Cat Chasing tail

by Heather
(Bowen Island, British Columbia)

My 7 year old female orange cat has recently started to chase her tail. At first we thaought this we cute. Then she started to hiss at her tail and then started growling at herself. She always looks hehind her as if something is following her (An invisible friend or foe, we thought). Now the behaviour seems to be escalating and she is now sounding like she's in the middle of a cat fight. Her tail twitches and the furs stands up when she does this. This wierd, worrisome behaviour does NOT continue all the time. At other times - sjhe's perfefctly sweet and loving as always. I took her to the vet last week twice. He could find no physical problems and was unable to offer much help. Her anal glands were full and he relieved them - but it hasn't mitigated her on again off again tail chasing/growling. Is she going crazy? Is this behaviour something to worry about?
Please help, it seems to be getting worse. Have you ever heard of this?
Thank you so much,
Heather Hodson

Answer by Kate
i will be honest with you and say i haven't come across this before. I would have said that perhaps their was some sort of irritant on her tail but it the vet can't find anything then it may be a neurological thing. All i can say is that as long as you know she is not suffering and is eating etc well then i wouldn't worry too much.
Perhaps other visitors have come across this before and can give some insight into this issue.

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Cat Chasing tail

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Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome
by: Anonymous

I have been reading these comments and it is sad that many have not received a diagnosis for the tail chasing condition. It seems that many of the cats have the neurological condition, Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome. Our kitty is 10 yrs old and when he was about a year old, he started chasing his tail in a cute way. But then it became more agressive and his was biting his tail and hind legs. He wouldn't do it everyday at first but then it got much worse. Whenever we took him to the vet they said he seemed fine. We video-taped him doing it and took the tape to the vet. That's when he got the diagnosis of Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome. As many comments have said, stress does seem to aggravate the condition. "Out of sight, out of mind" works well since if you cover the tail with a blanket he will stop chasing and attacking his tail. Our kitty has been taking Amitriptyline for years as a transdermal ear gel and it keeps the condition under control. He still has episodes a few times a week but they are shorter and it is easier to ditract him and get him to stop. I hope this info helps some of you dealing with this frustrating condition.

Follow-up
by: Pushkin's Mom

Just as a follow-up to my prior post...
Pushkin stopped chasing his tail! I am still not positive what had caused the behavior but I have a few postulations...
- We changed his litter back to an old one he had used before the tail chasing started
- The vet had found a mass in his mouth (which is a separate issue...biopsy to come, wish us luck), but thinking it may have been pain he started on some pain medication. That said, he still has the mass and the pain meds are gone and he still isn't chasing his tail so maybe it wasn't that after all
- It seemed like our other cat had been attacking him more viciously than usual at the time he was chasing his tail. Luckily that has stopped now, which perhaps prevents some of Pushkin's aggravation.

We were also feeding him some treats that were labeled as "calming." Not sure if those helped. We had bought a Feliway diffuser at the advice of our vet but hadn't tried it yet before the behavior stopped. I also bought him some new toys and pet grass thinking maybe he was bored.

It seems like for some cats this is a much more deep seated behavior so simple things like these might not work, but I felt lucky and thought I would share in case it helps anyone.

Mine too
by: Anonymous

My 6y.o. short haired domestic has just recently (w/in 3months) started hissing at his tail and growling.

We moved houses 6mon ago and he seemed happy and loved watching the birds, but now he is freaking us out with his hissing in the middle of the night. He also has a hx of "bullying" from other cats and has always been skittish (but loving). I think its neurological.

What is the delivery method for the antidepressants?
Anyone that has tried them could you sound off on the medications efficacy.

