Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

I had to move back into my parents’ house three months ago, and my cat has moved here with me. She has to live in basement. I am unable to sleep down there at the moment since I’m allergic and am in the process of undergoing treatment for these allergies so I can move down there. In the meantime my cat doesn’t seem to be doing well. Within a month of moving here, she started to scratch her head a lot. It now looks like she is scratching off fur, and the insides of her ears are slightly spotting red (sort of scabby). The last week or so, she hasn’t been eating so well but she has been drinking water. I recently changed her food to a more expensive kibble and some wet food as well. I don’t know which she’s allergic to but I stopped the wet food and the she barely touches the dry food. She spends all her time, it seems, under a bed in a room in the back of the basement. Usually when I go downstairs and play with her (which I do for at least an hour a day) she’ll come out and hang out with me in the den, but now she has stopped doing this. And when I go and get her out from under the bed she usually runs back there the first chance she gets, whether I’m sitting there or not, which she never used to do. Today I noticed she is sneezing a lot with lots of mucous coming out of her nose. I really have no idea what is going on, and I’m very concerned. She’s almost 7 years old, and I am quite fond of her.

~ Rya

Siouxsie: Well, Rya, we think you’re on the right track when you suspect allergies.

Thomas: We think your kitty may be allergic to whatever is making it impossible for you to live in the basement without desensitization shots.

Dahlia: Cats do develop environmental allergies, just as humans do, and basements are infamous allergy breeding grounds.

Siouxsie: First, think about what it is that makes you allergic to living in the basement. Is it mold?

Thomas: We know from experience that basements are infamous for mold problems. We live in a basement apartment, too, and although everything was good when we arrived, Mama’s been fighting mold invasions for the last six months.

Dahlia: We’re lucky that the mold isn’t making us really sick because there’s not a lot of it at this point. We get occasional “eye boogers,” as Mama calls them, and she knows it’s the mold because it makes her nose goopy, too.

Siouxsie: Basements can also get pretty dusty because when people walk on the floors above, dust filters down into the insulation between the first floor and the basement, and from there to the rooms themselves.

Thomas: Furnaces and other appliances can also put contaminants into the air that can cause allergic reations.

Dahlia: So, what can you do? First, take your kitty to the vet for a check-up. This is especially important because she’s really starting to act sick, being off her food and all.

Siouxsie: Your cat could be developing an upper respiratory infection in addition to any allergies she has. As you probably know if you suffer from allergies, sometimes they can make you more susceptible to respiratory diseases.

Thomas: Your vet may be able to help you figure out how to treat your cat’s allergies, too. If they’re really bothering her, the vet may recommend a steroid shot to get the symptoms under control in the short term.

Dahlia: But you don’t want to keep her on steroids as a long-term way to manage her allergies. Steroids tend to mask the symptoms, which can cause more deep-seated problems.

Siouxsie: Ultimately, you and your parents are going to have to deal with whatever’s making that basement an allergy factory.

Thomas: A dehumidifier and an air purifier with a HEPA filter are the first steps. When the air gets drier, it will make mold growth a lot more difficult; and the air purifier will help clear dust, mold, and other allergens.

Dahlia: If there is a mold problem in the basement, you and your parents are going to have to actually get rid of the mold itself. There are chemical things you can use, but there are also natural, inexpensive, and non-toxic ways to do the job, too.

Siouxsie: If, however, the mold has gotten into the walls and the insulation, you may have to actually take the drywall off the walls, remove the insulation, and possibly even take down and rebuild the wall.

Thomas: Meanwhile, if there’s any way you can convince your parents to let you keep your cat upstairs with you–even if she has to live only in the room where you’re sleeping–that will help her to feel physically and emotionally better.

Dahlia: Good luck, Rya, and we sure hope your kitty feels better soon. Remember–get her to the vet as son as you can in order to get her checked out and work on a plan to manage her allergies.

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

My cat, Lily, is about 3 years old. When my daughter got her as a kitten she was flea-ridden. We had her bathed and cleaned up. But since then, she constantly cleans herself to the point where she has scabs and a couple of almost bare patches by her back end. She doesn’t have fleas any more. She eats Iams hairball formula cat food seeing as she has long hair. She’s very affectionate and cuddly, and I can’t see any way she could be stressed. Could her over-grooming be a hangover from wanting to be clean because of when she was so flea ridden? And is there any way I can stop this behavior?

