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Why is my cat excessively licking, pulling hair, and bleeding?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 5 years and 2 months old | 6 lbs

My cat cleans herself excessively. She pulls out her hair to the point where she bleeds. I have been bathing her in dawn dish soap and it does help with the skin irritation although she will tear her skin up again in about a week. How can I treat her open wounds?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 2nd, 2016

Please do not bathe your cat in Dawn dish soap. it is likely that she reacts to it with itching. If you have not done so yet, make sure you do flea prevention. Cleaning excessively can have several reasons 1) the soap in her coat, 2) fleas 3) allergies and 4)a fungal infection and 5) stress. You should take your kitty to a vet to find out the cause. If it is the soap , washing it out with just water will help. Flea medication will take care of the fleas. If it is allergies, she will need to be fed hypo-allergenic food and if it is a fungal infection she will need to be treated with a fungicide. If it is stress, then stress needs to be reduced. Feliway spray or diffusers will also help cats get unstressed. Her wounds should be checked by the vet as well. She may need antibiotics.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    The open wounds are best treated with systemic antibiotics in cats, topical treatment is usually not very effective. You will need to bring her to the vet to get an antibiotic injection and possibly a e-collar to put around her neck to prevent her from damaging herself further more.

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