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Hey! Vet student/cat owner here. /u/ads215 has already answered a lot of your questions, but hopefully I can provide a bit more info on others!

Regarding vomiting: it's true that some cats vomit regularly (though usually not as much as 1-2x per week) BUT there could be an underlying cause, too. Is there always heaving with the vomiting? How digested is the food? It could be because of eating too fast (you can get dishes that help with that, or try something like this), or it could be a sign of disease.

My cat poops 1-2x per day. Again, your cat having a bowel movement only every few days might be normal for her, or it could be disease-related.

As for separation anxiety, it is seen much more often in dogs. Cats are really good at entertaining themselves. Like the other poster said, toys, windows, even little twist ties are great ways to keep your cat busy and active during the day. (Side note: to keep it fun, have "sets" of toys that you switch out periodically. Makes it seem like brand new toys every few weeks!)

I have a Sunny Seat for my cat in the window which he LOVES, he's either there or on top of his scratching post most of the time. Which leads me to another thing - do you have a scratching post for her? It's a behavioural need for cats to scratch, and if they don't have something appropriate to do it on, you can expect other things to get shredded.

Also, her breath - normal cat breath definitely exists, but it can also be a sign of dental disease.

Overall, most of my points go to the same conclusion: I think it would be of great benefit for both of you to visit a veterinarian for a wellness check. You can bring all of these issues forward to the vet, and they can check out the cat physically and figure out if they're normal or concerning. Not only that, but you can also talk to them about looking into pet insurance, which, in my experience with bengals, every owner should have. They tend to need a little extra veterinary care.

It was really awesome of you to take in this cat! I hope that she's with you for a long time, I can see that you're having fun with her!

IANAV

What about training him to do a few low-key tricks that he doesn't already know? Things like shake, roll over, play dead, speak, spin, pick it up, etc? That will help keep him mentally stimulated.

I play a lot of 'games' -

Hiding treats/kibble in one hand and having him correctly 'paw' the correct hand before he gets to eat it

I hide things in other rooms that he has to find. I show him prior to hiding it, he isn't allowed to watch, then he goes to find it. He's walking around but we mostly do it indoors and he's searching so not fully running around but just meandering and looking and sniffing.

Food/treat puzzles are one of the best ideas, imo.


Kongs

snuffle mat/ball (for the ball use a Hol-ee Roller toy
and it's the same premise - tie a bunch of fabric to it and insert the treat or toy inside; bonus points for using various styles of fabric to stimulate his senses - jeans/shirts/flannel/etc)

Take a clean empty plastic bottle or jug and put treats in it and teach him to roll it around so they fall out.

Kong Wobbler is fun but can get crazy with my pup so maybe contain him in a smaller room or save that until he's further in recovery

Presents - I put a treat in a thin cardboard box (Granola bar/cereal/Jello/etc) and tape the heck out of it. Sometimes when I'm especially looking forward to cleaning his mess(/s) I'll wrap in wrapping paper, too. Small boxes go inside the snuffle ball or inside another, bigger box. I hide it around the house/room or just give it to him and he shreds it into cardboard confetti to get to the treat. My dog is closely monitored and doesn't eat paper or shred anything unless it's specifically given to him for that purpose so disregard if your dog tends to destroy other stuff.

The Hol-ee Roller toy on its own is fantastic, too. I keep it as a snuffle ball nearly always and put things in there that he has to work to get out - things like these Dinosaur Chews, DreamBone Bones, dental chews, other toys like a small plushy or squeaker mat animal, etc. It's probably the greatest toy of all time for us and my dog has surprisingly not destroyed it considering how often he plays with it.



I make my own cheap versions of a lot of the puzzle toys I see on amazon like the ones from Outward Hound or Nina Ottosson. Nothing cute to look at but my dog loves em. It's partly how I trained him - while playing I would just repeat what he was doing - pull, pick it up, push, use your hands/nose, etc.

Long(er) lasting chews - bully sticks, cows ears, etc. I give mine Himalayan chews and some other harder ones but some vets discourage this so ymmv.

If he's not on dietary restrictions you could offer treats that are a bit more 'exotic' than what he usually gets - kangaroo, alligator, buffalo, etc. There's mental stimulation in discovering new things and getting special treats. I make mine do certain tasks before he gets any meal/treat/walk/etc - sit, sit pretty, shake, high five, etc.

