by Tammy
(Harrisburg, PA)

My 8-year-old female cat has started something disturbing just in the last 2 weeks. For no apparent reason, she will jump up, as if someone shot her, and begin madly biting herself.

We use Frontline Plus. She has just received all her "shots" about 1 and 1/2 months ago. She was a "stray", approx. 2-3 months old when we found her.

She normally sleeps at the foot of my bed. I do not notice her doing this at night. It is as if something is driving her crazy from inside. What do you think could be wrong?

Dear Tammy,

The most common reason for this is fleas. I have seen many cats exhibit this behavior when a flea bites them or crawls on them. Frontline is my favorite preventative, but I would suggest you buy a flea comb if you don't have one. Comb her thoroughly each day, especially under her chin and on her back near the tail. It's possible there's still a flea or two around.

Continued combing and monthly Frontline should take care of the problem.