My adopted cat grooms aggressively. Is it stress or a health issue?

Question

I adopted a 7 year old cat two weeks ago. She seems generally happy and is very well-behaved, but often she gets twitchy and begins aggressively grooming herself. She shies away from being pet during this time and often hisses, but is not aggressive towards people. She acts almost as if she is getting bitten and is very distressed, but she is an indoor cat and I have found no evidence of parasites. Is it possible she's having an emotional reaction to the move? Or is this a health problem? Pet's info: Cat | European Shorthair | Female | spayed | 7 years and 4 months old | 5 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

If only Tatzel could talk! I recommend to treat her for fleas to rule out parasites because they can often present like this. After the treatment, if the behavior occurs for another 2-4 weeks, then it's time to start looking for other causes of itching. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

My adopted cat grooms aggressively. Is it stress or a health issue?

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