Bengal

[arealcatlover]

Are the Bengals prone to health issues? Are females more prone than males to such problems.

 

[bengalbabe]

Originally Posted by arealcatlover

Are the Bengals prone to health issues? Are females more prone than males to such problems.

Not any more then any other purebred cat. The is incidence of HCM in bengals but not as much as some other breeds.
The one thing I do notice with some bengals is they might have a more sensitive stomach/digestive system then other breeds. I find that a raw diet takes care of that problem though. Not all bengals have this problem either so im not sure if this problem is higer in bengals then other breeds.
No, females are not prone to health issues any more then males. Pregnancy and nursing do take a toll on the cats immune system though so a pregnant or nursing female my be more prone to getting ill then a non-nursing, non-pregant female or a male.

 

[solaritybengals]

On the breeders association I'm on they frequently discuss health issues. You should always ask what kind of HCM screening a breeder does, or what kind of screening has been done in the lineage. But it is about the same for other breeds.

The digestive issues are frequently talked about as myth on these lists. That these can happen with any cat, they do happen with bengals, but not any more than cats in general, as cats do tend to be stomach sensitive. However, this might stem from early generations doing better on a raw diet. All cats DO do better on raw diets but an SBT bengal will perform the same on a commercial diet as other cats. Just switch foods slowly.

 

[arealcatlover]

Thanks very much for answering my questions. The more I research the Bengal, the more I want one (or, perhaps, two)! I appreciate your time and information