I am VERY HAPPY to say that my lovely SAPPHO, an F3 Bengal, turns 15 this July 5th, 2014. And she looks and acts like a kitten to this day. Her cousins Fei Hong(F4) and Marcus (F3) are turning 9 this September and Fei Hong is a show cat that looks like the real ALC while Marcus, a black marble leopard, is a bit overweight and walks funny.
Not only is Sappho doing well at aged 15 (in 3 days) but her playmate POUNCER is 15.4 and doing quite well. Though they were kitten mates for many years some issues on my end forced me to give my dear Queen Pouncer to a very dear friend of mine a couple years ago. But I get pictures of her weekly and hope to see her soon. Plus she lives with the now 2 years old Mei Mei who takes great care of Pouncer.
But Queen Sappho, yea named after the famous Greek playwright and poet, just had a visit to the vet and the doc said that SAPPHO is as spry and full of life as any kitten he has seen. He told me that he sees nothing wrong with her, her bloodwork was perfect, and that she should easily live to 20 and likely beyond. Which makes me VERY HAPPY.
However, he pointed something out to me that I want to share with you all. The Vet said that, in his experience, prized indoor cats, and especially Bengals, almost always die from disease and usually a disease that can be prevented and/or effectively treated if addressed in time. He said that old age is the goal we Kat Keepers should have (for us and our Bengals) and that we should be able to achieve that.
He told me that there were 3 diseases that covered 90 percent of the the passing kitties. One was kidney failure and he advised watching out for them drinking more water then normal and also giving them a healthy diet. The diet is relatively easy but you have to start the kittens on good food young if you want them to often eat fresh turkey or fish and that sort of thing.
I forgot the other two diseases that he mentioned but the point I took from that checkup on Sappho was that cats SHOULD be able to live between 15 and 20 with no problem if the keepers took steps to get the cats to avoid these diseases and also if the cat keepers fed the kitties high quality food and not the grocery store "meat by products."
Cheers All
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