Over grooming - boredom?

[Catbutt]

This is driving me crazy. My boy got into a car accident last year and had to spent almost 3 months in a crate. He had to have one of his hind legs amputated as well. He has healed great and seems happy overall, except for the fact that he over grooms like crazy. What I've noticed is he obsessively starts licking:
1) when he wants attention and I don't acknowledge him (I realized this one only recently, where I deliberately ignored him to see what he'd do)
2) when he's sleeping he'll sometimes wake up and starts licking or chewing for a bit as if he has an itch (itchy because of the over grooming?)
3) sometimes when I get home from work. I'll give them some attention and usually he starts licking again.

The licking and chewing started 2 months after release from crate jail. He only licks his hind leg, lower belly area and both front legs about halfway on the inside. He let me touch and pet him everywhere, so my guess is he's not in pain. I have changed their food to a different protein source, thinking it was allergies, but that didn't matter.

So I'm thinking it might just be due to boredom. He used to go out a lot and is strictly indoors now. I have no possibilities to let him safely outside. I tried walks as a kitten, but he hated it. Thinking about it, the biggest change after losing the leg is his outdoor time that's gone.

Writing this I might be answering my own questions already, in that case some confirmation and tips would be greatly appreciated. He has a big orange buddy and they play multiple times a day. It doesn't seem to fulfill his needs though. Playtime is a nightmare. I have lots of different toys and wands, which he likes for the first 2 days or so. After that all interest is gone. He does ask for playtime (or outside time) though, yet when I take out the toys he just walks to the door wanting to go outside. He is 2.5 now, so should still be plenty playful I imagine.

Like I said, I might be answering my own questions. Unfortunately my vet isn't very helpful with this problem.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
Sometimes humans and animals have difficulty with phantom pain where the limb used to be, this popped into my head as I was reading your post, although two months after the ordeal, and him licking his front legs, makes me wonder about that thought, but maybe .. ..

Have you tried over the counter calming products, or Cat Music? Which protein did you change from, and to?

The only other thing I can think of might be massaging his leg, hips and back area.

 

[rubysmama]

When I hear a cat is over-grooming, the first things that come to mind are 1) stress and 2) food allergy.

Stress can be caused by many things, including boredom. Here's a TCS article all about stress that might be helpful.
Stress in Cats – The Ultimate Guide – TheCatSite Articles

Food allergies, or an intolerance to an ingredient in food can also cause over-grooming, but since it started before you changed his food, that doesn't seem as likely. Here's another TCS article, though, this one on food allergies.
11 Key Facts About Food Allergies In Cats – TheCatSite Articles

It's a bit concerning that your vet wasn't very helpful, which makes me wonder if you should make an appointment with another vet.

 

[FeebysOwner]

In addition to the good information you've gotten above, if you really think this is related to boredom - and, more specifically to no outdoor access - are you in the position to consider a cat enclosure/catio? There are a ton of different options for all kinds of homes/apartments/etc.
All About Catios & Cat Enclosures - Catio Spaces

 

[Catbutt]

Thanks for the responses! I'll have a look at the links later today.

Furballsmom I've only tried cbd oil so far. Any other suggestions? Would something like feliway help?

FeebysOwner I have a small ground floor 'balcony' that I probably could enclose. However, like I said it's small and doesn't have the greatest view. The only benefit of him being indoor vs on the balcony is that he'd be able to smell the outdoors. Another obstacle with this is that I plan to move within a year. Perhaps a bit selfish, but I'm not overly excited to spend a good amount of money on something that may only be in use for another 6 months or so.

I'll look into it though, maybe there's a cheap and sturdy solution.

 

[Furballsmom]

Would something like feliway help?

Some members have had decent to good results with the plugin type of calming product. I didn't, my angel boy didn't like them so I'm on the fence a bit, plus they're so darn expensive.

There's Bachs Remedy and some other products, it will depend on your kitty as to what he responds to.

Also I wanted to mention --even if he's not getting down to bare skin, plus I realize the itch may be feeling to him more like it's in the skin or under it, but you might try applying store bought chamomile tea (garden grown is unsafe for cats). It's anti fungal and anti bacterial. Also, coconut oil is anti microbial. Either one is safe if ingested.

I was wondering, what protein did you have him on, and then change to?

 

[Catbutt]

Some members have had decent to good results with the plugin type of calming product. I didn't, my angel boy didn't like them so I'm on the fence a bit, plus they're so darn expensive.

There's Bachs Remedy and some other products, it will depend on your kitty as to what he responds to.

Also I wanted to mention --even if he's not getting down to bare skin, plus I realize the itch may be feeling to him more like it's in the skin or under it, but you might try applying store bought chamomile tea (garden grown is unsafe for cats). It's anti fungal and anti bacterial. Also, coconut oil is anti microbial. Either one is safe if ingested.

I was wondering, what protein did you have him on, and then change to?

I use coconut oil for my beard, so I could try it out. He likes how it tastes though, so I guess that will only lead to more licking lol.

