Compulsive disorders in cats - including wool sucking, pica, and hyperesthesia - reflect underlying anxiety or neurological dysfunction requiring comprehensive management.
Cats with compulsive disorders live with persistent distress that drives repetitive, sometimes self-harmful behaviors. The behaviors may provide temporary relief but the underlying anxiety continues. Management that addresses environmental stress drivers, provides cognitive enrichment, and uses anxiolytic medication where needed reduces both the behavioral expression and the underlying suffering it reflects.