Tears at Reason Why Cat Has to Now Wear a Onesie

An orange cat named Bin Bin went viral on social media for wearing a onesie in a TikTok video, but the reason why he has to wear it has left internet users in tears.

In a post, shared in October under the username @cindykaneki, the feline's owner explained that Bin Bin has to wear his onesie because it keeps him from overgrooming his fur to the point of balding and getting infections. She says in the clip that the cat has already been seen by his veterinarian, who suggested his unhealthy grooming habit may be due to stress, and recommended dressing him in a onesie to limit access to his fur.

"I highly recommend you to NOT clothe your cats or force them to if they do not like it. you shouldn't dress your cats up simply for fun, however Bin Bin is a special case since he is grooming his whole body and not targeted areas. Cones, collars, and other options have not worked since he knows how to take them off," the caption says.

Dr. Julie Hunt, veterinarian at Embrace Pet Insurance, told Newsweek that "psychogenic alopecia" is actually very rare and can only been diagnosed once all possible medical reasons have been ruled out.

She explained that the most common cause of overgrooming in cats is flea allergy dermatitis, which is actually an allergy to flea saliva, so even a bite from a single flea can trigger it.

"Owners commonly will rule this out if they haven't seen any fleas on their cat, but because FAD can be triggered by just one flea bite, it is still very possible to have FAD without a flea infestation."

Other common causes of overgrooming, according to Dr. Hunt, include bladder and gastrointestinal pain.

"Psychogenic alopecia can only be proven by ruling out other causes of overgrooming by performing bloodwork, urinalysis, and potentially abdominal x-rays and/or ultrasound.

"If these other causes are ruled out, the cat may have a psychologic cause for overgrooming. These cases often groom fur out over a large portion of the cat, and they are typically very symmetric on both sides of the cat," Hunt added.

In the post, Bin Bin's owner explains that her veterinarian has already ruled out ringworm, allergies, or fleas. They have also ruled out loneliness since he has a cat brother his same age.

"Bin Bin is a neutured indoor cat who is on a wet food diet with a wide variety of meats and textures consisting of no grains or carbs (tiki cat, wellness, vital essentials, etc)!!" she continues.

"For now the plan is simply to prevent him from overgrooming. Obviously if his condition gets worse I will go back to the vet and we'll figure out a new plan!"

A file photo of a cat wearing a onesie. A cat went viral after wearing a onesie on TikTok, but the reason why he has to wear it has left internet users in tears. Getty Images

According to Hunt, while wearing a onesie or sweater may limit a cat's access to a particular location of skin, it rarely is a good solution to the problem.

"FAD can be treated with effective flea control for the cat and all contact animals, as described above. Bladder or GI pain can be treated by addressing the cause; a veterinarian can evaluate and recommend treatment for these conditions.

"Finally, if the cat is found to be overgrooming for psychologic reasons (rare), there are medications and behavioral interventions that may improve this condition."

The video went viral on social media and it has so far received over 3.3 million views and 484,000 likes on the platform.

Newsweek reached out to @cindykaneki for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.

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