I'm a little crazy and have a lot of time on my hands so I'm always doing something with my pupper. These are the ideas that work best when I'm not feeling well enough for another walk or need him to be quiet while I work on something or whatever.

Not a vet, either, but this is a topic I know something about!

There is very little controversy these days among dog behavior professionals over two facts:

1. Dogs have a “critical period” in development, between 6 and 16 weeks of age, where they are most sensitive to socialization. They are more confident, curious, and exceptionally impressionable during this period than they will be at any other point in their lives. Things that they experience and learn during this critical period have a more profound impact on their psyche than socialization at any other age. Read more here. My dog’s veterinary behaviorist has repeatedly emphasized to me that any socialization after 16 weeks is considered to be “remedial socialization” (this is also the stance of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers).
   
2. The risk of behavioral problems as a result of lack of socialization is generally much greater* than the risk of contracting a contagious disease (provided you avoid areas that are high-traffic with potentially unvaccinated dogs, like dog parks and pet stores). This is the official stance of the American Society of Veterinary Behaviorists (see position stance here).
   
   Sophia Yin has an amazing book called Perfect Puppy in 7 Days that I would highly, highly recommend reading. She also has a fantastic socialization checklist that I’d recommend printing out to use as a resource to guide strategic socialization – it has ideas for what you should socialize your puppy to, as well as a handy scale to help you rate/interpret your pup’s response to thing (and therefore help you understand what he might benefit from additional exposure to). One good rule of thumb proposed by Ian Dunbar (a big name in dog behavior) is that a new puppy should meet 100 new people in the first 30 days you own him.
   
   Good luck! I hope these resources are helpful. Socializing a new puppy is a lot of work, but a month or two of hard work is absolutely worth it for a lifetime with a well-balanced, friendly, and trustworthy adult dog. :)

Vet student and cat lover here. Undersocialized kittens, kittens separated from their mom too early, and Bengals can all make challenging pets, so I'm not surprised you're having some trouble with that combination!

It sounds like your kitten has play aggression. Basically, he's bored and under-stimulated, and his pent-up energy is being directed towards you. Here's some information about play aggression from the SF SPCA, a well-respected behavior consultant, and VCA hospitals. I hope you'll find it useful!

My cat used to be play-aggressive, and here's what's worked for me:

• Lots and lots of play. Aim for at least two sessions of 10-15 minutes per day of active play, and try to wear him out!
  
  
• Try lots of toys! Kittens will have different preferences and may get bored over time, so switch things up. I'm giving some links of toys that, in my experience, cats go crazy over. They're not affiliate links, I don't work for the companies, and you can find them in pet stores as well: Cat catcher, Cat Charmer, Da Bird, and Cat Crazies A lot of cats also go crazy for foil balls and drinking straws if you throw them around. Try to have a variety of toys- wand toys, sparkle balls, bouncy balls, big catnip toys your kitten can kick, little catnip toys he can carry around, soft toys, plastic toys- you get the idea. If your cat is an ambush hunter, he may also like if you dangle a toy at one end of a cat tunnel so he can run through and grab it.
  
  
• Try to engage in play before you see any signs of playfulness or aggression, and definitely learn to recognize those signs and act on them! I've found that while redirecting with toys is the smart thing to do, at that point, it's usually too late.
  
  
• Cat tend to have a hunt-eat-groom-sleep cycle. Try to feed twice a day at regular times, and play for a bit first. Cats like being on a schedule.
  
  
• More cat trees and build/buy cat shelves if you're able!
  
  
• Wear shoes/boots in the house if you have to. Doing this saved my ankles, and I wonder if part of the reason he attacks you more than your BF is that you react more so it's more fun for him.
  
  
• Food puzzles! Here's a site with a ton of options, including super cheap or free/recycled ones.
  
  
• Look into clicker training! Good way to keep him physically and mentally occupied.
  
  I hope this helps! I realize I've just thrown a ton of info at you, and my main suggestion is to take just a couple little ideas and start incorporating them. Maybe find one toy he loves and use it twice a day, scatter his food over his cat tree or in an ice cube tray, and try to keep yourself covered so he can't hurt you.
  
