Overgrooming: Alternative, therapeutic ideas?

[purrbuddy]

Has anyone had success using alternative methods such as homeopathy, rawfood diet, etc. to help a cat who overgrooms due to stress?  Smokey is 3, a fluffy grey lion-like friendly DHL. He used to be indoor/outdoor, but for the next 6 months or so, he needs to live indoors in the small room we are staying in, in an urban area, until our rural apartment becomes available. The frustration makes him obsessively overgroom, and in fact, the stress chemicals likely even make his skin itchy. (too urban to let him outdoors safely, several mean tomcats in the 'hood also... and letting him out on a harness only makes him more frustrated the following day as he wants to roam freely)

I brush him, feed a mainly canned Friskies diet, (he's not interested in the grain free, even when I sprinkle FortiFlora on it) have toys for him and play with him as well. I'd get him a DAP diffuser, but he's already marked the walls with his cheek glands here, as we've been here 3 months. Homeopathy? Switch to all raw like Primal? (can only manage ground, I'm legally blind with some residual vision)

Ideas? Thank you!

 

[mani]

I think a DAP diffuser is the dog equivalent of Feliway?  I'm not sure why Feliway wouldn't work, even if he has spread his scent around.

Flower essences are worth a go too. 

Poor Smokey.. I wish there was some way you could tell him that this isn't permanent.  But you're doing everything else I would suggest.

 

[wcalvertfc]

Are you sure the over-grooming is purely stress-related?  My cat started licking his paws incessantly after an allergic reaction.  My vet prescribed prednisone and it helped a lot. Unfortunately, Fox started to lick his paws again a few months after we took him off the steroid... I've since blamed the licking on stress, but I think it originated as a reaction to wool and became a compulsive habit for him.  Good luck with your kitty!  Hope he feels better soon.

 

[purrbuddy]

Maybe a Feliway diffuser might help? I will give that a try! And flower essences, I'm not sure which ones might be best-- Rescue Remedy, perhaps? I wonder if any homeopathy may help? Thank you so very much for your input!

 

[mani]

There are all sorts of flower essences for different issues.  Rescue Remedy is a pretty good all-rounder. I can't suggest mixes as I'm in Australia and other places have a huge range of pre-mixed essences.  I go to my naturopath and ask her to mix various essences, based on the issues.