Too skinny?

Selina · **Posted:** Sat Jul 25, 2009 7:55 pm

Simba is 9 months now as well, he looks really slim sometimes and I worry as I can feel his backbone. But he actually weighs 11 to 12 pounds now and eats well and is very active. He canters up and down the stairs so fast he fell the last 5 steps this morning as his legs couldn't keep up with the rest of him! When he runs up and down the lounge he holds his tail up but it then drops at the end we call him 'Shergar' (he was a racehorse for those that don't live in the UK)!! Selina

NutKitty · **Posted:** Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:25 pm

seamuskitty · **Posted:** Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:37 pm

NutKitty · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 2:07 pm

He does look a little more lean to me than when you met him, Julie... though I think he's gotten taller and more lanky since then too.

I think it might have something to do with the Evo. Since he kept stealing it from the girls, I tried slowly switching him over and things seemed to be going well, so I removed the Royal Canin from his diet completely.

Bad move!

He got diarrhea again.

Over the past few days I got him back on the Royal Canin and I think he's already starting to fill out a bit more as a result.

Lesson learned! No matter how much I'd like Perkin on what I consider a better food, his tummy is just not going to accept it!

As of yesterday, he had some pretty firm poo's. No Evo = firm poo. Yay!

I guess him being close to ten pounds at his age isn't too bad.

Here are two recent pics:

See? Skinny hips!

Regardless, he certainly acts like his usual self:

ginnym · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:12 pm

I think there are all sorts of variations and the key thing is if they're eating well, pooping normally and being playful and active. Dolly is probably the smallest cat I've ever owned, despite everyone telling me that Bengals were big cats. She's solid though which I think is a good indicator. I also think that she looks slighter than my moggies because she's got such sleek fur so what you see is pretty much all her and not masked by fur.

Tally-Isham · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:32 pm

I agree with Ginny.
Bengals are not usually particularly ‘large cats’ anyway. Our ‘Koko’ is younger than our ‘Colour’, and you could quite easily make 2 ‘Colours’ out of him! Colour is more slender and longer in length, whereas Koko is, well… just very large!

Two completely different looking Bengals, but totally in proportion, and neither of them have had a problem in the ‘wooing the ladies department’ :lol:

Perkin very much reminds me of our Anisa's off-spring. She produces lovely 'slender' and muscular Bengals with nice length

NutKitty · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:51 pm

Perkin's father certainly has a long, slender look about him.

See how his sides dip in a little near his legs? That's how Perkin looks too. I guess I'm just not used to it? Perkin did seem more filled out just earlier this month, so I hope it is a matter of a growth spurt like Julie suggested, and the change in diet having an effect on him.

Mostly, I think it just reminded me too much of Yuki when he started losing weight from cancer, and it scared me! Perkin isn't nearly as bad as that, however.

ginnym · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 4:03 pm

I can understand why you're more tuned in to any change in body size or mass because of your previous experience with Yuki - anything like that is bound to make you more sensitive. It's interesting to see the pictures of his father though - he looks like he has a lovely, lean body shape which is probably what Perkin has inherited.

They do change shape and size quite quickly as they're growing. My Samson isn't a Bengal and was a year old at the end of April. When he was 10 months he was quite bulky and well rounded. Now he's 15 months old and he looks longer, leaner and slimmer. I wondered if he'd lost weight but I think what's actually happened is that he's grown in height and his musculature has fully developed which makes him look thinner. The vet commented on his fabulous body tone when he had his jabs recently so long and lean isn't a bad thing!

hello_kitty · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:31 pm

nekosushi · **Posted:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:53 pm

Please don't keep from having him castrated just because he's thin! His hormones are what's keeping him this way! If you have him neutered he will bulk up faster and not be so thin

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