Why is my 3-month-old kitten chewing his tail so much? Is it normal?

He could have pain in his tail from a skin wound or fracture that is causing him to traumatize his tail. He might also have feline hyperesthesia syndrome, a likely neurologic disease that can result in self trauma. I’d recommend having your vet examine him to see if there is any evidence of other diseases and to discuss starting medication if needed.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies as opposed to being behavioral. This is possibly more specifically due to flea allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Ketkat! The most common reason for chewing the back or the tail is fleas. Use a fine tooth comb and brush above her hips and down the tail. If you catch an adult flea in the comb you have an answer. If you don't, use a wet white tissue or paper towel to remove the fur and debris from the comb. If you see black squiggly flecks that when wet look like blood streaks that indicates flea poop. I would recommend a good flea preventative like the Serest collar, Bravecto for Comfortis. be sure that ALL animals in the house are treated. Other possibilities are skin allergies from the environment or food and cats can over groom from anxiety or behavioral reasons. If you do not find fleas I would take her to the Vet for a diagnosis so you can get her feeling better. I wish you all the best!

At that age, he's exploring and figuring things out and just having fun! With an older dog, I'd be worried about it being more of an obsessive compulsive disorder if it was very frequent or hard to distract him from, but it's normal behavior for a baby.

Your kitten may have some nerve damage in her tail or pain which entices her to gnaw on it. I strongly suggest you schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for a neurological exam in order to find the cause of the irritation and hopefully keep her from selfmutilation.

Yes he could be teething. This behavior is common in young kittens. Please keep him in a safe place where he can’t chew on electric cords. He should be less bitey as he grows up. Make sure you play with him with a laser light or toy on a string so your hands aren’t available to bite. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Salam.

This is quite normal behavior and I would allow him to comfort himself with the one towel as long as there are no shred which can fall off and be swallowed. Kittens will generally grow out of this behavior themselves as they settle into a new environment and mature