01/04/2020
Is your kitty over-grooming?
This morning a reasonable amount of time had passed before I realised I was sitting next to yet another perfectly formed oesophagus shaped furball! Poor little Jane the cat is not very happy about the COVID-19 lock-down and I expect that many of her kitty friends are feeling much the same.
Of course they love us (I’m sure they really do and do not just want food) but cats are generally quite unsociable creatures of habit and they do not want us around ALL of the time, making noise, taking up their sunny spot, mithering them and moving their stuff.
Over-grooming is a common sign of stress in cats. You may notice your cat licking frequently and losing fur, especially on the tummy, inside the back legs, sides and legs. Your cat may be producing furballs, more than usual. In extreme cases their skin may become sore and even infected.
So, what can you do to help:
• Give them space, if they’re sleeping during the day when you would normally be out at work, try not to disturb them. They like their routine.
• Provide them with their own high up area. Cat towers, cat shelves up the wall, easy access to wardrobe tops etc. They feel confident and happy when they are high up like a lion in a tree.
• Play with your cat daily, they love the fishing rod toys, scrunched up paper balls and laser pens (mind their eyes).
• Make your cat a castle or tank from a cardboard box, great fun for children too. Or just give the cat the box as it is.
• Sprinkle their favourite place with a little catnip.
• Invest in a calming diffuser such as Feliway (Classic for a single cat or Friends for a multicat household) or Pet Remedy. These work in different ways so if you don’t think your cat is responding to one then try the other.
• There are also anti anxiety treatments available that can go in their food including YuCALM, KalmAid and Zylkene.
• Persevere with the plug-ins and other treatments for a while, you are unlikely to notice an immediate response, this does not mean that they are not helping.
• Ensure the cats are up to date with their flea control, fleas will only make the problem worse.
• If the skin looks sore then contact your vet.