I suspected he wasn't a full Bengal. I do feel bad for the kitten and you for having to go through this. If you don't want to keep him or you cannot care for him then maybe a rescue organization could take him? If you want, I could give you the info on one near me. I would hate for the poor baby to not get the care he needs. I'm sure there is someone you could report the breeder to- just not sure who.

well basically the vet bill today was $140, that was for the visit, the test, the medicine and the probiotic. he said some cats get it treated and then its gone after a month and some have it for their whole lives and u just have to treat it the best you can. but he also said, alot of cats who have this have chronic intestinal problems. i am completely torn and heartbroken. i want to keep him to get him the treatment he needs but i also dnot want my other cat to be subjected to getting this. this diarrhea is bad, he basically has it coming out of his butt all the time...just sitting at the vet there was a puddle on the counter. so the vet basically said until he gets better we have to keep him away from the other cat and her litter box so she doesnt catch it.
at thsi point im not suer what to do... my main concern is that it will turn into a life long problem. if it was something like worms that i knew would be gone in a month, id def keep him. but a lifetime of unusually high vet bills doesnt sound fun.

You are all right. We actually did alot of research on bengals and i spoke with this lady at great length several times before we got him so i was pretty convinced he was gona be great. And i guess from the pictures i thought he looked full blood bengal but i guess im not as knowledgable as i thought lol
And its not his fault he has this disease, and im not even saying its her fault but im still wondering if he's full blood. she swears up and down he is....so idk. honestly at this point it doesnt matter because now im attached and full blood bengal or not, he's still awesome with the best personality! But i have to ask because im always going to wonder...what makes u all say hes not? the vet said his marking look right on but that his hair texture is more fuzzy than normal, but wasnt sure if thats just because he was young.

now im also wondering how young he may be.... she said he was 10-11 weeks, but he does seem small. but everyone else (other breeders) ive talked to said they let theirs go at 10-12 weeks, so is that not right?

Also our vet said as long as he doesnt share a litter box with our other cat they should be fine or should we keep him totally isolated for the month of treatment?

I know you spoke at length to the "breeder", but as it has been pointed out, a little googling came up with a lot of alarming information on this "breeder"

Anyway, what's done is done.

If it were me I would be keeping the kitten completely separate. As you said, just sat on the vets table he was leaking poo, so you don't want your existing cat/s being exposed to this.
From what I've read on this forum, most cats seem to recover fairly well after treatment for TF, did you read the link provided. If you do a search you'll find a lot of good information on this forum regarding TF and the treatment. Bengals can have iffy stomachs, TF or not.

As for his markings, he looks like he has the fuzzies, something they grow out of. If he is full blood bengal his markings aren't very clear bengal markings (in my opinion and I am by no means an expert).

If I was in your situation I am not sure what I would do, you are faced with tough decisions which ever way you go. But as said earlier, I wouldn't trust this "breeder" to do the right thing as it seems she has a very dubious past and I'm fairly certain the kitten would have had these symptoms before you picked it up. I would be hitting her up to cover the vet fees - did you get a health guarantee with the kitten when you purchased him? You say you spent a "ton" on him, so maybe get a partial refund. Though I do suspect you may be lucky to get anything out of this shady "breeder".

Most breeders let their kittens go at 12 weeks, though in the US it can be as young as 10. 12 is the ideal time for them to be rehomed however. Your kitten does look very young. Did you not get any paperwork with a date of birth on it?

I'm sorry that you're going through this, but as already pointed out, if you're going to spend good money on anything, it's worth doing your research and listening to others before you rush in and make decisions. I guess it may well be an expensive lesson for you whatever you decide. Good luck and please don't be afraid to come back here for more advice. I know you may not like what you hear, but people on this forum really do have yours and your kittens best interest at heart.

Ronidazole is the only treatment for TF and it is widely available in the US.

The price quoted may be correct as it cost me a few hundred to treat 4 cats with it in the UK.

Ronidazole is not recommended for kittens less than 12 weeks old though. It may be okay and he may need a lower dose per kg than an older kitten. A more knowledgable vet can advise. The treatment is a one off two week dosage of Ronidazole once daily. This is normally only necessary once but it can need repeating in unusual circumstances.

He looks too tiny to be 10 weeks old to me, however he may be malnourished slightly. He may be full bengal and going through his fuzzy stage (that happens to all bengal kittens). However, i doubt you will ever really know.

Chances are, if you return him to his breeder she will not treat him and he will suffer! You do have the option to treat him and he will be able to live in the house with other animals. It would be best to isolate him from them for now, until he is treated though. As your dog has been playing with him, i would watch his poo for any signs as it can be passed on to dogs.

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Lollo

I'm not sure if it's just the pictures you posted, but one thing that makes me question his full blood are his legs ... they just seem quite short to me. This is purely based off my Bengal kitten and my breeder's Bengals, but from the day I got her my kitten has been all legs! Although maybe that could be to do with his younger age? I don't know.

Did you see his parents? His siblings? Other Bengals belonging to the breeder?

Did the breeder tell you she would have him registered with TICA?

He doesn't look 10 weeks to me. Again, it could just be the pictures you've put up ... but he seems very small and fuzzy and round ... I feel like he looks younger than my rescue kittens that I brought home at 9 weeks. With more pictures maybe a breeder who spends more time with kittens at all ages could help more. How much does he weigh? What colour are his eyes?

I've gotten the impression from this forum that while TF is a horrific nuisance, it can be resolved with time and effort. I'd recommend reading up on all the TF threads here ... I really think you will be able to sort out your little one's health.