  Also, definitely take him to the vet! I agree he can probably be neutered now or soon, it's always good to take new pets to the vet, and they may have behavior advice. Best of luck!

Preface: I am not a vet! I'm just a pre-vet student who has successfully gotten her chubby kitty to lose weight, so take my advice with a grain of salt...

Do you free feed or do you only give the recommended amount per day?

If you free feed, kitty is probably still eating as much as he wants and the weight may never come off. I would recommend switching to a regulated amount per day (I quickly looked up the feeding directions and it looks like you should be aiming for about 2/3rds cup daily; however, you should confirm this with your vet) if you haven't already.

In regards to wet food, try out several brands and see if you can find one he likes. My kitties are mostly fed Weruva or Best Feline Friend, but I've recently had to switch back to Hill's Ideal Balance wet food for just my Siamese because she is super picky.

As for exercise, you should be playing with him several times a day to the point where he starts lightly panting or flops over and refuses to move. I enjoy using the laser to run my kitties up and down the stairs and around the house. My kitties also lose their little minds for Da Bird, so you may want to check out your local pet store for something like this to encourage your kitty to use all his energy going after a toy.

When I was having my kitty lose weight, I would use this to feed her her small daily ration of dry food, so she actually had to work a bit to get her food and couldn't just sit there and gobble it!

Hopefully some of my experiences will be of help for you guys! Chubby kitties are stubborn, but once you find the right balance of food and exercise, the pounds will start coming off! Good luck :)

She's a pretty smart kid, but right now she's more fascinated by Harry Potter than anything. I'm hoping that maybe I can find something that she can have fun with now but might still be useful a couple years down the road. She likes drawing or coloring, so I'm wondering if something like this might be good:

Feline Anatomy: A Coloring Atlas

It sounds fairly advanced--some of the reviewers are actually veterinary students who say they like using it as a reference. I hope it's not too advanced for her, but her mom has a PhD in molecular biology, so she can probably help guide her.

Good to know about the wing trims! There is definitely an art to it - the more feathers that are left on, the better their flying ability. So you can get the first two or three flight feathers trimmed (if you like) which leaves a lot of flying ability intact (just not his full flying ability).

Harnesses are awesome, and get them sunshine which is very important if you can take them outside.

I would look into adding some perches like this, which are bendable so you can make different shapes (here is an example). In my experience birds really love these! Additionally, adding in some branches (cleared of foliage/debris and sterilized, of course, or store bought) would be good, because the width is varied and it provides some vertical climbing opportunities.

Sounds like you are on the right path! Awesome job. :)

You absolutely want to feed a Large Breed Puppy Food if possible. Also, feeding an adult food is a common piece of advice but adult foods are missing nutrients that a growing puppy needs.

> Excess caloric intake during growth in large and giant breed dogs promotes rapid growth which is associated with an increased incidence of skeletal disorders such as hip dysplasia and osteochondrosis. Feeding diets that are less calorically dense will not reduce adult size but will slow rate of growth so that mature size is achieved over a longer period. A slower growth rate is associated with fewer developmental orthopedic problems. In addition, both too much and not enough calcium can lead to developmental bone problems. For large breed dogs, this optimal range appears to be narrower than for other breeds, and excessive levels of calcium may contribute to bone disease. Therefore, moderately lower dietary calcium is recommended for the diet of growing large breed dogs.

...

> Should some puppies be fed adult foods?

> Alternatively, is it safe to feed a balanced adult dog food to a growing large breed puppy instead? To put it bluntly: no. The argument that adult foods are lower in caloric density than puppy foods and therefore are more appropriate for large breed puppies is not good advice. In fact, as we will see later in this chapter, the adult dog foods that are available today vary widely in calorie content, with some containing substantially more calories per cup than puppy foods. Adult diets are also not appropriately restricted in calcium content. So, the piece of advice that Ellie’s breeder got wrong was her recommendation to “feed an adult food” to Ellie. While this advice may have been prudent 30 years ago, before nutritionists knew how to best feed large and giant breed puppies, it is not only unhelpful today, but potentially harmful.

....

> We also know that growing puppies require a slightly higher proportion of dietary protein in their diet when compared to adult dogs. Some breeders and other dog enthusiasts mistakenly believe that increased dietary protein is the culprit that causes skeletal problems in large breed dogs. However, this is another false belief —as we discussed, excess energy consumption is the problem for large breed puppies, not protein.

