Cat licking it's fur off

[xelalyne]

My 5 year old cat has started licking the fur off his body.  He started on his lower belly and I just went away for 3 days and when I came back, he has started licking it off his paws, back and hind legs.  I started both he and his brother on a different diet in which I added a small can of wet food in the morning and also gave them 1/2 as much dry food (I change the brand of dry every day.)  I am so scared as he seems to be not as healthy anymore.  He was perfect until about a month ago when this started but it has accelerated.  HELP please.

[PrincessPhoebe]

He's anxious.  He probably has separation anxiety too, some animals also do this because they are bored/depressed  Dogs & cats alike are like humans than we want to believe.  Think of a child who ***** it's thumb...& can do this until it is raw or the thumb blisters.  The child does this for security purposes.  So, an animal will lick it's fur, paws, etc until it's bald, or sore.  Depression can set in when you may have changed jobs (shifts), travel more often, bring in another pet, or just aren't spending the time you used to with him/her.  This could be triggering this behavior.
   Anxiety - my cat used to have separation anxiety so bad that if I didn't come home when she felt I needed to be there, she would vomit.  I got her a sister...& now she's fine.  But, they can also show respond to this anxiety by licking constantly.  
    Last but not least....allergies.  My mother's dogs have an allergy to grass & will lick themselves so much my mother has to give them chew bones to distract them. As always I would contact my vet to see what he/she thinks.  I hope he feels better soon.

[Jade59]

Hi and welcome,

This *could* be a reaction to the grains in the food (unless you're feeding grain-free), but I would start with the easiest change, which is changing the litter to a different brand.  This is a common allergic reaction for some kitties.  Try a scent-free one if you're using a scented one now.