Stomach Licking?

Hi!

I adopted my 8 year old cat Bailey a little over a month ago. Her lower tummy was practically bald, and her previous owner said that her vet told her it was due to stress and that it would grow back. My new vet said the same thing. However, she seems pretty comfortable now (she doesn't hide under the bed at all anymore and has even been playing with the other cat), but her stomach is still bald! Everytime I see some hair growing in, I'll catch her the next day with a pink tummy. She is a few pounds overweight (she's on a diet now), and the bald area is where her stomach sags the most. Any advice? Thanks!

-Jen

One month isn't a very long time to get over any stress of a new home. She might be playing, but still nervous about her new surroundings. Your thread title was "Stomach Licking" but you didn't mention in the post how often she is doing this. Is this constant? Only after she does certain things or lays in certain places? You might want to watch her behavior prior to her licking to see if there is any correlation to activities or places.

She licks pretty consistently. I also noticed today that she's been licking the insides of her back legs. So it's actually a little worse than it was when I got her.

This sounds like obsessive-compulsive behavior. This is not unusual in stressed out or neurotic cats. However, it can also be caused by allergies or mites. You should take the cat to the vet right away to determine whether the problem is medical or psychological.

Our cat is currently doing this. It's been going on for a few months. The vet told us it might be allergies. He's got to go back in for some type of shot.

Whether it is stress or allergies, you should take your baby to the vet. Skin allergies can turn into infections, and become difficult to treat. If it is stress, your vet could give her some medication to get her over the hump.

Keep us posted on what you find out!

Yeah, she has an appointment at the vet next Tuesday to get her teeth cleaned. I called the vet today and asked them if I should bring her in sooner. They said I could if I wanted to, but they didn't deem it necessary as long as she seemd fine otherwise (which she does). I don't want to traumatize her by bringing her to the vet twice in a week period, so they're going to check her out when she goes in Tuesday.

Thanks for the advice everyone! I'll post an update as soon as I get her results. This will also be her first blood test since I got her, so I'm a bit paranoid but am hoping for the best.