cat stress

What does a cat have to be stressed about? A lot, apparently. Or at least enough to begin mutilating himself.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve noticed 4 different spots on my cat where the hair is significantly shorter, as if it was regrowing. It is easy to tell because he has blond “roots” and the tips are black. So the light spots really show up. There is one on his back, his stomach, his front elbow, and his rear knee.

After much worrying and almost-calls to the vet, we’ve narrowed it down to the fact that I was gone for 4 days earlier this month (the boyfriend was gone for longer). The cat stressed. He thought we weren’t coming back. He thought he would freeze to death, even though the thermostat was set to 72 degrees. He thought he would starve even though he had a full trough of food. His favorite toy was broken. It was horrible times for Mecrutio, so he repeatedly licked himself in the same 4 spots.

I admit, this was the longest both of us had been away since we moved to NY over a year ago. But we did come back. He didn’t starve. He didn’t freeze. He ... still has a broken toy, but I’m working on that. (He does have other toys, you know.) So now his hair is growing back. It doesn’t bother him if we touch the spots, and the skin underneath the short hair is not irritated in any way. His personality is exactly the same, feisty as ever. I’ll keep an eye on the spots, but there didn’t seem any reason to warrant a call to the vet, especially since he hasn’t been to a vet in NY yet. (I know, I’m a bad caregiver. But he doesn’t go outside or interact with any other animals so the chance of illness and injury are very low.)

This also explains the increase in hairballs, which should also come to a stop.