The Bengal - A Wild Pet?

Breed history

The first mention of the breed we now know as the Bengal was in 1889, when Harrison Weir mentioned them in his book Our Cats and All About Them. The first confirmed discussion of a hybrid cat was in 1934 when a scientific journal in Belgium discussed the breed, and again in Japan in 1941 when one was discussed being kept as a pet.

Jean Mill (nee Sugden) was one of the most influential people in the development of the Bengal as the breed we know today. She wrote an influential term paper for her genetics class at UC Davis regarding the cross breeding of species of cats in 1946. Greg and Elizabeth Kent were important early breeders who crossed their cats with the ALC and also the Egyptian Maus.

Today, the breed has become very popular with around 60,000 cats registered with TICA, though not all associations accept them. The Cat Fanciers Association is one example of a group that will not accept them because of their hybrid status.

In 2007, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in the UK removed the previous requirement for owners to have a license to own these cats.

Description

The ideal of a Bengal is a cat that resembles the wild Asian Leopard Cat with the trustworthy and pleasant temperament of a domestic cat. These cats are large and very muscular with high hindquarters and a thick tail. Their coat is spotted or marbles and has a gold or pearl dusting effect to their coat that is unique to the Bengal.

The voice of these cats is also different to other domestic cats; they are known for their cooing and chirping noises as well as normal cat vocalizations. They enjoy playing in water and love to jump and somersault.

The F system

Currently there is a system used to designate how many generations removed from the Asian Leopard Cat a particular Bengal is. For example, an F4 is four generations removed from the wild cat while F2 is only two generations. Experienced Bengal keeps recommend that F1-3 are not kept as pets but as breeding animals in special housing while F4 onward are perfectly suited as pets.

Living with a Bengal

While every cat is as different as every human is, when it comes to living with a Bengal there are a few points to bear in mind. These cats have a very distinct and strong personality, being intelligent, lively and very interactive cats who demand a full two-way relationship with their owners. They are dynamic and very much involved in the activities around the house, which makes them sound much like the Oriental breeds. Yet breeders are quick to say that this not the case.

Firstly, these cats are shown to be extremely athletic. They climb anything available, love to run around and can jump spectacular heights. They are known to jump onto people's shoulders from a couple of meters away to see what the person is doing. Kittens are often described as a stampede of spotty fluff that are constantly on the go and seem to be everywhere at once.

However, this isn't to say that they never rest. Around 60% of the time, they are the placid and cuddly cat that rolls onto its back for a cuddly or nuzzles your face. They like to snuggle up with their owners and will often sleep next to them at night.

The main problem people encounter with the Bengal can come from one of their most basic characteristics - their energy levels. Because they are so active, bounding around the house and jumping about people often are scratched by accident or even tripped over! This may mean that they are not ideal in a household with small children as the accidents could be more severe. They can be trained and will learn that a hiss or a firm 'stop' or 'no' will teach them not to do something but most of the time, scratches and such are accidents caused by their pure exuberance.

Protecting your Bengal

There are a few basic ideas to keep in mind to protect your Bengal:

• Keep them indoors so they don't get lost or run in front of a car
• Make sure they always have an ID tag on a collar with your phone number on it so that if they do get lost, someone can get in touch with you but don't put the cat's name or your name on the tag
• Consider microchipping for the same reason
• Install netting over windows that need to be open as they are great escape artists
• When travelling, use the correct travelling cage and face them away from strangers
• Teach your Bengal its name and get them to respond to it
• Consider insuring your cat as while generally healthy, it can expensive if anything goes wrong

Conclusion

People sometimes view the Bengal as wild and while it can sometimes act a bit wild, it is a completely domesticated cat. It is however a very energetic and full-on cat that may not be suitable for every household, particularly those with small children. If your home does seem the right place for one of these cats, they make fantastic and devoted members of the family.

