When looking for a kitten and researching a specific breed, it’s important that you are aware of any health problems the breed is predisposed to so that you can reduce or eliminate the chances of bringing home an affected kitten, which could have devastating consequences.
What diseases are Bengal cats prone to?
There are currently 3 known genetic conditions that every Bengal breeder should test or screen for in order to help prevent the passing down of hereditary Bengal health issues:
- PK-Def, which causes anemia
- Bengal PRA, which causes blindness
- HCM, which causes heart failure
1. PK-Def (PK Deficiency)
What it is: A genetic condition that impairs the red blood cells’ ability to metabolize, which in turn may cause anemia and other blood-related issues. Symptoms of this anemia can include: severe lethargy, weakness, weight loss, jaundice, and abdominal enlargement.
How it’s tested for: A breeder should have the breeding cats’ DNA tested to find out if they’re carriers for PK-Def. These are the 3 possible results of this test:
N/N | no copies of PK deficiency, cat is normal |
N/K | 1 copy of PK deficiency, cat is normal but is a carrier. |
K/K | 2 copies of PK deficiency, cat is or will be affected. Severity of symptoms cannot be predicted. |
How to avoid PK-Def: Ask to see test results of the kitten’s parents. Ideally, both parents will be N/N but your kitten will not be affected as long as just one of the parents is N/N. Two carriers (N/K) should not be bred together. This test has been available for some time, and most breeders have eliminated PK-Def from their program altogether, and no longer need to test because they can trace back to N/N parents.
2. PRA (Bengal Progressive Retinal Atrophy)
What it is: A genetic condition that causes blindness due to the destruction of the cells that register light in the back of the eye. The loss of the cells begins around 7 weeks of age and slowly progresses until the cat has very compromised vision by approximately 2 years of age.
How it’s tested for: Just like PK-Def, the breeder should have the breeding cats’ DNA tested to find out if they’re carriers. These are the 3 possible results of this test:
N/N | no copies of PK deficiency, cat is normal |
N/PRA | 1 copy of PK deficiency, cat is normal but is a carrier. |
PRA/PRA | 2 copies of PRA, cat is or will be affected. Severity of symptoms cannot be predicted. |
How to avoid PRA: Ask to see the test results of the parents. Ideally, both parents will be N/N but your kitten will not be affected as long as one of the parents is N/N. Two carriers (N/PRA) should not be bred together. This is a newer test, and carriers have not been eliminated from many programs, so it’s important to know the results of the parents!
3. HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy)
What it is: HCM is the thickening of the wall of the left ventricle of the heart, which causes scar tissue. Cats with severe HCM can develop heart failure, die suddenly due to abnormal electrical activity in the left ventricle, or develop a blood clot that will cause sudden onset of paralysis and severe pain of the rear legs. All of these are devastating problems.
How it’s tested for: Unlike PRA and PK-Def, there’s no easy DNA test for HCM. To determine if a cat has HCM, an ultrasound of the heart must be done by a cardiologist (this is very expensive, and it can be hard to find someone able to do this test). This is called an echocardiogram. Since Bengal cats usually don’t develop HCM until they’re older, a clear echocardiogram done on a young cat does not mean that it won’t develop HCM later.
How to avoid HCM: There’s a genetic link, so the best way to avoid the probability in offspring is to regularly screen breeding cats and not breed an affected cat or his/her immediate offspring. It’s generally recommended that screenings be done once a year, and once every two years when the cats are older. As breeders work together to remove affected cats from their programs, the number of affected kittens will be reduced. When searching for a kitten, find a breeder who you know has HCM-screened lines.
While this isn’t the most “fun” part of searching for your kitten, you’ll be glad in the long run that you did your research and supported a breeder who really cares about the health of Bengals!
https://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/pkdeficiency.php
https://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/cat/BengalPRA.php
https://www.bengalsillustrated.com/1950/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy-hcm/