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Why is my cat over-grooming, losing hair, and getting bald spots?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Persian | 6 years and 5 months old

My cat over grooms, has for a long time and had bald belly for some time, but now the bald area is expanding to her back legs and I'm seeing thin spots on her forelegs too. She eats a limited ingredient diet and i was using feline pine pellet litter for a while. We've been in the same apartment for almost 2 years and she's the only cat. What should I be doing for her?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jenny, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 26th, 2018

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.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on November 6th, 2018
There could be a couple of different reasons as to why Bella is overgrooming herself. She could be stressed, she could have fleas, allergies, mites, or a metabolic disorder such as hyperthyroidism. I would give her vet a call in the morning to make her an appointment. The vet can diagnose the cause of her overgrooming, and can treat her for it. Best of luck, I hope this helps!
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on March 16th, 2019
Overgrooming can be behavioral, but it is actually much more common to see overgrooming secondary to allergies or other dermatologic disease. I would recommend having Sansa examined by your veterinarian. They can discuss testing and a treatment plan that can help to rule out the medical causes of overgrooming. If you determine together that there does not seem to be an underlying medical cause antidepressants can sometimes help with psychogenic overgrooming.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on December 9th, 2016
It could be stress, allergies, endocrine disease, over grooming (some cats are good a being closet over groomers), etc. The best thing would be to have her examined by your vet to try to determine the cause. Your vet can run bloodwork to look for abnormalities and rule out diseases, like thyroid disease. If your vet thinks she could have allergies than an antihistamine might help and if it could be related to stress than and anti-anxiety, like Prozac may help. Feliway spray or diffuser may help with stress, too.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My cat has bald spots and short hair patches. Why is this happening?

[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.

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My cat is overgrooming and pulling out fur. Is it behavioral?

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

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My cat is licking her belly bald. Is it anxiety or a skin issue?

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!

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My cat is overgrooming, losing hair, and peeing. Should I see a vet?

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!

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My cat's belly is bald. When should I see a vet for hair loss?

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My cat is anxious and over-grooming. What medicine can help?

I am sorry to hear about your kitty! Some of the most commonly used drugs to treat psychogenic alopecia in kitties include fluoxetine, amitryptylline, and clomipramine. We may sometimes use a supplement called Zylkene as well which can help decrease anxiety in some cats. True cases of psychogenic alopecia,however, are rare. It is much more common to have hair loss due to a skin disease/itching. If your vet hasn't done testing yet to ensure there isn't a cause for itching then I would consider this, or a referral to a veterinary dermatologist. You can read more about this condition and the possible causes/testing at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2565.

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

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.

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