Why is my cat licking all of the hair from one spot?

[casta_]

My 9 month old kitten recently started licking the hair off of his front left leg. When I first noticed it, I took him to the vet to see if they could figure out what was wrong. The vet looked at the leg, and decided that it was a superficial infection. She was not sure what caused it, but decided to give him a shot of antibiotics and a steroid shot. One week after that appointment, he began to lick more, and I noticed little red raw spots forming. So I took him back to the vet, and they did a skin scraping and a fecal sample. She said the last steroid shot was short lasting, and she decided to give him another longer lasting shot. I got a call that the skin scraping and fecal samples came back clean. No parasites or anything else detectable.

All was well for about a month, but he just recently started licking again! The hair is already completely off, and I'm worried it is going to get raw again. I have heard bad things about overusing steroid shots, so I don't want to do that again.

Any ideas what else could be causing him to lick the same spot raw like this? He is very needy, but I give him a lot of attention whenever I am home. I also have his littermate (and they are the best of friends), so it can't be because he wants a buddy. Could he just be an anxious cat, and if so, how can I stop him from licking? The E-collar did not work well when he had to have it after getting neutered, so I would prefer something else. He has had the same food and litter, since I brought him home at 3 months old, so I would be surprised if he was just now reacting to that.

[opus88]

hi....please NO more steroid shots....they only work temporarily if at all, they only give short term relief and do NOT fix whatever the cause is. besides the shot Convienia is very dangerous and Vets must stop using this!! you can read up on it

yes a cat can develop allergies over time with over exposure just like humans. so it could well be the type of litter or the food. if you are using a scented litter please go to an unscented type preferably a natural one like wood shavings or the wheat on..Swheat or something like that??

as for food, go to a high protien one preferably with NO grains, grains/gravies are big culprits
Make sure it is a canned food and not a dry one as these are full of preservatives

make your home as chemical free as possible, like NO scents from spray cleaners/candles/freshners....wash floors with vinegar and water only no cleaners.
NO fabric softners, use the dryer balls...that is a huge problem causing agent also

this can be solved it just takes alot of experimenting remember cats sensitivities always show up on their skin, so something she is exposed to is causing this

good luck with your trials and keep us posted....