Crazy Cat
by: Jerilyn

I too have a cat that's nearly 16 and just started to cat fight with her tail. It's horribly annoying and makes me feel really bad for her as well as us, her family. She was bottle fed as some jerk abandoned 6 2 week old babies and I was brought her by a friend of mine. She's always been strange and not very friendly but this behavior is worrisome. Took her to the vet and had $200.00 worth of tests and she is fine in every way. Had her anal sacs cleaned and the doctor has prescribed valium for her but then said she needed to be liver checked if we give it to her every day. Thinking she might need antidepressants but will have to get with Vet and talk more about it. It's starting to wear on us and I'm sure it's not pleasant for her either. If anyone knows a cure I'd sure like to hear it.

My kitty too
by: Pushkin's Mom

Hopefully by adding stories someone will figure this out! My 7-year-old male cat also chases his tail. It actually started several years ago (when he was about 3). Those episodes would involve hissing at the tail, growling, chasing it, etc. but would not last for very long (maybe 30 minutes at a time). At that time we thought it was because he was lonely and indeed once we did get another cat (when he was about 5) the tail chasing stopped (instead he was chasing, or being chased, by another cat). But just recently he has started chasing his tail again. This time it seems even more aggressive, though he has never injured himself, and can last for hours straight. Feeding him treats or playing with him will stop it temporarily, but then he goes right back to it. I don't know if it's stress or what else could be causing it. He is otherwise a happy, healthy cat. My vet also suggested Feliway, which I haven't tried yet, and gave me a kitty pain med in case it's some sort of pain or inflammation, and mentioned that if it continues we might try kitty antidepressants. Keeping my fingers crossed that this is just another temporary phase for my kitty!

tail issues
by: sad

My 6 year old male cat, that has been the best cat ever, has just started chasing his tail. Its been awful - i took him to the vet and the dr shaved part of his tail - he grabs it, growls bites it and it bleeds. Looked like we slaughtered the cat in the bathroom - blood everywhere. We put the cone on his head and he just sits - won't move. We tried wrapping his tail... same thing, sits and won't move.. Won't eat, won't do anything... Its terribly sad.. My cat has been an indoor cat all his life and we haven't put any flea stuff on him. Another problem is we have a female cat and when she hears him, she takes it personal and then a cat fight starts. Quite distressing... Please, if anyone has any solutions, I would be greatful..

Comment from KAte
Hi
Has your vet given him an antihistamine injection? I ask as my old cat used to be allergic to flea bites and even though she didn't have any if one hop on and bit her she would have an allergic reaction whereby she would not stop biting her back.

it may also be worth considering some anti anxiety medication for your cat to tray and calm him down so that he is not so distressed.

I do hope a solution can be found soon.

cats
by: al

Our 2 cats are doing the same thing. Wondo Woods North Charleston S.C. Have not taken cat to vet yet. My husband thinks his spirt is broken and thinks he has been fighting with other cats.

http://dogcatsandotherpets.wordpress.com/
by: Anonymous

My cat chases her tail occasionally. Not very oftern. But when she does she goes absolutely crazy - to the point where she actually hurts herself.

cats who chase their tails
by: Anonymous

I had a cat that did not chase his tail. However, he did constantly turn his head and growl at the rear end of his body. This was a rescue cat that had previously injested a barbie doll shoe and had surgery to remove it. The behavior I was observing lead me to think perhaps he ate something he should not have. Sure enough, an x-ray of his intestinal system showed a polly pockets shoe lodged in his intestines. Unfortunately, he had to be put down because the previous surgery removed just enough large intestine that more surgery would not be possible. Apparetly some cats eat things they should not.

clomipramine
by: Olive

My cat is three and since she was a kitten she has always chased her tail. It's only in the last few months that she had started to chase her tail to the point of screaming and making herself bleed.

She was like a little demon and would do it almost constantly while awake. It was terrifying! The only thing that would help would be if I put a blanket on top of her body or put one of those cones on her head. Like if her tail was out of sight it was out of mind.

After spending SOOO much money on about a million tests at the vet it was discovered nothing was wrong and it was determined that this was a neurological problem and I now have to give her a medication called clomipramine everyday which is basically an antidepressant.

