Skip to main content

Pet Insurance policies are underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company.

Figo Pet Insurance Logo
  • Pet Insurance
    • Dog Insurance
    • Cat Insurance
    • Coverage
    • Compare
    • FAQs
  • Pet Cloud
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
Get a Quote
Figo logo

  • Login
  • Dog Insurance
  • Careers
  • Found a lost Figo pet?
  • About Us
  • Cat Insurance
  • Blog
  • FAQs
  • Employers
  • Veterinarians
  • Compare
  • Maine Residents
  • California Privacy

Subscribe to our newsletter

  • Instagram logo
  • facebook
  • tiktok
  • Twitter

No one is permitted to sell, solicit or negotiate an insurance policy without a producer license in the state in which the plan is sold, and all prospects should be directed to Figo Pet Insurance. The information contained in this website is for illustrative purposes only and coverage under any pet insurance policy is expressly subject to the conditions, restrictions, limitations, exclusions (including pre-existing conditions), and terms of the policy documentation issued by the insurer. Availability of this program is subject to each state’s approval and coverage may vary by state. Coverage underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company (IAIC), a Delaware Insurance Company, 11333 North Scottsdale Road Suite 160 Scottsdale, AZ 85254. Live Vet and the Figo Pet Cloud are separate non-insurance services unaffiliated with IAIC. Figo Pet Insurance's California license number is 0K02763.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • Terms of Use & Licensing
  • Insurance Fraud Warnings
  • Underwriting

Copyright © 2015-2023 Figo Pet Insurance LLC. All rights reserved

Pets and compulsive disorders

July 14, 2020

A board-certified veterinary behaviorist can recommend effective behavior modification, environmental enrichment, pheromones and medication for compulsive behaviors in cats.

Pets and compulsive disorders

Q: I was recently diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. I live with two normal cats, but I've been wondering whether cats can have OCD, too.

A: Yes, though veterinarians who specialize in behavior refer to the abnormal repetitive behaviors as "compulsive disorder," or CD, since the word "obsessive" refers to thought patterns we can't objectively evaluate in cats.

Feline compulsive disorder manifests most often as either excessive grooming to the point of baldness or sucking on, chewing or ingesting fabric or other nonfood items. Additional CD behaviors include pacing, tail chasing, sucking the tail tip and chewing the claws.

The abnormal behaviors usually begin around age 2, although they may start earlier in breeds genetically predisposed to CD. The condition is often preceded by a major environmental change or other stressful event, such as moving to a new home, the death of a favorite animal companion or separation from an important human family member.

Key to making the diagnosis is to rule out other conditions. For example, excessive grooming may be caused by pain or itchiness instead of CD.

The goal of treatment is to improve the cat's quality of life. Yelling, swatting and other forms of punishment make CD worse by increasing the cat's anxiety. A board-certified veterinary behaviorist can recommend effective behavior modification, environmental enrichment, pheromones and medication.


Lee Pickett, V.M.D. practices companion animal medicine in North Carolina. Contact her at vet@askthevet.pet.