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My six year old male cat has been licking his hair off. It started probably a year ago. The vet prescribed a pill that made my cat dopey. He wasn't himself so I stopped the pills. We moved in January. My two cats and I. Since January my one cat has licked his stomach and hind legs bald. He has patches missing fur on his front legs. I bought Advantage for both cats, thinking it might be fleas, and that didn't help. The vet said to try a soy-based food for three months. That didn't help. I bought a humidifier, thinking his skin was dry. That didn't help. I even bought an air purifier. And he is still licking. Do I have to resort to pills that make him dopey to get him to stop licking? Please help. He's neutered. Declawed. Indoor cat with unscented litter.

Hi Julie

Whilst there are allergic and parasite causes of baldness and skin irritation, there are also stress related causes of overgrooming that could be significant for your cat's problem since your move in January and/or in relation to the interaction between your 2 cats. Get your vets to take another look at the problem but also ask what they think about this possibility. Some feline pheromone therapy may help here.

Cathy Wickenden BVet Med MRCVS
Barton Lodge Veterinary Centre
1 Midland Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 5BH
Tel: 01442 216048 24 hours
[www.bartonlodgevets.co.uk]