I have my old cat back now. She is still active and much happier now. My wallet is left lighter every month buying it, but after getting over the weird stigma I had about drugging my cat it has made her so much happier.

She was an abandoned shelter kitten and although I'm still sad I cant have a normal cat, I love my little demented monster :)

cats who chase their tail
by: Anonymous

Hi there,

My cat developed same issue too, and it was after I gave her a flea treatment, that stuff is toxic stuff. She has gotten better over the weeks.

I have a friend who had a cat who had chronic problems and many surgeries and he started doing homeopathics and was completely cured and still alive and frisky at 15 so I am going to take my kitty soon as I have the cash. The appointmetn expensive but remedies cheap and don't build up toxins and other disease in animals like pharmeceuticals do. I lost a dog last year to prescription overdose.
and wish to keep my cat as she is only six.

There are alot of not so great stuff in pet foods even in really great brands there some really good articles on you tube and internet about it. I only ever feed her natural foods like wellness formula when I got her though she had been fed only tuna and commercial brand food and she was obese with fleas exzema, warts and a heartattack waiting to happen. Now she doing much better only after the flea killer she went a little cooky but she getting better again. There are also natural and homeopathic flea killers that work great.

hope this benifits everyone out there:)

My Cat Chases His Tail Too!
by: Anonymous

I guess I should join this blog. My cat, Harry, is 11 years old. One year ago we moved to a new house. The first ten years of his life we lived in a home in the country and he was an outdoor cat, bringing me mice, birds, bats, moles and anything else he could catch. He is a hunter. Our new home is in town on a busy, major road that cuts through town. I can't let him out because he will surely be killed by a car. At first Harry was OK. This home is much larger than the other with 3 floors for him to romp around and stairs to run up and down, which at first he did. About 7 months ago he began to chase his tail. And as others have posted he is in a real cat fight with his tail. He bites his tail and then the growling, hissing and fighting begins. He doesn't seem to make the connection that the biting is what is hurting his tail. He thinks his tail is hurting him so he continues the fight. He has bite scabs all up and down his tail. This happens approximately 4-5 times a day. I have not been to the vet yet but I can see I will probably have to take him. I am sure it stress or anxiety over not being able to hunt. My husband and I both work and are not home during the day. In the old house, he would be outdoors most of the day and our not being home really didn't matter. He is a very friendly kitty, loves to be pet and played with which we do in the evenings. And then, at random times, the chase begins. I hope everyone finds an explanation...I know I feel bad about mine.

Answer to Kate
by: Emma (Uk)

Thanks Kate, I will give that a try. I managed to give him some food today and he managed the loo, so all is not over yet! I was going to try Feliway too to see if that might help. :)

Strange Tail Behaviour...
by: Emma (Uk)

Chino is 12 years old and starting to act strangely and im getting worried as I feel helpless. Ive taken him to the vets and they cant find anything wrong with him, however when I got him home....he started all over again. Basically he acts spooked, trots off, fur raised ALL over (tail is like a brush) and curls up in a ball. He is still affectionate and will let me feed him treats,but his pupils are all dilated and he looks freaked out. If you try to touch his back area he growls and hisses. Help anyone?!

Comment from Kate
Sounds to me like there is definitely something in the home which is either causing his to be afraid or is making him feel unwell, static electricity, a strange smell, something which is giving him an allergy reaction.

It would be interesting to see if he displays this behavior in another environment. Do you have a friend with no animals which you could take him around to and see if his behavior is different there and also if you can touch his back. if the reaction is the same then their is some sort of physical problem, perhaps with his back or skin in which case I would seek the opinion of another vet.

