My cat has lumpy scabs on her head/neck. Is it stress or anxiety?

Hello! Cats commonly cope with anxiety by over-grooming themselves, usually in their belly region. I think you are exactly right that she has licked the fur off. In a fungal infection, I would expect to see redness of the skin, crusting, or discharge. The first thing I'd recommend for anxious kitties is a product called Feliway. It's a feline pheromone product that helps naturally calm cats. It can come in diffuser, spray, and collar forms. Cats also find great comfort in height. If she doesn't have many high places to perch around the house, that can be something that helps her interact more. There are also options of anxiolytic drugs, such as Prozac, that can help if you don't find success in the other options. I hope this helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It's not impossible for a cat to have stress that is causing the excessive licking but usually it is an allergy and the most common allergy for a cat is fleas. Even if you don't see them on her. Since you mentioned that you rescued her from outside my guess is that she has fleas. Cats don't like to have fleas so they will groom themselves excessively to get the fleas off which is why you often won't see them. Here is a good article that may help you determine if fleas are present. http://www.petmd.com/cat/parasites/evr_ct_does_my_cat_have_fleas I would start with fleas as the number one consideration and if you determine there are no fleas then you should get her to the vet for some testing. If you determine fleas are present I would treat her with a GOOD topical flea prevention like Advantage II or Fronline- DO NOT use Hartz or Seargant brands. They are awful and cause many toxicities in cats. You need to apply this EVERY month even if she does not go outside. You also need to treat the environment (so the inside of the house and the yard if she goes outside). https://www.chewy.com/virbac-knockout-es-area-treatment/dp/53856 https://www.chewy.com/advantage-ii-yard-premise-spray-32/dp/103395 If you want to work the stress angle I see no harm in doing that as well. I suggest you get Feliway diffusers for your house to see if that helps. https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected Hope this answers your question. Best wishes!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend taking Jiriya to a vet to rule out a skin infection. The areas you describe sound a lot like an allergic reaction to fleas. Sometimes you will not see fleas on a cat because they are good groomers. If there is a skin infection, he will need antibiotics. If there is a reaction he may need an anti-inflammatory. Also, if there are fleas he needs a topical prevention from a vet applied every 30 days for at least 3 months to kill the flea life cycle. Once a diagnosis is made by your veterinarian they can discuss the best treatment option for Jiriya. Good luck and kisses to Jiriya!

Aw, what a handsome boy! I’m sorry the treatment didn’t give him relief. You can try a product, such as [Zymox](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-spray-with-5-hydrocortisone), on the areas where he seems most bothered. Also, I would recommend a “no additive” cat litter such as [Yesterday’s News]() or [Feline Pine](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/feline-pine-cat-litter). It may be that his anxiety is contributing to his [over grooming](https://www.petcoach.co/article/excessive-grooming-in-cats-what-it-means-and-how-to-help), so you might ask your vet about trying him on a medication such as [fluoxetine](https://www.petcoach.co/pet-medication/fluoxetine/). If none of this helps, it may be best to consider a consultation with a [veterinary dermatologist](https://www.acvd.org/tools/locator/locator.asp?ids=16_Find_Dermatologist) to get as directly to a diagnosis and proper treatment as possible. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

I'm sorry Lynx has problems with anxiety. One option for decreasing stress is to add a Feliway Diffuser ( https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected ) to your house. This is a calming pheromone that will work for a month and may be beneficial long term. I have also had luck with Rescue Remedy ( http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ ) which can be added to the water. Although you mentioned that this has been a long time problem, it certainly would be worth having your veterinarian examine Lynx to check for any underlying skin problems that are playing a role in her over grooming. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

If you have ruled out fleas/skin mites. I recommend to have him tested for hyperthyroidism and if that's not the cause, have him on a 12 week food trial with a hydrolyzed protein diet. You must start moving down the list of potential causes of the skin lesions. Atopy is still on the list but is harder to test for so rule out these other causes first. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I am sorry to hear about your kitty! Some of the most commonly used drugs to treat psychogenic alopecia in kitties include fluoxetine, amitryptylline, and clomipramine. We may sometimes use a supplement called Zylkene as well which can help decrease anxiety in some cats. True cases of psychogenic alopecia,however, are rare. It is much more common to have hair loss due to a skin disease/itching. If your vet hasn't done testing yet to ensure there isn't a cause for itching then I would consider this, or a referral to a veterinary dermatologist. You can read more about this condition and the possible causes/testing at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2565.