My cat is over-grooming, bleeding, and pulling fur. What should I do?

If she isn't on a flea preventative, that is one thing she should get on right away. Some cats have an allergy to flea bites, and all it takes is one flea to cause the itch to start. You may not find a couple fleas with a flea comb. Since she has trauma to her skin, I would recommend that you have Meow Meow examined by the vet. She may need an antibiotic or anti-inflammatory while we work on why she is pulling out her hair. In addition to fleas, there are other causes, such as pain, anxiety, mites, food allergies, etc. Here is a good article explaining what might be going on: https://www.petcoach.co/article/excessive-grooming-in-cats-what-it-means-and-how-to-help/

If the flea treatment route isn't helping another avenue you could look to is a behavioral issue such as extreme stress leading to hyperstimulation or overgrooming, which can lead to a cat grooming to the point they tear their fur out/go bald/cause bleeding hot spots. Often, treating the underlying stressor can help to reduce the incidence, but in some cases additional help such as an Elizabethan (cone) collar to stop the habit while treating the stress is also needed. You can try out something such as Feli-way plugins or collars to help reduce stress, and if that still doesn't help speak with a trainer or behaviorist in your area that can help figure out a plan. Other medical causes of stress can include food allergies, injuries from other cats, environmental allergies, and other parasites beside fleas that could be aggravating the skin. Infections from yeast or bacteria can also cause hot spots to form and can be irritating to the skin. If you haven't yet, ruling out some of these other causes may be another avenue to explore.

Place an e-collar (cone) on Elsa to prevent further licking. This may be enough to allow healing. If she has open sores, have her examined by your veterinarian as she may need antibiotics. An anti inflammatory or antihistamine may give her relief if she is itchy. Distract her when you see her licking. Provide toys, puzzle feeders and more exercise to keep her from licking. If this does not help, consider a consultation with a veterinary dermatologist to diagnose any underlying cause.

That could be due to an allergic disorder (usually flea allergy dermatitis), presence of parasites, or psychogenic type of overgrooming (usually related to stress). The different causes must be ruled out treating for parasites, giving meds for allergies and eventually trying to remove stress causes. A check is then required. Please do not hesitate to contact us agli if you want to discuss it any further. We are available for one to one chat (consultation).

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Luna! I would have Luna on year round flea treatment. Dogs and cats that are flea allergic, meaning have a severe reaction to the saliva, will break out this bad from ONE flea bite. She should have a skin scrape done to rule out mites. There no good test for food allergies. It is best to do food trials. To save money and Vet visits for Luna I would bite the bullet and immediately go for a prescription hydrolzyed diet like Hill's z/d or Royal Canin HP. She may need steroids or antibiotics to get her comfortable during this outbreak. Cats can be maintained on off label use of antihistamines and apoquel. And some cats do well on atopica. Omega 3 fish oils never hurt either. It is hard for Vet who have never examined Luna's skin to give you an estimate over the phone. Skin allergies are expensive but once you find the right medication and food regime Luna will likely do well. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat/zyrtec/ https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=24785

Overgrooming can be caused by a few medical problems, such as fleas, food allergies, mites, or internal medical disease. I would take Milly to a vet to rule out these issues. If the vet can't find anything physically wrong, then it could be behavioral. You can try supplements for stress like Zylkene or Comfort Zone/Feliway. Here is some more information on overgrooming in cats that includes things to discuss with your vet: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2565

[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.