over grooming

keeping the coat clean is one of the fastidious habits cats have. in fact they spend quite an amount of time doing it. you will notice after you have stroked a cat, it is quite keen to reestablish its own body scent by licking its fur. you can watch, that cats in a multi-cat household also groom each other at spots they can't reach themselves, like the top of the head for example.

problem

normal grooming behaviour however can get out of control. that's a sign that something is wrong. if a cat licks certain parts of his body excessively until it looses its fur or gets sore, there might be a number of reasons responsible.

solution

• check if fleas are irritating your cat. some cats are allergic to flea saliva. this causes itching and makes the cat very uncomfortable
• if fleas are present, use flea repellents and the problem should settle (for more info on flea prevention click here)
• stress can also be the cause of excessive grooming, investigate what actions could have been upsetting. maybe it was moving house or the arrival of a new cat or other pet
• nervousness can be the reason for over grooming. find out what makes your cat nervous in the first place. your vet may prescribe tranquilizers if the problem doesn't settle on its own