Do you want to prevent your cat from excessive grooming?
Cats are fascinating animals, and people love to keep them in their houses as pets. Cats have naturally grooming habits that keep them clean for almost 50% of their waking time. They are animals with much unique behavior, but there comes a time when they get extra concerned with their grooming behavior, which turns into excessive cat grooming.
Cats love to take care of themselves as they mostly manage to clean themselves, but they need a bath and shave. Their flexible body allows them to reach most of the areas of their body. Their tongue consists of tiny barbs or papillae made of keratin. These barbs help them remove hair that is sometimes stuck on the cat’s tongue and passes quickly without any issue. Cats with heavy breeds are likely to face problems if a single hair is stuck inside, which later turns into a hairball. Read the whole article if you want to know about a cat’s excessive grooming.
What is Cat Grooming?
Cats groom on a regular basis, which is a normal thing for them. However, it is an essential growth factor that helps cats to eliminate loose hair and parasites from their body. Cat’s excessive grooming also occurs due to various medical and behavioral reasons.
When a cat is excessively spending a lot of time self-grooming, it can lead to hair loss and skin sores. This is because the neurotransmitters are released from the brain when a cat licks itself, making them feel good. But sometimes, a cat might bite areas of her skin which causes damage to the skin. So it may be a sign of over-grooming, or you will find the evidence yourself.
Why Does Cat Grooming Happen?
It may happen due to a few reasons, such as pain, stress, allergies, or stretch.
Pain
If your cat is experiencing pain in mostly one area and licking that area constantly, this may cause discomfort for them. However, the cause of the pain may be due to skin issues, such as scratches and rubbing.
Itching
Similarly, itching on the skin causes external damages. Skin infections, fleas, and skin mites are the leading causes of itching. Furthermore, excessive rubbing or scratching on the skin can become something your cat adores the most when you give them a good scratch.
Stress
A few cats usually overgroom to ignore stress and other related issues. Cats adore licking because it releases endorphins, which later help stress relief, but some cats turn it into a habit. The most common type of stress is chronic stress which happens because of specific changes in routine and habits. For example, it might be due to the absence of a family member or a change of location.
- Moving to a new place
- Living with a new furry cat
- Moving the litter box to another location
- Missing plants in which they used to hide
How To Prevent Excessive Grooming
After visiting your veterinarian, you can try a few tips to help your cat ease over-grooming.
- If your cat is upset due to the absence of a family member, then keep a shirt or belonging of your cat’s favorite person in a ziplock bag and put that near your cat. It will make her realize that she can feel the touch of the missing family member.
- You might be missing playing with your kitty. Playing with cats is a kind of therapy for them, so do this therapy and see how your cat reacts to this activity. It will boost your kitty’s confidence, and she will feel relaxed.
- Bring a spray that has a similar smell to cats. By spraying that scent on objects like vase floor mats, it will give your cat a calming effect.
- Introduce your cat to a partner. Let her be friends with surrounding cats. This way, they will find a friend who will stay with them throughout their cat journey.
- Introduce a hiding place to your cat. Cats are usually good at hiding at their favorite spot. They like to hide under tables or plants. But sometimes, they didn’t find any place to hide and became stressed. It usually happens in hallways with no furniture. Cats hardly find a place to hide and get stressed.
Lastly, consider visiting a vet and get it diagnosed. Your doctor will examine the disease and get it treated immediately. Allergies include flea infestation, skin mites, ringworm, bacterial or fungal infections, or some metabolic conditions. With a vet’s thorough diagnosis, your cat will receive proper treatment.
Conclusion
Therefore, it’s crucial to look for the evidence before consulting your veterinarian. As most cats want their owner’s affection, playing a game with cats will also help boost their mood. Act as a best friend for your kitty and spend some time with her; it will be a relief for her. These tricks will help you with your cat’s excessive grooming and provide her comfort.
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