Is my cat's overgrooming normal with a new kitten or stress?

Question

One of my 3 cats has a confirmed case of psychogenic alopecia. Was way worse at the shelter, got much better when he settled in here. Got a kitten a week ago and they get along great, but his overgrooming has been amped up. I imagine it'll get better again once things settle down, but is it normal for overgrooming to wax and wane like that? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 4 years and 6 months old | 9 lbs

Ann Dion, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is more likely that the stress of the new kitten has caused the overgrooming to occur again, vs. a wax/wane situation. Try Feliway diffusers to decrease the stress in the house, and make sure you have enough litter boxes (# cats + 1 = number of litter boxes), and a place for Lucky to hide that is 'kitten free'. If the overgrooming continues you can talk to your vet about medications such as Cloicalm. Best of luck with Lucky!

Is my cat's overgrooming normal with a new kitten or stress?

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