You could also give your cat a period of confinement in your home to help him calm down and relax in a smaller area. Make the room comfortable with his toys and water and bed and litter etc, let him chill out for a day or two to see if it helps him relax.

best wishes Kate

Yet another tail chaser...
by: Merica

My cat, Beau, also has this problem. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's some form of seasonal allergy, rather like humans getting hay fever. I say this because he never has this issue in the winter and his tail only starts having a life of its own in the spring/summer, the time of year when he's out more than in, along with eating grass, which you won't find in the winter in Canada. He also licks bald spots on his sides and flanks, right down to the skin. I've noticed this going on for the last two summers. Last summer I called the vet (rather than taking him in for a needless visit and stressing him and my wallet!) and asked if they had heard of such a thing. They told me that it was a bit unusual but they had heard of it and didn't know why cats did it, but that I should buy a bottle of Rescue Remedy at the health food store and give him a couple drops a day mixed in wet food. Rescue Remedy is a homeopathic medicine made from flower and plant extracts. I did that last summer and it didn't help at all. However, we (mostly he) stuck it out until fall and he seemed to be all right. Winter passed with no problems. Now it's summer and his tail has again come alive, but now it's to the point that it's bleeding because of his chewing.

I have a cat that suddenly started licking his hair off right after I moved into a new apartment, so much so that he had NO hair on either side from the middle of his ribs to his back end. My vet at that time told me that he was allergic to something in my new apartment (paint? carpet? heating system?) since he had never done this before I moved. He gave him an injection of what I believe was Prednisone (or something similar in cat medication) and said he'd need an injection twice a year. I have since moved from that apartment and have not had to take him for further injections, but he did indeed stop licking himself after that initial injection and his hair grew back nicely. The reason I mention this (sorry for my rambling post) is the connection between allergy and licking bald patches. As I said at the beginning of my lengthy reply, my cat Beau that has the tail-chasing issue also licks bald patches. I'm going be calling the vet on Monday and asking if they can give him a Prednisone or allergy injection to see if that will stop the tail chasing. I feel so sorry for Beau, running around through the house like he's hiding from his own tail, and chewing it bloody :(

Perhaps if anyone "new" is reading this and having this problem with their cat, they can ask their vet about allergies as well. In the meantime, if anyone has come up with a reason for this odd behavior, or finds out that it is indeed an allergy issue, I'd sure like to know!

Tail Chaser Piper
by: Anonymous

My cat Piper at 3 years old has started chasing her tail. Piper has always been kind of aggressive and had lots of treatment at the vets for calici virus last year and is doing well. She has started to chase her tail, which, like everyone else has mentioned is funny at first. But, now she is growling, hissing and sounds like she is have a major brawl with her tail. I use Feliway difuser in the house for keeping her calm and it seems to work for her aggressiveness to her sister. Still she chases her tail and sometimes bites and claws it drawing blood. I wonder if she is bored. If anyone finds anything out about this please reply on the message board. I don't want to put her through any more treatment as she cannot stand the vets or the carry case I have to put her in.

Comment by Kate (site owner)
Hi
well no one as of yet come up with a definitive answer to this tail chasing behavior. It does seem to be quite common though so I am hoping that an answer is not far away.

Thank you for adding your question.

Tail Chasing -FHS- Cat Syndrome
by: Anonymous

This is a real life cat syndrome with the agressive tail chasing. Our cat appears to have it. The 'experts' do not seem to have any explanations or very helpful suggestions on treatment. I have read that some cats have even become so agitated they chew off parts of their own tail. I think that is in unusually severe cases.
I can only tell you what we do for our cat.
When our cat becomes extremely aggressive, with hissing, growling ect. at her tail, I spike her food with about half of one of my calcium/magnesium capsules. I use tuna if I have to, to get her to eat. This does seem to help. After 30 min. to an hour she usually calms down and quite often takes a nap. Calcium and magnesium have a natural calming effect so that may be why it helps, ( sure works for me at bedtime, also good if you're going to the dentist) or perhaps she is deficient in these minerals. Cats and especially dogs need quite a lot of calcium which should be balanced with magnesium. I don't give her this more than once a day unless I use 1/2 the dose split into 2 feedings.
Also, some types of catfood contain additives that will cause nervous agitation in pets, you might try switching foods.
Hope this helps someone.

