My cat tears out her hair when male cat goes outside. What can I do?

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.

I'm sorry Lynx has problems with anxiety. One option for decreasing stress is to add a Feliway Diffuser ( https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected ) to your house. This is a calming pheromone that will work for a month and may be beneficial long term. I have also had luck with Rescue Remedy ( http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ ) which can be added to the water. Although you mentioned that this has been a long time problem, it certainly would be worth having your veterinarian examine Lynx to check for any underlying skin problems that are playing a role in her over grooming. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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.

The crying out is behavior that many cats exhibit and is a social behavior towards other cats. Friday is a product that is over the counter and may help calm the cats down. If the hair pulling is behavioral it may help with that as well. The hair pulling may be related to pain, allergies, skin infection, stress, etc. If it does not improve with the Feliway I would schedule and appointment with your vet to have an exam performed.

Aw, what a handsome boy! I’m sorry the treatment didn’t give him relief. You can try a product, such as [Zymox](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-spray-with-5-hydrocortisone), on the areas where he seems most bothered. Also, I would recommend a “no additive” cat litter such as [Yesterday’s News]() or [Feline Pine](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/feline-pine-cat-litter). It may be that his anxiety is contributing to his [over grooming](https://www.petcoach.co/article/excessive-grooming-in-cats-what-it-means-and-how-to-help), so you might ask your vet about trying him on a medication such as [fluoxetine](https://www.petcoach.co/pet-medication/fluoxetine/). If none of this helps, it may be best to consider a consultation with a [veterinary dermatologist](https://www.acvd.org/tools/locator/locator.asp?ids=16_Find_Dermatologist) to get as directly to a diagnosis and proper treatment as possible. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

He there. I would recommend a natural product called Feliway. They have an awesome website about cats and stress. http://www.feliway.com/us/#redirected Their product is basically "happy cat pheromones " that is very calming to cats. These products work great! I would certainly give it a shot. If it doesn't help you may want to take him to a vet for an exam. Older cats can have medical issues that can cause discomfort. I hope this helps. Best wishes!

The multi cat diffuser may give you slightly better results but they both will likely help. The diffusers are nice because it’s a constant infusion of the pheromone that occurs even when you are not home. Other things that can help Trixie to feel more calm are to provide climbing opportunities that satisfy her natural instincts. A tall cat tree or shelves mounted to the wall with a bed on top can help some cats feel more secure. Set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play as tiring her out may result in less anxiety. Royal Canin also makes a diet called Calm that affects the serotonin levels in the brain and some cats do very well on this diet. If she continues not to do well, medications may help. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions!