Expert: Dear Tabbi - 1/12/2009

Question
My 5 year old obese male cat is constantly licking himself. His whole underside and the back of his legs are bald. Even his upper lip is hairless from all the licking.  

I have noticed that if I touch him around his tail it will trigger the licking reaction. He also has small bumps on his skin in that area.  

I have tried kitty prozac and an aerosol to calm him but to no avail.  I have tried the "Z" food for cats with allergies.  He has a brother to keep him company when I am at work so I know that he is not bored.  

Please help because he is so pitiful.

Answer
Pat,

A medical issue causing his behavior should be ruled out before treating it as a behavioral or emotional problem. Some possible medical conditions are cystitis, inflammation of anal sacs, hyperthyroidism, allergies or hypersensitivity to parasites, food, dust, pollen, or mold.

You didn't mention if you have treated him for fleas. He may have Flea Dermatitis. That is an allergy to flea saliva. Even ONE flea or flea bite can cause a reaction such as your cat is having.

If a trial dose of steroids controls excess grooming, the condition is probably medical and not psychogenic in origin.

Compulsive 0ver-grooming behavior is called Psychogenic Alopecia. Hair loss is generally on areas only accessible to the cat such as the abdomen, flank, back, chest, and legs. It is a way to reduce emotional tension  due to psychological reasons such as stress, nervousness, fear or anxiety. It is more common in purebred cats of Oriental breeds.

You can try and determine the cause of the cat's anxiety and/or stress and if possible eliminate it. Often though you may not be able to figure out the exact cause because if he is the nervous type, he will react the same way to any cause of stress to him. Even you arguing with someone may stress him. If that is the case anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication (like the kitty Prozac) is prescribed to keep the psychogenic behavior in check. Sometimes, as with people, it can take a few weeks to begin to work on the cat.

Clomipramine has been effective in controlling the signs of anxiety-related and obsessive-compulsive disorders in cats and was well tolerated. The average maintenance dosage was 0.3 mg/kg once daily. You may wish to ask your vet about it.

Just having another cat in the home is not necessarily a cure for boredom. You can try channeling his attention away from himself by keeping him mentally occupied. There are cat videos on VHS/DVD that you can play for him. I have some and my cat LOVE THEM! Here is the link where you can get them: http://petsittervideos.com/index.html

Or get an aquarium or gerbil/mice in cages for him to watch and try to 'catch'. A pet laser light (from Petco, PetSmart, etc.) is also a great interactive toy that both of your cats would love. They can chase the little red 'bug' on the floors, walls, and ceilings.

I would get a second opinion from a different vet to determine if your cat's issues are medical or emotional.

I hope this helps.

Tabbi