{"id":2753,"date":"2020-12-01T19:18:16","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T19:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carevetdev.kinsta.cloud\/hoschton\/?p=2753"},"modified":"2022-07-05T19:18:55","modified_gmt":"2022-07-05T19:18:55","slug":"is-your-cat-licking-herself-too-much","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/blog\/2020\/12\/01\/is-your-cat-licking-herself-too-much\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Your Cat Licking Herself Too Much?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-content\">\n<div style=\"transition: opacity 1s ease-in-out 0s;\" data-rss-type=\"text\">\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> If you are owned by a cat, you\u2019ll notice that your feline overlord licks herself frequently. Cats spend a lot of time grooming themselves, so this behavior in and of itself isn\u2019t abnormal. But it is possible for a kitty to lick herself too much\u2014this is known in the veterinary world as overgrooming. Read on to find out more on this from your local veterinarian. <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> &nbsp; <\/span> <\/p>\n<h2> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> What Counts as Overgrooming? <\/span> <\/h2>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Since cats spend somewhere between 25 and 50 percent of their time grooming themselves, it\u2019s sometimes hard to tell what might be considered overgrooming. That\u2019s why you\u2019ll need to look for additional signs of a problem aside. <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> &nbsp; <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> You might notice Fluffy persistently licking and chewing intently at a particular area, or you may spot hair loss or even bald patches. If you\u2019ve noticed these signs plus more hairballs and loose fur lying around your home recently, you could have an overgrooming furball on your hands. That means it\u2019s time to call your vet. <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> &nbsp; <\/span> <\/p>\n<h2> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> What\u2019s the Cause? <\/span> <\/h2>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> There are many possible causes of overgrooming in kitties. Cases are generally categorized as either medical or behavioral. Medical cases are caused by some kind of underlying health problem\u2014allergies, parasitic infestation, skin infection, physical injury, or even neurological conditions could be to blame. <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> &nbsp; <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Behavioral-based overgrooming is caused by stress or anxiety. That\u2019s right, your feline friend could be stressed out at home and taking her anxieties out on her own fur. It\u2019s hard to believe considering Fluffy\u2019s pampered life, we know, but it\u2019s not uncommon! <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> &nbsp; <\/span> <\/p>\n<h2> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> How is Overgrooming Treated? <\/span> <\/h2>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> If a medical issue is behind your cat\u2019s excessive licking, it must be dealt with before the overgrooming will stop. In the case of a skin infection, for example, antibiotics can be prescribed. Your veterinarian will be able to offer advice and treatment options. <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> &nbsp; <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> When a kitty is overgrooming because of a behavioral problem like anxiety, it\u2019s helpful to determine the cause. Fluffy might be stressed out because of a recent move, a change in the household like a new pet, or even a dirty litterbox. A professional feline behaviorist might be needed. Pheromones and\/or anxiety medications can be prescribed if necessary.&nbsp; <\/span> <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> &nbsp; <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Learn more about overgrooming in cats by contacting your vet\u2019s office. We\u2019re here for you! <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you are owned by a cat, you\u2019ll notice that your feline overlord licks herself frequently. Cats spend a lot of time grooming themselves, so this behavior in and of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2754,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2753"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2753\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2755,"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2753\/revisions\/2755"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}