Indoor cat issues

Cat's name: Oliver (male, fixed [late, not early on], not declawed)

Breed: Maine Coon

Age: Unsure... probably 3-4?

Backstory: About a year ago, Oliver was basically given a life sentence inside my room. According to my stepmom, he had peed all over some things of her's (even though we had gotten him neutered) and it pissed her off so much that we had three choices: a) get rid of him, b) teach him to be an outdoor cat, or c) confine him to my room.

So we kept him in my room, but at first for a few days we took him outside into the backyard and supervised him to see if he'd get used to things out there. He mostly stayed on the patio, but he ventured out into the yard once or twice. But since then, he's been kept in my room all this time. He's got everything he needs: food, water, litter box, toys, and a perch on my bed to look out my window. At first, he kept pawing at my bedroom door every so often, but he's since stopped (unless I leave the room for a period of time, then he starts meowing and pawing at it after a bit).

But anyway, I've noticed strangeness in his behavior and physical oddities too, lately. I'm not sure how long it's been going on entirely, my memory's not that good, but... it's been going on a while.

Yes, I'm fully aware that a vet visit would be best, but I want to see if anyone here can help without having to schedule a visit just yet.

Weird Behaviors/Symptoms:

- His gums are really pale pink (or white), but from what I researched it means he's dehydrated and yet he's been drinking his clean water just fine.

- The bases (the parts hidden by his fur) of his toenails are dark/black (the quicks, maybe? I'm not sure). I only just found that out today.

- He will sometimes sit/lay in his litter box (he's never really done that before until recently). He can pee and poop just fine, though, so I don't think it's that he's having issues doing his business.

- He's shedding a lot. I'm not sure if it's more than normal, if it's just the "right season" for Maine Coons to shed, or if it's stress-related. His fur tends to come out in little clumps. We have a blanket lying over my bed at the foot where he lays by my window, and everytime he gets up or shifts, I can see little tufts of fur on the blanket, even if it was just cleaned off or washed before.

- He paws at my window (often meowing) a lot lately. I'm not sure if it's just because it might be "mating season" for stray cats in our neighborhood, or if it's something else.

- He's scratching a lot more than he used to. He almost never scratched quite this much before we took him outside those few times. I think he has fleas, but I can't be sure.

Again, yes, I'm fully aware that a vet visit would be best, but I want to see if anyone here can help without having to schedule a visit just yet.

I think that's all the information I can offer.

Thanks in advance for your input!

- Softfang/Emily

Do you have a flea comb? If you do, comb through his fur carefully. If you catch flakes that look like black pepper, that's flea dirt. If you don't have a flea comb, put the cat on a white towel and give him a good thorough brushing. See what falls out of him. I think he needs to go to the veterinarian on Monday, regardless.

Have you tried putting a harness on him, so you can take him out for walks? I think this will really help as it sounds like he is craving more space.

As for the gums, maybe give some wet food to really ensure he's getting enough water. Sometimes a water dish just isn't enough unfortunately.

Regarding the fur, how often do you brush/groom him? Maybe his coat "needs help" shedding. A really good brushing with a slicker brush a couple times a week should help with that

Very pale gums can be a sign of anemia.  Also, laying in his litter box could mean that he's actually eating it, and if it's clay litter, that is also a sign of anemia.  If you think he has fleas, they can definitely be the cause of anemia, since they are blood suckers, although he would probably have to have a LOT of them for a LONG time for that to occur. 

If, indeed, he has anemia, he needs Veterinary care, as that can be deadly. 

There's something else, too, that causes cats to eat clay kitty litter, but I can't remember what it is. I know it goes hand-in-hand with anemia, though. Anyone got a better memory than me? It was one of the things that was on the maybe list when Rassy was so sick, but in her case, that wasn't it.

If you don't have a flea comb you can try having him stand on a piece of white paper and ruffling his coat. If there are black specs on the paper you'll know he's got fleas. This is caused by the flea debris. (waste, dried cat blood) Hope this helps little!