Life of its own
by: Lost

I to have a cat that chases his tail. I have about a 3 yr old orange tiger male cat Garfield. He's just as big as the cartoon but healthy... anyway... this year he started playing indy 500 through the house running like mad everywhere. Its either floor to floor or across the room with a jump on me to the back of the couch or a lounges straight for the couch nearly hitting me. Well his tail seems longer than it should and just seems to have its own life. You can hear it when it hits the wall I mean really hear it. Just this last few weeks it seems more true to life that it has its own life because he can't stop chasing his tail. He sits there and when he sees just the tip of it move he's bitting it. I've caught him doing that for an hour of just running around after his tail. Is this wrong or should I worry somethings wrong with him???

Re: Anxiety issue
by: Margatyna

As I've been going through your comments, I've noticed that all of the cats except three that are having this issue are FEMALE. It might be a clue for someone more advanced with vet medicine.
Like "Anonymous" from March the 24, 2009 has described, this appears to be an anxiety problem.
When it is about to happen, we just call her name (our cat) and start playing with her and her toys around the room... and I'll tell you, she stops twitching right away. Once she is on her own again, she may start twitching and chasing the tale. We've also noticed that this problem comes and goes; let's say in about 10 day’s period.
My wife and I still do not like the idea to visit a vet just to get a prescription for some BS medicine that will damage her brains.
So, let's hope for best. Good luck to everyone.

I'm guessing it's anxiety
by: Anonymous

Hello, My cat Misty has been chasing her tail for a year now. I was very concerned in the beggining. Sounded like a cat fight with herself, like others have mentioned. It can happen any time of the day, but more so in the evenings. She can be quite a handful, so I had a home vet come out to see her. She's quite a fussy kitty and wouldn't let him near her. I'm the only person that can touch or hold her. He prescribed her a muscle relaxant that only seemed to make her depressed so I stopped that. I'd rather her be annoying than depressed. He then prescribed her an anti depressant, which I cannot get her to take. I've hidden it in her food but she sniffs it right out somehow and refuses it. I too hand reared her. I've had her since she was two weeks old and bottle fed her.(she's now 6 years)Even as a kitten learning to walk, she had an agressive personality. She's not a kitty to run and hide, she'd rather sit there and make her presence known. It's usually the people who want to run and hide. When she was about 5 or 6 weeks old, I took her to a friends house and she came home flea infested, which later cause her to get worms, I took her to the vet, got a shot for the worms and put her on Advantage until the fleas finally went completely away (had to spray the carpet and vaccum daily for a couple weeks) but we're good now. She's indoor only by the way. I don't dare try to use Advantage now because she fights me if I try and she'll win! Sometimes her episodes are very annoying and upsetting because I don't know what to do to make her feel better. But I'm getting used to it and her and I will both just have to live with it. I usually give her tiny amounts of tuna daily as a treat. I even wonder it that can affect her since tuna is high in mercury. After observing her do this for so long, I've ruled out any physical problems. I think it's more anxiety than anything else. This all started when my relationship with my boyfriend became steady. I was gone on the weekends a lot. For the first five years of her life, it was just me and her. Now she's having to share my attention. It was really stressing me out and I told him I need to spend more time at home with her and figure out what's going on. Might sound a little crazy to some, but she's my baby and my priority. She stops fighting herself when I play with her with a laser light toy. She chases the light instead of her tail or I play with her with other toys. If I stop what I'm doing and play with her, she forgets about her tail for a bit. This makes me think it's not physical, but maybe bored and anxious. When she's resting and her tail starts annoying her, I put a blanket over her tail to control it's wagging, it seems to calm her and she'll nap. She usually sleeps through the night with me. Some days are better and some days are worse. I made her a promise when I took her in at 2 weeks old that she would always have a home with me. Until I find an answer, all I can do is love her and care for her.

cat tail wars
by: shrink this

my kitty has been doing this for a bit as well. If she were human would have prescribed anti anxiety drugs. She sees her tail as some sort of foe. She will look over her shoulder and of course it moves. She looks over the other shoulder it moves. Then the attack begins. She has bitten her tail. Fell off the couch and chased around to exhaustion. Hate to say it I think she misses having a few bugs in the house to stalk. So her tail is the only game in town.CAts are raptors they need to hunt. Seems the only game in town is her tail.

