My cat over-grooms. Should I try allergy meds for constant itching?

Personally I would try to reduce stress in the household by providing private, quiet areas for her to relax, use a pheromone diffuser like Feliway, try anti anxiety supplement like Solliquin, and if you need medication to stop it right away I prefer using a long acting steroid injection. Giving daily medication to a cat is stressful in itself and I don’t like to medicate cats excessively for overgrooming. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Archie.

This overgrooming behavior is often due to stress and/or allergies. You can try using Feliway a pheromone diffuser which often relaxes cats. I've also had success with the anti anxiety supplement Solliquin. Solliquin is a soft chew and most cats like it. If giving oral medication is making Jasper stressed out then I would go back to giving the steroid injection for a while. You can also have the medication compounded into a tuna flavored liquid you can mix in the food then you wouldn't have pill Jasper. This is a difficult problem and you've done well controlling it. I also often try a long acting antibiotic injection as this will stop any infection in the skin and that may reduce the chewing and biting. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Jasper.

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.

Poor Boda! Overgrooming is usually a symptom of allergic skin disease or emotional stress. He may respond quite well to a veterinary prescription allergy diet like Hills z/d and stop overgrooming completely. Some cats need to be on allergy medication like steroids to help with the symptoms. If stress or emotional issues are the culprit, then Boda might need to be on antidepressants or anti anxiety medication designed for cats like Zylkene or Feliway spray. If you want to try something before taking him to the vet, buy some Feliway cat pheromone spray and allergy diet like z/d and try that for 8-10 weeks, as both may work and save you a trip to the vet! Good luck!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Excessive licking and grooming in cats is often related to allergies or stress. Moving house and adapting to the new environment can be stressful for many cats. Cat pheromones (for example Feliway) are typically used to treat stress-related overgrooming. They are available over-the-counter at pet shops and Online retailers. It wound be definitely worth to try a pheromone diffuser for Naomi. However, if the overgrooming start causing skin wounds, skin inflammation or hair falling, you should take Naomi to your vets to check her over and potentially investigate for allergic problems.

Sounds like George is very itchy. Common causes of itching in cats includes fleas, mites, ringworm, bacterial infection, allergies, among others. If George isn't already on a flea preventative, you should get that started. Ear mites are also incredibly itchy. You can try an OTC ear mite medication, but the best bet would be to have him examined by the vet. The vet may need to collect a sample for examination under the microscope to make a diagnosis. Then they can discuss appropriate treatments to make George more comfortable. https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-is-my-cat-so-itchy/

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.