Why Is My Senior Domestic Shorthair Still Licking His Belly Raw? (Vet Answered)
This question has been answered by a vet
Small Animal Veterinarian
Dr. Karyn is a small animal veterinarian originally from Australia, now based in the UK. She holds degrees in Veterinary Science (2010) and Zoology. When not helping pets, she tends to her 5 cats and garden!
The Question
My cat has been to my long term vet (12 years) and specialists for skin conditions and despite meds, change of foods, etc., he still licks his belly raw. He has been doing this for over a year. He is currently on Kesium to avoid infection. He lives with 9 siblings which are all the same age except for one who is 14. I am beyond crazy with frustration. I cannot use pheromones like Felaway because I have a parrot.
Quick Info about Loki
Dear Angela,
Thanks so much for writing in.
This sounds really frustrating for you!
This sort of over-grooming is often behavioral, and it can be a way that cats deal with stress, but it can also be a sign of internal discomfort caused by conditions like gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, or other abdominal issues. An abdominal ultrasound wouldn't be a bad idea here, just to rule this out as a possible cause.
Cats hide stress very well, and in a multi-cat household, it usually manifests as inappropriate toileting or overgrooming. One alternative to pheromone diffusers you might want to consider is one of my favorite products, Pet Remedy, which is actually a UK-based product, but you can get it from Chewy here: https://chewy.sjv.io/GbQRmE. It's based on a combination of calming herbal ingredients rather than pheromones, and they even make one for birds! Being a spray, you can use it on bedding and furniture etc, as opposed to a diffuser that is constantly in the air, but I'm not an avian vet, so I would recommend double-checking to make sure this one is safe to use around your birds.
You might also want to talk to your vet about trialing an anxiolytic like Clomipramine or Fluoxetine (yep, kitty Prozac!) to see if this makes any difference to Loki's compulsive grooming.
I hope this helps!
Dr Karyn