Solutions for an Over-Grooming Cat - Rainier Veterinary Hospital in Seattle

An Overview of Solutions for an Over-Grooming Cat

By Dr. Colleen Cassidy Cats allergies, diet, fleas, over-grooming

Luna is a 7-year-old female cat whose owner noticed that she had a large bald patch on her belly. This over-grooming cat also was starting to lose the hair along her thighs and around the base of her tail. Sam is a 10-year-old male cat who has a funny habit of licking the air whenever he gets scratched near his tail.

What do these two cats have in common? They are itchy!

Cats can get itchy for many of the same reasons people do. They can react to insect bites or substances they come into contact with. But one of the biggest reason cats itch is due to allergies. Just like people, cats can be allergic to food or things in the environment, like dust, pollen, even human dander! Cats also can itch if they have a flea infestation, but some cats are allergic to fleas and will get wildly itchy with just a single flea bite.

Cats are known for their fastidious grooming behavior, but an itchy cat will take this behavior to an extreme and groom so much that they prevent normal growth of hair. Also, an itchy cat will have more sensitive skin, so when scratching an itchy cat, they try to lick to “help out” with the scratching and sometimes end up licking the air—or you!

So, what can be done to help soothe the itch? The first step is to figure out the underlying cause.

Flea Allergy

All cats can get fleas, and cats who spend time outdoors, either alone or supervised, are especially at risk.

Adult fleas will attach themselves to a passing cat, take a bite to fill up on blood, and then hop off to lay their eggs. The eggs typically get laid wherever the cat spends a lot of time sleeping—the couch, the chair, your bed, even along baseboards. The eggs are sticky and will cling to whatever surface they land on.

When temperature and humidity conditions are right, the eggs will hatch into maggot-like larvae. The larvae feed on the blood digested by the adult fleas, and, after 10–21 days, will form a cocoon and become a pupa. The pupae are very hardy—they can survive for months in an undisturbed nook or cranny. The pupae hatch into adult fleas, which will then hop on to the nearest warm-bodied animal—often the same cat from which the previous generation of adult fleas came.

Pest control companies are very attune to fleas and their habits. One such company provides a great illustration of the flea lifecycle.

Although you might not see the fleas on a cat, some cats are hypersensitive to the fleas’ saliva and will itch and over-groom to the point of hair loss; this is called flea allergy dermatitis. You can check your cat for fleas by running a flea comb through her fur and looking for the fleas themselves, or “flea dirt”—tiny dark brown granules that are the leftovers after a flea has digested its blood meal.

The best way to control fleas and prevent your cat from itching is to use a veterinarian-approved prescription flea control product. You can check with any of the doctors at Rainier Veterinary Hospital about the best product for your cat. Most of the products available for cats are topical drops that are applied to the skin at the back of the neck every month. Other options include oral preventatives and prescription flea collars. In order to reduce the likelihood of fleas being brought into your home, all pets in the home (not just the allergic ones!) should be on a regular prescription flea preventative.

It is important to note that cats, and especially outdoor cats, can be exposed to a number of other parasites, such as ear mites and mange mites, both of which can cause itchiness. Many of the parasite preventatives that protect against fleas will protect against other parasites as well.

Because so much of the flea lifecycle takes place off of the cat, it’s also important to rid the cat’s environment of flea eggs, larvae, and pupae. This means thoroughly washing all bedding, blankets, and furniture as well as vacuuming living spaces. For a household experiencing an active flea infestation, sometimes a flea bomb or professional extermination is required.

For cats who are over-grooming or licking due to a flea allergy, ridding the environment of fleas and keeping the cat on a regular prescription flea preventative might be all that’s needed to soothe the itch.

But what if your cat is still itchy?

Food Allergy

Just like people, cats can be allergic to food. In cats, the allergy is almost always to the protein source in the food. (Common sources like chicken, beef, or lamb are implicated as triggers.) Cats are almost never diagnosed with wheat or gluten allergies.

In order to determine if your cat has a food allergy, your veterinarian might recommend an elimination diet trial. For the diet trial, your cat will eat a food that has a different, or novel, protein source than her current food. Rabbit and duck are common novel protein diets. Or, your veterinarian might recommend a hydrolyzed protein diet. A hydrolyzed protein has been broken down into very tiny pieces, so the body does not recognize it as a protein and does not mount an allergic reaction.

For your appointment to discuss a diet trial, be sure to bring your veterinarian a detailed list of food, treats, and table scraps that your cat eats.

During the diet trial, it is imperative that your cat eats ONLY the novel protein or hydrolyzed protein food that was prescribed. Cat treats, human food, and even flavored medications all can contain proteins that could trigger your cat’s allergies.

Diet trials typically last about 6–8 weeks, in order to give your cat’s body time to adjust and respond. If any potential trigger protein exposure occurs during the diet trial, the trial clock must be “re-set” for another 6–8 weeks.

So, now you have started a monthly regimen of flea prevention, and put your cat on a diet trial, but she’s still itchy! What next?

Environmental Allergy

After ruling out flea and food allergies, we are left with environmental allergies (sometimes call inhaled allergies) as the cause of the itching. Cats, like people, can be allergic to things in their environment, such as dust, pollen, or dander. And just like people, cats’ allergies can be worse during seasons when plants are blooming. As with the other types of allergies, the best treatment is good management.

For some environmentally allergic cats, at-home management with medications can work well. Medication options include antihistamines (Benadryl, Zyrtec, and others), steroids, and others to suppress the body’s allergic response. Talk with your veterinarian about which medications could be beneficial for your cat.

Some cats with allergies also might benefit from a visit to a dermatology specialist for further workup, and to discuss allergy testing and immunotherapy (allergy shots). Your veterinarian can guide you in making the decision to seek specialty care.