We adopted a 1 1/2 year old female Bengal that we call Abigail. The previous owner claimed to never have problems with her. When we got her home (several months ago), she took a few days to adjust but then seemed fine. She had already had her first litter just prior to us adopting her (she was bred with a Mane Koon. The kittens were adorable x10!). Sadly, she is FULLY declawed. I wish she weren't (at least not the rear), but it is what it is. However, once we got her we had her spayed because we didn't want her going in to heat, bleeding, etc.

We also have a 8mo female kitten, and they are best friends. They groom each other, play, sleep together, etc... and Abigail has taught her how to "fight and play". It's just precious to watch them. Our little kitty is a complete diva too. She has a quirky little personality but she's fine.

Here are some concerning observations about our Bengal:

We have yet to see her drink, yet she pees a river!! Her urine is very powerful smelling too.

She poops like a small dog, and will NOT cover it up (didn't from day one).

She seems to be a "woman's cat". I'm so good to her, but she wants NOTHING to do with me, which is disappointing because I LOVE cats. She lays on my wife's lap in her blanket, and sleeps next to my wife, but never me. I asked the previous owner about that and she said "Well, I'm the one that took care of her all the time, so that might be why." However, she didn't answer my text when I asked if she "could have had a bad experience with a male in the household". She's not a very good text conversationalist, so I let it go.

She seems to have stopped marking us and things completely. She seems uninterested in being pet. She used to sort of demand it, but doesn't anymore.

She is only vocal when my wife is home with her. Never when I'm there or our teen boys.

Now for the really bad: She will defiantly sit in front of us, and pee on the carpet!! This after being near a litter box. We've got three litter boxes and we move them around. We also keep the food away from the litter boxes. This alone is driving my wife insane because she's convinced the house smells like cat urine. I can't smell it, though a Bengal does have a stronger smell than a normal cat.

The urine issue has my wife so twisted up that she's thinking that we should get rid of her. I'm sure there are people that would take an adult female Bengal... but fully declawed and spayed, somewhat anti-social, AND with a urination problem? VERY doubtful. Had we known, we wouldn't have gotten her spayed. She could be bred at least (but we had no papers).

So I guess I'm posting this because I don't know what to do. It makes no difference to me if we keep her because she seems to hate me anyway. But it's disappointing for my wife.

Looking forward to the replies. Thank you!!

Jason

Regardless of any problems she has, she absolutely should have been spayed and it would have been the first thing we suggested. With you having no idea of her history, genetic health, papers, or breeding program, she absolutely should not have been bred in any circumstance.

For starters, what does the vet say? Has she been evaluated for a UTI?

Hello

Some advice and answers.
One of my bengals will bury her poop, but other never have although she spends 5 minutes scratching on the side of the litterbox - like humans, they have personalities and it could just be that having no claws (that is uber cruel in my opinion) makes it hard to bury.
Drinking - mine rarely do, they eat wet food and cats, if you feed them good wet food, tend to need very little water, and they usually drink more if they are eating dry.
I have heard that some posh cats won't drink water unless it is running water - so maybe she is thirsty but just picky.

As for urinating - this is my two cents as I have researched this extensively when my previous cat used to do it. When they pee outside the litterbox and if all else is well (litterbox is clean, they have no UTIs etc) they are telling you they are unhappy. Urine has a hormone which lets other cats know when a cat is unhappy. If she does it while staring at you - it is a direct message. Given the fact that she is also not marking you (this is how they say they are happy), I would say something is bothering her.

Some suggestions:
1. feliway spray - mimics the hormone they leave when they mark - this tricks them into thinking they left it so they cheer up. Make sure you spray where a cat would mark usually
Also and this is very important - when you clean the urine, make sure you clean with baking soda after detergent or buy Urine Off - normal detergents don't get rid of the enzymes and she may be smelling her unhappy hormone and peeing again. This is very important.

2. Is she provided with stuff that would make a cat happy
a) clean litterbox (some cats are fussier than others)
b) climbing cat trees and scratching stuff
c) toys to play with (Bengals are very very smart and easily bored) and maybe a catnip toy would cheer her up
d) do you play with her - she may have dislike of you but maybe she would bond quicker if you engaged her in play rather than going to pet her.

Hope this helps

Some thoughts:

1. Look, you took on a tough challenge. Breeding queens are frequently a lot tougher to manage than your average cat. That’s on you for not knowing that. Declawed cats can also be a bigger challenge, and their problems often do involve the litter box because depending on your setup it can be very painful to their partially amputated paws to use the litter box. So you should research that and see what sorts of solutions others have found for such cats. But again, that’s on you for not recognizing the challenge and not stepping up and facing up to it. You are blaming the cat for the fact that she’s been a breeding queen and has been declawed though? Do you understand how messed up that is?

