I Just Don't Know!!!

I have a The Seal Lynx Point Bengal male and he's 5 months old. My vet says she knows about the exotic breed, but everything is so expensive and I am trying to save up for him. I have 3 different diseases, juvenile diabetes, CRPS, and peridontal disease. My oldest daughter is going to college in the fall, and my youngest daughter has ERB'S Palsy from birth and is in a lot of pain since she's growing. She's 11. My hubby bought me my Casper, after we had to put down my pain cat of 15 years. I was and still am devastated. But, my Casper has helped me out.

When we first brought him home, he was sneezing all the time. Then it turned in to a backward sneeze. He went on medication for that. Right after that he started having diarrhea. He was tested twice and came up clean. The only thing he hasn't been tested for is tri something infestation. It's so expensive! We've switched foods and he's still got runny poo-poo, but it has a little form to it. I'm feeding him Natural Instinct, which my hubby read was a very good food for Bengals.

He's still running around and playing and he's not dehydrated, I check him every day several times. I feel so bad for him and I need to clean up this problem before I can get him fixed and declawed. Which I need him to get declawed because he has such a habit of trying to climb up my leg and getting to my back and hanging on. I don't know if he's trying to get somewhere, like a countertop or something, or he gets too excited and just wants to be near me for dear life. And my endocrinologist is scared my wounds won't heal. I don't cut his nails because I shake. And my other cats are declawed and he's hurting them when he plays.

I just need lots of advice as far as the diarrhea, vaccinations, and fixing and declawing. He's up for his fourth round of shots, which I haven't gotten yet because of my daughters bone and muscle problems and the diarrhea. My vet wanted to put him on some two meds. Ones a pill and ones a powder. I can't remember what they were.

Any help, advice, or links will be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Tracey

First, dont declaw. Do not. Do not!  Get someone to help you with cutting his nails if you are shaky. Get him some good scratching places.  Bengals is a lively breed, he will be easier if he has a cat pal to play, run about and wrestle with. Having two cats is often easier than having one!

If it doesnt helps, there are "Soft paws"?, a plastic thing you set on their nails...  Works quite nicely.

Ask the vet to write down what he tells, and what medicines he writes out. difficult for us to help if you dont remember - and he does gets...

this you will test is probably trichomonas, some sort of parasites I have a vague memory of...

Have you tried with probiotic?  many cats and humans get help here with diarrheactic stomach.

Plain unsweteened youghurt may also work - this is a basic form of probiotics.  There are sorts with extra much of good bacterias...

Good luck!

Which medication was he given for the sneezing? Antibiotics often cause diarrhea. Then you switched his food, which can also cause diarrhea, especially if not transitioned slowly. I agree with StefanZ that probiotics (a good human grade one - not fortiflora) may help here.

Also, please do not declaw. He is just being a kitten, and you must give him training and proper outlets. Declawing is amputation, and different behavior problems can result because of the declawing.

don't declaw your cat its a amputation of the bone and its painful for the cat and most cats declawed wont use the litter box because the cat litter makes them be in more pain and if a declawed cat gets outside he wont be able to defend himself i know i had a declawed cat he indeed up outside an showed up dead. please read up on declawing

i did not declaw him he was already like that

There are other ways to deal with the clawing.  He is both a Bengal and a kitten which means lots of energy and play is a constructive way to drain that energy.  He needs to play hard to the point that he is panting and can't go on anymore.  You don't have to expend a lot of energy yourself, get interactive toys like da bird.  You haven't mentioned a problem with clawing furniture and rugs but since your other cats are declawed you probably don't have things that he can claw.  My apartment has gotten to the point that it is starting to look like a pet shop.  I have things scattered all over that they can claw.  Things like cat trees are good also both for the clawing and vertical space.  While he is still in this hyper kitten stage soft paws are a good idea for your and your other cats protection.  The digestive problems may very well be food related.  I don't know anything about raw diets but especially since he is a hybrid it may very well be something to look into.  

I can't add much more to what has already been said. His diarrhea will clear up once off the antibiotics and he has become accustomed to his new diet. Plain yogurt, not the non fat kind, is a good probiotic he can handle and cats seem to love it. Pumpkin puree, not pie filling, can also help.

