Cats get itchy for as many reasons as we do. Bug bites, dry skin, allergies, skin conditions, and more, all conspire to make your poor cat miserable in some circumstances. What you do to relieve your cat’s itching, though, depends on what’s causing it in the first place.
Know the problem, before you try to relieve your cat’s itching
If your cat is itchy because of fleas, lice, mites, or other bugs, you have to take care of that first. Flea shampoos can help, and so can products like Revolution, which takes care of fleas, ticks, and ear mites, and hookworms, roundworms, and heartworms, too. If you’re having severe problems with fleas or other bugs, call your veterinarian and ask for suggestions on how to handle the problem. You can’t relieve your cat’s itching if you don’t get rid of the bugs.
If you know your cat doesn’t have fleas or other skin parasites, or you’ve handled that, but your cat’s still itching, Petplace says that it’s important to pay attention to his behavior. Is he scratching one spot repeatedly? Is he licking it excessively? Is he rubbing it? Do you notice that he’s paying excessive attention to several specific spots, or does he just seem itchy all over?
What does your itchy cat’s skin look like?
The next step, before you try to relieve your cat’s itching, is to examine his skin. Take a look at the spots to which he’s paying the most attention. Now, look for inflammation, sores, bumps, and lesions. If he’s scratching his ears, look for inflammation and a smelly discharge. For all of these, you need to call your veterinarian, because you might need medicine to deal with the problem, and help relieve your cat’s itching.
However, if your cat seems to have generalized itching, without rashes, lesions, sores, or other obvious signs of a problem, and you can’t get your cat to the vet immediately, then you can try to relieve your cat’s itching with a soothing shampoo bath, according to Petplace.
Drs. Foster and Smith have some shampoo products that can help relieve your cat’s itching. However, these products will only work if your cat tolerates bathing; the last thing you want to do is stress him out more than he already is. The best thing, however, is to talk to your veterinarian before trying anything out on your cat. It’s also important to get him in as soon as you can, to identify possible causes.
