My little man is stressing me out!

**Art's Girl** · 12th November 2010, 04:08 PM

Hi all, I'm a newly registered member who is really pleased to have found a forum for all things purely maine coon!!
My beloved boy is called Arthur.
He's 3 and a half now and has been an absolute dream until this point!
I love him sooo much, my boyfriend often complains he is second to the cat!

Anyway i was after some advice. Arthur is a purely indoor pussy cat and has been all his life. He loves me utterly, loves visitors and especially loves dogs!
My boyfriend has recently moved in with me permanently and Arthur really seems to be struggling.
Boyfriend has moved in complete with a couple of reptiles in their vivariums etc but Arthur doesn't seem to be too bothered by them.
The first weekend when we moved my boyfriend in, Arthur was a bit flighty but he can sometimes be like that with slight changes to his circumstances or if he sees me pack a suitcase!
Since then though he seems to have settled, but he does not stop licking and scratching himself. Anytime he is not occupied he is scratching and licking himself! He even wakes me up at night to the sound of his licking!
I've tried trying to stop him, i've tried trying to distract him. He's been checked for fleas etc.
I tried Feliway spray but that seems to freak him out further! He gets all flighty and seems to be looking around for another cat whenever i've sprayed it!
I haven't been to the vet yet because other than the scratching he's fine!
I've brushed him, looked for any skin complaints and just can't see anything!

So i apologise for the long ramblings but basically i was after any advice on this? Has any one else experienced this with their Maine coon??
I think its just an adjustment period and maybe a slight jealousy thing towards my boyfriend but its been 10 days now and the licking just isn't showing any signs of stopping! Its driving me nuts!!

Any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated
Thanks

xx

**Tivicoons** · 12th November 2010, 06:15 PM

Hi there... my cats all react differently to changes in their circumstances; we have moved home a couple of times in the last three years and most of the cats take it all in thier stride. BUT I have a smoke girl who rips out her fur on her neck and face, (it starts with over zealous grooming) she looks a terrible sight but it is nerves, she settles down and is soon as hairy as ever!

My stud cat lost his best friend this year, they had been together since Indy was a kitten... Riley tore a huge hunk of hair out due to over grooming and scratching... it seems a way that some cats deal with stress or in Riley's case grieif. He is ok now but it put paid to going to any shows! He has never exhibited this behavior before and hopefully wont again... the cats have never had mites or fleas... it seems to be a temporary behavioural 'vice' so even if Arthur takes it to the extremes that my two cats have, he will get over it!

**Antonia** · 12th November 2010, 06:20 PM

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

So sad to hear about Arthur… the last thing you want is an unhappy kitty. I agree with Tivicoons. Chances are it's temporary.

In the meantime you could check this stuff out
TREATING ANIMALS WITH Bach Flower Essences®

I have never tried it myself, but I’ve heard of some good results with it.

Good luck!

**FreyjaRoMaine** · 12th November 2010, 09:13 PM

Welcome, Arts Girl and Arthur, good to have you with us.

Sorry to hear Arthur's struggling. I've not experienced what Arthur's going through, but when I brought my second MC home my breeder suggested a product called Zylkene to help calm my existing MC down. Zylkene has got lactic acid in it and simulates the calming feeling that 'mothers milk' gives to new born kittens. Ideally, you're supposed to start putting it in their food/drink about two weeks before the stressful event is expected, but I started using it on Freyja a day or two after MC2 came home and only needed to use it for 4 or 5 days. I mentioned it to the vet before I tried her on it and he gave me the thumbs up.

You could also try the Feliway diffuser rather than the spray - it chucks the pheremone's out like a plug in air freshener so it's constantly in the atmosphere for about a month.

Hope Arthur settles down again soon, must be so stressful for you. Keep us all posted, and don't forget to post some photo's of Arthur when you get a chance x

**jckkerrison** · 12th November 2010, 09:26 PM

I agree with Karen Zylkene is a good one to try,don't know if the diffuser would be of much more help,tried that in our house when daughter was moving back home to live for a while
with her cats & one of mine done the same as Arthur & freaked out,I tried to calm him down & ended being well & truly bitten for my troubles,so the capsules could be the better way to go as he reacted badly to the spray.
Good luck.....

**merindah** · 13th November 2010, 01:17 AM

I agree with the Feliway diffuser. I hope things get better but if they don't I would recommend a vet check. Did you change his food or laundry detergent? Something that he might be allergic to?

**Art's Girl** · 25th November 2010, 04:18 PM

I apologise for the delay in letting people know how i'm getting on. Not only is my beloved Art been stressing me out but i have a boyfriend who is turning 30 this weekend!
Anyway good news is Arthur is showing some improvement. I was worried about him so to put my mind at rest we took him to the vet to be checked over.
He was frontlined (despite no evidence of fleas), given a steroid injection to hopefully break the cycle of scratching his scabs..... i also bought the Feliway plug in.
He stopped scratching almost immediately! He seems to be less flighty and much more his usual cocky self!

If either my boyfriend or i pay much attention to the reptiles, then Arthur does sneak off to start sneakily over grooming but i'm trying to be patient. If i play with him and give him lots of cuddles i'm hoping in time things will get back to normal!
So seems like it was just cat anxiety and me disrupting his little life that upset him!
As i told my boyfriend...... I'm Art's girl and best he doesn't forget that!

I'm quite interseted in the bach remedies for animals though so i'll have a look at that.
Really appreciate everyones help. So nice to put my mind at rest. Thank you.

**FreyjaRoMaine** · 25th November 2010, 07:08 PM

Good to hear things are improving. It's amazing how much it affects us when the cats are stressed!

**Helen & John** · 26th November 2010, 08:33 AM

I have read this with some interest as in a couple of weeks I am going to be turning my pairs wourld upside down!

I will disapear for a day or so which will confuse them and we are not sure how Roxy will take that as she is a real Mummys girl and will then will return with a baby!!!

We know from moving the living room around how little they like change, two sulking kitties glaring at us from the stairs as we did it

It's going to be an interesting time I did consider getting a plug in before I finished work for my maternity leave this week but would have had to buy a couple due to the size of the living room so didn't, just made Hectors day when I came home from work with two sacks of food (we are starting to introduce the RC main coon food to them now) I think he was trying to hug the bags bless him.

**jckkerrison** · 26th November 2010, 10:15 AM

Getting to an exciting stage now,bet Roxy will be the one that surprises you & adapts the quickest to a new bundle even though its not four legged & furry....!
Pity I threw my plug adaptor away as I could have sent it on but after the reaction Shimba had I daren't leave it in the house in case some smart person found it & plugged it in wondering what it did,would not want to go through that experience again,I think that cat is a law unto himself,if any of my six are going to react to the norm he is the one.