Why does my cat eat too much and over grooms her lower abdomen?

Answer 1

My cat had this problem. He is 15 and it turned out that his back is aging and he was "barbering" it to get to the painful areas. At the vets, we were told that he was severely constipated. We switched him to Science Diet's GD, with two small servings of the soft canned food sprinkled with a pinch of metamucil. We have dry food out for him to snack on. He also has done well with a B-12 shot once a week and a muscle relaxant once a day. He does still have bald spots, but is more active and happier.

A previous 16 year old cat had kidney problems that we didn't catch as early. So, the deal is, take the cat to the vet and have a basic blood test with urine run. The xray showed the constipation.

Answer

Your cat may eat too much and over groom her lower abdomen for one or more of a number of reasons.

She may simply be bored and over grooming out of frustration. If so, then making her some toys or buying her some, and playing with her 20 minutes or so a day should help. You can divvy up playtime.

And, if you have the time and money to care for a 2nd cat, you may want to consider adopting her a playmate!

Another reason for her overeating and over grooming could be that your cat feels nervous a lot of the time. If, for example, your house is very noisy it could make her nervous. Or she could feel nervous if some of the children who play with her don't realize they need to treat her gently for her to enjoy feeling secure around them. So she eats to distract herself and licks her tummy to calm herself.

All that said, it is more than likely that one or more food Allergies is contributing to your cat eating too much and over grooming her lower abdomen. Allergies make people and animals feel uncomfortable. If she has a food allergy she may also be missing some nutrients because she is not absorbing them well. And so her body keeps telling her to eat.

Try feeding her canned food made without wheat, soy, or corn. In the wild cats are true carnivores, and grains are not natural foods for them. If you must buy cat food with grains in it, then rice or oats are often better tolerated. You can supplement her canned food with dry food, also made without corn, wheat, or soy. To get her used to new foods mix a little with an old food, adding a bit more of the new food each time you feed her until she is weaned onto the new foods.

Cat foods that are made to match what a cat eats in the wild cost more than ones made with corn and other grain fillers. But the extra you spend now on good quality cat food will keep her happier and healthier. And feeding her the best you can will save you money as time goes on in not having many vet bills.

Which brings to mind that many cats are allergic to vaccinations! Humans don't get vaccinated every year and cats don't need to either. Many vets feel this way, too. If you want to research the topic you can find lots on the internet written about vaccinations for cats.

Last but not least, remember to clean her litter box twice a day, and use lightly scented litter or litter with no scent at all. You definitely want her to feel clean and comfortable when she goes to the toilet.

Oh - one more reason your cat may be doing that is - she might be pregnant. Pregnant cats eat more because they eat for both herself and her kittens. And she may be licking her abdomen a lot to prepare herself for birth.