My cat licks his fur off of his back and behind area and his belly, I don't understand why. I've tried to change his food, but then he doesn't eat, he doesn't have fleas he is an inside cat and the only pet. I can't afford to take him to the vet and ideas?
Hi, most Vets will tell you that it is down to the fact that the cat is bored, has an allergy to food or has fleas.
It could also be the case that it is none of these!!
Having seen this before, it is generally the case that cats that are short of hair on their head (some thin patches to their coat) especially around the tops of their eyes up to their ears. Let me know if I am right with this.
If thats the case then the reason the cat licks itself is unknown to be honest. No amount of injections skin samples or other treatments will help your cat, but just try to stop it from doing it, because it can cause infections if it breaks the skin.
Don't stop your cat licking itself completely though because by their very nature cats are very clean animals and love grooming themselves, but don't let it get to an extreme as this can harm the cat.
Hope this helps, and stay vigilant. Also remember if your cat is licking because it IS bored, then don't just bombard it with toys and expect it to play itself, cats love to play with humans so make sure you spend time playing with your cat and also making sure you show it lots of love :) not that I am suggesting you don't already. They are beautiful creatures but very difficult to understand sometimes.
I cat licks her hind legs and belly to the point where there is basically no hair. She has been to the vet a few times and he says its behavioral. She does not lick sores or bite, just constant licking. I was wondering if anyone knew of or tried some kind of spray or something that tastes bad so she wont lick.
Cats lick themselves to clean themselves and their fur and to stear clear of dirt and of fleas, heat and stress. If the licking is causing a health problem, then you must take him/her to a vet.
There are several medical reasons for excessive licking. It could be a neuropathy problem, encephalitis, a brain perception disorder, a soft tissue or bone inflammation problem, or an allergic skin disease. A cat that licks odd things such as window panes, walls may be anemic which is known as feline leukemia. If you suspect a medical problem, see the vet.
Cats lick themselves when they are infested with fleas. An occasional bath with a flea shampoo will kill the fleas. An allergic reaction to inhaled allergens can also cause excessive licking.
35% percent of all cats suffer from food allergies which can result in excessive licking. Also a nutritional deficiency and senility might cause excessive licking. For the older cat, frequent grooming with a comb or brush will reduce licking. A bored cat and a cat under stress also licks excessively.
However, if your cat is only licking it's fur, you need not worry as they are excessively hygiene conscious animals and love grooming themselves. They love to stay neat and clean and look their best all the time. You could also try playing with your cat and teaching her/him some tricks to keep him/her busy and to prevent it from excessive licking. When a cat licks its hair off, it is a good thing since the old hair falls out and new hair comes out which keeps their coat shiny and healthy.
My tom cat reacts to stress by licking all his stomach fur off. It was to the point that he little sores that looked like pimples. The vet prescribed an antibiotic to ward off infection, and gave him an injection of steroids to relieve the irritation and help him quit licking. I also tried to remove the stress or from the household.
My cat is completely bald on her stomach and inside her back legs. I have had her to the vet several times and she has been tested for everything under the sun...all the test results were negative. The vet said she is licking her hair off due to grieving the loss of her littermate earlier this year, but I am still worried about her. Does anyone have any advice??
I rescued a cat last year that was an excessive licker,and he started to lose his fur,that's when I took him,well his fur grew back,and vet said it was either fleas,or behavioural,he was stressed in his last place,no more licking now
My cat did the same thing and what you do is take her to the vet and they will give you medicine. Shes doing that because her fleas and the medicine will kill the fleas.
My cat licks and scratches all the time has no fur on her stomach and the back of her legs and but area she also is diabetic she has had cortisone shot at the vets but it keeps coming back
