Cat Licker

Question
Hi I have a cat called Annie she is a british shorthair.  She is constently licking licking licking which consists of her tummy and her back legs. She is a black and where she licks goes down to grey but still some fur.  She has a big brother who is a british blue and he is a buxom lad.  They do have their differences from time to time but usually tussle ok.  Annie  quite often iniates the confrontations and they seem to sort it out.  He seems to be gentle with her although he gowls and moans.
When you look at her she is a skinny minnie from way back not like a british should be.  she has been to the vets and had a steroid injection because of scabbing and that has fixed that problem.  I give her revolution for fleas etc which the vet said to make sure I keep up to date which I do.  
Why do you think she is consistently licking can we change her

Answer
Sandra,

How long has this excessive licking been going on? It sounds to me like she may be itchy. Has anything in the environment changed? Have you changed her food or has the company changed its formula lately? It is possible that she has developed a food or environmental allergy even if things haven't changed. It is also a possibility that she has developed an obsession of sorts with grooming that one area, this condition is called psychogenic alopecia, which in simple terms means that the cause of her hair loss is psychological...Vets will sometimes treat this condition with a behavior modification program and a course of anti anxiety drugs. If she has a food allergy you are going to have to look for a cat food which is grain free and has an odd source of protein...Venison, rabbit, lamb, were just some of the recommendations that I received when I was told that my oldest cat has food allergies...If it is a food allergy be advised it can sometimes take 6-8 weeks to notice improvement in the excessive licking and grooming.
Cats will often tussle occasionally with their "brothers and sisters", they are practicing survival skills like how to hunt and defend themselves against predators. The other thing that springs to mind as a possible cause for kitty to be thinner than normal would be that her thyroid is out of whack. You can have your vet do a simple blood test to rule out things like blood sugar and thyroid issues. The British Blue does tend to be a cobby cat so, if you think that she is underweight it may be best to see your vet to discuss the possibilities that I have outlined in this answer as soon as you can. Is Annie an indoor cat or an indoor outdoor cat? The reason that I ask is that this fact alone can make a difference in what sort of allergies a vet will look for...If she is strictly indoor and has no contact with outdoor animals I see no reason for regular flea treatment. Flea treatments are actually quite toxic, they are often insecticides... If you have read the instructions for the application of products like advantage and revolution you will see that you are supposed to wear gloves while applying them...My theory has always been that if a product is toxic enough that I need to wear gloves to apply it then it really isn't the best thing to be continuously applying to my cats skin. In any case, if your cat is an outdoor cat then your vet is absolutely right, regular flea protection is necessary to help your cat stay parasite free and healthy. Good luck sorting out this issue, please feel free to let me know what you find out. Keep in touch and if you have any further questions or concerns I would be happy to address them. Please do not hesitate to contact me.