2. It’s not fair to assume that nobody will want her. Some people are better equipped at handling such a challenge, and quite frankly put more effort into it.

3. The fact that she does not drink water is either an emergency or a nothing burger depending on her diet. Cats that are fed a predominantly wet or raw diet typically drink very little because they get that moisture from their food. Cats that eat a predominantly dry diet must drink a lot of water or they will get severely dehydrated. See a vet if you are concerned (there are also little home tests you can do yourself like pinching the skin and seeing how readily it snaps back)

4. The not covering poop thing... that’s a nothing Berger, c’mon, a lot of cat owners would kill for a cat that at least pooed in a litter box even if they didn’t clean it up. I’ve had cats that did that too... nothing to see here, just suck it up and clean the box more frequently, and thank your cat for going in the box.

5. The fact that she likes your wife better than you. Sooo easily remedied is my guess. You just have to use some positive association and conditioning. Be the one that plays with her more. Be the one that feeds her more, be the one that administers treats more, be the one that is less threatening (more on her level and less “grabby”) and provide her the better lap (if you really want to “fight dirty”: wool throw with some catnip on it). Again I think it comes down to understanding her and putting in a bit more effort.

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The little monsters 3

Oh one more thing I forgot to mention... one way that a lot of cat owners "fix" the "not-drinking-enough" problem is to get a cat water fountain. If you get one, get one of the ceramic ones (not the plastic ones). A lot of Bengal owners have found this an effective way of solving that problem.

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The little monsters 3

Have her checked by a vet for a possible UTI. You should rule that out first.

If she is otherwise healthy, it sounds like she has a problem with the filler you use in the litterbox. She obviously doesn't want to dig in it (not covering her poo up) and pees outside the box. This could be due to her being declawed, the filler might hurt her paws. You could try a softer filler, the softest and finest you can find (like sand) and see how she reacts.

Also important is to clean the pee-spots very well with a specialized product or she will continue to go there. Cats have a powerful sense of smell so normal cleaning is not enough.

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Linus & Rascal

Instagram: @snow_bengal_brothers #snow_bengal_brothers

Hi there

As others have said, the litter could be an issue especially as she is declawed. The finest litter you can find will be best for her.

I don’t think she’s being defiant when she sits in front of you and pees outside her litter box. It’s a cry for help. Something isn’t right in her world and she needs your help to fix it. It could be as simple as the litter you are using, or you may need to play detective.

I had this exact problem with Jagger a year or so ago. He would pee inappropriately whilst looking at me and would be so agitated beforehand, crying and generally unsettled etc. With him, his territory was threatened. We had foxes constantly in our garden, peeing and pooing everywhere, chasing them both, staring in the glass doors etc. I blocked their view in one window, replaced gates and fence panels and he is a happier cat by streets. The foxes will still occasionally pass through, but don't hang around tormenting the cats.

I wouldn’t keep moving the litter trays either. That might confuse her. Adding litter trays can never do any harm though and make a note which ones she prefers and their position. Jagger made me move one of ours. He wouldn’t use it in the conservatory because of foxes staring at him, I’m guessing. He would use it straight away if I moved into the hall where it now lives. He is very fussy though. It has to be totally clean and sometimes even if it is clean, he won’t use it until I put a fresh layer of litter in there.

Re the not liking you, this made me laugh. My other half bitterly complains about this. He has now started to feed them before I get home, although they currently ignore him as they are outside waiting for me to come home. So I’ve told him to feed them half hour earlier and to be consistent with it. He also puts their toys away whereas I get them out and play games with them.

I hope you both persevere as the rewards will certainly out weigh the effort. Please let us know how you get on!

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Clare
Hendrix and Jagger, Brown Marble Boys (born 18 August 2013)
Hampshire, UK

Hi Jason. Welcome to the forum. I honestly cannot add anything to what has already been posted. You have gotten advice from the BEST members on this forum! Take it to heart. They know what they are talking about.

How tragic she was declawed! Try and think how you would be if your fingers would cut off at the knuckle. How painful would it be for you to do anything. It is so very common for declawed cats to not use the litter box. It is very painful for them. Same with covering up the poop. Extremely painful!

Many cats bond with just one of the owners. If you want more of the bengal's attention, you have to become more of the caregiver. My bengal will sit on my husband's lap for massages but won't come near mine (I do not have the magic fingers).

Bengals can be very aloof cats. Especially one that has been bred for litters. Many of those females are kept in small cages or confined to a certain area. And a lot depends on her life with the previous owner. Did a man attempt to discipline her? Yell at her? Maybe that is why she is frightened, but you just don't know.

Patience and time are the keys here. You need to spend time with her, play with her, feed her, take care of her. You are probably not going to change the litter box problem -- because that will go with her to any other home. You need to decide if you are willing to work with this kitty and see if there is a solution. Read up on the internet.