Here is a link that shows how Soft Claws work: http://www.softclaws.com/index.php?pet=cat Your vet can apply them and it's the humane alternative to declawing.

Your hubby bought you an exotic cat. They require a bit more work in expelling their energy, on top of the fact he is still a kitten also. We have some members here who know exotics, and hopefully can chime in with more advice.

vball91 said:

Which medication was he given for the sneezing? Antibiotics often cause diarrhea. Then you switched his food, which can also cause diarrhea, especially if not transitioned slowly. I agree with StefanZ that probiotics (a good human grade one - not fortiflora) may help here.

Click to expand...

Absolutely. Do you have access to a health food store? If so, just ask them for their best acidophilus probiotic. You want at least 5 million CFU (colony forming units) as he's just five months old. He may need it twice a day for a week, and then once daily for another two weeks or so. But his healthy gut bacteria was wiped out by the antibiotic, and he needs that restored. Forget pet probiotics - they're made of fermentation product, which has benefits, but is not the same as live cultures. (They're also a lot more expensive!) This is the probiotic I use for my cats:
If the use of the probiotic doesn't help, you may then want to consider a bland diet for a week: just plain boiled chicken and some of the broth it was boiled in. You can also make this 50% chicken and 50% plain white rice (cooked).

If on the combination of probiotic and the bland diet, his stool doesn't firm up, then you do need to have the further testing done of his stool to see if there are any other bacteria/parasites. But he's not a rescue cat, so those are less likely.


And here are nail cap alternatives:

http://www.softclaws.com/index.php?pet=cat

http://www.softpaws.com/?gclid=CJaKtOKCobcCFU-d4AodFxcASQ

I understand your other cats are declawed. But we're never too old to learn and to make better informed decisions - especially when it's something that is considered so cruel that it is illegal in most countries around the world.

Here are TCS articles on declawing:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/a-personal-look-at-declawing

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/why-cats-should-not-be-declawed

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/declawing-more-than-just-a-manicure

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/declawing-and-alternatives

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-best-take-care-of-cat-claws

You might consider investing in the book "Think Like a Cat" by Pam Johnson-Bennett. It will help you work with cats in a fashion they understand. :heart2:

If Casper is still sneezing, you can try l-lysine. You can buy this cheaply anywhere vitamins are sold. Crush a tablet in his food every day until the sneezing stops.

I appreciate everything y'all have mentioned! I tried the boiled chicken and the rice was boiled in the broth. He took a couple of bites and that was it. Wouldn't touch it anymore. I did go to the vet for his RCEP #4 and his Rabies. They asked about the leukemia vaccine and I told them absolutely not!! They said it was my choice. They did give me a 7 day supple of the pet priobotics and I gave him his first dose last night. A couple of hours later he was in his cat littler meowing like crazy. He finally did a firm poop! This morning and this afternoon it's been runny, but his next dose is tonight before dinner. My husband was so excited he ordered a 80 count from Amazon. I was so excited it worked! Lets hope this will do the trick. I do have a couple of large cat trees and special boards for him to scratch. I'm going to have to get him declawed because I am torn up and that's not really good on my diabetes and CRPS, because my immune system is low and I don't heal properly, like normal people.

Does anyone recommend Pet Insurance? To get my baby fixed and declawed, it's going to be over $700. And if he does have IBD, in the future, which is common with this breed, that's going to cost lots of money too. My husband thinks we would be wasting more money on the insurance than we would for paying it out. I think it would be a good idea. What do you think? And if yes, what insurance do you recommend?

Tracey03 said:

I appreciate everything y'all have mentioned! I tried the boiled chicken and the rice was boiled in the broth. He took a couple of bites and that was it. Wouldn't touch it anymore. I did go to the vet for his RCEP #4 and his Rabies. They asked about the leukemia vaccine and I told them absolutely not!! They said it was my choice. They did give me a 7 day supple of the pet priobotics and I gave him his first dose last night. A couple of hours later he was in his cat littler meowing like crazy. He finally did a firm poop! This morning and this afternoon it's been runny, but his next dose is tonight before dinner. My husband was so excited he ordered a 80 count from Amazon. I was so excited it worked! Lets hope this will do the trick. I do have a couple of large cat trees and special boards for him to scratch. I'm going to have to get him declawed because I am torn up and that's not really good on my diabetes and CRPS, because my immune system is low and I don't heal properly, like normal people.

