my cat is over grooming

by kristin
(oshkosh wisconsin)

i recently introduced 2 cats, its been about 4 monthes and they still dont get along. we keep them seperated. about a month ago the oldest of the 2 cats (13yrs!!!) started over grooming her back. she now has 3 spots where she has groomed the fur right down to her skin. they both get more than enough attention from us! do you think this has anything to do with the introduction of the other cat? or could it be her age? and how can we go about correcting this behavior? time is not a problem at all, ill make time to do what needs to be done, but i am very uncomfortable knowing this is even an issue. we love both our cats and want them to be as healthy as possible.

Answer from Kate
Hi sounds to me like it could be caused by anxiety due to the arrival of the new cat.

I don't know if you are still keeping the two cats separate or not. If you are i think it would be better to introduce them again using the introduction method over a period of a week then to allow the cats free access to each other. this way they can build confidence and loss anxiety.

Please see these two pages for more on this

http://www.our-happy-cat.com/scared-cat.html

http://www.our-happy-cat.com/introducing-cats.html

If the behavior continues then you may have to consider that the cat has an issue with their skin and allergy perhaps or even a parasite problem. In which case a trip to the vets may be the best option.

best wishes Kate