# Urgent - antisocial Bengal brother



## Owned by cat (Jun 16, 2013)

Can anyone help more......
I got an email ( copied below) from one of my kitten buyers ( cats now 2 years old) to which I offered some simple advice ( private space / bowls/ litter trays/ feliway etc) and they have seen their vet but if anyone can give further advice, it would be much appreciated!!

We are having big problems with ~~~~~~, he's a lovely affectionate boy (looks just like his dad!), who's always following me around, very vocal and a total softie with humans. However he doesn't like other cats, very territorial and rules the roost around the area. It's clear he wants to be the only pet and has been chasing the girl out (she spends more time with a neighbor now) - he's been spraying incessantly around the home for about a year. The vet believes the spraying is linked to him being stressed and wanting her gone. It's very upsetting, we are considering rehoming him, but before we take such drastic measures do you have an opinion about putting them both of some kind of kitty prozac to make them friends again whist seeing a behavior counselor? Do you know a behaviourist that you rate for Bengals?


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Oh dear, I have a Bengal and had a bot too years ago,both lovely natures,in fact my girl is very timid, 
The only thing I can recommend is Zylkene, I have a Ragdoll who freaked out when my daughter had to stay with me for a while with her cat, and it worked for her, and they are not expensive can be got from the vet or online
There are feliway plug ins, for calming cats, but didn't work in my case
Good luck


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## Owned by cat (Jun 16, 2013)

Thanks Jaycee,

I'll pass that on too.

I'm afraid even if they let their boy go, their girl still might not want to come home!


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## Roxxelana (Sep 15, 2011)

I'd wonder how they introduced the two cats, as you probably know as a breeder it needs to be done with care and not be rushed. If the first introduction isn't done correctly then you can end up with a permanent rift between the cats.

I agree with jaycee05 Zylkene seems to be most effective, but I'd also suggest they try the diffusers as some people have had excellent results with them. I used both of the below in different rooms, and they did seem to have a calming effect on my girl after some noisy building work caused her to pee on the bed every couple of days for a while .

So...

Zylkene - A minimum of a month course, one daily 75mg capsule sprinkled on the food of the upset cat should help him relax (worked wonders for my Havana girl) - 30p per capsule, so £9.30 for 31 days.

Feliway Diffuser (not the spray) - £18.60.

Also you can get them to try this in addition to the above:
Pet Remedy De-Stress Diffuser - £10.50.

Animeddirect.co.uk are usually cheapest for this stuff - they also offer free delivery, I use them for a lot of things ever since I found the site.


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## Owned by cat (Jun 16, 2013)

Thanks again Roxxelana...passed all that info on !

They are brother and sister bought together at 13 weeks !


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Unfortunately not that uncommon in the breed, many mature and want to be only cats. Spraying or peeing all over the place, and being very stressed.

The female going outside could also be causing stress as she'll be returning with different scents on her.

Feliway and other relaxers may help, but some just need to be only cats.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Zylkene / Feliway are in my view unlikely to work on their own. You could try a long slow reintroduction alongside Zylkene & Feliway, in which case I'd suggest consulting a behaviourist.

However since they are litter mates I feel you probably need to rehome one of them. It's a very sad thing to do but the relief and calmness it brings (I know, been there, done that, got the tee-shirt) really helps.


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## Owned by cat (Jun 16, 2013)

ohh dear....thanks Spotty cats and OrientalSlave. :cryin::cryin::cryin::sad:


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Here is a link to a useful website that your client might find helpful to read. 
The advice is given by Debbie Connolly, a Pet Behaviourist specialising in training Bengals.

http://www.bengalcathelpline.co.uk/bengalsaspets.htm

Debbie comments :-

*"hardly a week goes by when someone doesn't contact me about having bought or adopted a pair (of Bengals) that are trying to kill each other"*

and :-

*"Some (Bengal) breeders seem to sell lots of pairs and the number of these that go seriously wrong is significant!"*

So evidently it is quite a common problem for Bengal siblings not to get on once they mature into adults.

Debbie also says behavioural therapy can sometimes help, but traditional methods don't work with Bengals. What is required is a pet behaviourist who has lots of experience of specialising in training Bengals.

If you click on the Behaviour heading on the website there is a link to contact Debbie direct for a consultation. I am sure it would be worth your client considering it before taking the irrevocable step of rehoming one of the cats.


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## Owned by cat (Jun 16, 2013)

Thanks chillminx...I have passed on the link as they really want to see a behaviourist and try to sort the problems and keep both cats!


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

> I am sure it would be worth your client considering it before taking the irrevocable step of rehoming one of the cats.


Even if they do end up rehoming one of them they will have the comfort of knowing they really tried.


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## Owned by cat (Jun 16, 2013)

I know OrientalSlave....but I know it would break my heart and I want to help as much as possible :sad::sad:


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