Cat Licking Off Hair

[mpc67]

We had 2 cats, 1 black (now 9YO) and the other striped (now 8YO). A little over 2 years ago we took in a stray grey cat (now approx 3.5YO). The striped cat has been relatively fine with the new grey cat. However, the black cat, who is a very high strung cat, has not taken as easily. While the black cat has adapted to him better over the past 2 years, he still hisses at the grey cat from time to time and smacks him on the head.

The problem is that the black cat started licking the hair off his own belly shortly after  the new grey cat arrived. When that stopped, he started licking the hair off his ankles. That seems to have mostly subsided. But, now he’s licking the hair off his own back. He licks so much that there are little sores. I think it’s stress related, but how do I confirm? More importantly, how do I stop this?

I hate to go to a vet because it seems that most of the time they just want to pump meds into the animals, like they do with people. This same black cat had a belly hair licking issue about 6 years ago. I took him to the vet and the vet said, “here, give him these pills”. The cortisone pills did nothing. My wife and I analyzed the situation a bit and figured the only thing that changed at that time was the “new and improved” version of the cat littler we had been using for years. We changed the littler and, vois la, no more licking. So much for the vet and his meds. The bonehead didn’t even ask questions about change in diet, littler, etc…

All suggestions and input are welcomed.

FYI, they are all male, all fixed and all indoor cats.

[olivia13]

I have an 11 yr old cat that had the problem of licking her belly raw. However, her's started because the vet shaved her belly (we still don't know why they did that). She would lick it when she was stressed. The only thing we did was put kids' polysporin on the sore spots that would show up. Her hair is growing back now, but this behaviour seems to come and go. Currently she's doing very well and all her hair is growing back. I think its just a stress habit. Maybe if you put a safe smelly ointment or lotion on the areas he would stop, or try just one area and see how it goes?

Good luck!

[crystalprouse]

My cat does that if she gets 1 and I mean 1 flea bite.  She is indoor/outdoor and I always keep flea medicine on her, but one jumps on her ankle and chomps, next thing I know she is licking all her hair off.  She does do it during stress as well.  It usually passes.  I don't know how your animals are about baths, but sometimes if I give Kitty a lukewarm scrub down, it calms her and her skin and she is all better.