Why is my cat excessively licking and suddenly grumpy with other cats?

Your kitty is likely a nervous or stressed cat, especially if stressful events (new neighborhood cat, new boyfriend, new baby, mvoing, removing or adding furniture, new puppy , etc.) have happened before she started the excessive licking. This licking pattern would be typical for overgrooming. Your vet needs to rule out parasites, fungal and bacterial infections. If there is none of these then you can try to help your cat by removing anything stressful in the house that can be removed and placing Feliway dispensers in the areas she spends most of the time. Feliway is a pheromone that makes cats happy and takes away stress. You will need to do this for at least two months before you will see success. If this does not work, then your vet can do some medication trials to see whether she will stop the overgrooming.

Okie is gorgeous! Having a physical exam and screening bloodwork and a fecal exam and urinalysis to rule out a medical cause for his crankiness such as an ear infection, diabetes, kidney/liver issues, hyperthyroidism etc. would he best. Using a Feliway mulicat calming pheromone plug -in several rooms in your home along with daily VetriScience Composure chews or oral liquid may help significantly with stress related aggression /inappetance. Both of these products are available without a prescription on chewy.com and PetCo.com. Good luck!

It sounds like Scooby could have a problem with his mouth - he may have a wound or a growth that's bothering him, or a bad tooth. Often cats with problem teeth will continue to eat even with severe lesions that are obviously painful. Licking the lips frequently could also be a sign of nausea. I would recommend making an appointment with your vet for a complete oral examination.

The odor may be a sign there is a skin infection from all the licking and biting. This can be due to an allergy either from fleas, food or something in the environment. Fleas are impossible to find on cats so it is best to just make sure she is on prevention. You can change to a hypoallergenic diet for food allergies. As far as environmental allergies, they are impossible to control, so I would have your vet check her to clear the infection if needed and see what medications can be given to help with the allergies.

If she is licking you more often when she is in heat, then it's possible that spaying her could help with the behavior. If Samantha licks year round, then it's possible that she does have some stress or anxiety, or she may simply be an affectionate cat. 10-20 minutes of grooming herself or her brother doesn't seem particularly unusual to me and I wouldn't necessarily think this is an indication of stress or anxiety unless she is also showing other signs of being upset like pinning ears, running and hiding, or swishing her tail. You could always try a pheromone diffuser like Feliway to help with anxiety.

There could be a couple of reasons why your cat is licking and biting himself. This behavior is a sign of itchiness, and it can be caused by fleas and allergies. Even though he's an indoor cat, he still get them. You could have brought them into the home yourself on your clothes, or a visitor could have brought them in. This does happen; in fact, it happened to my brother and his cats. They were indoors only, and their cats suddenly have terrible fleas that were brought in by a visitor to their home. If your cat isn't up to date on his flea treatment program, I can give you one for him. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. As for the grain free diet, less than 10% of cats suffering from food allergies, it's the least common type of allergies in pets. If a cat does have a food allergies, it's most commonly related to a protein source, not grains so there is no need for your cat to have a grain free diet unless it's been specifically proven by a vet that he has it. You can switch your cat back to it's regular food. If you are sure he doesn't have fleas, then I would have him seen by a vet. The vet can diagnose if he does have allergies and can prescribe medication to treat his symptoms.

Cats can have erratic behavior sometimes if they are playing or otherwise "wound up" however licking and chewing at the body during this behavior is not normal. Your cat may be exhibiting pain (especially with the muscle twitches and licking/chewing) and is trying to get your attention about this. Where he is licking can also indicate where the problem may be such as the back, legs or even urinary tract. (Urinary blockages are common in male cats and can present with symptoms such as excess vocalization, licking and chewing at the urethra/penis, attempting to urinate without success, or signs of severe distress and is a medical emergency). If your cat is presenting with these behaviors it may be a good idea to schedule an appointment with your local vet to make sure there is not an underlying pain or illness causing it.