And, if she is on your wife's lap, go and sit next to your wife and work on bonding with the beautiful kitty on her lap. Feed treats.

Hang in there .....

I am against declawing yet, when I was a teenager, my parents would only get me a cat if I agreed to have it spayed, kept it inside all the time, and had her declawed.

The only defense I have for the declawing is that I was a teenager and really didn't know any better.

I worked for a vet at the time and, so, was able to get a huge discount on the spay and declaw. All my vet made me do was assist him with her surgery.
He said he did not like to declaw cats and that he absolutely would not declaw her back feet.

The surgery was certainly an eye opener. I had to extend her toes while the vet clipped them. I about passed out!

The litter used by the vet was simply shredded newspaper. This certainly was gentle on the cats' paws but does require a lot of maintenance.

I was just lucky with Minou, I guess. The only litter box issue I ever had with her was that she stood up with her front paws on the lip of the box as she peed and sprayed out behind her. Our solution for that was a hooded box. I never made any association with the declawing until I started watching My Cat From Hell.

I'm sorry your kitty was declawed. It must be painful to have all 4 feet done. Perhaps the shredded newspaper would be an option for you.

How long has it been since Abigail was spayed? Usually, the ovaries are also removed in an ovariohysterectomy. Was that done? It can take a couple of months for the hormones to settle down, which can make urine strong smelling.

Food varieties also affect urine and fecal odour. I feed raw and there is no smell to Quasar's urine or stool. I know this is not an option for everyone, but there are probably some foods that result in stronger excrement odour than others.

You did the right thing in having her spayed. Breeding is for people who know how to do and perform the required genetic testing, pre-, peri-, and post-natal care as well as raise kittens. I wager that, if she was crossbred to a Maine Coon, that the previous owner does not have papers either.

Please know that she is not being "defiant" when peeing in front of you. She is near the litter box so she knows where she should go but it is likely too painful for her.. Please do not discipline her for this.

Socialization occurs over an extended period of time. My boy is just reaching 6, has been with us since leaving the breeders, has never been abused in any way, and is just now starting to come out to investigate when strangers come into our home. Each cat has his or her own unique personality. You need to just accept her as she is. Your home is probably the first opportunity she has had to be simply a beloved family pet.

Good luck!

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~ Kyenta

Broke my heart to read your post. Poor, darling cat to be declawed and struggling because of it. You sound like you really care so that's a fantastic start. Amazing advice from everyone. Only suggestions i could add are to try a litter tray with perhaps a puppy pad in it cut to size so its soft but absorbant. She obviously does not want to dig in litter because of the discomfort, and like the others say, peeing in front of you is a cry for help. Also if she seems distressed you could try zylkene, a natural milk protein that mimics mothers milk chill out feeling. This could help her through this period of difficulty. Good luck

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Melissa

UK
Oscar - Rescue (Rascal!!!) Bengal

Wow, lots of things to consider and think about. Thank you all so much! I don't mean to sound insensitive though. It's just a Bengal is possibly more sensitive to things that other cat's might not be. I guess every animal is different after all. She was spayed several months ago btw, and changing the litter type is a good idea. She's playful and healthy otherwise. I don't feel that she is sick in anyway. And believe me, I try SO HARD to be super loving, patient, etc. I feed her, try to pet her and my wife and I always sit together. It's just she refuses to get on my lap... UNLESS my wife isn't home and I'm her only option. Then maybe, just maybe, she will. Ha.

Really appreciate the responses!

I have another suggestion. My Bengal likes to pee in the shower (in addition to litter boxes and the toilet which he prefers for pooping).

Try a shallow tray of water in your shower or bathtub. It has its level of grossness, but I find it easy to flip and rinse after he uses it.

I also endorse the use of pheromone sprays and diffusers and pheromone collars (collars may be the best thing because it is with them everywhere.). The human males may want to enjoy the calming sprays (some don't have pheromones) as an eau de cologne to increase their appeal. Or wear one of the calming collars as a bracelet.

There seem to be 3 brands out there (online and at pet stores): Feliway, Sargeants and ThunderEase. I use alot of these, and it seems to bring out a calmer, less stressed Bengal in my Oberon.

My boyfriend finds the idea of a calming collar hilarious. My cat is usually anything but calm when I hold him or try to put a collar on him.

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There is a litter called "yesterdays news" you could try. It is basically shredded newspaper and should be softer on the paws. If a different litter works, you know your problem for sure.

BTW my first bengal was not declawed but never covered her poops after a incident where she accidentally stepped in it and then completely freaked out like she stepped on a hot stove. It was traumatic for her... she was a prissy princess and didn't like smelly poo on her!

She may need a long time to come around, my first Bengal was a rescue and I could not touch that cat for 9 months! He slowly warmed up and now he is a snuggly kissy faced furball.