We are at a point that we might have to give up Kyan, who is a member of our family, for our safety and his health. Kyan is a beautiful F3 savannah who just turned three. When we got him, at 12 weeks old, he had diarrhea for several months. At first his breeder was helpful but insisted it was caused by giardia from water at the first stop in Canada. When cost was even mentioned they said that we should not go to a veterinarian. I would not listen to anything a person had to say after saying that it wouldn’t help to go see a vet for bleeding diarrhea that had been going on for months.
I am saying this because I do not know whether the lack of nutrition during the first year of development may have caused some brain development issues.
Last fall Kyan saw the neighbour’s cat. He lives across the street but was on our side of the street. Kyan does not like other cats. When he ran to chase the other cat he quickly came to the end of his tether. I went up to him to tell him that everything was ok and to make sure that he hadn’t hurt himself stopping suddenly from reaching the end of the tether. He turned around screamed and jumped at my upper thigh. He hit me with such force that I fell down while he was biting me. Then he jumped back. He saw that I was down and before I could get up he attacked again biting my hand that I held up for protection.
Nothing like this happened again until this fall. We had been enjoying a great walk when Kyan went into a bushy area. I knew that a cat had been there and was making sure that it had left the area. I was quite sure that Kyan had not seen it. I thought I must have stepped on Kyan because the next thing I know is that he is screaming and jumping on my leg and biting me as hard as he can. I now know that I did not step on him because that this was exactly like the other attacks.
Less than a week later we saw another cat. I was backing away trying to give the leash to Rob. Kyan’s eyes dilate and he never looks up just straight ahead at my legs. He jumped up and bit my left calf. After these attacks he seems very disoriented and exhausted. He knows that something is wrong but does not seem aware of what has happened.
I thought that I was the only one that was at risk so Rob was holding the leash. When we saw a cat I chased it away. Kyan walked to where the cat had been and after a few seconds I heard the now familiar scream. He bit Rob’s ankle hard and then jumped back exhausted.
I wouldn’t call Kyan a “scaredy-cat” but he is nervous about some things. He doesn’t seem to be afraid of new things. The sound of a truck driving by or a motorcycle will stop him from eating and even can wake him up if he isn’t sleeping soundly. He won’t back down from a dog but will not leave a cat alone. If he can see it he will want to chase it and attack it if he can. We, of course, hold him back. If he wasn’t always on leash there would be many hurt cats.
Kyan is a handful at times but when he gets his way he is the nicest cuddliest cat ever. He eats his dinner and curls up with me every night. He loves, maybe even lives for, hunting. He is an excellent hunter and he needs to do something like that because he is so energetic. We (Sharon and Kyan) wrestled too much and it did get carried away but that seems to not be as much of an issue because I have stopped it. Rob and Kyan never wrestled. Kyan still nips me when he is not getting his way. Lots of nights right before he enters the bedroom he will bite my ankle. This happens so fast and if I don’t do anything he seems to not even notice it.
We have taken him to the veterinarian clinic at the university and they said the major attacks could be focal seizures or could be behavioral problems. Has anyone heard of any similar problems.
Sorry for the long post but I am not sure what information is relevant. I am terrified that we will have to not live with Kyan for our safety. I know we would be safer but I would not be happy and I do not think anyone else could give Kyan six hour walks every day or the love and attention that we give him. We are sick with worry.
I am saying this because I do not know whether the lack of nutrition during the first year of development may have caused some brain development issues.
Last fall Kyan saw the neighbour’s cat. He lives across the street but was on our side of the street. Kyan does not like other cats. When he ran to chase the other cat he quickly came to the end of his tether. I went up to him to tell him that everything was ok and to make sure that he hadn’t hurt himself stopping suddenly from reaching the end of the tether. He turned around screamed and jumped at my upper thigh. He hit me with such force that I fell down while he was biting me. Then he jumped back. He saw that I was down and before I could get up he attacked again biting my hand that I held up for protection.
Nothing like this happened again until this fall. We had been enjoying a great walk when Kyan went into a bushy area. I knew that a cat had been there and was making sure that it had left the area. I was quite sure that Kyan had not seen it. I thought I must have stepped on Kyan because the next thing I know is that he is screaming and jumping on my leg and biting me as hard as he can. I now know that I did not step on him because that this was exactly like the other attacks.
Less than a week later we saw another cat. I was backing away trying to give the leash to Rob. Kyan’s eyes dilate and he never looks up just straight ahead at my legs. He jumped up and bit my left calf. After these attacks he seems very disoriented and exhausted. He knows that something is wrong but does not seem aware of what has happened.
I thought that I was the only one that was at risk so Rob was holding the leash. When we saw a cat I chased it away. Kyan walked to where the cat had been and after a few seconds I heard the now familiar scream. He bit Rob’s ankle hard and then jumped back exhausted.
I wouldn’t call Kyan a “scaredy-cat” but he is nervous about some things. He doesn’t seem to be afraid of new things. The sound of a truck driving by or a motorcycle will stop him from eating and even can wake him up if he isn’t sleeping soundly. He won’t back down from a dog but will not leave a cat alone. If he can see it he will want to chase it and attack it if he can. We, of course, hold him back. If he wasn’t always on leash there would be many hurt cats.
Kyan is a handful at times but when he gets his way he is the nicest cuddliest cat ever. He eats his dinner and curls up with me every night. He loves, maybe even lives for, hunting. He is an excellent hunter and he needs to do something like that because he is so energetic. We (Sharon and Kyan) wrestled too much and it did get carried away but that seems to not be as much of an issue because I have stopped it. Rob and Kyan never wrestled. Kyan still nips me when he is not getting his way. Lots of nights right before he enters the bedroom he will bite my ankle. This happens so fast and if I don’t do anything he seems to not even notice it.
We have taken him to the veterinarian clinic at the university and they said the major attacks could be focal seizures or could be behavioral problems. Has anyone heard of any similar problems.
Sorry for the long post but I am not sure what information is relevant. I am terrified that we will have to not live with Kyan for our safety. I know we would be safer but I would not be happy and I do not think anyone else could give Kyan six hour walks every day or the love and attention that we give him. We are sick with worry.
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