~ Susan

Siouxsie: Susan, the first step to solving this problem is to bring Lily to the vet and have her skin condition checked out by a professional. Once you’ve got a diagnosis and some professional counsel, you’ll have the tools you need to treat her condition effectively. And here are some tips that might also help.

Thomas: A lot of vets believe that a severe flea infestation can result in allergic reactions that continue after the fleas are gone. This is particularly true for cats that have a high sensitivity to the toxins in fleas’ bites.

Feline miliary dermatitis. Image from Wikimedia Commons

Siouxsie: One thing you should ask yourself is, “Am I sure Lily doesn’t have any fleas?” Cats are really good at grooming away the occasional flea, but even one bite can cause a ferocious allergic reaction. If you’ve kept up on your flea prevention, you can be pretty sure she’s clean.

Thomas: If you’ve been seeing black specks where she sleeps or sits, touch them with a damp paper towel. If you see a rust color, those black specks are flea poop.

Dahlia: But if your vet checks her out and doesn’t find any fleas, it’s time to consider other causes for her condition.

Siouxsie: Dr. Richard Pitcairn says in his book Natural Health for Dogs & Cats that about a third of all allergies are causes by substances in food. The reason for this is because a lot of the stuff in cat food is really not stuff we’re designed to eat.

Thomas: Corn and wheat, for example, are often used in dry cat foods, and as obligate carnivores (we have to eat meat to stay alive), our bodies just can’t tolerate that stuff for a long time and stay healthy.

Dahlia: A lot of “hairball formula” foods have additional plant-based fiber ingredients, which is how they’re supposed to keep hairballs moving through the digestive tract rather than being hacked up by your cat.

Siouxsie: But really, the best way to keep Lily from getting hairballs is to groom her regularly. Long-haired cats need to be brushed at least twice a week; Persians and other fine-haired cats should be brushed daily.

Thomas: This article gives instructions for grooming a long-haired cat. A groomer can show you the tools you need and the process of proper brushing and combing.

Dahlia: Anyway, back to the food issue. We’d recommend that you try feeding Lily a product that has meats you don’t usually find in cat foods such as venison, rabbit, or duck. (Chicken, beef, turkey, and seafood, on the other hand, are very commonly used.)

Siouxsie: Thomas has a very sensitive stomach, and his food sensitivity was causing him a lot of discomfort due to diarrhea and cramping. After a lot of experimentation, Mama found some dry food and wet food that he can eat, enjoy, and not have the runs.

Thomas: It does take time to find the right foods for a cat with allergies or food sensitivities, so if you go this route, be patient.

Dahlia: Other things that commonly cause skin allergies include chlorine and other contaminants in water, household cleaning chemicals (including air fresheners), outgassing of formaldehyde from furniture or newly installed carpets, cigarette smoke, synthetic carpet and upholstery, plastic dishes, and even the soaps or lotions you humans use on your own bodies!

Siouxsie: So the best thing you can do to help Lily stay itch-free is to minimize the chemical load in your environment. Give her water filtered through one of those charcoal-filter pitchers. Use natural and scent-free laundry products. Get rid of chemical air fresheners. Make sure you have plenty of fresh air in your house when you bring in new furniture or new carpets. Don’t smoke indoors.

Thomas: And be sure to give her the highest-quality food you can afford. When it comes to pet food, you do get what you pay for. For the record, the foods Mama found that work for me are Blue Buffalo Healthy Living kibble and Evo venison gooshy food. Boy, it feels great not to have the runs and a sore bum anymore!

Dahlia: Ewwww, Thomas! TMI! …. Anyway, Siouxsie and I like those foods too!

Siouxsie: We don’t think you’ll need hairball formula food as long as you groom Lily regularly. She’ll be healthier on a diet that includes canned foods as well as kibble.

Thomas: Your vet will be able to give you other advice that will help clear up Lily’s skin. If she has a secondary bacterial infection, your vet may prescribe a short course of antibiotics as well.

