My cat licks all the time

Question
  Hi Jessica,

  My cat Lucky has a problem.  He's a mixed breed about 6 years old.  He licks himself all the time and is licking off his fur.  He has medium-length fur.  The poor guy - he's driving me crazy and I'm sure it's uncomfortable for him also.  Could it be he needs a bath?  Change his food?  I haven't given him a bath in about 2 years.

  Thanks very much,

Michael

Answer
Hi Michael.  I wouldn't give him a bath.  As a general rule, cats don't need baths unless they get into something they shouldn't have, or if a medical condition makes it necessary.  Giving him a bath could dry out his skin and worsen the problem.

It COULD be a food issue.  Food allergies can cause itchy skin with hair loss, although scratching and scabs usually occur with allergies.  Many cats are allergic to corn, which is found in most cat foods.  Fish and beef are also common allergens.  Ideally, you should feed your cat a high-quality diet that contains no corn (although corn gluten meal is okay), no fish, and no beef.  A food with chicken as the first ingredient, and with rice for carbohydrates, may be a good choice.  If you decide to switch foods, do so over the course of a week to prevent stomach upset.  Some cats are still allergic to chicken and rice and require special diets available through vets, which use meats such as venison, lamb, or rabbit, and vegetables like potatoes, peas, or carrots.

Also, if he is wearing a flea collar, flea powder, or Hartz spot-on treatment, I'd stop using them.  These are common causes of skin irritation.  Advantage and Frontline are my recommendations for flea prevention.

Some cats develop excessive grooming habits.  It can be due to boredom or anxiety.  If you suspect boredom, be sure he has plenty of catnip toys available at all times.  You should also try to dedicate a half hour or so to interactive play, with ribbon wands or feathers, etc.  You can even purchase him a video to watch while you're away from home (see http://www.videocatnip.com/ for an idea), or maybe even bring him home a kitty playmate?

It's natural for a cat to groom when he gets nervous or stressed.  It's a displacement behavior that helps them cope with those feelings.  However, if stress occurs for prolonged periods, the behavior may become obsessive/compulsive.

If you have had any changes in the home, such as new pets, guests, added a family member, had a death, moved house, or even brought in new furniture or rearranged your home, this is enough to stress out most cats, and they can sometimes trigger anxiety-related behavioral problems.  Some cats simply develop a chemical imbalance that causes anxiety with no known cause.

What I would suggest first is to see a vet.  Lucky may be suffering from a medical condition that causes itchy skin, like environmental allergies, mites, fleas, fungal or bacterial infection, even scabies or lice!  These can all be treated.

If the vet feels it's behavioral (which I have found is usually the case when excessive licking is involved), I'd recommend that you reduce stress, if possible.  Try to keep changes in the home to a minimum.

Also, I always recommend a product called Feliway.  It's a synthetic facial pheromone, a hormone that helps reduce stress.  You spray Feliway around the home, on bedding, etc., a few times daily.  Or, you can purchase the plug-in diffuser to treat enitre rooms.  The diffuser contains Feliway and is sold under the name Comfort Zone.  You can order and learn more at their site, www.felineway.com.  It's also available at pet stores.

While Feliway and reducing stress work in most cases, some cats need to be put on anti-anxiety medications to give them relief.  Generally, cats who overgroom for more than 3 months are considered good candidates for medicinal treatment.  Fluoxetine (Prozac), buspirone (Buspar), clonazepam (Valium), amitriptyline (Elavil), and clomipramine (Anafranil) are some of the most common choices.  I have used Prozac in some of my obsessive/compulsive groomers and would recommend it if needed.

Best wishes to you and Lucky.

Jessica