Psychogenic alopecia

I am wondering if anyone has ever had any experience with this (excessive grooming to the point of removal of the hair and/or irritation of the skin). I just had Gabrielle in for her yearly checkup and she was diagnosed with this. I had noticed that she was grooming herself quite a lot lately and is now removing the hair on her upper legs. After some discussion with the vet, we decided that she is probably stressed out not because of any changes in the house, but because there have been a number of feral cats coming up to my house to take shelter underneath from the winter weather. I have noticed Gabby running from window to window to watch them. I guess this has stress her out because she feels her territory is being invaded and there is nothing she can do - she it strictly an indoor kitty. The vet has suggested putting her on medication (anti-anxiety) if it gets any worse. Problem is that Gabrielle absolutely will not let me give her meds - so I am kind of worried. Any suggestions?

Panther

This does sound like a real serious problem for you and you fur babe! is it possible to pull down shades in some of the rooms, or close the blinds? There is also Dr. Bach's rescue remedy that gets recomended here quite a bit. It is a natural product and you can get it at the Health Food store. I wish you luck. Some of our more knowledgable members will be able to help you more - and you might want to check out the health forum for some other input.

Our 3 1/2 year old Sam has the same problem with the obsessive grooming. She is at the point where she looks like a baboon when she's walking AND we tried everything to make her stop...It may and may not be stress/anxiety. Since stress and anxiety wass ruled out for Sam we came to the conclusion that it could be a "hot spot" from a flea bite. We thought that Sam never had fleas until we took her to the vet. He even said she didn't have fleas,even after combing her with a flea comb. He just happened to see a flea that came out on the white spot on her belly...I'm thinking Gabrielle's problem could be a hot spot from a flea...because all it takes is ONE flea to cause an irritation that could lead to obsessively licking the area until there is no fur left. If you think this could be possible then I would recommend some kind of flea drops from the "vet's office" and you can also try the first aid stick with aloe veria (from any pet store) and rub it on the spot where she is constantly licking. It will not hurt her because it's safe for pets. Good Luck and let us know what works

I'll keep the possibility of fleas in mind, however they aren't really much of a problem up here because it gets far too cold. Tics are a bigger problem for animals that go outside and in the bush. I have tried to close off the curtains but Gabby is very persistant and manages to go behind them or move them. Other that painting or papering the windows over, I guess I will just have to try getting the medication down her and hope for the best. Wish me luck!