I have a 14year old indoor male cat who USED to be long haired. 2006 was very stressful and difficult for my husband and I and things were very tense at home. Around May/June 2006 I noticed that my cat had started pulling his hair out in clumps when he was cleaning himself. He basically,over a matter of a couple of weeks, chewed off all the hair that he could reach;stomach,legs,back,tail. All he had left was a poofy tail tip and a mane like a lion. I know animals feed off of the owner,so I thought thats how he reacted.It all grew back, and things were fine, until he started it all over again at Xmas.
He does not scratch or lick at these areas,they are not red or raw.His appetite has not decreased,and he behaves in every other way normally.The difficult situations are over,the tension is gone.
Oh, this cat gets love and attention whenever HE wants it,has never been abused,hit,screamed at or anything like that.
It kills me to see his beautiful coat gone.Can you help?
2007-02-21 11:30:07 · 6 answers · asked by desertskieswoman 5 in Pets ➔ Cats
This sounds like a cat who is showing his stress by over grooming - a compulsive disorder (OCD). If you and your husband are through your difficult times, and that is when he actually stated the excessive grooming, just remember that Christmas time is always stressful in and of itself, so he may have picked up on some stress there.
This could also be a nervous condition. Of coarse, the stress back in the spring of `06 may have been the trigger to start it. Sometimes, a vet will prescribe tranquilizers and this may help.
Fleas can cause this behavior, also. If you cat has developed a flea allergy, one bite can drive him crazy and literally pull his hair out. Because cats are meticulous groomers, you may not see any fleas. Use a flea comb and comb the coat and see if you find any flea dirt - this is a for sure sign of fleas and treatment of the pets and home is necessary.
Another allergy could be from food or inhaled. Anything new? New cat food, litter, carpet, carpet deodorizer, etc.?
Cats can also loose their fur when they have hyperthyroidism. This is diagnosed by blood tests. At his age, if bloodwork has not been done, this would be a good time to get him in and run bloodwork. If all is well, then the vet will have the bloodwork as a guideline to work with later in his life if needed.
You should call your vet for a full exam with bloodwork and rule out any medical condition.
Good luck.
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2007-02-21 11:50:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a cat that does the same thing. The stress in the household is absolutely related to this, without a doubt. And, I have not found anything that can help solve this other than relieving the stress in the house. In my situation, once the stressor was over, he stopped tearing out his hair.
2007-02-21 13:36:25 · answer #2 · answered by dressage.rider 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like the cat went through a LOT of stress when things were tense. Animals are extremely sensitive to our emotions, so it probably stressed out and self groomed too much.
YOu can get antidepressants for dogs and cats now , just ask your vet. You can even try herbal remedy for stress.
2007-02-21 11:36:40 · answer #3 · answered by gaiagurl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My cat does the same thing when stressed out. Try to give him all the attention you can when he asks for it. He needs it.
2007-02-21 14:03:04 · answer #4 · answered by A M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cat get a skin disease that cause them to loose there fur you need to take it to the vet to get some meds. for it.
2007-02-21 15:17:52 · answer #5 · answered by rma2ks 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it is this serious it sounds like it may be a vet visit.
2007-02-21 11:41:56 · answer #6 · answered by allyalexmch 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