Family takes a chance on cat with health issues

I have always had a heart for animals in need. However, never take in more than you can give. These animals will rely on you for the rest of their life.

I fell in love with Bengals since I first saw them. I came in touch with a breeder and I was so happy when I was finally able to receive one. He was so crazy, we named him Prozac.

We then decided to get a playmate for him, Harley. Everything was going so well for them until one day we came home and Prozac had died after we had him for 18 months. We were told he had an aneurism.

Harley wouldn't eat or play, so we adopted Scooter, who later we found out was a half-brother to Harley.

Within minutes, we could tell there was something wrong with Scooter, due to the sound coming from his chest when he was breathing. We took him to the vet on our way home. Scooter gradually got better.

Then other problems started to show up. When Scooter would walk, his knee would pop out of joint. So we took him in and found out he needed surgery.

To make a long story short, his problems were caused from inbreeding. He went through six surgeries on his knees and hips, one after the other.

Scooter cannot walk normal and is on constant medication; however, he is a happy cat and was given the chance to have a happy life.

We have made any accommodations needed to make things easier and safer for him. Not only have we lowered the cat trees and put cat steps up to his favorite areas, but he even has his own heating blanket to lay on during the winter when his joints ache.

With all the surgery Scooter was having to go through, Harley missed having a playmate. We then rescued a Bengal from a Bengal Rescue in N.C. So now that we have three happy Bengals, I would like to let people know that if you purchase from a breeder, do plenty of research, talk to people who have purchased from them and check their facilities out.

When we picked up Harley from the breeder, I saw a Bengal whose back legs looked like kangaroo legs. When I asked the breeder what was wrong with it, she said it had been hit by a car.

Later on when discussing Scooter's issues with the vet, I asked what Scooter would look like if he had not gone through the surgery. The vet described the Bengal that had supposedly been hit by the car.

Many people wouldn't have given Scooter the chance for a happy life. He is part of our family and has been for going on six years now.

Toni Zewan

Charleston

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