Some Worries About New Cat

I've had my new cat, Harvey for almost a week now. I got him from my teacher after her neighbor abandoned him when they moved. He had been attacked, with a weepy paw and infested with fleas, but now he's all cleaned up and healed. He is also missing a leg from a previous accident. We believe it was a car accident. Harvey has been through a lot.

He seems pretty settled in his new house and with his new people. He's on my bed right now grooming himself, but there are a few things my family and I are worried about.

He hasn't been eating and drinking very much. He will eat human food, and begs for it, but not his cat food from what we've seen.

He has bumps that have broken out on the top of his head and down his neck. Nothing awful, but they are crusty and new since we brought him home.

He will bite sometimes.

He meows a lot when he feels he is alone. We could all be asleep, and he'll hop down from my bed and go out in the hall to start meowing at 4 am. He also does this if someone is in another room than him, but he also likes to go be by himself and not be near people, and will get weird about being touched.

Despite this sometimes stand offish behavior, he is incredibly affectionate. He likes to snuggle and be pet and is warming up more and more to stepping onto our laps.

He use to be an outdoor kitty, but the vet said to keep him indoors now, and he's not happy about it.

Any suggestions or advice to calm our worries would be appreciated.

My cat is kinda the same he meows a lot when he see's himself alone I'm thinking it's because he doesn't want to be lonely. Also for the food part I believe he was only getting fed human food or doesn't like cat food. Have you tried giving him some canned food see if he will eat that? Also you can try to give him different dry food. For the skin it might be a skin infection I am unsure but I have a female cat who would get these crusty bumps on her lower back and tummy. Maybe you should ask a vet about those bumps. Other reasons would be because he was used to his outside life and not inside around people. He might start getting used to being inside.

Hi @Kaitlin D and welcome to TCS!

How wonderful that Harvey has found a loving home.

The food issue is really important as cats have such specific needs.  I'd find a wet food that he really likes.. when my two are off their food I find chicken mixed with tuna does wonders.  I'm not wild about seafood for cats, but a little often gets them going.   If he only has human food he's missing some major nutrients.

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I really think the bumps need to be seen by a vet...

Some cats do just bite sometimes.  As you get to know him, you'll discover the triggers and avoid them.

As for the meowing and little idiosyncrasies, he needs time to settle in.  It's really difficult to tell what kind of a cat he is when he's so new.  The fact that he's a snuggle boy and is warming more and more is really encouraging!

Coming indoors is a big ask for a cat, but one that really serves them in the end.  The idea is to offer as much as you can indoors to keep him happy. Vertical space, scratch posts, little nooks and places to be safe, toys and playing all help the process.

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Good luck with your boy.. he sounds like a darling.  (any photos? )

Sounds good! Thank you for the sources. I'm starting to think it's fleas. I'm starting to get bit again myself. :-( Gotta keep trying to get rid of them.

As for pictures...

what a gorgeous boy...

You really need to stop those fleas or you'll have them throughout the house and it will need to be flea-bombed.

Do you have anything like Revolution to put on him?