Dahlia: Good luck to you and Lily both!

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

I need serious help. My 15-year-old Siamese, Mandy, has decided to refuse to use her litterbox. I have had to resort to putting her in the bathroom and only letting her out when supervised. She is pulling her hair out in chunks and is bleeding. She is also hissing and screeching at my son, who will not even use his bathroom anymore.

I am at my wits’ end. I do not like shutting her up all day and I do not want to get rid of her. I would have to have her put to sleep because she does not like people. What do I do to keep my baby? I need HELP. I do love my cat.

~Toothie

Siouxsie: Elderly cats do go through physiological and mental changes, much like elderly people. Their vision and hearing decreases, they get a little “creaky” in the joints, and they can develop certain diseases such as hyperthyroidism, kidney failure or diabetes. Some cats even become somewhat senile, forgetting things that were once familiar to them.

Thomas: Understandably, when those physical and mental changes happen, an elderly cat can become anxious and fearful, resulting in behavior changes such as those you’re describing.

Dahlia: The way to tell whether Mandy’s aggression is based on fear or dominance is to observe her body language. If she’s being aggressive in a fearful way, her ears will be flattened against her head, she may stand sideways to make herself look bigger, and her pupils will be fully dilated. If her aggression is about dominance, her ears will be more forward, her pupils will be contracted, and she’ll stare at whoever is in “her” space. To learn more about the body language of aggression, visit this column from our archives.

Siouxsie: Hair pulling and other self-destructive behavior, refusal to use the litterbox, and hissing and screeching in a formerly friendly (or at least tolerant) cat, often indicate anxiety, illness or pain.

Thomas: So, Toothie, the first thing you should do is take Mandy to the vet for a checkup. Your vet will be able to tell from an exam and a blood test whether she is suffering from some sort of illness.

Dahlia: The blood test will screen for thyroid, kidney and liver problems, as well as for diabetes. When your vet physically examines Mandy, he or she will be able to tell whether she’s got painful joints or a growth somewhere in her abdomen.

Siouxsie: If Mandy gets a clean bill of health, you’ll know that her problems are most likely mental or anxiety-based. There are treatments available for anxiety problems, and your vet can help you to find one that works for her.

Thomas: If Mandy’s behavior changes are due to a physical problem such as an illness, treatment of that illness should help Mandy to get back to her normal litterbox behavior.

Dahlia: And if your kitty has arthritis or some other painful condition, you may have to make some changes to adapt your environment to help her cope better. If her current litterbox has high sides, for example, you could consider getting a shallower box that’s easier for her to climb into.

Siouxsie: Also, if your litterbox is a covered one, try removing the cover and see if that helps. The cover makes it very dark inside the box, and if Mandy is losing some of her vision, it might be quite scary for her to go in there because she won’t be able to see and she won’t know if there’s something out there waiting to attack her.

Thomas: To clean up the leftover residue of urine and feces, use an enzymatic cleaner such as Anti-Icky-Poo or Nature’s Miracle. Normal carpet cleaners may clean the stain and disguise the odor as far as the human nose can tell, but a cat’s nose is a lot more sensitive. Enzymatic cleaners will neutralize all odors associated with body wastes, and Mandy won’t have a “reminder” of where she should do her business.

Dahlia: We’ve written a number of other columns about how to deal with inappropriate elimination, which you can find here in the Paws and Effect archives.

Siouxsie: If you do need to keep Mandy restrained in one room while you’re out of the house, make sure it’s a comfortable space that provides entertainment and places to rest, so she doesn’t feel like she’s being put in “kitty prison.” Make sure she has a bed, a perch to look out the window, some toys–and of course, her litterbox and water. If you free-feed her, you can leave a small bowl of kibble, too. Just make sure to put the food and water as far away from the litterbox as possible. We cats won’t eliminate where we eat. Consider leaving a radio playing, tuned to a mellow music station or talk radio, so she feels less lonely.

Thomas: Provide Mandy with plenty of reassurance and love when you’re home. She needs to know that you’re there for her and that you love her and care about her well-being and comfort.

