Bengal Cats

[warrenr]

I see from the small talk forum that there are a lot of cat lovers here. Are any of you familiar with the Bengal cat breed.

I currently have 2 cats. One born in 1987 and the other born 1990. A recent visit to the Vet indicated both are going through beginning stages of kidney failure and the older of the two also anemia. I am so saddened. Am taking the older cat back today for more tests. She has gone from 18 lbs down to 8 pounds in the last several months. The thought of what might occur today brings tears to my eyes. Those of you with pets understand. They are family members just like people.

I have always said that after these two cats "no more cats". Well, I allready find myself thinking about a new kitty. I guess that once you have had them you can't do without.

I have narrowed my choices down to one of two breeds. Either Bengal kitten or Maine Coon kitten. Has anybody here had experience with either breeds. If so, what can you tell me about them.

 

[Christina L]

It is so indescribably

It is so indescribably

hard to lose a pet. I don't know what to tell you except to love your cats while they are here and know that you will see them again someday.

As for getting a new family member, there are a lot of rescue groups on the internet where you can find specific breeds of cats - cats that need homes already. Even animal shelters have purebred animals. You may be able to find a purebred kitten in a shelter, believe it or not. There are MILLIONS of unwanted pets out there who are sitting in cages in animal shelters begging us with their eyes to take them home. I hope you will think about that option.

Christina L

 

[Wise]

Sorry to hear about your cats' health. I totally think a kitty will be a great help in your healing process....just my thoughts. We've only had cats for about a year and we are totally hooked. Didn't know they are such delightful creatures....yes, I know they have their moments, but that's fun sometimes too. All the best to you.

Wise

 

[catwoman]

Warren:

I lost one cat to renal failure in January 1996, so I know what you're going through. Your 2 cats are senior citizens and you have apparently given them excellent care for them to live to 15 & 18 years of age. According to Johnny Hoskins, DVM & prof @ LSU Vet School, cats become geriatric @ about 11-12 years of age. (I have Hoskins' vet textbook on feline & canine geriatrics.)
Anemia goes hand in hand with renal failure. You **can** give Epogen (sp?, I think made by Amgen, similar to Procrit) to boost red cell production and give your cat a sense of well-being. You can give fluids @ home to help flush out the kidneys, a type of "dialysis" at home. Sometimes a cat needs extra potassium (Tumil K is usual Rx given).
We kept our cat going almost 2 years with this regimen.

We have a "guest" Maine Coon Cat ("Cat" is part of the official name) kitten right now. Chaser just turned 7 months old and is about 13 (!!!!) pounds. I love his personality -- such a clown!!! I can e-mail you a photo to your private e-mail -- file is too big to post and I haven't learned how to reduce the size yet. After he becomes a grand champion, he will move to Australia.
He is the 2nd Maine Coon that has lived with us. The other was a female, who was very sweet.
I am not familiar with Bengals but I am with Ocicats, also a spotted breed of cat.
I also like American Shorthairs very much, particularly silver classic tabbys.

Like Christina said, there are rescue groups that work with these breeds. Some rescue groups are affiliated with cat registries. (Cat Fanciers' Association member clubs here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are working to get a rescue group up & running as a 501(c)3 organization. There are also breed-specific groups working with registries.)

If you need further info, feel free to PM or e-mail me.

 

[Georgia]

My mom had a Maine Coon cat (are you proud of me, Marsha??). He was absolutely the best ol' boy - very lovey and a lap cat (all 24 lbs of him). I'd get one in a heartbeat (except that I currently have 4 non-Maine Coon Cats and my hubby would have me institutionalized if I got another).

Haven't ever been around Bengals.

 

[Granbonny]

Warren

Warren

We have always had cats.. Our first one, Lucy, lived to the ripe age of 20.. When she started going down..we noticed that she stood over her water bowl..all the time..Died in her sleep. Living on a farm..they all lived to be over age 15..(No road-kill, ect...... Now we have an age 13 year old..Housecat..Only stays in den and kitchen..sleeping and eating.. Declawed, so cannot let her outside..She has traveled to many states with us in motorhome..Loves it..Noise never bothers her..Was raised in our houseboat..(While we were building a home on the lake)...Rufus, is age 5..and a great, big, fat, black cat..He is also a housecat..but will let him out during the day..No traffic where we live..Mainly stays in yard, porch, ect..and always comes when we call him... In house every night..Knows how to get my attention..just jumps on my computer.. ...Only bad thing..they both want only Fancy Feast to eat. Expensive, but beats diarrea..which the old one gets if we try to switch........Yes, we love Cats.Bonnie

 

[geebee]

As I sit here with my Abyssinian licking my face and rolling on my lap, I could not imagine life without him and his brother. I am so sorry your cats are ill and I wish you well in your search for a new kitty. Although it won't replace your guys, it will take some of the sting out of it.

I am not familar with the Bengal cat but I am with the Maine Coon and they are wonderful (a little too big for me to handle but........).

I wish you many, many years with any new addition to your family.

 

[Natanni]

Cats

Cats

So sorry to hear about the health of your cats! We have lots of animals, 2 Wedge Head or 'modern' Siamese, 2 Golden Retrievers, and 1 Saint Bernard!

I can't say as I have ever had the pleasure of meeting a Bengal, but was interested before in the Coon cats at one time. Our Siamese are very noisey, love to talk. Both come when called by name, and are very passionate about their chosen child. One loves to meet strangers and is boss of the dogs, and one doesn't like to meet new people and really doesn't like any dog either. Love this topic! I wish you well on the health of your kitties! I tried to do an attachment of our cats, but I can't preview it so maybe it won't go!

 

[PJmomrunner]

I have a three cats and love them all, but I really need to find a new home for one of them. We call her Pesto and she is a short hair brown tabby. She is 19 months old, very pretty, very friendly, very playful, healthy (has all shots), spayed and front declawed. She gets along very well with one of the other cats (who moved in with her and is about the same age), but is not very nice to the other cat (who was with us for 2 years before Pesto came along). She is not violent toward her, she just won't let Tiki near me and sort of bullies her. She also will not share a litter box with Tiki, so if Tiki's been in all three boxes, she won't use the box. Consequently, we have had Pesto separated for about a month. She's only allowed out of the unfinished basement for supervised visitation and only Alfredo is allowed to visit her. Pesto's not too happy about the arrangement, but nothing else seems to work. Any takers?

 

[hensylee]

daughter has two, I have two - all rescued from various bad situations. One's a strawberry blond, one is a tabby, two are black. Oldest is maybe 12, the youngest maybe 2. Cats are wonderful. Our dog is also rescued. She just showed up one day and we finally let her stay. She's a black & tan (mixed w/something) hound.

Brother had one for many years and she lost weight, too. He finally had to give her up. He's in assisted living and her illness and care was more than he could handle. It's hard to lose them and I am sorry you are losing yours. I really believe that when we lose a precious pet, we need to find another one right away. It helps the healing.