• All excerpts from Dog Food Logic: Making Smart Decisions for Your Dog in an Age of Too Many Choices
  
  The following foods are designed for Large Breed Puppies and have been through AAFCO feeding trials to further support their claims of having appropriate nutrients for growing puppies.
  
  
• Innova Large Breed Puppy Food
  
• Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy
  
• Iams ProActive Large Breed Puppy Food
  
• Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Food
  
• Purina One SmartBlend Large Breed Puppy Food
  
• Bil-Jac Large Breed Puppy food
  
• Hill's Science Diet Puppy Large Breed
  
• Hill's Ideal Balance Large Breed
  
  More info on Large Breed Puppy nutrition:
  
  
• Nutrition for the Growing Puppy | Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Virginia-Maryland
  
• FEEDING GROWING ANIMALS | Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Virginia-Maryland
  
• Frequently Asked Questions about General Pet Nutrition | Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University
  
• What is Large Breed Puppy Food? | petMD
  
• Large Breed Puppy Food vs. Adult Dog Food | petMD
  
• Feeding the Large and Giant Breed Puppy | petMD
  
• Nutrition in Large Breed Puppies | SkeptVet

Believe me, you're in for a bit of a challenge in the playing regard. It's pretty important to not let them play at all initially.

/u/AnalgesicSex explained it very well above, but basically they are taking the knee apart, grinding/cutting away in there, and trying to put it back together better than before. It's pretty fragile until the muscle grows back, so if you're not able to keep them calm, our vet(s) recommended crate rest only for a few weeks. In our case, we bought this (extra tall, he's a lab) baby gate and put it on the door to our office. I basically kept him in here with me every possible waking hour, and put him in the crate when I couldn't directly supervise. It wasn't much fun for him, but the dogs all got used to it very quickly.

Surprisingly enough, neither! We got a dog with a totally shaved leg (it looks hilarious) and some gruesome nasty crusty staples covering the raw incision. I was pretty surprised myself, but they said it was better to let it air out. They did provide us with a cone of shame (Elizabethan collar), but we didn't need it after the first day. We were also on an antibiotic for 10 days. As always, YMMV with that stuff, and I'm sure the vet will do whatever is best for your pup. Our main concern was to go above and beyond all the instructions to ensure the recovery went well.

First off, thanks so much for the reply!


Now in regards to what you said...

• I get the feeling that stress is probably the cause but I'm honestly unsure of ways to calm him. He likes to play but he very picky with how/when that happens.
  
  
  
• A tree/more vertical space is probably long overdue
  
  
  
• Do you know if this would be good for his stress?
  
  
• We currently have two litter boxes and are tight on space but I suppose a third could work
  
  
  
• Thanks for the suit idea! It could save me a lot of time

I'm so sorry to read this. I wish I had something that would help. Just enjoy the time you have left with your precious pup and make her happy. It will be tough but worth it to know she felt comforted in her remaining time.

Edited to add: something which may make her more comfortable is a calming scent diffuser. Like this https://www.amazon.com/Comfort-Zone-Diffuser-Single-Refill/dp/B000J3HZWE

They've finally started to modify collars for post-surgery, I used this Kong collar, but make sure she has the right size. Pet stores near me sell them, or similar styled ones. Can you call your vet and discuss the howling, possibly a trial run of pain meds to see if it helps - honestly I'm careful not to assume that my dog letting me touch something means it doesn't hurt, the pain may be further in, or i may not be applying the right pressure. If the medication helps, then you know there was pain, potentially inflammation, and as you wean her off them ensure the howling doesn't return. Aftercare should be a part of her surgery - when are you due for a wound check? Ideally you could trial the meds and discuss results then.

Sorry for all that - it comes down to, is she eating well, drinking well? For the howling call your vet and see if a trial of pain meds is possible, or if they think it's behavioural. Does one of the nurses know if she was howling in the kennels? Given she is also limited with walks and such at the moment that may play a part. Either way, call the vet, discuss eating and drinking habits and make sure you feel right about their response. And check your check up date :)

Hi, congrats on your new cat. I'm a vet tech student interested in behavior and a cat shelter volunteer so if someone with higher qualifications posts, by all means listen to them. When you take her to the vet to get a UTI ruled out, ask them about this on the behavior end, too.

