Hi! My name is Suzi, Xerxes' mom. Xerxes is my now 11 week old Bengal. He has been my sweet baby since he was 8 weeks old. This guy is quite the love. He is all about cuddling and kisses, he even grabs your face and pulls it to his so he can lick your nose! I have never fallen in love with an animal so fast as I did with Xerxes. Xerxes has had a pretty rough life so far and we are all praying that the days and nights of crying are over.

First off, this is my very first "papered" animal. I usually do rescue or stray. That means I was not very educated on the process and what is right and wrong. My very first mistake was that he was let go the day he turned 8 weeks and he had been neutered the day before. Yes I know, I should have done more research! My husband and I got this little guy home, he loved being cuddled, so that's what I did. The next morning I noticed he had diarrhea, breeder said it was from traveling and stress from the neuter. Ok...give it another day. Next day he is worse. I am crying. What is wrong with this guy? So I take him to the vet, they take samples and start him on meds. He goes home he eats and plays, never had seen him play yet! We were happy. Next morning he is even worse than before, like a limp noodle. I take him back to the vet and they admit him for a few days. My poor baby has TF. He is now home, tonight is his last night dose of meds and he seems to be doing great.

Xerxes is still not quite the size he should be. He was the runt only weighing one pound at 8 weeks. Then getting sick, he is still pretty tiny but plumping up fast! Though we have had a rough 3 weeks, I don't regret our decision to keep our baby (instead of returning for a refund). I couldn't bear to think of what would happen to him if there wasn't a family who loved him and fought for him to get better. This has created a bond between me and Xerxes that will last a lifetime <3

Bless you for being such a wonderful Mommy to Xerxes. Glad to hear he is feeling better after this terrible ordeal. I cannot understand how the breeder could let him go so young, and so soon after neutering. Sounds like they were only interested in the $$$$.

There are others much more knowledgable than I am, but I wonder if you should make a complaint about this breeder, so that someone else does not go through what you did?

He is adorable, by the way. How did you come up with such an interesting name?

The veterinarian is taking it over, I figure she has the medical proof and knowledge of the breeder business, she can handle it. His doctor has stayed in close contact with us since our first appointment, calling and texting us information and checking on him. The breeder admits he had Giardia, even said it came from her cattery. I have not raised too much stink with her because she has covered all of the medical costs up till now.

Xerxes was named after the fourth king of Persia ;)

Welcome to our forum and congratulations on your handsome Xerxes. I just love the name. Know that there are many parasites that aggravate cats. Giardia and TF are completely different. TF is much worse and has only one medication that can treat it. All parasites are shed in the poop and you have to be careful of reinfestation. Your little guy has been These parasites run rampant in catteries if not treated and stopped. Your poor little guy was taken away from mom and siblings way too early, but then you have no idea what might have happened to him if the breeder didn't treat the problem. Untreated, these parasites can eventually be fatal. It's great that your breeder has covered the medical bills and giardia is not that difficult to treat.

I know you've been through a lot with this, but once things are cleared up, you may be in the clear. The litter box needs to be kept spotless so these ugly parasites don't raise their heads again.

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The little monsters 3

I have never seen it....now that you say that, I probably never will

My Raiden has had giardia and I made sure the poop was scooped up immediately I can hear Raiden scratching a deep hole in the litter) and completely changed the litter box once treatment was completed. He is the only kitty in the household. You will want to take a sample to the vet after treatment has been completed, just to make sure it is clear! That way you know it is gone and you can take care of cleaning everything to keep it from happening again. If your baby will be indoors only, then you should be fine. Mine gets two outdoor walks a day and he has to sniff every single area where a roaming cat has gone, so I expect at least an annual trip to the vet to treat giardia or coccidia.

I want to give Xerxes that opportunity to explore and adventure outside but everything have read has changed my mind! He is also an only cat here.

I really thing the best thing is to keep a cat indoors, but many believe a cat should have the freedom of exploring the big wide world outside. While some allow their bengals to roam free, many have enclosures. We put a 12'x12' enclosure on our deck for Raiden with a cat door in the dining room window so he can access it 24/7. If we need to, we just close and lock the window. Since he was a free-roaming cat for the first 6 years of his life, we go on two daily walks. I'd prefer not to, but this is the only way he is going to scout the neighborhood and see other kitties.

Unfortunately, once a cat gets a whiff of the fresh air, they want it ALL the time. Putting a cat tree in front of a window or a perch on the window sill can help at least bring the outside world in for the kitty. I would suggest microchipping your kitty just to be on the safe side. Cats can and do escape and an all-indoor cat has absolutely no clue as to where they are when they get outside. They usually end up frightened and hide in places where you can't find them. If you can keep Xerxes indoors, that is awesome.