What about Botox?
by: Barbara

My cat, The Unsinkable Molly Brown,(Molly :), is doing this as well and the growling is so loud, she seriously sounds like a mountain lion! I don't see any evidence of actual damage, I don't think she gets as far as biting herself. I'm wondering about Botox. When women use it on their faces, it works because it deadens the muscles and their face doesn't move. If we could deaden the last 6-10 inches of our cat's tails so the tails weren't wiggling and driving them crazy, does anyone think that would work?

Any thoughts? bbmcclintock@aol.com

Tail chasing
by: Darlene

If you would have said a male orange kitty you would have PERFECTLY discribed my cat Ziggy. I was just talking with my cousin wondering if he had some brain damage.

I wish I could help more, but know your kitty is not alone. Maybe it is just that they like it?

same thing
by: ned

Our female cat does the same thing. It seems to be always in the early evening 4p-7p. Sometimes it appears she is chasing her right rear foot. She also hisses and growls when she does it. She is an outside cat but she has had all of her shots. She is almost 2 years old and has had a litter of kittens. She was abandoned by her mother at 1 day old so we bottle fed her.

Cat chasing tail and growling in pain
by: Misha

My cat is also about 7-8 years old and likewise, she gradually but increasingly chases her tail, not for play, but because she appears in pain. She growls and hisses and appears very distressed and uncomfortable. Likewise, I've taken her to the vet(everyone knows Rita!) and they never can find anything. The condition continues after all the anal sacs have been expressed, double dosage of Advantage, even anti-inflammatory medication was proscribed - all to no effect. When I attempt to massage the area around the base of her tail, she really gets angry and screams and scratches, an obvious indication of pain. It almost seems she needs some sort of bone adjustment or something but it is only getting worse and it's incredibly annoying. We have to resolve this!! I can't believe it's neurological when she reacts so violently to my attempt at chiropractic and massage. What to do? Prozac? For me or for her?

Cat chasing tail
by: Linda

Well, now that that other person brought up the Advantage, I'm wondering if it's some side effect from using Advantage that the company never could predict. I have used the product for years,but not lately.One time I bought the Hartz brand flea drops,and it made my cat totally withdrawn, and I ended up calling a vet who said alot of people have problems with the Hartz brand,and to wash it off immediately.Anyway, my cat still is chasing her tail,esp. at night, right when I am ready to fall asleep. It's really difficult sometimes because she'll keep walking around the bed,even though she always ends up sleeping in the same spot every night;her tail will start whipping around, and she'll hiss at it, every once in a while, like in the middle of the night, I will wake up to the cat-fighting sounds of her getting mad at her own tail. I just can't afford to take her to a vet just to hear them say they don't have an answer to this problem.

MY CAT IS DOING THAT!!!
by: millies mummy

Hello, recently my cat started doing that, the vet said the same - no bvious problems but full anal glands and in the x-ray she was FULL of poo! shes fine when eating but all the other time shes growling and chasing her tail.... ive spent £250 at the vet to no avail. they gave her laxives 5 days ago and since then only 2 small poos and 5 episodes of being sick...

shes doing it all day and all night under my bed, im going CRAZY

has your cat stopped it at all? any resolution? Im trying to get her to drink more but shell run off and hiss and fight me and her tail and anything that moves!

please contact me with how your cat has turned out...

