Overgrooming in cats is a behaviour where cats groom themselves excessively, to the point where it can lead to secondary skin problems or other health issues. This behaviour can be caused by both medical and behavioural issues. While this condition is rarely life-threatening, it’s important to address it quickly to prevent complications.

Overgrooming is a fairly common problem in cats; one of the top 10 most common health problems. Cats of any age or breed can develop overgrooming behaviour. The most commonly affected areas of the body are the tummy and the insides of the back legs. Affected cats often lick, chew, pluck, or bite at their fur or skin, and this behaviour can be challenging to stop. It’s important to differentiate overgrooming (which is self-inflicted) from spontaneous hair loss, which is often caused by hormonal diseases and other medical issues.

What to do

What to do if your cat is overgrooming

Cats are naturally very clean animals and often spend up to 50% of their day grooming. It’s a natural behaviour that helps prevent tangles and mats, and even some parasites. However, under some circumstances, this behaviour can become excessive and lead to skin problems or other health issues.

If you suspect your cat is overgrooming, we recommend:

• Monitoring your cat at home for any other symptoms, such as reduced appetite or diarrhoea.
• Checking their skin and fur for anything abnormal, such as red areas of skin or sores.
• Checking all other pets in the home for similar issues; this might indicate something infectious.
• Speaking to a vet as soon as possible.

It can be difficult to determine if and why your cat is overgrooming. The behaviour can become obsessive and lead to severe skin problems. It’s best to speak to a vet as soon as possible if your cat shows any signs of overgrooming.

Joii vets are available 24 hours a day for advice

Causes

Most common causes of overgrooming in cats

Medical causes are usually in response to pain or itching and they include:

• Parasites: such as fleas, ringworm, mites or other parasites that cause itching.
• Allergies: can be due to fleas, food or environmental allergens.
• Pain: can be acute, such as a wound, or chronic, such as arthritis.
• Urinary tract disease is often linked to overgrooming due to both pain and stress.

Behavioural causes include:

• Stress and anxiety: often caused by a change in the routine or environment, such as moving home, new pets or frequent loud noises.
• Boredom: not enough physical and mental stimulation.

When to worry

When to worry about overgrooming in cats

Seek help from a vet in practice if:

• You have a male cat who is overgrooming and straining to pee. This is an emergency.
• Your cat is constantly grooming themselves, leading to bald areas or widespread skin lesions.
• Your cat is overgrooming and ill, such as vomiting or not eating.
• Your cat is losing weight.

Speak to one of our Joii vets if:

• You have any questions about preventing overgrooming in cats.
• You would like a referral to our in-app behaviourist.

Prevention

Tips on how to prevent your cat from overgrooming

There are many ways to prevent overgrooming in cats, addressing both medical and behavioural causes.

Medical

• Ensure your cat has regular check-ups with a vet, at least once a year.
• Keep your cat up to date with their yearly vaccinations.
• Use regular vet-recommended parasite control that prevents fleas and other parasites.
• Feed a balanced diet and keep your cat in a healthy body condition. Obesity is a very dangerous condition.
• Treat any allergies appropriately: severely affected cats may need long-term prescription anti-itch medication.

Behavioural

• Avoid sudden changes in routine. Prepare in advance, transition slowly and use calming supplements and diffusers to help your cat adapt.
• Provide your cat with adequate environmental enrichment, including daily playtime and attention, scratching posts and toys to encourage both physical and mental stimulation.

Make sure your cat has the key resources they need to prevent stress:

• Provide a clean litter tray in a quiet area of the home.
• Make sure the food and water bowls are separated from each other and are both far from the litter tray. Keep these resources away from busy or noisy areas of the house.
• Provide multiple options for drinking water, such as a bowl and a fountain, in separate areas.
• For multi-cat households, at least one resource per cat plus one extra. Feeding separately can also help.
• Provide a safe space for them to hide in the house; somewhere high, warm, and dark is perfect.
• For elderly or unwell cats, make sure these resources are easily accessible.

Diagnosis

How to know if your cat is overgrooming

Cats are known to hide signs of illness due to instinctual behaviour, so you might not always notice them overgrooming. The most commonly affected areas for overgrooming are the tummy and the insides of the back legs, and the hair loss often presents symmetrically.

Other signs to look out for include:

• Hairballs or hair in the stools
• Short, stubby or broken hairs on their body
• Bald patches or areas of hair thinning
• Patches of redness or sores on the skin
• Hiding and lethargy
• Clumps of hair around the house

 

Home treatment

How to help at home if your cat is overgrooming

Overgrooming in cats is often linked to underlying behavioural problems. However, it’s important to get a physical exam with your vet to rule out medical problems first. If these have been ruled out, it’s important to adapt to help them as much as possible at home.

How to approach overgrooming at home initially:

1. Rule out underlying medical causes with your vet.
2. Use a buster collar or pet medical suit to prevent self-trauma until the underlying problem has been diagnosed.
3. Make sure all pets in the home are up to date with effective parasite control. Just because you can’t see fleas doesn’t mean they are not there.
4. Use natural calming methods in the home, such as pheromone diffusers and calming supplements.
5. Follow the steps in the prevention section to help reduce and prevent stress.

Vet treatment

Vet treatment for overgrooming in cats

The vet treatment for overgrooming in cats will depend on the underlying issue. Recommended treatments may include:

• Parasite control
• Pain relief
• Antibiotics if skin is infected
• Anti-itch medication if allergies are suspected
• Prescription anxiety medication

Your vet might also recommend certain tests if the underlying condition is not obvious on a physical exam:

• Blood and urine tests
• Skin tests: scrapes, hairplucks or biopsy
• Food trial

Once medical conditions have been investigated, the next step is to address behavioural causes. Depending on the severity of the problem, your vet may recommend speaking with a behavioural specialist to help identify underlying causes. They will create a specific plan for your cat’s individual needs.

Behaviour specialists

• Referral to a behavioural specialist is always beneficial, especially if aggression is involved.
• When looking for a behaviourist, check their accreditations. It is important to find someone suitably qualified who uses ethical and up-to-date techniques.
• Your vet will usually be able to help find a suitable behaviourist, as some only work by referral. See the following organisations for more information about behaviour specialists:

ABTC (Animal Behaviour and Training Council) is a regulatory body that sets and maintains standards for the profession and has a national register for appropriately qualified animal trainers and behaviourists.

CCAB (Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist) – an accreditation scheme by the ASAB (association for the study of animal behaviour)

FAB (Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians) has a list of certified members and promotes high ethical standards and up-to-date techniques.

APBC (Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors) is a network of experienced and qualified counsellors.

Risk

Are some cats more at risk of overgrooming than others?

Evidence suggests that some Oriental breeds may be more prone to stress-related grooming issues, but there is no conclusive evidence on how common this is or the reasons behind it.

Indoor, overweight male cats are more prone to overgrooming and stress with urinary tract disease.

Other causes of overgrooming in cats

Feline hyperaesthesia syndrome: a condition that is thought to be related to obsessive-compulsive disorders. Involves an extremely sensitive area of skin, usually on the back. Can lead to self-mutilation. Can be managed well when diagnosed and treated appropriately and most cats with this live normal, happy lives.

Auto-immune conditions: such as Pemphigus Foliaceus.