Is there one specific spot she's peeing in, or does it seem to be more random? Where are the litter boxes located? Does she scratch or otherwise mark things, like by rubbing on them? Make sure you're using an enzymatic cleaner when you clean up the pee spots; it's something you can buy at pretty much any pet store.

As far as her interactions with the other cat, she probably just wants to play and has, obviously, a higher energy level than your 13 year old. Get her some interactive toys, we have one of these and my cats love it. Obviously, different cats like different toys, but from my observations with both the cats at the shelter where I volunteer and my own, a wire instead of a string makes the toy move better. You said she's "adopted" your son, and since he's 6, he's probably old enough that this is something he can do with her.

I'm going to jump in this conversation and say that there's a really good book that would answer a ton of your questions called "Dog Food Logic". It explicitly tells you at the beginning that the 200 or so pages won't tell you exactly what food to feed, but it gives a ton of information about what different things on the bag mean, the manufacturing and packaging process, how to calculate amounts to feed, etc - pretty much an abbreviated, less detailed/clinically-oriented version of my school's companion animal nutrition class. It's well worth the $15 on Amazon, and I'm seriously going to keep name-dropping it on this subreddit everytime I see a dog food discussion crop up.

I would use a harness always in a cat and I would have them trained slowly to get accustomed to it. Or perhaps try something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Top-Performance-Cat-Grooming-Bag/dp/B001VPCEWA

You can also try to condition your cat to the crate and ask about calming medication to administer prior to the appointment/travel. The crate is ultimately the safest for cats IMO.

Thanks for the response! I used this before: ZYMOX Ear Solution https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0025YOJXS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Q3HXCbB46Y7E1

I still have some and will get some mineral oil to try. It was difficult to administer the solution before, even wrapping him in a towel so it might not have applied too well

First time seeing her eat something absurd, but I'm entertaining the thought she may just eat everything.

https://www.amazon.com/Foto-Tech-Stainless-Compatible-Mirrorless/dp/B07Q5JS2ZD

​

The plastic piece above is what she ate, and I do think it'll pass just fine. I was removing the camera strap when the kitty just popped up and ate it. I quickly grabbed her to see if i could get it before she swallowed, but that didn't work. I even asked if I could induce vomiting and they said no. They were strangely ok with me saying I think I'll just watch her.

Try putting it in a food dispenser. He'll have to push it around to get the food to fall out, burn some calories, and it'll slow him down if he eats fast.
Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-SlimCat-Meal-Dispensing-Great-Treats/dp/B0018CG40O

There's these fancy grooming bags on Amazon that kind of do the same thing! And cat muzzles.
https://www.amazon.com/Top-Performance-Cat-Grooming-Bag/dp/B001VPCEWA

I found her 3 months ago in arizona and shes been scratching her ear and shaking her head every so often at first I thought it was her moving the bell on her collar but today I looked in her ear and seen what looks like ear wax and a scab but I'm not sure, I tried to wipe it off with a tissue but she cried so it is bothering her I'm wondering what to do next because I really can't afford to take her to the vet right now and I have like 20 dollars to my name would something like this http://www.amazon.com/Pet-King-Enzymatic-Solution-Ounces/dp/B0025YOJXS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415765346&sr=8-1&keywords=cat+ear+medicine help or should I start selling what little I have to take her to the vet?

Just like people, animals have different metabolisms, too.

You can try cutting out the canned food first and only feeding the dry. You can also get him a food puzzle! My cat uses a Stimulo bowl and I'm now a firm believer that every cat should, too.

http://aikiou.com/stimulo-cat-bowls-and-feeders/

You can also try the Slim Cat Ball. This one your big dude will have to whack the ball around the get the food out.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0018CG40O?pc_redir=1411539573&robot_redir=1

Weight loss takes time. My dad has a 17lbs cat that only eat 1/4 of food a day and maintains 17lbs on that. My 11lbs cat eats 1/4 to 1/3 a day. Everyone is different!

> He did hundreds of dollars of damage trying to escape and attacking everything. Including furnitures, old furnitures in wood that are hundred years old. I just don't know how I can keep him inside.

Yikes. Have you tried Feliway?