Why does my cat constantly lick and seem so attached? Is she stressed?

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.

Yes, the overgrooming can be from stress or anxiety. To control it quickly you can get a steroid injection from your veterinarian. You can also try using a pheromone diffuser like Feliway, and the anti anxiety supplement Solliquin. These things will help stop the overgrooming until she settles in with the new cat. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Obi.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Havarti. It is good that you do not see any skin lesions. Increased licking or grooming can mean she is itchy. Many times this will lead to skin wounds or hair loss. If this is not the case, she could be nauseous. This can be demonstrated by increased licking, especially the carpet. Finally, licking can be a nervous habit. If her behavior continues, then I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

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!

That is a simple answer. Stress licking does not typically cause redness of the skin, just hair loss and patchy bald areas. However, a flea allergy will cause redness, bumps and hair thinning typically on the lower back or lower belly. I hope that this helps! Best of luck and take care.

Hi thank you for using PetCoach. Excessive grooming can certainly be due to behavioral causes but it could also be due to primary allergic or skin disease. Ideally I would recommend a veterinary work up to in sure there's not a medical condition for his licking and grooming. Allergies, parasites and even some immune system disorders can cause itchiness and sores on the skin. If it does appear to be behavioral the vet can also diet you as far as possibly using anti-anxiety medications to help snoopy. When anxiety treatment you can do at home is he using Feliway pheromone products. These can help reduce stress and anxiety in cats. https://www.feliway.com/uk/Cat-behaviour/Is-your-Cat-over-grooming And there are anxiety or behavioral medications that can be used short term for potential he chronically if needed to help snoopy stop his over grooming. I hope this helps, thank you for using PetCoach.

If he will allow, check in and around his mouth for signs of infection or injury. This may include redness, swelling, bruising, bleeding or discharge. Make sure he has plenty of fresh water available at all times and review his diet to confirm adequate nutrition. A pheromone product, such as Feliway spray or plug in diffuser, may decrease any anxiety. If the behavior persists or worsens, have him physically examined by your veterinarian. If it is behavioral, a combination of medication and behavioral modification may help. If there is a medical cause, your vet can diagnose and treat it.