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So my cat, Tort, was diagnosed with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feline_Hyperesthesia_Syndrome

He bites himself and pulls his fur out. The vet didn't see concerned but I am. Mostly I was just wondering if any of you have ever had a pet that had to deal with this and what did you do.

Also, this is a post in the new regime folks, each response has to contain at least ONE agreement and/or apology.

I'm sorry, I haven't had to deal with this feline issue. I do think your vet should have been more concerned about it though.

I've never had any experience with this and I apologize for it.

I'll talk to my vet friends and see what I can find out for you.

When he bites, is he puncturing the skin? Is his skin raw, bleeding, flaky, or irritated in any way? Are there other cats in the house? How long has he been doing this? Has anything changed recently (his food, litter, surroundings, your schedule)? Have his eating/drinking/litter box habits changed?

Check with your vet about Feliway or one of the other pet collars.

Well he started doing this a long time ago but it seems to be getting worse. I don't know if the skin is punctured I havent noticed any blood. he does pull out big clumps of hair.

There are two other cats in the house but he did do this when it was just as when I lived in the trailer. We moved home and many things have changed his food, my schedule, surroundings etc. He also peed in a laundry basket today sigh. He is just really not doing well at all. I'm worried.

If it is important he is also hugely fat, although he has lost a pound in the last few months while he was on lower fat food.

For about the last year or so he was alive, my doberman licked this one spot on his hind leg constantly. The hair was always gone, and there were a few points where he licked it raw and even bloody. If your current vet isn't concerned, try another one.

Litter problems can stem from a lot of things and depends how he is urinating. Is he standing up and spraying or is he squatting? How many litter boxes are there? Where are they placed?

There is so much to go over, I need more details on this one!

makare, I've got to get some sleep but I'll see if I can get some answers for you tomorrow or over the weekend.

I do not agree and I am not sorry.

I always wished the kid would have shot himself instead.

Funny, considering you were the kid in this proposal.

I am not that kid.. I will be a sheep but I will not be THAT kid.

That is a wesley crusher kid.

Sounds about right.

(raises hand) Had to deal with this.

At first, it was because she'd burrowed into a pillow that we'd thought was out of her reach - and wasn't - and the fibers from the pillow had lodged into her paws and forelegs. More recently, I'm thinking it's due to the stress of suddenly moving from a large three-bedroom townhouse condo to a two-bedroom apartment. It's also not as bad as it was previously; she's not completely biting her fur off.

I suspect that the reason why your vet wasn't concerned is that it's the feline equivalent of biting your fingernails. It doesn't look good to others, but the person who does it doesn't realize that - and could very well be comforting or stress-reducing to your cat.

If your kitty has had to deal with a lot of change in his/her life, you need to make sure you're spending time with them - playtime, cuddle time (if she/he is one to do that), talking or petting them. If they're not getting that, they may resort to fur-biting as a way of trying to cope with the issues.

Of course, part of it might be that kitty's getting older; he/she might be having aches and pains that they try to "lick" away, resulting in some fur loss, especially at the bend of their paws.

Random thing to throw out, if you kitty responds to catnip(not all cats do) try giving them some and seeing if it helps them. When a cat is stressed and they are predisposed to respond to nip it can be a really comforting thing to them. Not to mention entertaining to their pet humans.

makare said:

So my cat, Tort...

Click to expand...

Wait...are you saying your cat is suffering from a disorder involving compulsive self-delicts?

Just settle it, already!

--Patrick

Have you tried grooming your cat? If it stems from environmental or social issues, this might help.

He long ago was the move? How long before the move did the cat display this behavior? When did it start, or has this cat always had these symptoms? Was there any significant change you can recall when it started?

Does the cat have a place in your new home where it can feel safely isolated from al the other animals and humans in the house? Do you permit territorial disputes to work themselves out, or do you intervene when the animals start fighting?

Does your cat have playmates?

Yeah I brush him on a regular basis. He hates it but I do it.

We moved a month ago but he was doing the scratch his butt he bites himself thing ever since we got him. The pulling his fur out is new in the last month or so.

Yeah, he doesn't act stressed or anything. There is plenty of room. As far as I have seen he has never fought with any of the cats over territory or anything. The only one he doesn't get along with is Gwennie and that is because she is a snooty beyotch. Foster and Tort play a lot. I also play with him often too.

Is there any kind of materials like carpet etc that was not in the previous home? Maybe he is allergic to something in his new environment.

I don't have a multi-cat household so this make not be feasible, but if the vet is not worried and there's no blood I would try and spend extra time playing with the cat, applying catnip and feliway diffusers for a month or so. They're not crazy-$$ on Amazon.