My baby's licked all the fur off her legs :-(

ncas

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jan 19, 2017
Messages
1
Purraise
1
I had to leave for two weeks. Although I usually take Sera with me when I go away, my uncle was having a heart transplant out of state, there was no one else to be with him, the hospital hotel didn't allow cats, and he's quite allergic. I tried keeping her at a kennel once before but it was a bad experience for her, so I thought she would be fine staying with my mother. Boy was I wrong.  I honestly never pegged my mother for the "it's just a cat and as long as it has a pulse it's fine" type of person. Apparently feeding Sera her normal wet food (Holistic Select) from pre-portioned containers was too much of a hassle, so she bought the cheapest dry food she could find at Walmart that Sera would barely eat, refused to even put the salmon oil I left over the food, didn't scoop her litter box at all, never played with her, kept her on the bottom floor of the house where there was nothing really to climb on or do and people rarely go instead of at least my old room which still has a couple cat trees in it, and yelled at her when she peed and pooped in the bathtub because her litter box was full (I know because she called to yell at me too). 
 

When I got back last night, Sera was extremely stressed and had licked big bald patches on all four legs.  She firmly latched herself to my hip and wouldn't play very much - just a tiny bit with a string as long as it didn't take her too far away from me. She's been a bit better today now that we're back at my apartment. She was willing to chase a laser around the room, but she's still licking her legs. I dipped her legs in some warm water and wiped them down with a soft washcloth, but I'm wondering if there's anything else I can do.

I have an aloe plant, and I collect essential oils, so if there's an essential oil I can use I probably have it. Some kind of special holistic potion to be brewed here that can be used topically or otherwise and won't harm the cat? Or maybe there's a product that will help? The only pet stores I have around here really are Petsmart and Petco, and I've never found them to be particularly helpful, so I buy all of Sera's supplies online. I'm sure one of the stores will have Feliway plug ins and sprays though if the licking is purely anxiety related. Has anyone had any luck with those? Do you think those would help? Is there a topical spray I can buy and use on Sera? I once used Bodhi Dog anti-itch spray on my late dog when he had a hot spot. Maybe that? I think she'll calm down after a few days of being back under proper care in her own home, but I'm still quite worried about her legs and her continued licking. I've even broken her diet rules and have been giving her tuna, peanut butter, and whatever else I can find that she'll lick for a while just to distract her from her legs so she doesn't start licking her skin off!  

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! And I apologize for the lengthy post here. I guess this crazy cat lady tends to write novels when she's upset 
 
 

Kieka

Snowshoe Servant
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Sep 6, 2016
Messages
11,378
Purraise
19,889
Location
Southern California
You probably want to stay away from the essential oils. Cats bodies just function differently from humans and dogs and it is easy for chemicals (including those in oils) to build up in their systems because they are missing an enzyme to break them down that humans have. When you get into the science of it it has to do with not only what the oil is but the quality also have a huge part in what is safe and not. This page goes into the science and the authors opinion on it fairly well: http://www.experience-essential-oils.com/essential-oils-for-cats.html

When it comes down to it there are two basic sides of: 

* Yes, it is safe within reason when high quality, diluted and avoid the bad ones (no citrus, no tea tree, no herbs as a broad range)

* No, even in small quantities it builds up over time shortening the length of life even if the affects are not immediately apparent. 

Personally, I avoid them just because it is so much of an unknown and my cats can't tell me how they feel after coming in contact with it. 

As to your specific situation, some people have had success with Feliway. Which is pheromone spray for cats specifically. I personally never had any luck with it. You could put a shirt on her to give some compression, if she is amicable, which can help her feel more secure. I know that my sister in law does that during Fourth of July for her dogs and cat; she swears it helps but it could also be that it helps the dogs which keeps the cat calmer.   

There are a lot of different home remedies out there. I think the simple answer though is the best. I would just give her time and loving, which you are in abundance already. Usually it takes about a week for cats to calm down after a bad experience and realize things are good again. Some cats it does take longer. But with time and your love she will be back to her old self before you know it. 
 

arouetta

Slave of Bastet's acolytes
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 31, 2016
Messages
2,117
Purraise
2,891
My advice is to not worry about it.

My cat over-groomed her belly and it was bare.  Not a strand of hair left.

She also had been territory marking, another stress symptom.

I don't know what happened three months ago, but both stopped.  Now her belly fur is just about all grown back.

If you keep to her normal routine, once she stops feeling stressed and feels safe again, I'm betting the over-grooming will stop on its own.
 

SeventhHeaven

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 18, 2015
Messages
1,421
Purraise
589
Location
BC Canada
I would feed her clay as well as give her a bath make a poultice for her legs with Bentonite 

Clay.  Get her back onto proper diet she could have allergies to recent foods. It takes a while

for results...

Welcome to the site 
  
 
Last edited:

LTS3

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
 
I would feed her clay as well as give her a bath make a poultice for her legs with Bentonite 

Clay.  Get her back onto proper diet she could have allergies to recent foods. It takes a while

for results...
I'm not sure how feeding clay would help with the overgrooming and stress?
Can you explain further?

Personally I would at least call the vet and ask for suggestions. The vet may want to see the cat in person to acess the extent of the overgrooming and may suggest a prescription medicine of some kind to help or mon-medicine ways to alleviate the stress. Feliway and other pheremone products can be bought at chain pet stores like Petco if you don't want to wait for it to be shipped from an online place.
 

cocobutterfly

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Feb 2, 2016
Messages
243
Purraise
62
No, do not use essential oils or products that are "good" for the HUMAN skin. Those same "good" essential oils could be toxic to cats. I put essential oils on my face, but I always wash my hands thoroughly with soap afterwards so that they do not rub off on my cats. Same goes for all lotions and creams. I only use a little bit of organic coconut oil from my kitchen pantry to relive my dry hands.

I recently had a foster with a skin condition which caused her hair to fall out in clumps. She was itchy, had dandruff, and and her coat was dry. We suspected it was the flea bath/medication the shelter gave her. The only thing I did was rub in some organic, food grade coconut oil into my hands and massage thoroughly, and just with the residue left on my hands, I massages her coat. I did this everyday, and she improved vastly.
 

LTS3

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
 
@LTS3

  Ugh what?  Explain Clays to YOU? I'm so comfused
How is feeding clay going to help with the overgrooming and stress? What type of clay is even safe for a cat to eat other than montmorillonite clay which is commonly found in cat foods?
 

arouetta

Slave of Bastet's acolytes
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 31, 2016
Messages
2,117
Purraise
2,891
Okay, for all those with inquiring minds, like my own, I decided to follow a hunch and Googled "homeopathy clay".  Well, it seems the homeopathy crowd think that eating clay is yet another miracle cure.  I even found it listed as a cure for autism by "unvaccinating" children with the MMR vaccine.  There were mentions of sticking a person whose eaten clay in a sauna so the clay can sweat out toxins.  Another one said that women who eat clay will not have pain during childbirth.

When I turn around and Google "is it safe to eat clay", well that had some interesting answers.  Best case scenario, you eat something of absolutely no nutritional value that will probably keep you from getting enough food for adequate nutrition (by filling your stomach).  More typical scenario, lots of clay has heavy metals in it and you will suffer heavy metal poisoning and will need chelation therapy to undo the damage.

Overall, stick the clay in the litterbox, not the cat's food bowl.
 
Top