When it comes to personal hygiene, cats are the epitome of cleanliness. They naturally have everything they need to groom themselves: a barbed tongue for licking, front paws that they moisten with saliva and use as a washcloth, and teeth for digging out harder debris. Believe it or not, adult cats can spend up to half of their waking hours grooming themselves, their family, and their friends.
Immediately after birth, mothers begin licking their kittens to clean them, stimulate urine and feces, encourage them to nurse, and provide comfort. Kittens usually begin grooming themselves when they are about 4 weeks old. At 5 weeks of age, kittens also begin to care for their littermates and their mother.
Normal or pathological?
Normal cat hygiene is licking all fur several times a day, and briefly washing after contact with other animals or people. At the same time, the cat behaves calmly and relaxed, she is focused on the cleanliness of her coat.
A disease should be suspected if any movement of the animal is accompanied by licking of fur. At the same time, the cat behaves restlessly, is irritated or feels discomfort. This behavior may indicate itching or pain that the animal is suffering.
If a cat constantly licks itself, the cause of this phenomenon is:
- Parasites;
- Allergic reaction;
- Lichen;
- Dermatitis;
- Endocrine disorders;
In this case, you can detect accompanying symptoms of diseases - scratching of the epidermis, the formation of erosions and wounds, peeling of the skin.
Why do cats groom themselves?
Cats groom themselves not only to maintain cleanliness, but also for a number of other health reasons:
- To regulate body temperature.
- To keep your coat clean and smooth by distributing the skin's natural oils.
- To stimulate blood circulation.
- To cool down through the evaporation of saliva.
- To get rid of parasites, infections and allergies.
- To prevent hairballs.
- Displaced behavior: If a cat feels embarrassed, anxious, or as if she is in a dangerous situation, she will lick herself to calm herself down.
Symptoms of the presence of parasites
Animals show increased attention to their own hygiene in the presence of parasites - fleas or ticks.
At the same time, the cat is constantly itching, shaking itself off and licking itself. You can suspect parasites by carefully examining the animal's fur. If no fleas are found, it is recommended to inspect the coat again, paying attention to the areas behind the ears and on the neck. A possible cause of discomfort may be nits, which can be difficult to detect with a quick examination. Excessive peeling of the skin in the absence of visible parasites may indicate a mite.
As a rule, with such diseases, the animal constantly tries to gnaw something out of the fur, simultaneously licking different parts of the body. Treatment is carried out using special anti-parasitic drops.
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Dangerous complications
Excessive grooming is a fairly serious deviation that can lead to negative consequences. Lack of timely and proper care can lead to:
- The formation of wool plugs in the cat's stomach and intestines, which leads to obstruction and accumulation of feces.
- The formation of non-healing wounds, ulcers or scratches, which are open gates for various infections. In severe cases, this can lead to the formation of necrotic lesions. To prevent this, wounds should be treated with antiseptic sprays and ointments and covered with bandages and plasters.
- The natural growth of the coat is disrupted and its protective functions deteriorate.
Excessive grooming is a pathology that requires a special approach and great responsibility. If it is caused by physiological health problems, treatment should be aimed at eliminating them. After recovery from the underlying disease, pathological licking will go away spontaneously.
Psychological problems will require more attention. Don't limit their freedom, play for at least 15-20 minutes a day, pet them regularly and show them love.
When moving, take familiar things with you, such as a cat house, scratching post or bed. In severe cases, veterinarians may prescribe medications to normalize the cat's condition.
Ringworm and fungi
Ringworm in animals appears as small patches of baldness. In this case, scabs or erosion may be present on the skin, but this depends on the causative agent of the disease.
Quite often, the reason that an animal licks itself more often than usual is a fungal infection. It is impossible to identify the fungus without special equipment, but dry skin and flaking can help you suspect the disease. It is these symptoms that cause discomfort to the cat, in response to which he constantly licks himself, itches and chews his fur.
Upon careful examination, you will notice the following signs on the skin:
- Severe dryness;
- Change in color (pale skin or redness);
- Separation of dense grayish scales;
- Hair thinning;
These symptoms are characteristic of various fungal infections, including lichen. In this case, hair loss can be caused both by the characteristics of the disease and by the actions of the animal itself. Often, in response to itching, cats gnaw out islands of fur, trying to reach the skin with their claws.
Treatment of fungal infections is carried out with the help of antimycotic drugs. Shampoos and ointments used to treat people are usually prescribed - Nizoral, Ketoconazole, Clotrimazole.
Diagnostic measures
Constant licking of fur is an alarming symptom, indicating that pathological processes are occurring in the animal’s body, often associated with mental instability and severe stress. Therefore, it is recommended to immediately take the cat to the veterinarian to identify the causes of this phenomenon and make an accurate diagnosis.
The veterinarian will conduct a visual examination of the animal and prescribe a number of laboratory tests. If dermatitis, fungal infection or infectious skin diseases are suspected, a bacteriological culture from the affected area is taken. If the doctor suspects that the cat has problems with the functioning of the endocrine system, it will be necessary to take a blood test for hormones.
Allergies as a cause of unusual behavior
Food allergies always manifest themselves as crusts, wounds and erosions on the animal’s face. Sometimes cats develop allergic dermatitis in response to household irritants. Quite often, itching and flaking of the skin appear after:
- Applying a new shampoo while bathing the cat;
- Removing fleas with special solutions;
- Contact of household chemicals with animal fur;
The symptoms of an allergy are in many ways similar to the signs of a fungus on the skin - the cat constantly licks itself and itches. As a rule, the hypersensitivity reaction passes quickly, you just need to protect the animal from contact with the irritant.
