My 3-year-old former queen Bengal is increasingly aggressive and displaying progressively bad behavior, such as biting and ignoring "no". She's actually putting herself in danger by jumping on kitchen counters where there might be knives, and on the stove where there might be live flames. Her former stud and love of her life, whom we also have, is now actually intimidated by her. She is still a sweetheart with her humans and loves to play and interact. What's wrong with my kitty? And how can I help her stop putting herself in danger and also to be friends again with the male?
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Adult Bengal: Progressively Bad Behavior
- Thread starter adrianna
- Start Date
I have a problem with kitchen surfaces like you with my male cat Ben. He is always jumping on the surfaces where there are knives. All he wants to do is lick the plates clean lol.
I always shout 'DOWN' when I see him on, but when my backs turned hes right back up on it. No idea how to stop it
I always shout 'DOWN' when I see him on, but when my backs turned hes right back up on it. No idea how to stop it
Hormones? That makes me jump into flames and knives!
All kidding aside maybe a trip to the vet would be in order? It could actually be hormones after all. We don't talk about it much with cats but it's a huge issue in horses who typically aren't altered, mares anyway. Maybe since she was bred and altered later in life she developed more hormones than a cat who is altered at an early age. For the horses there's a product called Mare Magic that we give the particularly snarky ones. We joke about taking it ourselves or slipping it into each others drinks as needed!
All kidding aside maybe a trip to the vet would be in order? It could actually be hormones after all. We don't talk about it much with cats but it's a huge issue in horses who typically aren't altered, mares anyway. Maybe since she was bred and altered later in life she developed more hormones than a cat who is altered at an early age. For the horses there's a product called Mare Magic that we give the particularly snarky ones. We joke about taking it ourselves or slipping it into each others drinks as needed!
It sounds like her late-life neutering is affecting her like The Change affects female humans. I remember my late mother going through The Change the way Gen. Sherman went through Georgia.
If the analogy is correct, she should settle down in time and become a sweet old lady.
As for the counter-jumping, try putting double-sided sticky tape on the counter; cats hate the feel of that on her paws, so if she associates the counter with that feeling, she won't want to go up there. Or you can balance a couple of saucepans on the edge; when she knocks them off, she'll be startled by the sound and will again associate jumping up with a loud, unpleasant noise.
If the analogy is correct, she should settle down in time and become a sweet old lady.
As for the counter-jumping, try putting double-sided sticky tape on the counter; cats hate the feel of that on her paws, so if she associates the counter with that feeling, she won't want to go up there. Or you can balance a couple of saucepans on the edge; when she knocks them off, she'll be startled by the sound and will again associate jumping up with a loud, unpleasant noise.
I have a Bengal girl who is naughty as can be and she was fixed at an early age. She is into everything. It is non stop all day long. She has to be watched closely when cooking and doing laundry! She is right smack in the middle of everything. She gets attitude too! But I love my little trouble maker.
Lol! I'm guessing that's after she burns Atlanta!
My Russian Blue queen was a B with a capital B! She hated everyone except for me and would let you know it (people and other cats). She only had one litter as I did not believe in breeding a cat with a bad temper. Her one son which we kept was a sweetheart, but he died young from cancer. (he had been on Ovaban for coat problems).
Anyway once she was spayed, she actually started liking people more and I managed to get her back in the show ring to get her Grand Champion as an altered cat!
Anyway once she was spayed, she actually started liking people more and I managed to get her back in the show ring to get her Grand Champion as an altered cat!
Mother in her youth trained as an opera singer.
Some years after The Change, she asked me if she had been really all that difficult. I said,
"Why no, Mother. At the time I just thought you were being a soprano."
I was standing across the room at the time, so she couldn't hit me.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #9
Thank you all for your logical, witty, and sometimes just plain funny, advice.
I too am going through "The Change", so maybe she and I have some commonalities. I think I'll ask my husband about that. But I'll warn him, first!
I too am going through "The Change", so maybe she and I have some commonalities. I think I'll ask my husband about that. But I'll warn him, first!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #10
I'm so sorry to hear about your boy. My male was a grand champion once, but soon after, my girl took a nip out of the back of his neck that left a scar, and his once velvety, highly glittered pet was permanently marred. No more awards for him! and this was BEFORE she started behaving badly!
