[PotD] With eyes that glow.

[moonvoice]

My glossy girl is next,
along with some dual Moet/Maybe shots,
since they decided to be extremely cute together.
I think this is the first time I've taken more photos of Moet than Maybe for a while, but my camera goes wherever it feels like.


Watching the world with eyes that go an uncanny colour in direct sunlight.






She is a slave to the sun.













Maybe comes when called.





Even while she gets distracted.

















Checking each other out. Moet had become quite playful.





He has that look in his eye.








Hope you enjoyed!

Comments

[moonvoice]

What makes Maybe special needs?

Maybe has pica (which lead to a life-threatening impaction and bowel surgery in her first month with us), IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), FIC (feline idiopathic cystitis - controlled with an extreme, prescribed diet), and she's reactive. Alongside her reactivity, she can also have interaction issues and it's taken her about 2 years to learn how to appreciate physical contact. As part of our contract with the rescue organisation, she is not allowed outside (with the exception of maybe a few times a year, where she is on very closely supervised time), which has likely helped a great deal with her trainability, by not enforcing her feral behaviours (she was found in the bushland with her two siblings, who also have not faired well behaviourally).

We use long-term positive reinforcement training techniques with her, of the kind taught by Patricia McConnell and Pat Miller (i.e. that which is used in dog training). We have long-term, positive results, especially with Maybe's reactivity. Clicker training worked best for Maybe, but I started when she was a kitten, and I actually started in order to help control her pica - most people don't clicker train their cats! I'm not suggesting this would work of course, only that we were lucky to get a measure of control in this manner.

Some of the behavioural characteristics of bengals are also found in maus and ocicats (who can throw similar patternings to bengals), which is something you've probably already considered, but it might be something to look into as well. :) We spent a long time looking into a lot of options with Maybe, despite what the vets/rescuer thought. Maybe doesn't actually like water for play, which isn't unknown with bengals, and maus / ocicats have similarly high water appreciation when compared to bengals (along with maine coons, burmese, and a bunch of others I'm forgetting). Our DSH Moet actually really loves water, heh. :D

Maybe also has serious problems understanding a litter tray, which is not uncommon with a percentage of bengals. She doesn't understand burying, and she used to miss a great deal (and still can). For a long time she would go next to the litter tray, and even once her FIC was under control, it's clear that she doesn't really understand the purpose of burying her waste in litter. But after all her other issues, that seems really minor. Besides, our other cat Moet is a dab hand a burying, so if he catches her waste before we do, he sorts it out, lol.

But we love her. :D I love the name Cypress (and nickname I presume - Peanut?) She looks like a beautiful cat, and she definitely has that bengal-ish face shape. :D