did little scrapes of the skin. Might be that he has mites

Sudename · 12/07/2023 16:17

I took in a stray neutered Tom 3 years ago. Same issue had him at vets. Was on steroids and steroid cream.and would help but then he would start on himself somewhere else. It took nearly three years and I used to put a baby vest on him back to front. I'd cut a hole for his head and neck would go over bum area. He was a crafty devil though and often got out of them. I found the sunny June days were great. He was too tired from the heat to lick himself and has healed up nicely

NotAMissionPriority · 12/07/2023 16:25

We have an over groomer. She's over sensitive to fleas and was infested when we first got her, she'd got open sores from nipping at herself and even when the fleas had gone she did it out of habit. We tried feliway and YuCalm, but what really worked was preventing access. Started off with a cone and went onto those ring cushion doughnut things. You can get inflatable ones too - there's loads on Amazon.

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