I really appreciate all your help... and as i see now i apparently did not do enough research or i am just dumb and didnt realize what all i should have been looking for. but at this point, whats done is done and we've decided to keep him because i cant in all good conscience give him back and worry that he isnt taken care of or worse, dead. so we just gave him his first dose of ronidazole along with a probiotic for his tummy. my vet said to give him .33 cc twice a day. now i am concerned for 2 reasons, he foamed around his mouth the first time we gave it to him. and people are saying kittens under 12 weeks shouldnt have it, and he's supposedly 10-11.
He weighs 1.4 lbs right now. and they say it can cause neuroligical problems... kind of scary!!!!

His eyes are greyish blue but more grey. He's using the litter box fine, he's playing well and eating solid foods fine. he is also VERY VERY VERY talkative lol.

The "breeder" said he was born on Jan 8. Again tho this is just going off her word. She said she would mail me his papers once they come back from TICA, which is something i heard from several breeders i talked to.... but in the meantime gave me his shot/worm records and a copy of his parents TICA papers. She also showed me pictures of his parents....but to be totally honest, papers or not, how do you really know. i mean he could be not full bread bengal and maybe she just said "hey my 2 bengals had kittens and registered them." lol i mean how do you really know ya know?
regardless, if hes not a full bengal, yes im sad about it as i wanted one and mad i spent all this money on him, but at this point, hes got such a good personality and is soo precious, i still wouldnt give him away, full bengal or not. im not the kind of person who can just give away an animal.... he deserves better.

its def a lesson learned at this point. im keeping him seperated while he's being treated so hopefully everything will be fine.
I just wonder about his age at this point.... and maybe he's just got the fuzzy uglies lol idk.
Are there any other tell tell bengal signs? Ill post more pics to help....

aaw love that one of him in the shoe, just adorable.

One other characteristic of bengals is they have glittered fur. It's like every bit of fur has been dipped in gold paint. (for brown coloured ones) Though I'm unsure how much this varies (ie do some not have it). My Alex has stacks of glitter, he looks amazing in some lights.

Good on your for sticking with this little man, I'm sure, regardless of his start in life he will turn out just fine and will give you years of pleasure and fun. Keep us updated.

ya its super cute! i love that pic. i think you are right.... its not his fault he has a bad start but i know i can give him a better life.

i think what i like most about him is he loves sleeping on my lap and you cant tell this good from the pics but he looks like he's outlined in black, his lips are black, bottom of his feet, eyes outlined...lol he looks like he's wearing makeup and lipstick lol cracks me up

Ah he has more legs in those pics ! His face is just the sweetest, cutest thing ... look at those eyes!!

Yeah the mail you the papers later thing is normal as far as I know ... will be interesting to see if they do show up!

January 8th is the date of birth of my Maine Coon kitten that I am waiting on (he was supposed to arrive this weekend but had some neutering issues so I have another couple of weeks to wait!)! I definitely don't believe your kitten was born then though. My bengal kitten was 11 weeks old when I got her and her eyes were a gold-yellow then ... they will eventually be green. Mika was fuzzy at 11 weeks but nowhere near as fuzzy as she was at eight weeks - at eight weeks her fuzzies made her spots much blurrier and her overall coat colour seemed a much paler shade. Mia was 2.4 pounds at 10 weeks so your kitten would be awfully small weight wise for 12 weeks.

Do check your kitten out in the sunlight for glitter as has already been suggested ... not all Bengals have glitter but I believe the majority do ... you'll know it when you see it, it looks like gold ... glitter ... usually easier to see along their backs, but Mika has glitter on her nose and toes in some lights too.

I'm so glad you've decided to keep him and help him recover!

I agree - the one in the shoe is just brilliant - he is so cute.

One note - Yes Bengals can and do have glitter but it isnt a conclusive sign - 2 out of my 5 Bengals dont have gitter for an exampe.

Im really pleased you decided to keep him and are now treating him, I dont know anything about the treatment for TF unfortunately as never had to deal with it - but I know others will be along to help you.

I wish you all the best, I will show you a few photos of one of my non-glittered Bengals 'Sausage' at around the 'same' age for you to compare.
Personally I think your kitten looks the same size as the first photo

7 weeks



8 weeks



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15 weeks

I take it you have Ronidazole liquid. This is Known to taste nasty! Hence the foaming.

Are you sure it is Ronidazole and not Metronidazole.... make sure as vets are very quick to prescribe Metronidazole for TF even though it will not kill it. It is unusual to have Ronidazole dispensed this quickly, hence the reason for clarification.

Glad you have kept him.

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Lollo

Lollo - It is definitely Ronidazole and it is the liquid. my vet said he had seen only 2 cases of this but one of them he had cured just recently so he was already familiar with the Ronidazole vs Metronidazole...so i guess i lucked out there!

I guess i will never know for sure his age but i def think he looks alot younger than he is.... As for his glitter, he def has this. It was actually the first thing I noticed when i was holding him outside..it looks amazing. im honestly coming to the conclusion he is a full bred bengal, i mean my vets comment doesnt nec mean he's not, as he's not a breeder. And wat he said was his marking were spot on but his coat was more fuzzy then he had ever seen on a bengal. but i didnt ask if he had ever seen one that young or in the fuzzy stage. the breeder is very very adimate that he's full bred...and honestly i think he is. but like i said, thats not even my big concern at this point. ive talked with her at great length about getting a partial refund for the large vet bill i had to pay for his TF and am still trying to get that out of her. I just think as a breeder and with a "gaurantee" she should provide a partial refund for this large unexpected expense. Even if she didnt know the cat had it, its still her responsibility and part of her job..... but thats just what i think.

Lacemoat - I LOVE your pics. your cat is beautiful!!!!