Not sure if foster cat doing well

[catfoster09]

Hi all,

I have a middle aged fiv+ cat as a foster for about 6 weeks now, friendly feral noticed by a feeder. The rescue wants to do dental in the next month because his teeth is very worn down, brown, bad breath at times, almost looks like he doesn't have any teeth.

The problem is this cat acts like it has hyper T. He went from 11 to 10lbs as of the 6th week with me, so this week I'm upping the amount of food he gets and observing...they originally told me not to overfeed because he'll always dive in to feast like no tomorrow. Litter box is fine altho he doesn't always cover his bowel movements.

If we have any food microwaved, made, cooked, etc he gets hungry and follows me. He's started to pace this week a lot before and after meals, and even many hours before his feed time at night. Like if I feed him at 8-9am, and 7pm at night, he'll start to look for food around 12 noon.

His fur around his eyes, ears, back of ears, and inner front legs are balding more and more each week. Only his back, stomach, tail seems to be fine. But his fur doesn't seem thick? Like the cats I used to have or pet sit always have copious amounts of fur coming off but this foster cat doesn't, cause he's ex tom cat from the street? Genetics?

They tell me he's stressed out and that's why his fur be that way. He got tested already and nothing about thyroid issues. He does scratch back of his head often. They're not concerned about his balding at this point.

When I play toys with him, he'll chase it but then he immediately goes to grooming, like oh wait I forgot to groom kind of thing. And then if I move the toy around he'll swat it and all, and then go straight back to grooming. And then sometimes he start to zoomie around after chasing a toy for 5 sec. I am not sure if its the catnip inside the toy that causes that.

Does this sound like dental issues or thyroid? Kidney issues? He gets home made raw since I also do raw for my dog, and sometimes fancy feast, no dry food at all. He's also begun to be really clingy, following me often, actually gets on my lap sometimes, purrs more. If dental, wouldn't he not eat cause of the pain? I've never had a cat be this hungry. All my pet sit cats just grazed, even when only fed wet.

They gave me another antibiotics cause he's shooting snot from his nose everywhere real bad, he's always had some congestion but it's worse this week. If it doesn't work then they move up the dental appt.

I did send a long list of things I noticed to the rescue a few weeks ago but again, they think it's all on the dental. This is my first year of owning/fostering cats so I am not familiar with cat issues, but something always feels off with him.

[Mollycat]

Feral - that's all you need to know to explain his obsession with food, and as you are the source of food, he's going to follow you for it. He sounds like he is bonding with you as well, but for a cat who never knew where his next meal was coming from, it will be an obsession and that will be why he eats anything he can - in case there isn't any more later. You can help him to learn that there will always be food but maybe that will be a job better left to his permanent home, in case they don't want to feed him in the same way that you do. Personally I like a free-fed cat rather than a schedule one but that isn't suited to every cat or acceptable to every owner.

Sounds like maybe he has fleas or some other parasitic, bacterial or fungal issue if he is itching so bad and going bald. It could be stress from being in a house but physical issues are easiest to rule out and treat.