Advice on treating cat anxiety

splendora97 · June 2013

I need some non-fitness advice from you smart fitness folk.

My cat (who I adore to bits and pieces) has been licking the fur off her belly to the point where she's pretty much bald. We treated all the cats with flea meds a few weeks ago (they're all indoor but we live in a wooded area so I know we track things in) so I'm not sure what to think except for stress/anxiety. She runs around and plays like a fruitcake and is happy overall. Does anyone have any advice or know of any natural way to help with kitty anxiety (products or home remedy)? If we try something to help with anxiety and it doesn't stop her from licking then we take her to the vet. :noway:

I don't come to the MyFitnessPal website too often since I use it on my phone (but of course people can respond on here for the sake of conversation) so my email address is: splendora97@yahoo.com. I'm not some weirdo stalker type so rest assured if you email me advice on this topic you'll just get a "thank you for your help" email in response and that's it.

Or, of course, you can just message me on my account on here!

Keeping my fingers crossed for some helpful advice!

Thank you!

-Chris D.

hbrittingham · June 2013

It can be anxiety or a UTI that is causing her to lick her belly. Some cats don't do well with other cats in the house and that can cause anxiety.

You can get those plug in things at the pet store to see if that helps. Or you can try prozac. But I would get her checked for a UTI first and foremost.

So_Much_Fab · June 2013

First, have kitty checked out by a vet to make sure there are no underlying health issues.

If not, this product seems to be highly rated and IMO would be worth a try:

http://www.amazon.com/Feliway-Plug-In-Diffuser-bottle-Milliliters/dp/B000WHUOEI/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1371129654&sr=1-1&keywords=feliway+for+cats

clarkeje1 · June 2013

Cats love catnip. Tried that?

EmilyOfTheSun · June 2013

I have a friend who has a cat that was put on kitty prozac for her anxiety....I'm not even kidding. Take your cat to the vet and see what the options are.
You could always put some hot sauce on the area she licks....that'll make her think twice next time!

kelleygi · June 2013

cat valium :smokin:

amyk0202 · June 2013

I would get her checked by a vet. If it's a UTI, it could be really serious. One of my cats almost died about 2 years ago from a UTI--it cost me about $2,000 in vet bills. I didn't even know she was sick until she was nearly gone--they can hide it really well.

When I first got my kittens, my male was soooo skittish. I bought a calming cat collar--I don't remember the brand, but you can find them at Petsmart or Amazon. It seemed to help.

kelleygi · June 2013

First, have kitty checked out by a vet to make sure there are no underlying health issues.

If not, this product seems to be highly rated and IMO would be worth a try:

http://www.amazon.com/Feliway-Plug-In-Diffuser-bottle-Milliliters/dp/B000WHUOEI/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1371129654&sr=1-1&keywords=feliway+for+cats

Actually, these really do work for true anxiety issues.....

Jersey_Devil · June 2013

go to a vet, not MFP

Espressocycle · June 2013

Instead of the Feliway diffuser, I suggest the Sentry collar because it goes right on the cat. Could be a coincidence, but the crazy cat I'm trying to introduce into my cat family seems a little calmer since I put it on him and the other cats don't hate him as much.

sammniamii · June 2013

First, vet to make sure there isn't something medical going on.
Second, give her a bath. Even w/ flea treatment, she could have some and they are bothering her. My fur baby just got her treatment and has bites all over, she's headed toward a bath and a nice grooming to make her feel better.
Third, over-grooming is a sign of stress, she may be "playing" but something is still stressing her. Try to keep an extra eye on her, track what she doing and how she is reacting to the other kitties. Have you changed anything in the house, new food, new litty, new people?

Hope you can figure it out soon, I hate bald fur bellies :embarassed:

pittbullgirl · June 2013

1) Vet check

2) If no underlying medical condition, try Rescue Remedy or Green Hope Farms herbal remedies

3) Tire your kitty out so she has less time to feel anxious.

4) Try changing her food to something more natural. Good brands include Fromm, Earthborn or Stella and Cheweys.

Feel free to message me if you have any questions

1princesswarrior · June 2013

Take your kitty to the vet first and rule out any medical causes. Cats are very stoic and you said she is very happy and plays. I would need to know a lot more before I could even start to look at this behaviorally, her age, history, when did it start, any household changes, any environmental changes, how long have you had her, etc.

Feliway is a good natural product and will not hurt even if it is not anxiety. Prozac may or may not be right for your can, that's why you need to have her checked out by the vet.

I'm not a vet but I've studied animal behavior for years and if you were my client I would recommend a workup before I even considered Prozac as there are negative side effects as well. I don't know where you are located but if you can find a good veterinary behaviorist that is probably the best place to start.

The best of luck to you.

Brutmar · June 2013

If it were me, I would just take her to the vet now. Depending on how long she has been licking, it could be really serious. My thought would be that the area she is licking, could be a discomfort on the inside. Vet bills can get very expensive if you leave a condition untreated for too long. I have two cats of my own who are now on long-term medication. One is a diabetic (which affected his behavior) and the other has hyperthyroidism. I love my cats and would do anything to take care of them. They depend on you, "Daddy" to take care of them

splendora97 · June 2013

As the title of the post says, I was looking for advice, not snarky replies. Thanks.

splendora97 · June 2013

That was to the guy above who stated to go to the vet and not MFP. To everyone else, thank you for the kind and informative replies!

fannyfrost · June 2013

My cat is an overgroomer and when we introduced a new cat to the house and finally integrated them, she did the same to her tummy. I kept an eye on it and slowly it did stop.

I do recommend a vet check. But for anxiety, I totally recommend Comfort Zone infusers. I used them while the cats were integrating. Although our kitty still over groomed and licked her belly clean, a lot of the other anxiety let up. After about 4 months with the infuser, once they really settled in to each other, I took away the infusers and they are just fine now. No over licking the tummy, although she still over grooms overall when we aren't home enough, when the weather changes, when daughter came home from school, when she goes back.... Not much I can do about that, but the belly is not bald anymore.

Good luck.

splendora97 · June 2013

Made an appointment with the vet. Thank you everyone for your advice and help!

schaapj2 · June 2013

Depending on the flea medication, she could be having an alleric reation to the meds. Please be very careful about pet store products-many flea collars and hearbal meds contain pyrethrin-which is toxic to cats (causes neurological issues and in some cases death).

Please PLEASE take your cat to the vet. This can be a behavioral anxiety disorder, but it may also be an underlying medical issue. Prozac and Xanax have worked well with cats with anxiety disorders-talk to your vet about it.

If you've changed anyhing recently-moved furniture, been gone more often, etc. this could be why. Or it could be something more-get it checked out!

Advice on treating cat anxiety

Replies

Categories