pulling hair out

Cats that begin over-glooming do so due to a variety of conditions: 1. contact dermatitis - some cleaning agent in the home is making the cat's skin itchy. 2. Allergies: A cat's food can be the blame for hives, which will make the cat itch, and cause excessive licking and fur pulling. 3. Fleas. Even if you can't see them, they might be there. Treat the cat with a topical flea madication on the back of the neck. 4. Feline Military Dermatitus - caused by mites, chiggers, fleas, etc. Look for scaly spots of scabs. 5. stress How to treat your cat? 1. bath him in a soothing warm to woarm/cool bath, wash him with a non-allergenic soap. 2. If he attacks certain spot, apply hot-spot medication ( available in local pet shop) 3. treat with a topical flea medication 4. clean your cat's ears. If there is a lot of wax buidup, he/she has ear mites. See your vet for ear mite medication 5. Take him to the vet. He/she may need specialized care.

I had a cat once that overgroomed after getting his annual shots; it turned out he was allergic and the shot made him itch. We got a small "doggie sweater" and put on him and he "groomed" that for a couple of weeks until the itching was gone and his fur grew back. This may not solve your problem, but, it might help while you try to find out the cause.

When you moved into your new home if you got any new pets this may be the issue. One of my friends moved in with his girlfriend who had a cat and the cat started loosing her hair too. They found out that his dog was the problem. The cat was literally alergic to the dog's dandruff and would lick off her furr and pull it out because she was so ichey. It could be a stress issue too. Before you moved into the new home was there anything that you did for or with the cat that change when you moved to the new home? This may be part of the issue as well.