Hi,

Will an f4 (if mot mistaken f4 is SBT) bengal kitten (then will mature into an adult cat) be more of a 'wild/savage/not loving' creature than for example an f6/7 kitten?

Considering if all litters grow up in a same friendly, loving environment.

Thanks :)

James A.

No well raised and cared for bengal should be either wild, savage or not loving, regardless of their F type.

Naughty, energetic, intelligent, curious, playful yes, but none of the above.

An F4 is considered a domestic cat -- just like any other cat. The percentage of wild blood in an F4 will depend on the number of ALCs in the pedigree. I just checked a couple of F4s and they have less wild blood than my bengal who is an F9. I don't know that an F4 is any different than an F9. Bengals are bengals. They are highly curious, extremely vocal, quite social, lots of energy! You usually can't tell an F9 from an F4 just by looking at them.

Hi...finally Pete is home with us. I prepared a safe room upstairs with litter, scratching pole, some toys, food and water. At the moment he is eating raw food with some extra calcium, once morning and once in the evening. I keep dry food too but he is not interested. He has water too. I got him here last friday night and since then he hasnt pooped. Peed yes. During the night I thought id take him on my bed and i took the litter too in the bedroom. He peed in the litter here too...but when i woke up we noticed he had also peed on the quilt. He cries a bit when we leave him alone but he is always asleep when we come back. If you i w have any suggestions maybe i wll appreciate greatly

Since you have a kitten, here are a couple of suggestions:

1. Kittens need to eat frequently -- not two meals a day. Their tummies are tiny and should be eating several times a day and usually as much as they want to eat. Even infants need to eat every four hours!!!

2. Do not carry a litter box from room to room. It only confuses your cat. Get another litter box and place it in another area of your home. It is very common for kittens to have "accidents" -- just like toddler's do. Cats can be litter box trained and not quite make it to the box or be confused as to where you've moved the box.

3. Know, too, that it is very stressful for a new kitten to be taken from mom and siblings and put into a new home with new humans, new layout, new smells. It can be overwhelming. While your kitty may seem quite content, you really don't know what is going on with them. Patience is the key. Imagine if you were a scared little kitty. I'm guessing your baby is crying out for mommy when he is alone. Usually when a kitten is separated from mom, he will cry and mommy will come running to comfort him. If Pete is alone, there is nobody! Hopefully, he has some stuffed toy buddies that can help him feel comfortable.

Congratulations on Pete.

I had an interesting conversation with a vet tech about how cats will simply refuse to poop for days on end in a new environment. Because mine will simply not poop if they are boarded for a couple of days.

This may, of course lead to constipation and lots of howling at some point. You may have to give him fishy paste or other hairball goop in that case. Or milk. Something to start the process.

Thanks for that...he still did not go till this morning. But you did put my mind at ease. Will try with some milk this evening. The 'problem' is that whilst i am away he is refusing to eat dry food. I have to try different brands, i also got him some treats, still for nothing. All he eats is minced beef. So he eats practically nothing until i arrive back home. Thanks once again.

Many raw fed cats will go for several days without having a BM. Quasar poops once every couple of days. In addition, too much calcium can cause constipation as well.

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~ Kyenta

Oh yes, try different brands! My cats will eat one over the other and actually pick out the one they like when I mix them together and toss the ones they don't like around the plate on the floor. Apparently there is a big difference in taste of dry food as well as wet food. There are some "raw" dry foods out there. Currently my cats prefer a limited ingredient venison and green pea dry food. One of my cats has become very particular over the wet food she will eat and often walks away disgusted and holds out for the dry food she knows will come later. Ziwi Peak venison wet food is a slam dunk with both my cats but it is too expensive to feed every day.

Hi fellow friends,

So just an update....Pete is doing fine. He is pooing ok and he has started to eat some dry food too. He is a crazy little monster i must say hehe. When we are at home we make sure we give him lots of attention and playing time. I was impressed how a cat that age can actually play fetch! He is a cat not a dog no :) ?? What i want to teach him is not to play rough with our hand and legs. He thinks that our legs are scratching poles i guess. He has a scratching post. Also he bites our hands and tries to attack them even if we always discourage this. Sometimes he even plunges onto our faces unfortunately which is scary! Apart from these rough 'times', he is a great little friend of ours, we love him to bits. I want to train him with harness/leash also so in the future maybe i can take him out with us to friends and relatives since here in Malta car distances are very short.

Thanks,

James

Oh James, he is such a cutie pie! I see you mentioned A scratching post! He should have several. Does he have a cat tree with sisal rope on the legs? Cardboard scratchers are really cheap. Mine prefers those. Know that a kitten loves to play and will scratch. I suggest you have a cat toy next to you and use that instead of your hands. I know some kittens will attack when being petted. They usually outgrow this behavior, but every one of us has had scratched up arms and legs from our kittens.

You want to train him on a harness and leash. Purchase those now. Many people recommend a walking jacket that is sized for the cat and has to be replaced as the cat grows. There is also a figure H harness that has two clasps -- one at the neck, one around the chest -- that is adjustable.

The key is that very soon you should start allowing him to wear the harness around the house. You cannot take him outdoors until he is completely comfortable wearing it, and that can take a while. Cats usually do one of three things when you first put the harness on them.

They fall down on the floor and become "paralyzed." They will just lay there and look at you. Try to get him to stand up by offering a treat or trying a wand toy to get him to play. Once a cat realizes it can actually walk wearing a harness, they are okay.

They fight the harness and want it off. Again, try to distract with a treat or toy. If this does not work, remove the harness and try again later. Keep at it -- and repeat. It can take a while.

Or ... the cat looks at the harness and starts walking around like nothing is around them. This happens (as in the case of my cat) but often does not.

When you finally do take him outside, know that he will be scared of the unknown outside world. Walks won't go far in the beginning and you never try to push Pete to go somewhere he does not want to go. Carry a towel with you so you both can sit on the ground. And be prepared for constant yowling that Pete wants another walk. And another walk. And another walk.

My final advice to you is DO NOT TRAVEL WITH A CAT IN A VEHICLE WITHOUT THE CAT BEING CONTAINED IN A CARRIER. I cannot stress this enough! Please, please please. I read every single day where pets were traveling in a car, there was an accident, the pet escaped because the pet was not contained! Owners are panicked -- was the animal hurt in the accident? The pet is now in an unfamiliar area and officially terrified and LOST. I find it hard to feel sorry for these people because a cat or dog in a carrier or crate would have probably been safe. I know nobody thinks when they get into a vehicle that something may happen to them -- but it happens every single day all over the world. People love posting pictures of their bengals on dashboards, in passenger seats, on top of seats -- and they are truly not thinking "what if I have to slam on my brakes to avoid an accident." The cat goes flying! Or what if the cat get under your feet and the pedals! I know this is the largest paragraph -- but even if you have Pete on a leash and being held by another person, there is no guarantee something won't happen.

Aw Pete is adorable!