catherine (at) mawson (dot) org (dot) uk

Cat Chasing tail
by: Margatyna

Hi Guys,

I've red all postings addressing this really troublesome issue...and what I've noticed is getting me quite upset and worried.
Our almost 4 year old female cat started exhibiting all of the symptoms that you have described bellow AFTER we've visited the vet clinic AND applied flea treatment "Advantage" on the back of her neck.
Anyhow, I could not completely understand why the vet insisted on giving this treatment to a cat that has never been outdoor.
The worst part of all seems to be, as all of you have described, that the symptoms get worse with the time.
We are planning to visit a different vet next week with hope that we are going to find more helpful and knowledgeable one.
I would appreciate any additional info that could help our cat.

Mandy
by: Gemma

My Mandy has always done this and like a previous contributer wrote, she was hand reared. We also thought it was cute and one of Mandy's quirks it seems to be getting worse. I believe it is stress-related because it often comes on after she has had a stressful encounter or something. We have recently got a new cat as well and I have noticed a marked increase in frequency and extent of her episodes. She now gets really quite annoyed and as someone else said it sounds like she is having a cat fight.... with herself. I will look up this rolling back thing and keep an eye here to see if there is anything else added.
Thanks

Cat growling at tail
by: cat lover

Hmm i have take my cat to the vet twice $224 later and i still have a cat that is angry and chasing her tail. Seems to only happen in the morning but is lately steadily getting worse.
She had her anal glands drained but was no different.
Im at a loose end as to what to do next. Have tried cat lax and milk as the milk is supposed to give them loose stools as i find that i think she is constipated but this isnt working..
What to do next is the problem this started the day after giving her a flea treatment on the back of the neck and yes i got the treatment at the vet so hmm something to think about there. .
Have not given her that treatment since as i am positive its what started this problem.
Any answer to try would be wonderful she growls hisses and bites at her tail the vet said his only answer is its phycological

Fighting with Tail
by: Jessica

My 2-yr old cat has this problem too. I've tried to give her the best environment possible, but she continues to his growl and fight w/her tail and her back does twitch. I've googled it and there is some information about a rolling back syndrome or somthing of that nature.

My Max..
by: Anonymous

Also has been attacking his tail for a couple of years now and the vet did say that it's probably a neurological problem and I do agree, but why does it start happening as they get older? Max was and outside cat for a short time until he was attacked by an animal outside, after that I kept him in. He's such a sweet cat and it drives me crazy to see him acting this way, he is definately stressed. I had given him a flea and worm treatment from the vet a few years in a row. It was liquid form that you put on their necks and I'm seriuosly wondering whether that has had a permanent effect on him.

Comment by Kate
As cats get older just like us they start to suffer from illnesses more and that can include mental degeneration too. perhaps this tail chasing is just a symptom of that.
It does sound distressing though, and i am surprised that the vet could not give him something that may calm him or reduce the irritation.
As for the flea trea treatment, thousands of cats use it every day and as far as i know there have been no reports of illness. It probably is just a coincidence. It is important to give flea and worm treatments though as this can also be a nasty problme for a cat. i always recommned using the treatments sold by vets as the ones sold over the counter may be cheaper but are much less affective.

Mine too keeps chasing her tail
by: Mavis

My cat too keeps chasing her tail, shes been doing this on and off for some years and I was advised by my vet that it was stress (we were doing building work at the time) Now its still there but much much worse, shes hissing, growling, wipping her tail, chasing it, biting it, has these big eyes and makes everyone jump, inlcuding our other cat. But this time we have noticed a bald patch on her back above her tail. Ive also noticed her roll her skin up and down her back when she twitches but she wont allow me near her to take a proper look. She charges around the house as if trying to lose her tail. If anyone finds out what they think it is I would be very much interested and appreciated of their comments.

