Sometime you have beend noticed your is over grooming and but do you know why do cats over groom themselves? There are two main reasons and the very first MEDICAL reasons and the second is BEHAVIORAL reasons.
1. Behavioral
Cats started licking themselves so much to get relief from stress and this is also known as psychogenic alopecia.
2. Medical
Cats have skin allergies, complete hair loss from different areas, or damage to the skin.
What are the causes of over grooming in cats?
Stress is the most common and primary cause of overgrooming in cat.
How to stop cats from over grooming if it is caused by stress?
By playing with your cat or doing stress-relieving activities with your cat will reduce your cat’s stress and it will also help your cat to stop over grooming.
Over grooming in Cats?
Over-grooming is defined as when a cat spends too much time obsessively grooming itself. It is called cat over grooming.
Moreover, over grooming in cats can cause hair loss and skin problem.
Should I punish my cat when its over grooming?
No, you shouldn’t punish your cat when it’s over grooming, because when you punish them they will get more stress and they can start grooming more.
Giving punishment is not a solution to stop your cat from overgrooming, it’s a bad idea to punish the cat. If the cat is overgrooming, take your cat to a vet for check-up and proper treatment.
For further details about the cat overgrooming problem, read the article below.
Reasons for Why Do Cats Over Groom Themselves?
Such as:
- Change or lack of environment.
- Shifting to a new house or apartment.
- Rearranging or buying new furniture.
- A change in the location of the cat’s letter box.
- When a new person arrives at his house as a new family member,
Medical reasons that cats are starting to over-groom.
Such as:
- If the cat is feeling itchy or something is causing the cat to be itchy, as a result, the cat may start over grooming to relieve the itch.
2. Cats may have allergies to anything like fleas, foods, or from the environment.
If you think that your cat has allergies, you should take your cat to a vet. Your vet will do a proper check-up on your cat.
What are the SIGNS if a cat is over groomed?
The following are the signs if your cat is overgrooming.
- If your cat is overgrooming, there will be a stripe or line of short stubble which looks like a buzz cut.
- The skin and fur of your cat may become damaged.
- Feel uncomfortable
- Redness, Rashes, Or Scabs on Bald Areas
Question: How to stop my cat from overgrowing?
Answer: It is difficult to stop your cat from overgrooming, but you can stop your cat from overgrooming by following the following procedures:
- Figure out why or what are the reasons that your cat is overgrooming or contact with a qualified behavioural professional or vet.
Moreover, you’ll need a veterinarian to take your cat to a vet, so the vet can rule out the medical conditions and confirm the diagnosis of psychogenic alopecia.
2. Just like humans, cats are also prone to stress. To get relief for your cat from stress, give your cat a stress-free environment, make your home stress free for your cat,
- Play games with your cat to reduce its stress, do different types of activities with your cat.
- Never punish your cat. It increases more stress in cat
- Put the letter box, food, and water in the appropriate location.
What is meant by cat overgrooming?
Overgrooming means any type of behaviour that goes beyond the normal grooming of a cat for its fur maintenance and for proper scent distribution.
Moreover, if a cat is overgrooming, it is noticed that the patches of broken or sparse hair, damage to the skin, or complete hair loss in different areas.
However, if the cat starts grooming over, take your cat to a vet for a proper check up.
Cats lick themselves so much. Why?
Cats started licking themselves soo much to groom themselves, to show affection, and to have a good relationship with you or with cats,
If your cat starts licking excessively, then this can be a signal that your cat has a medical issue, like having stress, anxiety, or any type of allergy or having behavioral problem.
You will need to take your cat to the vet for proper check-up and treatment.
If your cat has developed bald spots, this means your cat started too much grooming, having bald sports or complete hairloss of a area, or relaxing to reduce stress.
What is psychogenic alopecia in cats?
Psychogenic alopecia is also called over grooming. It’s a cat behavior in which cats start licking themselves.
Note: (If your cat is having an overgrooming problem or allergy, stress or any other disease or problem, take your cat to a vet for proper check up and for treatment.)
