理毛在貓咪來說不但是個正常的行為（正常成貓每天有30~50%的生活時間花在理毛上），它也具有很重要的功能，如清潔身體，移除寄生蟲，體溫調節，及緩衝緊迫等。尤其在貓咪受處罰後，或是兩貓交鋒後可見。長期處於焦慮狀態的貓咪常見的異常行為包括知覺過敏，過度理毛，自殘，及精神性脫毛，甚至會因為過度理毛導致口腔潰爛（舌部及咽部），讓貓咪因為疼痛而無法進食。造成貓咪過度理毛的原因通常很複雜，但不乏由環境因子造成貓咪長期緊迫而衍生出如強迫症一般的行為。

 

Grooming is a normal behavior of cats and serves many purposes including cleaning, removal or parasites, thermoregulation, and alleviation of stress. It is often seen after punishment, or in cases of aggressive encounters between cats. Normal adult cats spend about 30-50% of their time awake grooming.

 

Currently feline hyperesthesia, over grooming, self-mutilation and psychogenic alopecia are considered to be part of the anxiety response. Occasionally, over grooming is so severe that ulcers develop in the mouth (tongue and pharynx) making eating very difficult or even impossible.

 

As with most behavioral conditions, the exact pathogenesis is unknown but likely to be complex. It may be a behavioral response to environmental conditions which stress the cat and thus result in obsessive compulsive behaviors over time.