This is Cleo. She is 2.5 years of age. I have posted about her before actually. I worry about her because she gets so anxious that it harms her. She has had an outbreak of hives on her skin, especially her ears, for the last week or so, and she has been picky about when and what she wants to eat, if at all. We got a kitten in June and she gets along with him, so I don't think that's the issue. Most of the time we find Cleo hiding and terrified of human contact, and we have to be very gentle with her. She does not like eating with her siblings. They were all born here in a stable, non-abusive environment by the way. Lately she has been bonding with me, but on her terms. Is this something that requires veterinary intervention?
I have a cat who constantly licks the fur off his body. He would give himself little rashes on his skin.
We tried for years to figure it out, even vets weren't sure. They gave us Feliway, told us to reduce any stress, get more toys, etc. Didn't work.
When we moved, our new vet said to try bathing him because it could be allergies. This was the problem and bathing him has fixed it.
I'm not a vet at all, but if the vet says it's anxiety (and not a physical ailment) you may want to try bathing your cat. I bathe mine twice a week using baby shampoo per the vet's recommendation.