My female domestic short-haired cat has been excessively licking her tummy area.

We adopted her a while ago, and at the time she was licking two specific spots. The previous owner mentioned this was likely due to stress and would stop over time. However, it didn’t improve, so we took her to the vet.

Initially, the vet suspected she might be pregnant despite being spayed, but this was ruled out through testing. Her belly hair was trimmed for further examination, and the vet mentioned there could be a mass, although nothing definitive was confirmed. She was prescribed steroids and tablets to help calm her, and we were also advised that it could be a food allergy, so we switched her to a hypoallergenic diet for a period.

Despite this, the licking continued. After the steroid treatment, one of the affected areas improved and the hair grew back. However, the tummy area remained problematic. Since the hair hadn’t grown back there, she kept licking it, and it didn’t heal.

We returned to the vet, but they couldn’t find any clear cause. She was given another course of steroids and medication. She has also received flea treatment.

The hair is now slowly growing back, but the area is still red due to constant licking and lack of fur. We tried using a cone, which helped improve the condition. However, once the cone is removed, she starts licking again. While it’s not as severe as before, the area still worsens because the skin is exposed.

I’m now looking for advice on whether there is any cream or spray that could help the skin heal faster or encourage hair regrowth while we use a soft cone. We don’t want her to wear the cone all the time, as she’s much happier without it. I’m hoping that once the skin fully heals and the hair grows back, the issue will resolve-similar to the other spot that has now returned to normal.