Obsessive Grooming?

[abstract]

My cat Adolf has developed a habit of grooming himself to the point of losing fur. He's almost completely bald on his belly and has lost quite a bit of fur on his hind legs and sides. Very recently I've noticed a thinning of fur on his chin.

I've been researching all the possible causes of this and I think I can safely eliminate parasites, allergies or infections. I've tried him on different food, he has no visible problems with his skin and shows no symptoms of any other health issues (itchiness, sores, loss of appetite, listlessness). All in all, he seems to be a perfectly healthy cat apart from licking himself bald. The only thing that fits is a stress problem. He's always been a jumpy kind of cat, and my ex boyfriend didn't treat him well (he had a bad habit of chewing on wires and we lost several electronics) which I'm sure only made it worse. I try to keep a low stress environment for him but I wonder if its just progressed to being a habit now. If that's the case, how do I break him of it?

If you think I've overlooked something, I'm open to helpful suggestions, but please, don't tell me to take him to a vet. I simply cannot afford it, and I have no transportation to get him to one even if its free. I'm already looking for a new home for him and his brother.

On another note (not the main focus of this post, but I'm looking anywhere I can think of), if anyone is looking for a very cute, loving pair of brothers, Squiggle and Adolf are a wonderful choice. I'd really prefer to keep them together, as they're quite attached to each other.



(Squiggle)



(Adolf)

 

[muezza]

My previous cat had bladder stones, she licked all the fur off her bladder/stomach area.Poor old Ms. Lovey I had to put her down, Xray was +for bladder stones.does your cat have any urinary tract disease symtoms? frequents urination, drinks more water than usual? blood in urine? other signs of pain such as yowling? I hope he is ok.....hope I am wrong.sorting out medical issues from behavior problems involves a visit to the vet....sorry, try the Humane society? they have discounts for those with financial restraints.

 

[clynn11]

 I would look into Alopecia. It's supposed to be caused by stress. My cat recently has the very same thing going on, and the vet suggested either allergies to fleas, food, or alopecia. Feliway is supposed to help with calming if that is the case.

 

[abstract]

My previous cat had bladder stones, she licked all the fur off her bladder/stomach area.Poor old Ms. Lovey I had to put her down, Xray was +for bladder stones.does your cat have any urinary tract disease symtoms? frequents urination, drinks more water than usual? blood in urine? other signs of pain such as yowling? I hope he is ok.....hope I am wrong.sorting out medical issues from behavior problems involves a visit to the vet....sorry, try the Humane society? they have discounts for those with financial restraints.

None of those symptoms, his appetite and urination habits are normal, no sign of blood or pain