My cat is over grooming the base of his tail?

kate · 26-10-09, 18:32

So yesterday morning, I took my kitten in because he got a minor cut on his leg that the vet needed to glue up. She told me to try to put him in a cone so he wouldn't lick and re it. When I put the cone on, he went absolutely nuts, started running into walls. He looked completely crazy (understandably). I decided this was probably more harmful to him than not having one, so I removed it.

Last night, I noticed he had matted hair around his tail. I am wondering if he is overgrooming due to an injury there from all of his flailing. He lets me touch is somewhat, but does squirm a little. He is still jumping, running, playing, eating, drinking. No incontinence, and no change in behavior. Does this warrant a trip to the vet?
ALSO: this is not fleas. They were recently treated with flea meds (2 weeks ago) and no fleas on the flea comb.

amrhappy1 · 27-10-09, 01:19

Make sure, take him to the vets, if things were to go wrong, you would never forgive yourself.

troublesniffer · 27-10-09, 01:23

Hi there,

Over grooming can be the result of anxiety and emotional distress in cats. It seems that the base of the tail is one of those areas which cats seem to be attracted to as part of this behavior. After all your kitten was injured, had a trip to the vet, was treated, and sent home with instructions to be "collared" with an Elizabethan Collar. That can be lots of stress.

Some cats are very hard to "cone", and in fact, some cats just "freeze" and won't move. My vet refers to this as "collar paralysis". If your cat is not munching on the wound, and leaving it alone, it is far less stressful to leave the cone off, as they can be very annoying.

While it is possible that he may have bumped himself during his protestations, it is more than likely this is an anxiety reaction. This said, it is always a good idea to have something checked out that is of concern. If this continues, call your vet and give an update, especially if he seems overly sensitive to touch.

Your vet is the best one to decide if this warrants a visit.

I wish that someone would invent a better collar, or an easier way to deter a cat from re-injuring themselves in wound healing that cats will accept.

Troublesniffer
Owned by cats for over 40 years
Member: Cat Writer's Association

26-10-09, 18:32	#1
kate Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 185	My cat is over grooming the base of his tail? So yesterday morning, I took my kitten in because he got a minor cut on his leg that the vet needed to glue up. She told me to try to put him in a cone so he wouldn't lick and re it. When I put the cone on, he went absolutely nuts, started running into walls. He looked completely crazy (understandably). I decided this was probably more harmful to him than not having one, so I removed it. Last night, I noticed he had matted hair around his tail. I am wondering if he is overgrooming due to an injury there from all of his flailing. He lets me touch is somewhat, but does squirm a little. He is still jumping, running, playing, eating, drinking. No incontinence, and no change in behavior. Does this warrant a trip to the vet? ALSO: this is not fleas. They were recently treated with flea meds (2 weeks ago) and no fleas on the flea comb.

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27-10-09, 01:19	#2
amrhappy1 Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 1	Make sure, take him to the vets, if things were to go wrong, you would never forgive yourself.

27-10-09, 01:23	#3
troublesniffer Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 20	Hi there, Over grooming can be the result of anxiety and emotional distress in cats. It seems that the base of the tail is one of those areas which cats seem to be attracted to as part of this behavior. After all your kitten was injured, had a trip to the vet, was treated, and sent home with instructions to be "collared" with an Elizabethan Collar. That can be lots of stress. Some cats are very hard to "cone", and in fact, some cats just "freeze" and won't move. My vet refers to this as "collar paralysis". If your cat is not munching on the wound, and leaving it alone, it is far less stressful to leave the cone off, as they can be very annoying. While it is possible that he may have bumped himself during his protestations, it is more than likely this is an anxiety reaction. This said, it is always a good idea to have something checked out that is of concern. If this continues, call your vet and give an update, especially if he seems overly sensitive to touch. Your vet is the best one to decide if this warrants a visit. I wish that someone would invent a better collar, or an easier way to deter a cat from re-injuring themselves in wound healing that cats will accept. Troublesniffer Owned by cats for over 40 years Member: Cat Writer's Association