Excessive Licking

Question
I have a 6 year-old cat, who, over the course of the last two years has been licking her belly excessively. The patch of bare skin has grown to almost her entire underside. I know this is not an allergy; she will only lick herself when she is getting ready for bed or seems a little agitated. But she gets in a "zone" and I often have to distract her to get her to stop. Any ideas on how to make this behavior stop?

Answer
Hi Sara,

First off you have to rule out physical problems with your cat. Have you had her checked by a vet? Licking the abdomen can be a sign of Cystitis.  
Have your vet rule this out. Also have her checked for anything else that could be causing her discomfort in that region.
Have you treated her for fleas? Flea allergies can also cause this. If you are using a topical flea remedy then we can rule this out.

If your vet gives her a clean bill of health ask him about putting her on an anti-anxiety medication. Put her on them for a little while. This should break the habit of her licking. If she starts it up again after being taken off the meds try to distract her with a toy. Good luck. Let me know the results.

Ciao, Karen