Subscribe Feed (RSS)Cat health is a complex subject. Many of its aspects are common to all, but individual breeds have different genealogies and as a result of their varying genetic makeup they differ one from another in the degree to which they are prone to various diseases. Here are just two examples.
A Bengal cat, firstly, can often be prone to problems of the digestive system, probably because of generational closeness to its Asian leopard cat ancestors and lack of time to adapt to anything other than a hunted meat diet. It was only as recently as the 1970s that the Bengal was developed through cross-breeding of domestic cats with wild leopard cats, and even in the past couple of decades a great deal of breeding back to the wild has taken place, even though it is now discouraged. Problems such as irritable bowel syndrome are not uncommon.
Secondly, during the process of self-grooming all cats swallow hair. Shorthaired cats do not normally have a problem with this, and the strands of hair simply pass through the digestive system. In longhaired breeds, however, there can be difficulty with hairballs forming in the stomach, composed of a mixture of hair and fat. Specially formulated foods can help minimise this. It must always be remembered that long hair arises from a genetic mutation and close attention to cat health is necessary.
Make sure that you read up on the characteristics of a breed before purchasing and taking responsibility for an animal. This should always include any information you can find about the specific health care risks and requirements of the particular breed.
Tags: bengal cat, cat breeds, cat health, hairball, leopard cat