cat chasing,hissing at tail
by: Linda

I've already taken my cat to the vet,and can't really afford to keep taking her.This was late May.The vet couldn't explain it,but did give her a shot to stop itching as she had been biting off all the fur off her back side.Even with the Advantage.
I think around April she started chasing her tail once in a while. Now it's gotten to the point of her chasing and hissing at her tail whenever she's awake. I did have a small gas leak in my house,so I thought maybe it was the gas leak making her demented.I had my stove fixed, my heater fixed,and she is still chasing and hissing.She does it the most when I'm trying to go to bed-she likes to lay right next to me,I'll start falling asleep,and she'll start fighting with her tail. I'm sure the guy that lives on the other side of my wall thinks I'm beating the cat,or the cat is in a fight! Is she getting senile,do I put her on cat sedatives?

Answer by Kate
oh Linda i wish i could give you an answer, but I am not a vet and so wouldn't want to to make a diagnosis.
I haven't really seen this beahvior before, not long term any way. i am serprised that the vet did not do further tests etc or even give you any ideas as to what it could be. After all he is suppossed to be the expert in animal care.
It could be a mental thing, ie as she gets older, but as i say as i jave net heard of this before it is difficult to say.
I know vet bills can be very expensive but if you think your cat may be distressed by this chasing then there isn't much else you can do. I don't know if there any animal charities of homes where you are who may be able to advise or offer some help.

Chasing Tail
by: Colleen

My male cat, who I believe is about 13 or 14 yrs old - we found him - has been exhibiting this same sort of behavior. It started about 3 weeks ago. It would not be such a problem except that my dogs seem to think he is in a cat fight as well and so a lot of barking starts up and it usually is in the morning hours. He is an outdoor/indoor cat. Again, it does not happen all the time and until today, was just happening outside, but this morning he exhibited the behavior indoors. He does not have any physical issues either so I am wondering if it is some sort of dementia or something like that.

weird tail chasing
by: melly dee

although i don't have an answer to this question either, i feel that some of the other comments have helped me a little bit. i now know what to kind of expect once i take my cat to the vet. i think it's a very odd thing, because it came on so suddenly :) At first i thought it was a tick, but she is an indoor cat and never has access to the outdoors... i'll comment again if i get any answers. good luck!

Chasing Tail
by: Anonymous

Our cat has begun this strange behaviour too. three weeks ago she began chasing her tail and it is becoming more frequent and she has begun hissing at her tail. She is an extremely friendly cat about 10yrs old.

She seems to have itchy ears that have been treated several times for ear-mites with little difference.

Any ideas?

Answer by kate
Has the vet checked to see if she may be allergic to anything which may be causing her extreme itching? I only ask as Our cat went through a similar period and the vet discovered that she was alergic to flea bites, even though she did not have flease herself she was bitten by one from the bgarden and that was enough to set her off.

Tail Chaser
by: Anonymous

Hello there,

My cat started chasing her tail about almost two weeks ago. Just like you, we thought it was cute at first but now we are worried. We took her to the vet this morning and the physical exam showed that everything was fine but we are doing blood work to rule out anything internal. The vet said that it might be a behavioral disorder or nuerological that medicine might help once we find out what it is. If you or anyone else has more information on this I would appreciate more information.

Thanks.

cat chasing tail
by: Anonymous

Our 4 year old female cat does the very same thing! She used to growl and chase her tail all the time before she was spayed. It was such an awful sound! Almost like she was going to attack us! After she was fixed, it let up for about 2 years. When it returned, I too, brought her to the vets thinking she was in pain. The vet drained her anal glands and gave her an enema just in case...but to no avail. The vet DID say that there's a type of condition that some cats develop --almost like a prickly feeling that runs up their backs and tails. The way it's treated is with something like Prozac. I've not pursued this because I can't imagine giving this cat meds of any kind. She only allows so much human contact...and definately only on her terms. She was abandoned or lost as a very tiny kitten. Our Lab found her at, they think, 4 weeks of age. She needed to be bottle fed. Although she seemed to like the attention as a baby, she's not especially fond of us now.
Good luck with your cat! You're not alone :-)

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