Cat Licks Stop on Stomach Raw!

So, for the Last two months my cat Nebby, who is two years old, has
licked a spot on his stomach till it is raw! The Vet gave him a shot;
but it did not keep the cat from licking the area raw! Am giving the
cat Prednisolone now! However after the One a day for a week routine,
the cat started licking the area again! The only thing that keeps him
from licking the area is the head cone! This keeps the cat in one
room or a small cage as there are too many things to jump on in the
house and the enclosed cage! The Vet said it may be due to food
allergies! Since, I feed my cats lots of varieties of food, that
could be any one of them! Have tried Grannick's Bitter Apple but that
does not deter Nebby! So, do allergy testings do any good? Am
wondering if Nebby will have to wear the neck cone all his life! The
spot he licks gets a crust on it when I put him in the neck cone!
That could itch! Any suggestions is welcomed!

"chatnoir" wrote in message
...
So, for the Last two months my cat Nebby, who is two years old, has
licked a spot on his stomach till it is raw! The Vet gave him a shot;
but it did not keep the cat from licking the area raw! Am giving the
cat Prednisolone now! However after the One a day for a week routine,
the cat started licking the area again! The only thing that keeps him
from licking the area is the head cone! This keeps the cat in one
room or a small cage as there are too many things to jump on in the
house and the enclosed cage! The Vet said it may be due to food
allergies! Since, I feed my cats lots of varieties of food, that
could be any one of them! Have tried Grannick's Bitter Apple but that
does not deter Nebby! So, do allergy testings do any good? Am
wondering if Nebby will have to wear the neck cone all his life! The
spot he licks gets a crust on it when I put him in the neck cone!
That could itch! Any suggestions is welcomed!

Your cat is anxious. My cat did this, until I figured out what she was upset
about and fixed it. She had a raw pink belly, now she has loads of creamy,
spotted fur.

Amber licked a spot raw on her side when I was in the hospital for a
week. It cleared up after the vet gave her a prednisone shot.


---MIKE---
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')

Suddenly, without warning, chatnoir exclaimed (9/7/2008 2:18 PM):
So, for the Last two months my cat Nebby, who is two years old, has
licked a spot on his stomach till it is raw! The Vet gave him a shot;
but it did not keep the cat from licking the area raw! Am giving the
cat Prednisolone now! However after the One a day for a week routine,
the cat started licking the area again! The only thing that keeps him
from licking the area is the head cone! This keeps the cat in one
room or a small cage as there are too many things to jump on in the
house and the enclosed cage! The Vet said it may be due to food
allergies! Since, I feed my cats lots of varieties of food, that
could be any one of them! Have tried Grannick's Bitter Apple but that
does not deter Nebby! So, do allergy testings do any good? Am
wondering if Nebby will have to wear the neck cone all his life! The
spot he licks gets a crust on it when I put him in the neck cone!
That could itch! Any suggestions is welcomed!

I went through this with Meep earlier this year. She wasn't actually
damaging her skin, but she mowed a large space on her belly naked.

It could be allergies, or anxiety. Of course, it is easier for the vet
to eliminate anxieties first. Keep up on the prednizone, I think it
takes a while to work.

Try to figure out what may be making your cat anxious. Is there a new
cat in the neighborhood, harassing your cat (through the window, if your
cat is indoors)? Recent move? Visitors? Did you move the furniture
around, or change something else in his environment, however small?

If it's allergies, you need to figure out from what. Best way is
through an elimination diet. Ideally, you could feed your cat a natural
diet of meat. I tried to do this with Meep but she wouldn't go for it.
If your cat's the same, go find something at the pet store, not the
grocery store, that has no grains or other allergens. Some Wellness
types are like that; others here I'm sure can offer other foods that
have worked for their kitties. If she gets better on the new diet, you
can then carefully reintroduce different foods, one at a time, until you
find the culprit, and know to avoid it.

One problem is, even if it is allergies, you could still end up with a
behavior issue because the licking can become habitual. I never really
saw Meep overgrooming that area - I think part of her problem may have
been separation anxiety. When I would see her, I'd let her groom for a
normal amount of time, then I'd make a loud noise that would distract
her, or I'd get up to walk to the kitchen. I wouldn't try playing with
her or distracting her in a "positive reinforcement" way, because I
didn't want her to think "hey, when I groom my belly, she plays with me
or gives me a treat! Cool!".

Good luck. If it's not allergies, one possibility is to put her on an
antidepressent - Clomicalm or Amitryptyline. She stopped mowing before
we put her on them; Clomi was too sedative for Meep, but Ami worked very
well to get her through the upheaval and anxiety of another overseas
move - she didn't take up fur mowing, or have a cystitis attack, the
whole time, which is awesome.

Good luck. Overgrooming is one of the more difficult disorders to
figure out, I think.

jmc

On Sep 7, 12:40*pm, "cybercat" wrote:
"chatnoir" wrote in message

...

So, for the Last two months my cat Nebby, who is two years old, has
licked a spot on his stomach till it is raw! *The Vet gave him a shot;
but it did not keep the cat from licking the area raw! *Am giving the
cat Prednisolone now! However after the One a day for a week routine,
the cat started licking the area again! *The only thing that keeps him
from licking the area is the head cone! *This keeps the cat in one
room or a small cage as there are too many things to jump on in the
house and the enclosed cage! *The Vet said it may be due to food
allergies! *Since, I feed my cats lots of varieties of food, that
could be any one of them! *Have tried Grannick's Bitter Apple but that
does not deter Nebby! *So, do allergy testings do any good? *Am
wondering if Nebby will have to wear the neck cone all his life! *The
spot he licks gets a crust on it when I put him in the neck cone!
That could itch! *Any suggestions is welcomed!

