fur plucker

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CaTails - 20 Jan 2005 21:04 GMT

Hello all,

I have a 9 year old cat who has been an "on-again/off-again" fur
plucker. I had him all checked out, bloodwork and everything all
normal. He started this when one of my other cats died and then a year
later another of my cats became very ill. All of this spiked his
anxiety and he started to "over groom" himself. He grooms himself and
plucks, but his skin is okay. He mainly does it along his back where
he can reach.

He stops, but when something changes, like when my husband and I go
away for a weekend, he starts again. His baldness is not blatanly
obvious.

Any suggestions on how to get him to stop? The vet I work for wants me
to start him on anti anxiety meds, but I'd rather not put him on
prescription meds when I can try something a bit more natural and less
toxic.

I've thought of putting "Best Behavior" or "yuk gel" on him, but I
don't want to discourage grooming altogether. I've even thought of
putting a sweater on him for a while, but that might cause added
stress.

Help!

Jo

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Karen Chuplis - 20 Jan 2005 23:30 GMT

> Hello all,
>
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>
> Jo

Have you tried a feliway diffuser or two in your house? It is a non-drug
method of calming cat anxiety. A fake phermone that says "everything is
fine". I would certainly give it a try. You can find them at petstores, the
vet or most inexpensively on the net.

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Mary - 20 Jan 2005 23:53 GMT

> Hello all,
>
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Any suggestions on how to get him to stop?

I just went through this with my cat, and she was literally bald
but for a thin, scratchy layer of stubble. It was stress,
absolutely. She began it in August, kept one side of her
body bald until maybe two weeks ago, when I noticed
the fur is softer, longer, and growing back in. If your cat's
baldness is not blatantly obvious, why worry about it?
You know the answer to getting him to stop--keep
him from getting anxious. Spoil the hell out of him
and remove the source of stress. My cat was upset
over another cat suddenly coming into the part of the
house she thought of as her territory. I began spending
more time with the other cat in her own turf, which
led to the other cat not coming upstairs so much.
And Cheeky stopped giving her side a buzz cut.

>The vet I work for wants me
> to start him on anti anxiety meds, but I'd rather not put him on
> prescription meds when I can try something a bit more natural and less
> toxic.

I would not do this. Just comfort your kitty. Spend more time
playing, eliminate sources of stress, that sort of thing.

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CaTails - 21 Jan 2005 02:41 GMT

I used the feliway diffuser before and one of my females decided that
she was going to urinate all over the area surrounding where it was
plugged in. That was great. But I now use the feliway spray and
spritz it once in different areas of the house. Anxiety has gone down
alot. Especially since I've got neighborhood cats that my cats aren't
too happy about when they come near my windows and pee and poo in my
garden.

He doesn't do it that often anymore, but he starts up when we go away
on weekends. I have a petsitter come in once a day when we are gone.
Thanks for the advice!

Joanna

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Karen Chuplis - 21 Jan 2005 02:44 GMT

> I used the feliway diffuser before and one of my females decided that
> she was going to urinate all over the area surrounding where it was
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> Joanna

Try upping the visits to two. (I am such a worrier I always have them come
in twice.) and make sure they squirt a little Feliway around once a day.

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