I recently adopted a cat from a rescue in Phoenix.  He is a large maine coon that was said to 5 years old.  At our first meeting I went to pet him and he bit me.  His biting behavior continues.  He is affectionate to us.  He talks to us and greets us at the door.  Purrs like crazy.

He will jump into my lap whenever I sit down and clearly likes to be petted but only under his face and his head.  His skin will ripple if I pet his body toward his hind end.  (obviously some issue) He has jumped onto our bed at night, come up by my head, purring and bit me when I reached out to pet him.

There is no pattern that I can see for when he will bite.  But we now watch his ears a clear sign he has had enough petting and may bite.  You just have to put him on the floor and leave him. 

He seems happy here.  He is well taken care of.  The only thing I know about his history is that he was abandoned in an apartment with another cat. 

For a 5 year old he seems inactive.  Any pet communicators out there?  His papers said he “appears” to be neutered. 

anyone?

Barbie—From your description, it’s possible that your new kitty has “feline hyperesthesia syndrome.” This is a poorly understood problem in cats and these kitties typically have one or more of the following signs and symptoms:  Rippling of the skin, running through the house (as if being chased) and biting when certain areas of the body are stroked (or when petting exceeds a certain number of strokes).

My Mona was one of these cats. She was wonderful, affectionate and loved to rub on us, but could not be petted other than the top of her head.

There are a number of excellent veterinarians in the Phoenix area and I’d encourage you to talk to them about possible treatments.

Michele Gaspar, DVM, DABVP (Feline)

Thank you!  I will definitely talk to a vet about what can be done. He does have the rippling skin.