my best friends cat has been pulling or scratching off plugs~~~~~~?

Question

of her fur on and around her neck and the side of her face a vet thinks its either anxiety or a skin disorder.the cat is between 5 and 9 years of age. what else could be causing this?

this cat is a house cat,it never goes out,i dont think shes got fleas or the vet wouldve said something.i feel bad about this cat.

Answer 1

There could be a number of causes such as parasites, allergy or even food intolerance. It's estimated that 35% of all cats suffer from food allergies which can result in excessive licking. Ask the vet to run tests to check for other causes or perhaps refer the cat to a vet whose speciality is feline skin conditions. (Like doctors, vets usually have an area of medicine where they specialise or have an interest)

If the vet can rule out any health problems, then it might be behavioural. The normal adult cat spends over a third of it's waking day grooming. Aside from the obvious benefits like ridding themselves of parasites and keeping the coat clean, cats also find grooming therapeutic in helping to relieve tension. Some sensitive cats use grooming as a comforting, diversionary activity when faced with some kind of challenge or perceived threat. There is a condition called psychogenic or "nervous" dermatitis, which is a reaction to stress. Has anything in her home environment changed? New pets, a baby, furniture even decorating can upset a very sensitive cat. Was she ill prior to this? Is she bored or lonely? You don't say how long she's been doing this, but ask your friend if they can think of any incident or change in the home that might have triggered this behaviour? Sedatives prescribed by the vet may help calm the cat, but your friend needs to determine the cause of the stress, and either remove or alleviate it. A Feliway plug-in diffuser might help too, as they emit a scent (similar to the scent on a cat's cheeks) that they find reassuring. The cat may need fitted with an "Elizabethan" collar to stop her from over-grooming. Once the source of the stress can be identified and removed, the cat will need lots of reassurance from your friend to build up her confidence. It's important that the cat feels able to cope, otherwise she may revert back to this behaviour should she become stressed again.

The web article below offers further suggestions and advice for why cats over-groom.

http://www.kittens-lair.net/cat-health/lick-dermatitis.html

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
my best friends cat has been pulling or scratching off plugs~~~~~~?
of her fur on and around her neck and the side of her face a vet thinks its either anxiety or a skin disorder.the cat is between 5 and 9 years of age. what else could be causing this?

Answer 3

As animals get older they can develop allergies like people do, she may have an allergy or skin inflammation from the scratching. Also, is it the shedding time of year? Sometimes a cat or dog will have an episode of mass shedding for no apparent reason. Another problem is -has the food been changed from one type to another? This can cause a reaction too. did she eat something that was toxic like a plant that may be in the home, many plants a toxic to pets.

Answer 4

I would say the vet knows best. My cat had anxiety and was obsessively cleaning/licking the fur off her chest until it was red raw. He gave us some horrible tasting stuff to stop her licking and a cone to put around her neck. It had started with a stressful event and then had turned into an obsessive habit. The key was to break the habit. Follow any directions or advice the vet gave and your friends cat should be fine.

Answer 5

My cat has been pulling off fur also. The vet thinks its anxiety. He's about 4 also. He prescribed cortisone shots and horrible cone around kitty's head. -Since then he has become completely depressed! We did get a new puppy recently, which is not helping with kitty's condition. I am not sure what helps with this condition, but am curious to know what might help my kitty other than the cone of depression.

Answer 6

It could have been that she has been bitten by a flea and is alergic to their bites. I say this because fleas like to live mainly around the neck and face area.
My cat is alergic to fleas and even though we treat her for fleas and she is free of them the odd one may jump on her in the garden etc. When she does have a reaction and starts to scratch like made my vet gave her a injection to stop the itching and inflamation.

Answer 7

Fleas. Also allergies. But the vet is probably right. When my cat was pulling out clumps of hair the vet gave her some amitriptyline. It worked but then she was so sedated she didn't have the energy to pull out her hair. But she didn't pull it out anymore after she finished the pills.

Answer 8

My Mom's cat did this with her hind legs. She kept licking them until they were raw. She finally got over it and her legs healed. It could be either anxiety or a skin disorder. But it's easily fixed if you are committed to taking care of it.
Does the cat wear a collar? If so, she could have ended up allergic to it and I recommend your friend taking it off the cat.

Answer 9

Could be that your cat is bored! Try her with a few toys to chase or "kill". Make or buy a "tree house" with carpet material so she can climb up, around and scratch that. Even a cardboard box is fun, make a few holes in the sides so she can get in and out.

Answer 10

Maybe just a elrgic reaction to the cat food she had eaten? Have you changed her food latley? Or it is possibly a sighn of just another typical skind disorder. Or possibly mites take her to the vet once more and ask him if he has anything to treat the cat with! Hope i helped!!