Dahlia: The bottom line here, Toothie, is that elderly cats have special needs. As your cat companions age, you humans need to be aware of the changes going on in their bodies and minds and make accommodations for those changes. Any behavior changes should be quickly brought to the attention of a veterinarian. That way, if these changes are due to a health problem, appropriate treatment can begin quickly.

Siouxsie: Just think about the way you would want to be treated when you get old and you become less able to function the way you used to. It’s hard for humans and cats to become more dependent, less agile and more anxious. Take more time to care for her and give her emotional and physical support. That way, Mandy can enjoy a good quality of life until it’s time for her to leave her body.

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

First of all, thank you very much for your site. I recently adopted 2 kittens (brothers born June of this year), and these are the first and only cats I’ve ever had. I’m one of those “I’m-a-dog-person-not-a-cat-person” people, so I know nothing about cats. I’ve learned so much from your site! I’m hoping you can help me with one little issue I’m having.

As I said, these two are brothers. EekEek is the more outgoing and adventurous of the two, while Emo is the quiet, reserved one. Getting brothers was a God-send, because they take care of and entertain each other. They get along very well, and I have been blessed with no real problems with either one of them. They are not neutered yet because of their age. They seem well adjusted, they get along well with each other and with me, and I do not notice any obsessive behavior from either of them. Except for recent behavior from EekEek. They are both Birmans, so they are supposed to have big fluffy tails that they proudly display around. Emo fulfills his duties, but EekEek has started chewing on the tip of his tail. He has very effectively chewed the last 1 to 1 1/2 inch of fur completely off of his tail … down to the bone … I mean completely! And he continues to chew on it every chance he gets! Is this a sign of something I need to be concerned about? And how do I stop him from doing this? They are both beautiful cats, and I love them both no matter what their tails look like. But EekEek looks like he had an accident, and I’d love to see his tail back in its full glory. HELP!

Thank you in advance,
~Furless (and frustrated) in Seattle

Siouxsie: Well, Furless, there are three main reasons why cats engage in excessive grooming: fleas, allergies, and stress.

Thomas: In reality, the flea issue could also be considered an allergy. Some cats are hypersensitive to the chemicals in flea saliva, which causes flea bites to itch more excessively than usual. Typically cats respond to fleas by scratching the itch, but when the itch becomes severe, a cat may respond to that by chewing to relieve the discomfort.

Dahlia: You typically won’t see fleas on a cat unless the cat is completely infested. We cats are very good at grooming and if we have one or two fleas, we tend to swallow them in the course of our hygiene rituals. You will, however, see evidence like “flea dirt.” Flea dirt is little black granules that look like dust, which you’ll see at the base of the fur. If you take a fine-tooth comb and pull it through the fur, you may pick up some of this black grit. Put the grit on a slightly dampened paper towel, and if you see a rust-colored stain, then your kitty has fleas.

Siouxsie: The most effective way to get rid of fleas and prevent future problems is to administer a monthly spot-on flea treatment such as Frontline or Advantage. Your vet sells these products, as do pet stores and a number of reputable websites. They are expensive (around US $75 for six doses), but they are definitely worth the price. We recommend that you avoid any “super discounts” when buying these products, because they tend to be outdated or counterfeit.

Thomas: If your cats have fleas, you’ll also have to launder all bedding and furniture covers and vacuum very well, throwing the vacuum bags in an outside garbage can or dumpster as soon as you’re finished.

Dahlia: Allergies to environmental pollutants can also cause excessive grooming. However, it’s been our experience that environmental allergies tend to cause itching on parts of the body that come into contact with the irritant — such as the belly or the legs and feet. It’s unlikely that a cat suffering from allergies would only chew on the end of his tail.

Siouxsie: If you think your cat may be suffering from an environmental allergy, the first thing to do is remove any potential irritants. Switch to unscented cat litter (if you aren’t already using unscented litter). Wash bedding and laundry with an unscented detergent and avoid the use of smelly fabric softeners or dryer sheets. Avoid using artificially scented air fresheners such as sprays, plug-in diffusers or heavily scented candles. And, of course, if anyone in your household smokes, we’d recommend either quitting or limiting smoking to outdoors.