Your cat is anxious. My cat did this, until I figured out what she was upset
about and fixed it. She had a raw pink belly, now she has loads of creamy,
spotted fur.

The only thing I can think of that has changed in the last 2 months is
the behavior of his brother Izzy (Not nec a girls name)! They were
rescue cats and raised together and I got them at the same time! They
were very affectionate to each other! And both cats were very
affectionate to me! Always jumping all over me for affection! Izzy
changed two months ago! He no longer jumps all over me for
affection! And when Nebby comes to play or lick Izzzy (They use to
lick each other all the time) Izzy gets and annoyed look and pushes
Nebby away! I don't know what changed Izzy; but it could be the
anxiety problem Nebby has!

Suddenly, without warning, chatnoir exclaimed (9/7/2008 7:54 PM):
On Sep 7, 12:40 pm, "cybercat" wrote:
"chatnoir" wrote in message

...

So, for the Last two months my cat Nebby, who is two years old, has
licked a spot on his stomach till it is raw! The Vet gave him a shot;
but it did not keep the cat from licking the area raw! Am giving the
cat Prednisolone now! However after the One a day for a week routine,
the cat started licking the area again! The only thing that keeps him
from licking the area is the head cone! This keeps the cat in one
room or a small cage as there are too many things to jump on in the
house and the enclosed cage! The Vet said it may be due to food
allergies! Since, I feed my cats lots of varieties of food, that
could be any one of them! Have tried Grannick's Bitter Apple but that
does not deter Nebby! So, do allergy testings do any good? Am
wondering if Nebby will have to wear the neck cone all his life! The
spot he licks gets a crust on it when I put him in the neck cone!
That could itch! Any suggestions is welcomed!
Your cat is anxious. My cat did this, until I figured out what she was upset
about and fixed it. She had a raw pink belly, now she has loads of creamy,
spotted fur.

The only thing I can think of that has changed in the last 2 months is
the behavior of his brother Izzy (Not nec a girls name)! They were
rescue cats and raised together and I got them at the same time! They
were very affectionate to each other! And both cats were very
affectionate to me! Always jumping all over me for affection! Izzy
changed two months ago! He no longer jumps all over me for
affection! And when Nebby comes to play or lick Izzzy (They use to
lick each other all the time) Izzy gets and annoyed look and pushes
Nebby away! I don't know what changed Izzy; but it could be the
anxiety problem Nebby has!

Hmmm. Behavior changes in Izzy suggest a trip to the vet is in order.
Any time a cat's personality or behavior changes, especially for the
worse, you should see a vet, because it could mean something is wrong.
And this certainly could be the cause of Nebby's overgrooming.

jmc

"chatnoir" wrote
The only thing I can think of that has changed in the last 2 months is
the behavior of his brother Izzy (Not nec a girls name)! They were
rescue cats and raised together and I got them at the same time! They
were very affectionate to each other! And both cats were very
affectionate to me! Always jumping all over me for affection! Izzy
changed two months ago! He no longer jumps all over me for
affection! And when Nebby comes to play or lick Izzzy (They use to
lick each other all the time) Izzy gets and annoyed look and pushes
Nebby away! I don't know what changed Izzy; but it could be the
anxiety problem Nebby has!

There you go, you solved it, and I am not surprised because only you know
your cats. Comfort Nebby. Quit with the collar and the confining and give
Nebby lots of love and attention. It's emotional, not physical. You'll see
positive results soon.

Hmmm. *Behavior changes in Izzy suggest a trip to the vet is in order.
Any time a cat's personality or behavior changes, especially for the
worse, you should see a vet, because it could mean something is wrong.
And this certainly could be the cause of Nebby's overgrooming.

jmc

Yes, please take Izzy to the vet for a check up. Also, try using the
Feliway diffuser. It's helpful for times of stress (which your cats
seem to be under now).

Before I had to put my cats on Science Diet because of Icarus's UTI and
blockages, I fed them Blue Buffalo Spa Select which was a more natural food.
It worked well for them and they never threw it up. It can be found at
Petsmart. It's expensive but good for the cats that have food allergies.


"chatnoir" wrote in message
...
So, for the Last two months my cat Nebby, who is two years old, has
licked a spot on his stomach till it is raw! The Vet gave him a shot;
but it did not keep the cat from licking the area raw! Am giving the
cat Prednisolone now! However after the One a day for a week routine,
the cat started licking the area again! The only thing that keeps him
from licking the area is the head cone! This keeps the cat in one
room or a small cage as there are too many things to jump on in the
house and the enclosed cage! The Vet said it may be due to food
allergies! Since, I feed my cats lots of varieties of food, that
could be any one of them! Have tried Grannick's Bitter Apple but that
does not deter Nebby! So, do allergy testings do any good? Am
wondering if Nebby will have to wear the neck cone all his life! The
spot he licks gets a crust on it when I put him in the neck cone!
That could itch! Any suggestions is welcomed!

Sun, 7 Sep 2008 14:40:57 -0400 from cybercat :

My cat did this, until I figured out what she was upset
about and fixed it. She had a raw pink belly, now she has loads of creamy,
spotted fur.

Don't leave us in suspense! What was the cause?

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...