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Cat Meowing - Understanding Your Cat's Behavior

When you see your cats meowing a lot and the pitch is high, it doesn't mean that it is hungry and it doesn't mean you have to get up and feed it. This will not only ruin your cat's manners but it will also make a cat think that by meowing my human will feed me. This will just make your cat obese and will disrupt its feeding hours.

Cats meowing means a lot of things apart from food demands. Your cat might meow due to a number reasons, for instance, they might have some problem, they might be complaining of some pain, they might need medical attention, they might need to go to their litter boxes, they might be warning you or they might be just wanting to talk to you or to grab your attention.

Let me give you an example here. In February 2011, late after 11pm, I returned home after a one hour visit to my aunt. When I returned, my male blue Persian cat was very hyperactive, he was running here and there and was meowing in a heavy voice. My first thought was maybe he's getting excited to see me after I was away for an hour or maybe he needs food. I went into the kitchen and gave him his food in his bowl and returned to my bedroom and got busy with my computer. The meowing continued and this time my cat kept on pulling my shirt and literally dragged me towards my entrance door. However again I ignored him and took him to his food bowl where I saw that his food was untouched. I, then, reached into my cabinet and grabbed a pouch of his favorite cat food. He even resisted that. After 2 minutes my cat just ran and went under my bed and that was the time I felt strong tremors of an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the recto scale. I grabbed my footwear my cat and ran downstairs. That was the time I got to know that my cat's meowing was actually a warning for me to get out of the house and find a safe place so that I can be saved. However no harm was caused in my city.

After this incident, I figured out that cat's meowing means a lot apart from showing hunger or food demands. If one is sick and tired of useless meowing and is annoyed of this habit, then your cat can be trained well. When your cat is meowing, ignore them. Once they are silent and settled in feed them with a treat. You need to make a schedule of your life in which you can assign a specific time period in which you can play with your cat and spend quality time with it. Ignorance can also lead into excessive meowing. If you notice your cat is meowing and not purring, it means there's some trouble with your cat or there is a warning.

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How to Lessen Hairballs for Your Cat

by Ron_Ayalon

Every cat owner is well familiar with the 'horking' sound that their cat makes every week or two that results in a compact hair sausage being deposited on the floor. Owners generally become fairly blasé after cleaning up a few hairballs, but you should also be aware of how they form, how to prevent them from developing as frequently, and the complications that can arise.

Unlike most dogs who will take a lick of two at their paws and consider that they have groomed enough, cats are grooming dynamos. Even tiny kittens will start grooming at a very early age and this continues throughout the life of the cat.

The tongue of a cat is covered with little hooks which easily pick up dead and loose hairs when the cat licks herself. Cats spend a considerable amount of time during the day cleaning, so the opportunity of collecting hair is great. The hair that is taken up by the tongue is inevitably swallowed and enters the digestive system. The greater portion of the swallowed hair passes harmlessly through the stomach and intestines and is deposited in the litter box. However, some always remains and will develop into a hairball in time.

Other than being disgusting, most hairballs cause no problems at all for your cat. Unfortunately, sometimes a hairball blockage can occur in the stomach or intestines - at times a mega-hairball will form in the stomach that takes up the entire space of the organ. There are clues that will tell you that your friend may be having problems with a hairball:

• You cat may become constipated - normal passage of stool will be prevented by the hairballs.
• Conversely, your cat may have diarrhea as the intestinal irritation from the hairballs causes food to pass too quickly through the system.
• Cats with blockage have no energy and will simply lie around.
• If your cat attempts to vomit (dry heaves), but is unable to bring anything up, the hairball may be too large to expel in the normal way.
• Appetite will fall off dramatically when blockage occurs.
• A large hairball can press against the lungs, causing the cat to wheeze and cough.

At this point, you will have to consult your vet to have him or her resolve the hairball problem. The first step will be palpation of the cat's abdomen, followed by an x-ray. If a large hairball is present anywhere in the gastrointestinal system, surgery must be done to remove it. This can be very expensive so owners should make every effort to prevent hairballs from forming in the first place.