Thomas: The other major cause of excessive grooming is stress. Cats that are stressed use grooming as a displacement tool for channeling their fears and anxieties. You’ve probably seen this in a less outrageous form if one of your cats has ever tried to jump onto an object and didn’t quite make it, or if the cats scare each other by mistake: What generally happens after an unpleasant surprise is that the cat immediately starts grooming, as if to say “I meant to do that.”

Dahlia: A cat that gets a big scare or gets severely stressed can begin resorting to excessive grooming in order to allay the lingering fears and anxieties. The feelings of discomfort keep cropping up as a result of some trigger that you humans may not necessarily know about, and the cat resorts to grooming to calm himself down.

Siouxsie: Since EekEek is the more adventurous of the two brothers, he may have found himself in a situation that scared or bothered him. Perhaps there’s a new cat in the neighborhood who keeps walking through “his” back yard. Or maybe there’s a new sound in your neighborhood (such as construction or road work) that makes him anxious. Maybe your new neighbor blares rap-metal music all day while you’re at work and the constant thump-thump-scream-scream is making EekEek’s hair stand on end. Perhaps there’s a new person in your life who’s coming around a lot to visit, which has changed EekEek’s world in a way he doesn’t like.

Thomas: Even seemingly minor changes like purchasing new furniture or carpets can cause stress on shy or timid cats. But since EekEek isn’t shy, we do suspect he got a scare while adventuring somewhere.

Dahlia: Can you pinpoint a time when you first noticed EekEek’s compulsive grooming behavior? If so, do you recall any changes in your life or your neighborhood?

Siouxsie: If these outside irritants (construction, neighbors, etc.) are something you can’t change, there are a few things you can do to help reduce EekEek’s anxiety or redirect his behavior.

Thomas: When you’re home, you can engage in redirection — which is basically a fancy way of saying “distract him.” When you see EekEek starting to groom his tail, or you see signs that he’s about to start grooming his tail, start playing with him using a “thing on a string” or other toy that he enjoys. What this will do is not only entertain EekEek and give him some exercise, it will relieve his boredom or channel his strong emotions into a hunting game.

Dahlia: If you consistently redirect EekEek when he’s about to start barbering his tail, you’ll probably find that not only does your relationship with him get better, but his grooming will decrease too.

Siouxsie: Don’t neglect Emo, though. He too will probably want to play if you start playing with EekEek. That’s fine. They can play together. You can even get two separate “things on a string” and use one for each cat.

Thomas: We’ve found that Bach Rescue Remedy, a flower essence, is great for helping us to deal with trauma and stress. Mama gives it to us when we’re in high-stress situations like moving house, going to the vet, or getting scared or hurt while outdoors.

Dahlia: You can find Rescue Remedy in health food stores in the US, and in the UK it is sold at many drugstores. Simply put one drop of Rescue Remedy on your finger and stroke it into the fur on the top of your traumatized cat’s head. Do this morning and evening for a few days and see if it helps to reduce EekEek’s anxiety.

Siouxsie: Feline pheromone diffusers like Feliway Comfort Zone can help anxious cats to calm down, too. Feliway mimics our “happy cat” pheromones and reduces our stress level. Our vet uses Feliway diffusers in the cat exam rooms, and Mama used this product when she introduced Thomas into our family because there were a few behavior problems that resulted from adding another cat to our family.

Thomas: It should go without saying that we’d recommend you talk to your vet about this problem. Your vet might have some other insights about what could be causing EekEek’s grooming problem and could give you some other tools for resolving the issue.

Dahlia: Cats that don’t respond to non-medical intervention in cases of extreme stress can be given a short course of an anti-anxiety drug like buspirone (BuSpar) or fluoxetine (Prozac) to help them rewire their brains, so to speak, and get rid of the “maladaptive coping mechanism,” as human psychologists refer to such self-destructive behavior.

Siouxsie: These drugs are used “off label” — which is to say that they’re approved for use in humans and have been used successfully by veterinarians to treat anxiety in cats, but the Food & Drug Administration does not officially approve them for use in animals.

Thomas: We’d say that if EekEek is stressed, you’ll probably be able to resolve the problem without resorting to drugs. But definitely talk to your vet and see what he or she advises.

Dahlia: Good luck, Furless. Please let us know how things turn out!