My cat is overgrooming and pulling out fur. Is it behavioral?

Question

I moved house a year ago and after a few months my one (of three) cat started excessively cleaning. At first, we assumed she had fleas so gave regular treatments which seemed to help, however, it hasn't cured it (none of the cats actually had fleas). Recently, her over grooming has led to her pulling out clumps of fur. I believe its behavioural because if we distract her (putting a dog coat on) she forgets about it and they heal, but as soon as the coat comes off... it starts again. Please help? Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 5 years and 1 month old | 8.6 lbs

Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA · Accepted Answer

Overgrooming can be caused by a few medical problems, such as fleas, food allergies, mites, or internal medical disease. I would take Milly to a vet to rule out these issues. If the vet can't find anything physically wrong, then it could be behavioral. You can try supplements for stress like Zylkene or Comfort Zone/Feliway. Here is some more information on overgrooming in cats that includes things to discuss with your vet: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2565

My cat is overgrooming and pulling out fur. Is it behavioral?

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