So Miko has been doing really well. He is just about 5 lbs now!

I have a few questions--

1) Miko has a Grade 1 heart murmur. Breeder said this would likely go away around 16 weeks. Just got two vaccines at 16 weeks and vet still heard the murmur. She has recommended that we do an ultrasound and pre-anesthetic blood work before the neuter to make sure his heart can take the anesthetics. Quote was somewhere close to $1000 for both of those; however, doing just the blood work would be $150. I am not one to be stingy when it comes to my pet's health, but my vet also told me that most of the cats that she has treated with heart murmurs often don't get any of those tests done and are fine after the procedure, especially for neuters. Wondering what you guys would do? Money is a little tight as well because it's winter and not much work has come in in the last few weeks.

2) Neutering- I have read most of your (the regular posters) opinions on this subject. I am pretty much convinced that I could get him neutered any time from now (he is now 18 weeks old) until 6 months old. Just curious though, hypothetically (keep in mind: work has been sparse) so if I get called for a big job on the week of his neuter, how important is it for me to be there with him for the first few days after the surgery? I am of course willing to be there for him if needed. And is there anything I can use or do to prevent him from licking the wound?

3) Miko developed a very raspy voice 3-4 days ago. It has gotten less and less raspy over the days- his meows and calls would just sound much "clearer" before. It was really raspy a few days ago and now it has turned into more of a chirp, low-intensity meow (rather than it being loud and forceful in the past). I was worried about him being sick at first, but he is eating, drinking, and pooping better than ever, and playing like a champ. Do their voices change over time? Like for guys when our voices drop at puberty?

Thank you!!

_________________
~
Matt

A Grade 1 heart murmur is the lowest grade! My Raiden has a grade 3 which is in the middle. He had anesthesia when he had his teeth cleaned and all went well. The vets were not worried. It is true that some heart murmurs clear up by themselves, but it is not unusual for a bengal to continue with a heart murmur. Most live long, healthy lives with one as long as the grade isn't a 4 or 5 (or 6 in some cases). You can easily spend thousands of dollars to get more information on Miko's murmur. Is it worth it? For a grade 1, I would not worry about it, nor would I worry about the anesthesia. Your vet is the best source of information. Know that a neuter takes very little time (some vets have it down to just a few minutes).

As for the recovery -- you won't have to worry about stitches as they usually just use glue. It's much easier on a male cat than a female. They say to keep the cat quiet for a couple of days, but the one cat I had neutered would not settle down and was fine. He was an outdoor cat (stray) and he would not stay in the house. Once again, I think you're over worrying a little, Matt. But I love it! It shows just how much you love Miko.

I don't think a bengal's voice changes over time. But they do have like 100 different meows that they can do. Raiden has one that sounds raspy and he's fine. When it comes to observing cat behavior -- if they are eating, drinking and using the litter box okay (no diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, lethargic), they are okay!

You'll get the hang of bengal ownership in time, Matt!

_________________
The little monsters 3

OK thanks you two. I got onto pet insurance as soon as I could, but the heart murmur is pre-existing so anything related to it won't be covered. I will talk to my mum and decide what to do in terms of the ultrasound and bloodwork, but most likely it will be just the blood work.

And I think his voice is okay. He just has so many different sounds, it's quite fascinating to hear them all. All the different tones and inflections- I will try and get some videos to show you the different sounds.

_________________
~
Matt

Matt, there are vets who specialize in cardiology (as well as neurology, opthalmology). You might want to see if your regular vet would recommend someone. It's just a grade 1 is so small. You hate to put out money on something that is not going to tell you a lot. I doubt if it would let you know whether it would go away on its own. I'd definitely want a specialist to tell me that.

_________________
~
Matt

Oh, I love Miko. Since he has a normal meow, the raspy voice is probably just another level to his vocalization. If the voice were raspy ALL the time, then I might be concerned. I know I was quoted a price of under $400 to do an echocardiogram on Raiden. I'm still saying, a Grade 1 heart murmur is not something to lose sleep over. If it goes to a grade 2, then you might want to do something. Miko appears to be fine in the video.