Does anyone recommend Pet Insurance? To get my baby fixed and declawed, it's going to be over $700. And if he does have IBD, in the future, which is common with this breed, that's going to cost lots of money too. My husband thinks we would be wasting more money on the insurance than we would for paying it out. I think it would be a good idea. What do you think? And if yes, what insurance do you recommend?

Click to expand...

Pet insurance is not going to cover fixing and declawing.  No pet insurance will.  Pet insurance generally only covers accidents and illnesses.  There are pros and cons to it in general.  I myself just stash x amount of money in a separate bank account for kitty emergencies each month, but some people don't really have the discipline to actually do that they way they do to pay a bill.  I would recommend doing one or the other.

I have to echo the other sentiments about declawing.  I think it will be a big mistake to declaw your kitty and most likely he will end up biting you up instead of clawing you. I understand that your immune system is lower than others, but I truly believe the solution is in at least trying to train him to claw on acceptable areas first.  EVERY time he claws you you should be picking him up, taking him over to his scratching post or other surface you have for scratching, and saying "that's what your scratching post is for".  Demonstrate with your own nails.  Do this every time. Make sure anyone else in your house he may be clawing is doing this every time.  Praise him ridiculously every time he scratches an approved area.  Do this both verbally, with a really warm tone of voice, and with treats.  If that alone is not working, put some catnip or other yummy treat on   the post.  It helps some cats to have more than one post- a horizontal one and a vertical one, or ones in all active areas in the house (but it sounds like you may already have that one covered).

I have fostered dozens of cats and kittens, and only met one who did not eventually respond to this method (and I maintain it was just because she was adopted too quickly  ).  Kittens usually respond to it within a matter of days if not hours.  I only had to show my current pair of cats twice (they were a little over 3 months old at the time).  You cannot expect a cat to just understand automatically that you are bad to claw and that he should be clawing the scratching posts. You have to show him or her, repeatedly if necessary.  Also get really comfortable with trimming his nails, up to weekly if necessary.If you really can't do it because the shaking is too bad, then your hubby should buck up and do it.

There may of course be the occasional relapse, but it will be very infrequent if you are persistent. One of my cats, after a long time of not ever scratching anything but his scratching post, seemed to think my back was a scratching post the other day.  I did exactly what I said above and he immediately just started using the post again.  I strongly encourage you to at least try to train him not to scratch you before resorting to declawing.  The perception that some people have that cats cannot be trained is 10000000% wrong.  They may never play fetch like a dog, but 99% of cats can be trained to act in desirable ways, and your chances are even better than some because you have a kitten, not an 8 year old cat.

I agree with tulosai's suggestions. Honestly, if you are not willing to try to train him, please rehome him instead of mutilating him and adopt an already declawed cat. I understand you have medical issues, but I don't understand how you can seem so cavalier about amputating his toes!

Also why on earth would you refuse the lukemia vaccine? I am honestly confused/curious.  The FELV shot would probably be the last one I'd ever skip for my kitties (not to keep talking about fostering, but I fostered a batch of kittens who turned out to have feline lukemia once and it was such a terrible thing- I can't understand why you wouldn't want your kitty to be protected. Maybe I'm ignorant though).

Please do not declaw your cat.

why did you skip the leukemia shot?

I do rabies Felv distemper and a couple others shots i do for my cats.

I hate myself for saying this, and you will probably hate me too, but I have to ask. Are you really sure that with your medical and financial problems (obviously none of them your fault), that a Bengal is the right cat for you to have. They are large, full of energy and can have expensive tastes and problems. It is terrible to get attached to a pet and then have to to let it it go, but I do think you need to consider carefully what you will be going through with Casper in the future , and of course, what you will be putting him through. I am thinking with sympathy of both of you when I say this. It may be better to rehome him now, while he is still young and get a more suitable (and possibly already declawed) cat as a better companion. Good luck with some tough decisions, whatever happens.

