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Cat stress: licking fur, scabs, weight loss after moving?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 11 lbs

Hi I recently moved to a new property and my cat seems to be settled but he has lost weight and is licking his fur away and has scabs on his back witch he used to get when he was outdoors as he used to fight slot but he hasn't been out in 2 months and I think he is nibbling his back and making these scabs what could this be ? I have fled him and wormed him.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 26th, 2018

Your kitty likely is stressed from the move. Cats often exhibit excessive grooming behavior when stressed. You can try to put Feliway dispensers in the areas where your cat spends most of his time. Feliway is a pheromone that calms down a cat and makes it happy. Not being able to go outside is another possible cause of stress.

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 10th, 2017

    This Behavior most certainly could be related to stress. I have known many cats to become stressed or exhibit this meowing Behavior when other outdoor cats are nearby. If you haven't already tried pheromone therapy, I would recommend trying the Feliway products to try and reduce stress that way. If this does not help after 3 weeks then I would consider anti anxiety medication and your vet will need to prescribe this.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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