He was mainly on chicken protein (as it is almost in everything). I switched to duck for a while, then lamb. I didn't notice any differences, so I switched back to his old chicken flavored food as it is much easier to buy.

 

[Hellenww]

1) when he wants attention and I don't acknowledge him (I realized this one only recently, where I deliberately ignored him to see what he'd do)
2) when he's sleeping he'll sometimes wake up and starts licking or chewing for a bit as if he has an itch (itchy because of the over grooming?)
3) sometimes when I get home from work. I'll give them some attention and usually he starts licking again.

1&3 Maybe not boredom but stress/frustration/excited energy that he doesn't know what else to do with. Try a stuffed toy he can attack instead. Tha chamomile tea might also help with the stress if you could get him to drink a little.

Do you use an unscented litter? Our Yoshi was allergic to Febreeze and and had very similar a bald patterns to your boys until we figured it out. Did your laundry/floor products change around the time the overgrooming started?

Could he be in pain? The 2 mt post crate makes me wonder. Initially he was still learning was to move about but once he became more active he might have pain in his leg and hip. The sudden waking up also makes me think physical discomfort (Pain or Itch). Glucosamine chondroitin might be helpful if this is the issue or a mild anti-inflamatory/pain med from the vet. I use Nodens Glucosamine chondroitin because it's a liquid and easy to put in food. I've also had Gabapentin for a senior with arthritis, also liquid from a compounding a pharmacy.

 

[Catbutt]

1&3 Maybe not boredom but stress/frustration/excited energy that he doesn't know what else to do with. Try a stuffed toy he can attack instead. Tha chamomile tea might also help with the stress if you could get him to drink a little.

Do you use an unscented litter? Our Yoshi was allergic to Febreeze and and had very similar a bald patterns to your boys until we figured it out. Did your laundry/floor products change around the time the overgrooming started?

Could he be in pain? The 2 mt post crate makes me wonder. Initially he was still learning was to move about but once he became more active he might have pain in his leg and hip. The sudden waking up also makes me think physical discomfort (Pain or Itch). Glucosamine chondroitin might be helpful if this is the issue or a mild anti-inflamatory/pain med from the vet. I use Nodens Glucosamine chondroitin because it's a liquid and easy to put in food. I've also had Gabapentin for a senior with arthritis, also liquid from a compounding a pharmacy.

I use wood chips litter, which I started with after crate time. Initially I thought perhaps it's an allergic reaction to the litter, went back to their usual clay litter for a week or 2 with no improvement.

Pain is something I've thought about. Maybe not phantom pain, but rather muscle pain. He is chubby, obviously walks differently than before and his remaining legs have to work overtime. Is there a difference between glucosamine for pet use and human use? I can pick some up tomorrow.

 

[Furballsmom]

He is chubby,

Oh, I missed that - can you feed him just wet food for a while? Often cats will lose some weight gradually (the only way for a cat to safely lose weight) if they don't get kibble which is loaded with carbs.

I'm seeing that glucosamine made specifically for pets is more easily absorbed. There's this as well (granted they're referring to dogs, but still) from vetinfo . com;

Given the fact that the human glucosamine and the dog glucosamine have the same formulation, the human glucosamine can be safely used in canines.
However, it is highly important to have the right dosage for your pet and never go over the recommended dose. The dose for a larger dog breed may coincide with the dose recommended for a human patient, but smaller dogs need less glucosamine. An excess of glucosamine can lead to bone growth abnormalities and even internal damage. The administration of glucosamine supplements may also affect the liver and the kidneys of the pet in the long run.
In any case, if you have the choice, it’s better to get glucosamine for veterinary use, as certain glucosamine for humans use have various salts that are included in the drug and these may irritate the dog. Be sure to talk it over with your vet first, as unique factors for each dog may need to be taken into account.

 

[Catbutt]

Oh, I missed that - can you feed him just wet food for a while? Often cats will lose some weight gradually (the only way for a cat to safely lose weight) if they don't get kibble which is loaded with carbs.

I'm seeing that glucosamine made specifically for pets is more easily absorbed. There's this as well (granted they're referring to dogs, but still) from vetinfo . com;

Given the fact that the human glucosamine and the dog glucosamine have the same formulation, the human glucosamine can be safely used in canines.
However, it is highly important to have the right dosage for your pet and never go over the recommended dose. The dose for a larger dog breed may coincide with the dose recommended for a human patient, but smaller dogs need less glucosamine. An excess of glucosamine can lead to bone growth abnormalities and even internal damage. The administration of glucosamine supplements may also affect the liver and the kidneys of the pet in the long run.
In any case, if you have the choice, it’s better to get glucosamine for veterinary use, as certain glucosamine for humans use have various salts that are included in the drug and these may irritate the dog. Be sure to talk it over with your vet first, as unique factors for each dog may need to be taken into account.

I've never been very fond of wet food only due to cost, but I realize they are actually a lot faster satisfied after a wet food meal, so that's a good idea actually. FWIW I feed them grain free kibble, but I agree it doesn't help with the excess weight. Right now they are fed 2 wet meals of 50 grams per meal and some kibble in the evening.