It would be completely unrealistic to suppose that you can prevent your cat from swallowing hair at all, but there are some things that you can do to help keep hairball problems at a minimum.

Brush your cat. Not surprisingly, long haired cats are much more likely to develop problem hairballs than short haired ones. However, a daily brushing of your cat will help remove most of the loose hairs before they do begin to form a ball. Starting this when your cat is young is a good idea not only to help prevent hairballs, but also to provide a nice time for you and your cat to interact together. After the brushing session is complete, run a damp cloth over the fur to pick up any stray hairs. Brushing will be very important if your cat undergoes an annual shedding.

Some cats are more dedicated to grooming than others, and these super-groomers are more likely to develop hairball problems. You can help to keep the cat's tongue in his or her mouth by providing a new toy or two and by playing with the cat - both of you will probably have a great time.

Oral lubricants are available at pet supply stores or through your vet. These help keep matter moving through the digestive tract more quickly and getting the hair out of the system will prevent the formation of hairballs.

Fiber rich cat foods have been found to be valuable at preventing hairballs. As with any new food, however, introduce it slowly to prevent any stomach upsets.

Cats can pick up human hair from the floor when they groom, and this can be a problem especially if the humans in the house have long hair - it will go down right along with the cat hair. Regular vacuuming can help keep these hairs out of your cat's insides.

And lastly, don't let your cat become obese; fat cats are more likely to be constipated, which slows down the normal passage of matter through the intestines and contributing to hairball accretion.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ron_Ayalon

Pet Health Care 101: Feline Diarrhea Overview

Pet Health Care 101: Feline Diarrhea Overview

by Kris_Mack

Diarrhea is one common problem that many cat owners talk about when it comes to their pet's health. Diarrhea occurs when pets exhibit loose or watery stool. Although the gastrointestinal problem can be solved in less than a week, chronic diarrhea may also be a sign of other underlying health problems.

Diarrhea Types

Diarrhea can be categorized into two types - acute and chronic. Acute diarrhea usually occurs suddenly and would last for two to three weeks. This type occurs when osmosis imbalances exist in the body of the pet or the water content in the pet food is high. Other reasons are - presence of bacteria or toxins in the body, presence of ulcer that causes intestinal exudation and motility disorder. Chronic diarrhea, on the other hand, occurs when the problem lasts longer and blood or mucus is present in the stool.

Causes

There are plenty of causes that can be attributed to the problem and one of them is the food that pet owners give to their pets. Felines are lactose intolerant, which can cause problems if they happen to eat dairy products. Another is when cats scavenge for food that might already be spoiled. Eating of food that contains toxins or medications may also result in poisoning of the pet and diarrhea may be one effect. Some cats may also contract bacterial infection, viral or parasitic by nature.

Natural Treatment

If the diarrhea is acute, homeowners can try some natural treatments to relieve their pet's health problem. Some experts recommend giving probiotics such as plain yogurt to introduce good bacteria to the body. Changing the food may also help especially if the previous canned food contain plenty of fillers which can be harmful to the pet's digestive tracts. As dehydration is possible during this phase, it is recommended that pet owners should always provide their cats with fresh water to drink or choose premium canned food.

When to Contact the Vet

Pet owners should contact their vet if blood is seen in their pet's stool; loose stool is coupled with vomiting, signs of fever and lethargy as well as sudden weight loss of their pet. Their pet doctor would conduct a series of tests including blood test to check for signs of parasitic infection, ultrasound as well as biopsy. It is important that pet owners should not self-medicate their pets especially using human medicines or drugs as some of these may actually cause more harm than good to their pets.

For more information on diarrhea in cats, including signs and symptoms, please click one of the links. Feline diarrhea is a common gastrointestinal disorder among pet cats, but with proper knowledge and information, pet owners would be able to make smart and informed decisions when it comes to their pet's health.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kris_Mack