obsessive cleaning cat....

Question
Hi
Just out of curiousity, i have been around cats most of my life, and find this normal behaviour that cats lick thems for a while, then stop.
I have a 10yr old male cat, who just doesnt seem to stop, he licks one area, to another, for long periods of time before settling down. I am wondering what may be the cause of this, he is healthy otherwise, but his coat is little thin of age, he has not fleas.
I am just wondering if there is anything that maybe causing him to do this, he lives indoors most of the time, and goes out when he pleases.
I see other cats, but they do not constantly likc themselves like Jacob does. Can you help me here?

Answer
Melani,

Excessive grooming can begin in response to an underlying medical problem like hyperesthesia, or a skin problem. Or stress, anxiety, boredom, inactivity, etc. can lead to excessive behavior like compulsive licking.

Separation anxiety, new pets or people in the home, lack of exercise and attention, or not enough brushing of the cat's fur, are some of the causes  for compulsive licking as a behavior problem..

Consult your veterinarian at the earliest sign of any grooming problem.  Anti-anxiety oral medication can be prescribed by your veterinarian to break the cycle.

Here is a link to an article on hyperesthesia:
http://www.lclarkecushingvmd.com/showpracfaq.cfm?FAQID=178&Private=0

Also when a cat get older he should have an 'older cat checkup' to check the functions of his liver, thyroid, kidneys, etc.

For your future information I am including a link with excellent articles on the older cat:
http://www.sniksnak.com/resources/geriatric.html

I hope this helped.
Tabbi