A few things you should look out for with young kittens are:  Choking: Pretty much anything that they can get in their mouths might be swallowed. So watch out for push pins, needles, Styrofoam, rubber bands, etc. Hanging: The strings that pull venetian blinds up and down are common causes of death with cats both young and old. You should also watch out for other hanging hazards. I once almost lost a kitten when it was playing on a chair. It was a wood chair with slats on the back that were farther apart at the top than the bottom. A kitten got its head through the slats at the top and then slid down to the bottom where the slats were too close together for it to get its head out. After this incident I put string across the top of all the slats to prevent it happening again. Poisoning: It is a common misconception that cats have some magic power that enables them to know what is poisonous and what isn't. Just google the plants you have and see if they are poisonous to cats. Lilies, Poinsettias, Dieffenbachia are some of the indoor plants poisonous to cats. Here are a couple of tricks to use to convince your cat that your treasured houseplant is not a new litter box for them. Put rocks and large pebbles on the soil so kitty can't scratch or if that doesn't work, try covering it with tinfoil. (Plants and Bengals have been know to be bitter enemies.) Intestinal Blockage: Clumping litter must not be used with kittens. Sometimes kittens step in a little bit of poo and then lick it off. This can result in the ingestion of some litter. Many clumping litters swell up to 14 times their original size. this can result in intestinal blockage which is extremely painful for the kitten and can be fixed only one way: an costly operation. Human hair is another common cause of injury with cats. They love to eat human hair and long hair can tie off a section of intestine causing complete or partial blockage. This often results in permanent damage as the hair acts as a garrote and cuts up the kitten's insides. Falling: Another common misconception is that cats are good with heights. This is simply not true. They love to test limits and they often keep going "just a little bit farther" until they fall. A kitten should be able to survive a three story fall if it lands on a flat surface. More than that is nasty.  Letting them outside: There are a number of reasons why you should not let your cat outside. The most basic is that Bengals are an attractive animal and people that would never normally steal anything will snatch up your new pet and "rescue" it in a minute. But their are other compelling reasons too. Cats are very good hunters and cause a lot of environmental damage. Exposure to pathogens is another issue. Last, another common misconception: that cats can understand the concept of the wheel. This is ridiculous if you think about it. The only way cats can understand the dangers of cars is through trial and error. A very dangerous way to learn. On average, outdoor cats live less than half as long as indoor ones. Diet: Bengals are well known for having very sensitive stomachs. Wheat is a common irritant, followed by corn. Their poo gets very soft and stinky when their bowels are irritated. If you think something is irritating your cat's bowels, you should remove it entirely from their diet for a couple of weeks to allow the irritation to subside. Then you can reintroduce the suspected irritant in small quantities to see if the cat can handle it in smaller quantities. Raw meat without fat contains helpful enzymes and should be a part of your Bengal's diet. It is important that you do not choose food by the price. Read the ingredients. I have found high quality food at very reasonable prices (and very expensive low grade food too). Emergencies: Plastic, airline approved carry-kennels are as necessary as a cat tree. Leave your carrier laying around with the door open. Maybe put a towel in the bottom to make it more inviting and comfortable. It can be be hidden from view behind a couch or tucked away in a nook or cranny as long as the kitten has constant access to it. It is important that the kitten is used to its carrier so it doesn't "starfish" when you are trying to take it to the vet or if there is a fire or some other emergency. Give your kitten lots of hugs and kisses. Even if he/she has been a bad, bad kitten. |
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