Anyone else have this problem?

[stone_family3]

We have a senior cat named Socks, he's 21 years old (vet estimate was he was about 7 years when we got him 14 years ago). Every few years (starting 10 years ago) he goes through this crazy phase where he freaks out and starts pulling hair and scratching himself wrong. Vet is stumped because he's a pretty healthy cat. He's got this thing going on with his lip where he scratches it and it swells and gets all yucky. We put a cone on him to stop him, but wondered if anyone else had this problem with their cat.

This is our Old Man Socks

sox by StonesChickens, on Flickr

 

[Frost Homestead]

my cat 'mows' her fur. she licks all the fur off of her belly. is that what you mean by pulling hair? my vet said it's pretty common and nothing to worry about, I wonder if your cat is doing something similar and is getting carried away with scratching? could she have allergies?

 

[stone_family3]

Quote:
Sort of Socks kinda did something like that a few years ago where he pulled all the fur out of his tail. he doesn't have allergies and nothing in the house has changed. Exactly though, they go all crazy LOL.

 

[MustLoveHens]

I had an older cat with a very similar story about his age like yours. My Arthur pulled his fur out too and eventually had some permanent bald spot where he liked to pull the fur out. I found in his case, he started pulling out fur when he was either mad or stressed over something. Usually more when he was mad. He also was very OCD with grooming and every once in a while he'd go into a trance like state and just lick-and-pull, lick-and-pull. He'd take out clumps of fur...
The sore on your cats mouth/lips could be feline acne. I can't quite tell for sure from the photo. I had a Maine Coon that would get that on and off over the years. A stainless steel food and water bowl help if it is in deed feline acne. You might want to mention it to your vet. They might have something to help his sore.
Wish I could help you more. Your old guy sure is handsome!

 

[frostbite]

Can't help you with lip advice, but when it's resolved, save the "cone of shame", it might work good as a deterrent for chickens perching on something like a water dish.

 

[PotterWatch]

We had two cats (litter mates), who both periodically starting licking and pulling out the fur on their bellies. They would lick themselves to the point where they were raw and bleeding. They were put on regular steroid shots and happily, their symptoms lessened to almost nothing.

 

[Frost Homestead]

wow, I'm glad mine hasn't made herself bleed! I ouwldn't know what to do if she started in on herself that bad. My cat is 8 yrs old and does just what MustLoveHens cat does. She grooms obsessively and lick & pull, lick & pull. her tummy has been completely bald for years, for a little while she started doing it to her forearms too but she has since stopped. I know she's not stressed or angry, she's a lazy spoiled indoor cat. I have another cat, her sister, and she never does anything remotely like this.

 

[zzGypsy]

do you use any flea products?

we've got one who's alergic to fleas and will groom his hair down to velvet fuzz an 1/8" long if he's got any fleas at all.
and another who's alergic to most flea products and apparently they irritate her skin, so she scratches until she has sores and bites her fur out if you use them on her.

 

[stone_family3]

Nope no flea products, actually no chemicals at all.

 

[zzGypsy]

Quote:
and no fleas?