Cat's Skin Rippling At The Base Of The Tail

[typhons]

Hi,
I have a cat that is now 18month old. She has been showing a lot of grumpyness, distance and agression lately. Behavioraly there seems to me nothing I can thing about to help: she has tons but tons of vertical space, I play with her, she has a lot of interesting things to do and see, feliway is here etc... So being at lost I brought her to the vet. he noticed nothing special. But I noticed tonight that I often see her seeming really itchy. Her skin at the base of the tail would rippled and she would seem distress and try to lick it. She might start running away ect...
I don't think she has fleas as she does not go out but I can try putting something. But something is going on. Could it be an allergy?

 

[Jem]

Did your vet only do a physical? I would make sure nothing was wrong with a urine test and some blood work.
Have you looked up Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome? Maybe talk to your vet about that too.
If it's just that he is itchy, it could be allergies, but if that's the case you will have to do some investigating, by elimination. It can take some time to figure it out, but you'll all be better for it!

 

[Jem]

Just wanted to add, that although there is no known cause for hyperesthesia syndrome, it does seem to be stressed related.
You mention her distance, aggression...is there something that could be stressing her out? something new in the house, neighborhood cat roaming around outside, any other animal roaming around outside, new pet in the house, existing pet picking on her, construction going on, new LOUD neighbors.....It could be ANYTHING. It might be time to put your sleuthing cap on!

 

[typhons]

Hi,
Thank you for your answers.
The vet did a blood work and a urine+fecal analysis. Something called Eosinophils was too high but he dissemissed it saying that she did not have parasite. But now that I google it it says it can be due to allergies.
Yeah I had read about it but it seems like a rare condition. And so dismissed it, especially there is no hallucination or anything like this. Her grumpiness I though could be due to the itchiness but it can also be jealousy. it started after i started dating someone. she loves him and runs to greet him but often seems jealous that my attention is split. There is also a kitten in the house. She loves him ( or at least is fine with him they play together and she grooms him) but sometimes it feels like I have two jealous toddler in the house.

Thank you so much for your help.

Ps: I just resaw her skin moving but she did not foused on it because she was playing until 30 second later where she scratched it. It did not look like an "episode".

 

[DreamerRose]

Lily had a similar condition in the same location. The fur there was also oily. I combed her there with a flea comb frequently for a long time, and the oiliness and itchiness went away. When I first did it, some engorged oil glands actually popped out.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

It could be airborne or food allergies, but also...

1)* How long has the kitten been in your household?

2)** And how well do the two cats get along?



1)* --Even though your cat(s) may be indoor cats, I personally would wonder about fleas, first of all. Indoor cats can get fleas too, they can be tracked in by people. Some outdoor environments are rife with fleas, unfortunately, and eggs can be tracked into the house, along with fleas that 'hitch a ride' on clothing or shoes/socks. But also, if the kitten is fairly new to the house (within a few months), it is possible that the kitten has fleas --or had fleas--, and maybe that the full cycle(s) of flea eggs, larvae and adult fleas were not conquered with an effective flea med initially. Maybe some cycles of fleas are present.

2)** If the cats have been tussling or fighting or playing as they learn to get along, it's possible the kitten could have nipped or bit the other cat near the base of the tail, and there could be a small abscess happening.


Another thing I would say is that some growth and bone issues can be congenital, and sometimes you don't see certain issues manifest until the cat is going through big growth spurts in their first few years. The tail thing could be allergies, too (if it isn't fleas), but if you cannot find a likely cause for her base-of-tail irritation or for the aggression or being withdrawn (which could just be from the two cats trying to get along), if you can afford getting a set of xrays to rule out bone growth or spinal issues, sometimes that can help rule things in as a physical problem, or rule them out.