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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 :)

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

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

Many of the books aimed at technicians would be great as well. Not only do they explain the terminology, anatomy, physiology, etc., but it also explains how to laymanize it for clients.

http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Veterinary-Terminology-Douglas-McBride/dp/0323013295

That is a good cheap starting point. Of course there are finer details that are speciality specific, but that would give you a good starting point.

Volunteer specific pointers: Carry a small notebook with you and jot down terms or conditions that you are curious to know more about. Hitting up the technicians when the doctors are busy for spelling clarifications or explanations is also good. Do not talk to doctors who are writing up charts unless their technician(s) say its ok. Don't ask questions in front of clients outside of restraint clarifications, if they let you restrain. Hold them for later. Enjoy the experience!

Since you have trazadone I'm going to assume you have already talked to your veterinarian about your dog's anxiety. If that is not the case, please discuss it with your vet.

The behaviorists are pricy, but they're an excellent resource and worth the money. I'd definitely stick with either a Veterinary Behaviorist or an Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist over a regular trainer, anybody can call themselves a trainer while CAABs and VBs have tons of education and experience. They can tailor advice to your specific dog and your specific household in a way a book or video cannot.

I am by no means an expert (I'm a vet tech at a general-practice clinic) but my go-to recommendations for behavior books are Decoding Your Dog by the American College of Veterinary behaviorists, (it has a chapter on house training and a chapter on separation anxiety) and The Other End of the Leash (it's about understanding dogs and how they think rather than specific issues) by Patricia McConnell. Patricia McConnell also has books (booklets? they're short) about anxiety and separation anxiety. I've never read the booklets, but she's a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist with a Ph.D, so they're probably a better resource than random internet sites even if they're not as helpful as an in-person consultation with a behaviorist.

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 :)

Kudos to you. I recommend a decent color art pencil set to go with that. I'm a big fan of giving kids stuff a bit advanced, she can grow into it, and she has the internet to look up things she doesn't understand. That book is a wonderful mix of science and art and not what I had in mind when I read coloring book. You could even round out a bit more of the art theme by getting her something like


http://www.amazon.com/How-Draw-Cool-Stuff-Illusions/dp/0692382518/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449870508&sr=1-2&keywords=art+instruction+books

This one is free on the kindle app.

In terms of the stress she is in I might suggest Feliway (it's a plug in scent diffuser that calms cats) it might not completely fix her anxiety but may soothe her a bit.
https://www.amazon.com/Comfort-Zone-Feliway-Diffuser-Kit/dp/B00I9SI40S

Best of luck for you and your darling cat.

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.

Take a look at the "AeroKat Feline Aerosol Chamber for Cats"
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005AIPRJG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_upLGzbN54K2B7

If you're in Canada you can get Flovent for much cheaper than what you're paying now. I checked out the prices and you can get a 120 dose/50 micrograms inhaler for like 24$. With pharmacy fees thats only like $32-35 tops per month.
https://www.formulary.health.gov.on.ca/formulary/results.xhtml?q=flovent&type=2
[I use the Ontario formulary because it shows the actual cost of the medication brand and generic. You may have to call around to get the best price or if you have health insurance, you could probably get your doctor to prescribe it "for you" ;)


Definitely read some of the reviews and Q/A's from the Amazon link and go from there.

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 agree with all of this.

The neck donut collars are tolerated SO much better than the cones. Most dogs get overwhelmed by the cone and will shut down. The donut is more like a travel pillow that conveniently prevents licking.

You want to find a veterinary behaviorist, NOT a regular trainer. This is past what a trainer is educated for and is a medical issue.

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

Your vet was encouraging you to breed your dog when you don't know what you're doing? That's...strange.

https://www.amazon.com/Whelping-Rearing-Puppies-Complete-Practical/dp/0793804973

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.

See if you can find a copy of this book. I use it quite often when owners want to home cook. Chapter six looks at the healthy animal and has some suggestions for meals

The book Pet First Aid: Cats & Dogs by American Red Cross is a good paperback reference and will answer will your questions

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!

Buy this book if you need inspiration: 101 Uses for a Dead Cat

Seriously though, you can either leave the body at the vet's and have them dispose of it, donate it to your nearest vet school, have it cremated, or get it back and bury it in your back yard (check your local laws first, this is illegal in some water districts).

The Value of Believing in Yourself: The Story of Louis Pasteur.

All I remember is the terrifying dog, and the kid that totally deserved to get rabies (he teases the dog with a stick every day, one day the dog gets rabies, the gate is left open, he bites the kid, L.P. saves the day).

Prednisolone is a steroid and will work as an anti-inflammatory. It starts working rather quickly by stopping the cells that are causing the damage to the lungs. Since the damage was going on for awhile though, it might take a week or two for his body to be able to fix and adapt to the damaged lung.

If you are concerned in the short term, you can call your vet and ask for a prescription for a rescue inhaler and you can purchase a [feline spacer like this.] (http://www.amazon.com/AeroKat-Feline-Aerosol-Chamber-Cats/dp/B005AIPRJG)

If his gums start to turn blue or pale, he needs to go back to the vet immediately.

I have a few clients that went out and bought a Plumb's once their pet's got older and needed more medications. I don't think they used it often but it was a good reference.

Edit: I deleted my other comments because, looking back, I was wrong to be rude to u/practicaltheorist. Sorry.

> 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?