Advice please! Behaviour issues also concerns over food...

[jobnockey]

Hi all,

Just hoping for a bit of advice. Our rescue cat has been with us for about 3 months (he’s 4 years old). He seemed to be settling in well with us but although he has his cuddly, purry side he seems more and more to be biting and scratching us when we go to touch him. It seems to be play behaviour (i.e he doesn’t seem scared of us) so I’m trying to make sure we spend time playing with him each day but he’s still doing it a lot, especially to poor DS who he keeps scratching. DS is 11 and doesn’t hassle the cat and knows how to approach him etc but the cat will often lash out at him for no reason we can see. I’m worried he’s stressed or anxious about something as he seems to be over grooming a bit as well, particularly at the base of his tail and his back where I’ve found a little bald patch (only small but definitely there). He definitely doesn’t want to be touched on his back either but I know that’s normal for some cats…

So if this is the case and he’s stressed, what can we do to help him relax? He does get to go outside but we have a lot of other cats in the neighbourhood so he hasn’t roamed very far so far and mainly just sits on the back step surveying the garden – I thought this could be causing him stress maybe, as he may want to go out but feels scared to?

I’m also looking for advice on changing his dry food as he’s been eating applaws since we got him but I’ve just been reading reviews from other owners reporting hair loss and other health complaints after eating it so want to change in case this is affecting him. Any suggestions? (if it’s cheaper than applaws that would be a bonus too!) Arden grange seems good value on zooplus but not sure…

Should I be taking him to the vets? He’s eating, drinking and toileting normally and he still loves a cuddle so he’s not completely rejecting us but should I be more concerned about the hair loss?

[Fluffycloudland77]

Mine loved Arden grange. It was good food.

Try the vets first, rule out anything medical.

[jobnockey]

Okay I’ll check him out again tonight and perhaps book him in for vets. Feel loathed to spend money for them to tell me what I think I know already!

[Leah2005]

Have you tried one of the feliway plug ins? We bought one for ours when we first had him and he settled quite nicely. If he's upset about something it might be worth a try.

[jobnockey]

I keep reading about feliway, it does work then?