Is my cat's excessive licking and bald spots due to anxiety?

Hello! Cats commonly cope with anxiety by over-grooming themselves, usually in their belly region. I think you are exactly right that she has licked the fur off. In a fungal infection, I would expect to see redness of the skin, crusting, or discharge. The first thing I'd recommend for anxious kitties is a product called Feliway. It's a feline pheromone product that helps naturally calm cats. It can come in diffuser, spray, and collar forms. Cats also find great comfort in height. If she doesn't have many high places to perch around the house, that can be something that helps her interact more. There are also options of anxiolytic drugs, such as Prozac, that can help if you don't find success in the other options. I hope this helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It's not impossible for a cat to have stress that is causing the excessive licking but usually it is an allergy and the most common allergy for a cat is fleas. Even if you don't see them on her. Since you mentioned that you rescued her from outside my guess is that she has fleas. Cats don't like to have fleas so they will groom themselves excessively to get the fleas off which is why you often won't see them. Here is a good article that may help you determine if fleas are present. http://www.petmd.com/cat/parasites/evr_ct_does_my_cat_have_fleas I would start with fleas as the number one consideration and if you determine there are no fleas then you should get her to the vet for some testing. If you determine fleas are present I would treat her with a GOOD topical flea prevention like Advantage II or Fronline- DO NOT use Hartz or Seargant brands. They are awful and cause many toxicities in cats. You need to apply this EVERY month even if she does not go outside. You also need to treat the environment (so the inside of the house and the yard if she goes outside). https://www.chewy.com/virbac-knockout-es-area-treatment/dp/53856 https://www.chewy.com/advantage-ii-yard-premise-spray-32/dp/103395 If you want to work the stress angle I see no harm in doing that as well. I suggest you get Feliway diffusers for your house to see if that helps. https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected Hope this answers your question. Best wishes!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach. I would recommend a vet visit for Sparrow. The first thing is to determine if her licking and grooming is related to itching or behavior. Some cats may overgroom when stressed and it can become habitual as well. If she is truly itchy she may need some diagnostic testing to determine why. Cats can have allergic disease that causes itching and scratching. As she has been diagnosed with asthma this may be the case for Sparrow. Other causes of itching can be parasites such as fleas, lice or mites, fungal or bacterial infection. After going over Sparrows history and performing an exam the vet will discuss the best options for Sparrow. This may including skin scrapes, fungal culture, skin cytology or allergy testing. In some cases food trials or medications to control the itching may be needed. I hope this was helpful. Here are some articles that may give you more insight. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952664 https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951477 https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952646 https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951991

I'm sorry Lynx has problems with anxiety. One option for decreasing stress is to add a Feliway Diffuser ( https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected ) to your house. This is a calming pheromone that will work for a month and may be beneficial long term. I have also had luck with Rescue Remedy ( http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ ) which can be added to the water. Although you mentioned that this has been a long time problem, it certainly would be worth having your veterinarian examine Lynx to check for any underlying skin problems that are playing a role in her over grooming. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Aw, what a handsome boy! I’m sorry the treatment didn’t give him relief. You can try a product, such as [Zymox](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-spray-with-5-hydrocortisone), on the areas where he seems most bothered. Also, I would recommend a “no additive” cat litter such as [Yesterday’s News]() or [Feline Pine](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/feline-pine-cat-litter). It may be that his anxiety is contributing to his [over grooming](https://www.petcoach.co/article/excessive-grooming-in-cats-what-it-means-and-how-to-help), so you might ask your vet about trying him on a medication such as [fluoxetine](https://www.petcoach.co/pet-medication/fluoxetine/). If none of this helps, it may be best to consider a consultation with a [veterinary dermatologist](https://www.acvd.org/tools/locator/locator.asp?ids=16_Find_Dermatologist) to get as directly to a diagnosis and proper treatment as possible. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

If there is no medical reason such as fleas or food allergy and it is behavioral there is medication to help. She may notice another animal or cat outside that is new that is stressing her out and causing her to do this more, There may be a new neighbor with a dog that she smells passing by the door increasing her anxiety. You can start with feliway diffusers and sprays to help in side the apartment. You can also talk to your vet about anxiety medication to start her on to decrease this behavior.

[Allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/feline-allergies/) are the most common cause of hair loss and [excessive grooming in cats](https://www.petcoach.co/article/excessive-grooming-in-cats-what-it-means-and-how-to-help), but there are several other medical causes as well - including [fleas](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/), bacterial or fungal infections, or skin mites. I would definitely start your cat on a good monthly spot-on product such as [Advantage II](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/cat/cat-flea-and-tick/cat-flea-and-tick-drops/advantage-ii-once-a-month-cat-and-kitten-topical-flea-treatment-over-9-lbs) to make sure fleas are not the problem - you can get this over the counter at many pet stores. If this doesn't resolve the problem, you will need to have your cat examined by a vet - he/she can do some testing if needed to diagnose the problem and get your kitty the appropriate prescription medications to treat it. Behavioral causes, such as stress or anxiety, can also lead to overgrooming. [Calming supplements](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/cat/cat-training/cat-training-calming-aids/calming-cat-supplements) or [pheromone products](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/brand/feliway) can be found at the lcocal Petco. If these do not improve the condition, your veterinarian may recommend prescription strength remedies.