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Ferel cat biting

14:15:08

Question
QUESTION: I took in a ferel cat he's been here about 5/6 yrs at the time I had 3 ragdoll cats 2 boys and a girl they all
Passed from various ailments over the last 3 yrs. the love of my life cat passed 1st and this ferel has taken on his personality. The girl cat he never bothered and the Oder boy and him used to have smack downs
No hiss or growl I think they just like to antogianize each other. This feral is a lapcat love bug and sticks to me like glue. However in the last few months he's been very bad. He bites big holes in my comforter and blankets
He eats well purrs all the time. Do you think he needs a playmate? Boy or girl? I would imagine he would be resentful of a boy.  My neighbor has his sister she's also a biter but not as bad as him.  I've had cats all my life but this one has me stumped. Medically he's healthy and a but fat... But good.

ANSWER: Ann,

I'm wondering if your stray kitty friend (ferals don't do laps and love bug, they are wild, unsocialized cats) was perhaps separated from mom too early or even has some siamese in his background. It sounds to me like you might be describing a self soothing behaviour called wool/blanket sucking/chewing... It's kind of an oral fixation of sorts, often in early weaned kittens or those with oriental heritage. You will want to watch your kitty if he has started this wool/blanket sucking/chewing behaviour as he can develop intestinal obstructions if he swallows big enough pieces that they don't go through his intestines as they should and this could result in the need for major surgery or even life threatening issues depending on how much he ingests and how sick he gets.

Signs to look for with an intestinal blockage are: vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy, diarrhea. Your kitty could also have a fever.. Generally he simply won't feel well and he will need medical attention if these symptoms develop.

I don't know if a playmate would help alleviate his anxiety or add to it - that is ultimately something you would know best based on his temperament. If you do opt for a playmate so long as said playmate is spayed/neutered gender is really a non issue - it's more about temperaments and personalities matching up. Perhaps your local rescue could help you find the purrfect match!

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me again at any time. I'm more than happy to help in any way that I can.

Kind regards,

Ali

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

Mudball
Mudball  
QUESTION: Yes he is part Siamese, his mother was white his sister is white he's brown and white all blue eyes. The mother was left here by someone who moved an just left her i think they were about maybe 1 or 2 mos old. Got the girl 1st after a few mos my neighbor has her and she a biter too (he's worse) it took me about 10 months to get him to trust me enough to let me touch him... He lived in a shelter on my deck I had a heating pad plugged in for him.... Gave him toys (which he saved in his house he never lost one... So cute) he's totally devoted to me. Always on my lap , purrs all the time and very loving he got along with the other 3 I had now he's alone and that's why I wondered if a playmate might keep him company, or will he be resentful???  His biting really began in the past yr after we had to put our last cat down due to kidney failure., it was the girl.
Here is a pix of him he's quite beautiful

Answer
Ann,

He is indeed stunning! As I mentioned, you might want to try testing him out with a local rescue -- perhaps they would be able to tell you if they had a cat that might suit him personality wise?

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me again at any time. I'm more than happy to help in any way that I can.

Kind regards,

Ali