Veterinarian advice
It is no secret that many parasites and viruses are transmitted from one animal to another, through the hands of people, but you should not be afraid and limit the freedom of a cat. Of course, there is no need to throw your pet into a pack of stray cats, but letting it out for a walk on the balcony or in the country is quite possible. Like any animal, cats also need fresh air and sun. It is enough just to keep the animal clean and carry out timely antiparasitic treatment.
Do not forget about a proper and balanced diet, which is also the key to your pet’s health. If he has a strong immune system, then no infection will be scary to him. Do not feed prohibited foods, sweets, salty and smoked foods. All this can cause or provoke the occurrence of food allergies. Pay attention to when your pet licks.
And finally, the last piece of advice is love and affection. Remember that your cat is a living creature that needs your care and attention. A change of owner or a change in your behavior can cause stress in your pet. And stress, as you know, is the first step to illness. If you want to pet an animal, but it is nervous and wags its tail, it is better to leave it alone, do not squeeze or pick it up without the desire of the pet itself. Remember that he also has the right to peace and rest.
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Dermatitis in cats
Itching and pain of the skin can be caused by dermatitis.
This disease is caused by an immune disorder and the activation of opportunistic microorganisms on the animal's skin. Dermatitis is always accompanied by inflammation of the epidermis. With moderate inflammation, the animal becomes restless, itching, and the cat constantly licks its fur. Suspecting the disease at this stage is quite problematic.
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In most cases, dermatitis is accompanied by visible symptoms - severe peeling of the skin, the formation of rashes, wounds and erosions. The rashes are most often localized on the pet's face, near the ears and on the neck.
Treatment is carried out using external agents, but only after identifying the pathogen.
If an unpleasant habit appeared after the castration procedure
The fact that an animal licks itself non-stop after sterilization is a normal, understandable phenomenon. After surgery, when the incision scar begins to heal, this process is accompanied by severe itching and burning. It is not surprising that the cat will try to relieve discomfort by constantly licking the skin.
But it is important for the owner to understand what this can lead to. If the suture is constantly wet after surgery, this will lead to poor and too slow healing and increase the risk of secondary infection.
To protect against negative consequences, the pet is recommended to wear a surgical collar for 10 days after castration, until the suture finally heals.
What to do if a cat licks itself until it has bald patches and wounds?
The most reasonable solution in this situation is to show your four-legged pet to a veterinarian. An attempt to help a pet on your own is fraught with serious consequences for its health, since it is impossible to determine at home what exactly led to such unusual behavior of the animal.
The veterinarian will prescribe an examination for the four-legged patient and identify the cause of persistent licking, accompanied by exposure of the skin and the appearance of wounds on it. If parasites are the culprit of the cat’s behavior, she will be prescribed antiparasitic veterinary medications. If it turns out that the source of the problem is a malfunction of any internal organ, the cat will be prescribed appropriate treatment.
It is not always necessary to treat a pet that licks its skin to bald spots. Sometimes it’s enough to simply calm him down by creating a calm atmosphere in the house, or give him a bath if he thinks his fur smells of something unpleasant. In the latter case, you need to use zoo shampoos - they do not contain fragrances.
The desire to cleanse itself as a reaction to foreign odors on the fur
Cats are very clean creatures. In addition, they have an excellent sense of smell, thanks to which they are able to sense even subtle odors. If the pet feels that its fur smells of something, it will begin to lick it until it completely gets rid of it. Sometimes this desire leads to bald spots appearing on the body of an animal that washes itself too zealously.
Preventive actions
Fungal and bacterial infections can be prevented by practicing good hygiene. Special medications and treatments will help protect your cat from lichen, dermatitis, otitis media and other diseases. For prevention, you need to regularly treat your pet against fleas, ticks and fungi, and also wash the bowl and tray with disinfectants. Bathing with a special shampoo is beneficial for cats. This procedure only needs to be done once a year.
Important! After treating a kitten with anti-flea or anti-fungal products, the animal should not be bathed. It is forbidden to wet the area where the medicine was applied.
The cat licks itself to help itself
Sanitizing the tray and bowl
All items belonging to the cat - bowl, tray, toys, etc. - must be regularly washed and treated with disinfectants. This will protect your pet from infectious, fungal, viral and other diseases. The bowl can be washed with regular dishwashing detergent. Usually fungus does not form on a cat's bowl, most often in the tray. It is advisable to treat it with any antifungal spray against lichen. Additionally, you can treat the tray with camphor alcohol, which not only cleans and disinfects the surface, but also eliminates unpleasant odors.
The bowl and tray should be washed and disinfected regularly
Special flea products
There are many treatments available at pet stores for fleas and other external parasites. They are available in the form of drops on the withers, sprays and collars. It is advisable to treat the cat with drops on the withers; this is the most effective remedy. The room can be sprayed with flea spray. Flea collars are not very effective. It does not destroy insects, but only repels them. A collar can only be put on a cat if it has recently been treated for fleas. Flea drops such as Leopard, Frontline, Advantage, Inspector, and Bolfo spray are very effective.
Flea remedies
Prevention means
Only a specialist can cure dangerous licking of a cat’s fur. To protect your pet from overgrooming, you should follow some simple rules for keeping cats:
- try to avoid stressful situations in your pet’s life, and if they arise, use homeopathic sedatives;
- carry out antiparasitic prevention in a timely manner;
- create the right diet and follow it;
- Monitor your pet's health and prevent illness.
