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Why is my cat licking off hair on her side, belly, and legs?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed | 15 lbs

For the couple weeks my cat seems to be licking off her hair when she cleans herself. She is 6 years old and it is mostly on her side/belly and back leg. Any ideas why? There has been no trauma in the home.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Celestin, DVM

Veterinarian, Veterinary Dentistry Resident

Published on August 18th, 2017

Hello! Cats can start this behavior which we call barbering or over grooming. To my knowledge there is no specific known cause but it has been linked to stress and allergies. Since this is thought to be more of a behavioral issue the options for treatment are centered around environmental enrichment and/or behavior modifying medications. I would recommend discussing this further with your regular veterinarian so they can also evaluate Tess' to rule out things like a primary dermatological problem. Some have discussed switching to a hypoallergenic food to see if that helps. I have also met many owners who choose not to do anything because like Tess they aren't causing trauma to themselves. Hopefully this information is helpful and best of luck to you and Tess.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It sounds like Tess is grooming excessively. There are two main causes of this type of behavior and subsequent hairloss in cats. The first and most common cause is allergies. The allergy can be to your cat's food, something in the environment (like pollens, dust, etc), or external parasites like fleas. The allergy makes the skin itchy so the cat will lick/groom to alleviate the itch. The second cause of over grooming is called psychogenic alopecia. This means there is a behavioral component to the excessive licking. Cats with this problem typically need to be on an antianxiety medication to help relieve the stress that is causing the behavior. This is much less likely than allergies but does occur. I would recommend a trip to your vet with Tess so the underlying cause of her excessive grooming can be addressed. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

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