Cat pulling fur out

jackie.read50

I am sure this has been discussed before but couldn't see it any where.!

My cat has been to the vet 4 times as he is pulling his fur out in clumps and licking himself sore. He has has 3 injections and cream for the sore bits but he is still doing it!!!!

They say it is an allergy to either a tick or flea bite but the vet was unable to find any evidence of either, although I know they can jump on bite and jump off again.

He is treated with frontline regularly , wormed as he should be and nothing else has changed.

Please can anyone suggest anything else I can do, before we both go mad, him from the itching and me from my house being constantly covered in clumps of hair.

Sagz_2

I had a black cat that did this at several times during his life - all were stress related, such as when moving house, getting a new dog and when we had visitors staying. Have you tried Feliway? It may help. Your Vet may also suggest something like Zylkene which is a food supplement that can help with stress.

I also swapped from Frontline some years back as I found it wasn't working, I now use Advocate and (touch wood!) haven't had a flea problem since.

wannabepennypincher

I second feliway, we used it for 6 months when we first brought our feral kitten home. Does take about 4 weeks for any noticable difference (or at least it did with our little man but he was REALLY terrified).

As for fleas there is also a 6 month injection called program that is supposed to be really good (all mine are indoor so we only do flea treatment for the 3 hottest months just in case). I read it won't work if he already has them but will stop them reproducing (sure your vet will be a lot more knowledgable).

SnowyOwl_2

My old dear Tabitha (RIP) used to lick her belly bald and did that for years. However she stopped doing it when I gave up smoking. I therefore think it was stress related as she had no choice but to breathe my smoke (and yes, I do feel guilty now). Also a neighbour's black cat went through a phase of inflicting bald/raw patches on herself. That too was stress related as the human couple of the household were going through a bit of a bad patch in their relationship.

Maybe there's something or someone new in the household, or perhaps some other upset that might be stressing your kitty. Cats are v.sensitive so it might be something which looks rather inconsequential to you.

slimsia

Hi Jackie

Sorry to hear about Kitty.

My cat used to be v stressed Now she's just neurotic

I used both the Zylkene and Felway together, Saw a big improvement within the first 1 month. I really like the Vicky Halls Books "Cat Detective" especially helpful for identifying problem behaviour etc As above anything I've read relates above to stress behaviours. her website is www vickyhalls.net

Good Luck

Mayflower10cat

Our neighbours cat, a pretty little tortie, pulled out all the fur on her tummy and was starting on her back & lower legs.... Many vet visits later, they diagnosed she has 'stress cystitis' and no amount of anti-bs was going to cure what actually isn't a bacterial infection. The poor cat is scared to death of their very young & bouncy, noisy, springer spaniel. The discomfort in her bladder & urinary tract was causing her to tug her fur out as a distraction. Well, the situation has been somewhat addressed; the stairs have babygates on them so the dog can't get upstairs, that's where the cat reigns supreme. The cat flap is in a room that can be shut off from the kitchen/dining area so she doesn't have to encounter the dog when she wants in or out. The cat is on Hills C/D diet, wet & dry. She isn't all that keen on it, but her fur has grown back and she ignores the dog as best she can.

I also really enjoyed Vicky Hall books, she writes very well and with great love. A good read for cat lovers!

rita-rabbit

Cats do not like change: when I attempted to decorate & moved furniture around & took my time `finishing' it - going out raving more, 1 cat stayed out & the other pulled out her fur! After steroids & Feliway she pulled less but still `loves' her belly - it is bald. I won't have her continually dopey with the steroids so turn on the Feliway plug in if going out for a long while & accept her that way (lower belly is bald).

Toodle

I have a very sensitive girl who'll strip her hair out around her back end, tail, back legs and tummy at the slightest bit of stress/change. The first time she did it we ended up treating for fleas, mites, applying topical creams, anything and everything, neither us nor the vet could figure it out. The second time was when we moved house and the third was when she had to be shut in, it wasn't until the recurrant bouts that we realised it was stress related, though what triggered it the first time I don't know as we can't think of anything happening out of the ordinary. Can you think of anything that may have upset him? Trivial things to us can seem huge to them-my girl will instantly reach to start chewing if I turn the hoover on without remembering to put her out first.

Lirin

Our cat was fine until she started doing this at 8.

Unfortunately mine's not a good story. We eventually worked out a local cat had been bullying her, attacking her as she ate, springing out at her and fighting...

Took her inside for a few months and she certainly seemed calmer, but had no imclination to go anywhere we weren't- if she needed out, she wouldn't go out unless we did too. Her fur was healing up as well- we made a lampshade collar to stop her biting and pulling at it.

My husband let her out one day, and she never reappeared- however, i don't think this was down to health probems- she was slower in her old age, and had a tendancy to dodge cars- convinced she's come too close, just one time too often.

It's a pity, as I loved Smokey, but she had been showing signs of recovering, if that's any help. If yours is pulling fur, it's possible that any growing back is itching too much- maybe try a lampshade collar?

Toodle

That's a good idea for the original poster Lirin...I imagine it's a viscious cycle...the skin, tightening as it heals will itch...

To the original poster, I have a lampshade collar I could send you if you want.

sharronloves2spend

My tortie is the same, she started to pull her hair out when our dog arrived 4 years ago, after a couple of hundred pounds and several trips to the vet she was diagnosed with stress anxiety. I didn't find the feliway to work, but what did was giving her her own terrotry where she felt safe. This meant she no longer came in the house but we put a cat flap on the garage and set a big cosey bed in there, her food bowls and a few toys hanging from the ceiling. We also put a litter tray incase she doesn't fancy venturing out and this worked a treat. She does occassionly 'pull' but i think more out of habit these days but her fur is 90% back. She certainly seems more relaxed and even playing with the dogs.

Sharron x