Further and more in-depth research is needed to understand the potential issues of keeping Bengal cats as pets.īehavior problems in companion animals are common reasons for relinquishment or euthanasia. Nevertheless, some of those behaviors may still be indicative of welfare issues, independently of the owner’s perception. The fact that most owners looked for information about the breed before acquiring the cat and that the most frequently displayed behaviors were not considered problematic by their owners could translate into a lower incidence of relinquishments. There were no significant differences between cats from early and later generations nor between cats with and without outdoor access. The most frequent behaviors often classified as problematic by the owners were destructive behaviors (33.2%, n = 85), followed by pica (16.4%, n = 42), aggression toward animals (16%, n = 41), and urination outside the litter tray (13.3%, n = 34). These were, however, rarely considered problematic by the owners. Breed-typical health conditions, as described by International Cat Care, were reported in 9.9 % (n = 24) of cats, with being overweight as the most common one. For most cats (99.2% n = 254), the respondents looked for information about the breed before acquiring a cat. The owners of 60.5% (n = 155) of cats chose this breed due to a combination of looks and character. It included questions about their decision to own a Bengal cat, the cat demographics and living environment, potential undesirable behaviors, and health issues. A questionnaire was sent to Bengal cat owners in Flanders and Wallonia (Belgium), and the Netherlands to document the suitability of the breed as a pet from the point of view of the owners by exploring the presence of behavioral and health issues that may provoke the cat’s relinquishment. In spite of its popularity, research on behavior and health issues in this breed remains limited. The Bengal cat is a recently established hybrid cat breed that was created by crossbreeding the domestic shorthair cat ( Felis silvestris catus) and the wild Asian leopard cat ( Prionailurus bengalensis). This exacerbated oral exploration is a sufficient sign for veterinarians to consider a behavioral investigation. Regular shredding of objects is mainly related to a hyperactivity-impulsivity disorder (Lit total score: Mann-Whitney test, U = 99 P = 0.02 4A Autocontrols Scores: Mann-Whitney test, U = 35 P< 0.001), whereas its absence in FB ingestion suggests anxiety or attachment disorder.īehavioral pathology should be assessed not only for dogs ingesting non-edible objects, but also for those shredding objects. Total Scores from both grids are significantly different between FB and control group (Lit scores: Wilcoxon signed-rank test, W = 665.5 P = 0.007 4A: Wilcoxon signed-rank test, W = 41 P<0.001). The main results show that FB ingestion is rarely related to digestive pain (12% of cases) but is primarily of a behavioural nature (88% of cases). These grids were fulfilled for 42 FB ingesting dogs and 42 pair-matched control dogs. Such behavioral causes of pica were investigated with two grids: Lit's owner-based questionnaire, which measures inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity, and Beata's clinical 4A grid which investigates aggression, anxiety, attachment, and autocontrols of dogs. The causes of pica (ingestion of non-nutritive substance) remain unexplored, although behavioral conditions including hyperactivity, impulsivity, obsessive-compulsive oral/ingestive disorders, anxiety or attachment related troubles have been implicated. Foreign body (FB) ingestion in dogs can threaten the animal's life and often result in an emergency surgery.
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