Hi everyone

Just wondered if anyone had seen anything like these with their Bengals? I noticed last week that jagger had what looked like a sore patch on his mouth. He's been in a couple of fights recently so figured he'd been caught with a claw and kept an eye on it. By Saturday, it looked very sore and was bigger. As we had their annual vaccinations booked for Saturday and I wanted to check it wasn't infected as we'd need to rebook their boosters, I took him in to be looked at by the vet.

The vet didn't think it was a scratch from a cat and looked more like an allergic reaction to something. She gave it a clean and said she would take another look Tuesday when I was taking them in for their boosters and to bathe it if he let me with salt water to dry it out. It wasn't infected, just a bit oozy.

Yesterday it looked worse but on the basis it isn't bothering him (just me!) we took the decision to let it be, and see what happens and to go ahead with their boosters. So in a week or so I need to report back if it is healing/getting worse and/or starting to bother him.

Has anyone else experienced this sort of thing before and did it clear up? If it doesn't, he will probably get a cortisone injection. I've had a lot of these, they do have side effects etc so we are trying to avoid it if possible. I've been told to let it be and not bathe it for now and see what happens, basically because he doesn't appreciate having it done

Any thoughts appreciated!

This is how he looked Saturday:

Jagger Saturday (590x640).jpg

And this is how it looked yesterday (Tuesday):

Jagger Tuesday (640x480).jpg

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

Clare, sounds like it is time for the Jag and the Hendrix to become indoor cats. It truly is not safe out there for them. Surely you can do some type of enclosure in the garden. I have no idea what Jagger might have gotten into and i've never seen something like that before. I HATE it when things baffle the vet. You need to know what is going on. I always hesitate to treat something with a medication when you honestly do not know what is going on.

Cat fights can be vicious and deadly. I always thought neutered males would not fight, but that is not true. if they find an unaltered male, they will fight.

Hi Sherry

After the chaos yesterday of keeping them in first thing so we could take them to the vet and the fact I work full time, it's not an option to keep them indoors 24/7. They would kill each other. If we just had one, it would be possible, but two males, even though fixed and with no-one to keep them under control would not end well!

Allergies are always difficult to diagnose, I just wondered if anyone else had encountered anything similar. Hopefully it will clear up on its own accord as it could just be a seasonal thing. It's been very damp and mild here so far this autumn and fungus is everywhere.

I'll just continue to keep an eye on it, its clean, not infected and not bothering him which is all good!

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

Could it be something like a herpes virus? I know cats can get sores from this, same way humans can. I'm no vet but it was the first thing I thought about when seeing the pictures.

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Linus & Rascal

Instagram: @snow_bengal_brothers #snow_bengal_brothers

Hi pixel-the-bengal

No, not been mentioned at all - hard to tell from the pictures but it looks more like an abrasion. She said he's the right age to develop an allergy, and gave him a very thorough examination.

Haven't been able to see how it looks yet today but he's still not remotely bothered by it!

If I get a diagnosis I will let you all know!

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

I can't see the photo on the phone but I have seen cats have allergic reactions to plastic bowls. Just a thought!