Introduction

Hello, my name is Jon Paterson. TIBCS asked me if I would be  the health liason, which includes writing a quarterly column on health for the Bengal Bulletin. Health has always been a focus for me in my Bengal breeding program. I have been through the tough learning curve of dealing with HCM, URIs, GI problems, parasites, and more. It is never an enjoyable part of breeding, but every health issue gives an opportunity to learn, improve, and become a better patron of the breed.

I started breeding Bengals in 2007. I first fell in love with the breed as a child after seeing a picture of a Bengal cat in a book of cat breeds. I knew from that day that they would be in my future. My life prior to Bengal cats was filled with many other species of animals. I grew up on a farm in Scotland where we raised dairy and beef cattle and sheep. I delivered babies and assisted with all types of livestock health and medical procedures from an early age. While my dad dreaded having a reason to call the vet out, it was an exciting time for me as I wanted to watch the process and get involved if I could.

With livestock feed comes rodents, so farm cats were always present to deal with them. I felt a strong affinity with cats from early childhood and would spend hours each day trying to tame the little feral-born kittens out in the barns. Beyond the main farm livestock, I also raised smaller animals, from chickens, ducks, and quail to various reptiles, tarantulas, and other invertebrates. Breeding was always a passion for me, and all animals were of interest to me. As a child, when asked what I wanted to do when I grew up, my answer was, “I want to breed things.” Finally, once I got my first Bengals, they superseded all of the other animals, and Bengals became my sole focus. Breeding Bengals has been an ongoing passion, brought my wife and me together, and sparked my move from Scotland to California.

My goal in working with TIBCS is to share accurate information on Bengal health to produce the healthiest cats possible. There are multiple research programs worldwide developing tests for various conditions, and I plan to centralize communication to make it easier to submit samples so that the whole breed can benefit.

Finally, I would like to say that I am not a veterinarian, and I have no medical training. If you are worried about your animal’s health, please seek veterinary assistance. Anything I write about will be information gained from published articles, through conversations with veterinarians, or from experience. Please use your judgment and, if in doubt, seek medical attention for your cats when required.