How to Treat a Cat That Pulls Their Hair Out

Obsessive hair pulling is a condition that was once thought to only affect humans. Now we know it can affect animals as well. Psychogenic alopecia may be diagnosed in your cat when the animal pulls out hair due to excessive grooming. Often, the problem begins when a stressful situation occurs. The cat begins to groom itself often to relive its anxiety, but even after the stress is resolved, your cat could continue to act obsessively out of habit. Medical intervention may be required to stop your cat from pulling out its hair.

Things You'll Need

  • Pheromone sprays or diffusers
  • Stimulating objects
  • Prescription veterinary medication
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Instructions

    • 1

      Eliminate any stress in the environment that contributes to the cat̵7;s anxiety, suggests the CatHealth website. Separate cats that don̵7;t get along and gradually reintroduce them once the stress level has receded. If outdoor cats looking in the windows cause your kitty to stress, keep them away with lawn sprinklers or other repellents.

    • 2

      Stroke and play with your cat to give lots of extra attention. Two 10-minute sessions of interactive play a day, according to CatHealth, can effectively reduce your cat's stress level and help manage obsessive behaviors.

    • 3

      Place pheromone diffusers throughout your home or use a spray pheromone product regularly. Pheromone products contain natural pheromones that typically create a sense of calm and well-being in a cat. Diffusers are plugged into outlets and sprays are applied to areas where the cat spends time.

    • 4

      Give your cat toys and other stimulating objects that will enrich its environment. PetPlace suggests placing fish tanks, window bird feeders, white noise machines and food puzzles to keep the cat occupied with other activities and prevent it from pulling out its hair.

    • 5

      Reward your cat when it is not pulling out its hair. Give your cat treats, praise and affection when it refrains from excessive grooming. Eventually, your cat will associate the praise with the non-obsessive behavior and will perhaps strive to keep the hair-pulling at bay.

    • 6

      Administer veterinarian-prescribed medication to relax your cat. Giving your cat medications such as fluoxetine, paroxetine or sertraline to reduce anxiety, stabilize its mood and reduce compulsive behavior, according to PetPlace.

    • 7

      Place an Elizabethan collar on your cat to prevent it from licking and pulling out its hair, suggests CatHealth. This may stress out some cats even more, however, so pay close attention to your cat̵7;s attitude and behavior after applying the collar and remove it if it seems to add additional stress.