Going to echo a lot of people here - PLEASE DON'T DE-CLAW HIM!! Would you want the top BONE of your finger cut off? I know I wouldn't. I so understand that he's a high energy cat and requires a lot of work. Are you willing to put that work in? Train him not to scratch or bite people? If you're not, I really would consider finding an owner who will devote the time to take care of this cat. It's just wrong to mutilate this cat for your own convince.

No offensive but if you wanted a calm declawed cat why didn't you save a senior from the shelter? Bengals are not only expensive to buy from a breeder but come with hefty vet bills. Bengals are also not your standard domesticated cat. Maybe you could contact your breeder and see if they are willing to help you rehome him.

ETA: Sorry that came off as short but not what I meant. It is sometimes hard to be direct in writing without seeming cold. I think it is in both your families interest to rehome Casper to a family that is able to afford the time and money to work with him. Surely a bengal did not come from the pet store so I would reach out to your breeder and ask for help to rehome him. I am not a breeder but I am sure that one will stop by and say that they usually want to know that both the cat and families are happy in the end. After doing that you could re-evaluate and figure out what type and age of cat would work best for you family, should you decide to care for one. 

If this cat was bought from breeder why don't you return him.  Declawing is more then likely breaking contract anyways and will save you a lawsuit.

You got the wrong breed and being he is so young I would rehome him with the help of a breed rescue.

A bite will not heal all that fast either and by declawing that will be his only line of defense left.  My mom is diabetic and had a little bit not heal for years.  It is ok now but still very obvious that somethign happened.  We have had cats for many years and she has taken a few scratches and a bite. 

You could probably find a clinic to do him for under 100.  If not less for a neuter.  I am in NJ so not sure of the price difference.

Insurance is for emergency/accidents/big illnesses for the most part.  Also being there is already an issue the stomache troubles may be pr exsisting and not ever covered.

You also don't explain why you are not willing to try soft claws and see if those could work for you.  

I have thought about everything everyone has said and I've discussed the declawing options with my husband and where I stand on it now. I don't appreciate being told to get rid of my cat because I was considering declawing. All my life I've had cats and all of them were declawed in the front. Some of them were outside/inside and they all did just fine. But, something really hit me when someone reminded me that he will use his teeth, if he doesn't have his front claws. I discussed with my husband about him taking time out of his busy work schedule, he works 12-18 hours a day as an electrician and it's usually 6 days a week and on calls, to cut down his nails again. And I mentioned the soft claws and he said they wouldn't stay on with him being so active. I have started training him about the clawing this morning. I'm going to work with him. I do have to get him fixed because its in my contract that I have to. I didn't pay top dollar for the registered ones that I'm not allowed to fix. So this one I do. I read somewhere that the leukemia vaccine was really bad and the breeder even said so. I'll double check on that tho.
I love my baby and he is also my pain kitty. My baby died and my husband wanted an awesome looking cat in his place and found the bengals. I don't think he realized how expensive they would be, but I'm left doing everything because I can't work and live off child support. If I need money really bad my husband will give it to me, but he's reluctant about it. I pay a majority of the bills and groceries and vet care off child support. My medical comes off that sometimes also. So life isn't easy, but I will fight for what's best for my baby and my husband doesn't like seeing me mad for longer than a day nor being upset.
I do have a question about the diarrhea. My vet said he may just live with it because bengals are known for that. The probiotic works here and there but we just started it. I know some cats don't do well on it. It may b the food, but I can't keep switching the food. I need for him to catch up. Should I get him tested for the TF? How long should I give him to adjust to the food we are giving? It's Life's Abundance and on the breeder website, that was the most mentioned food. He's been on it for almost a month next week.

You're worried about getting bit...but not worried about the lifelong pain caused by amputating his toes?

I also deal with chronic pain. I used to think declawing was OK too. I learned with my last cat that it is indeed quite painful. In her elder years she had a hard time walking and using her litter box due to my ignorance. I didn't choose to have my condition. But my cats depend on me and my decisions.