Time to properly introduce our Bengal Queen Sakura (it means Cherry Blossom in Japanese). This is not her best photo but you can be sure this blog will see a lot more of her in future. Time to tell the story of how she came to be with us.
Sakura is a 2 year old Cinnamon Marble Bengal and she is a Bengal with problems. The story goes that she was quite literally thrown into a shelter in Wisconsin by someone who had grown totally frustrated with her because she was intermittently peeing on the bed. Now in most shelters, sadly, this would be a death sentence. In many shelters like the one I volunteer at, if an animal is not adoptable there is no place to go but over the Rainbow Bridge. Luckily Sakura went to a pure breed cat rescue and from there was adopted by a lovely couple.
While all this was going on I learned about Bengals for the first time, I saw photos of them one day when I was surfing the net and thought they were the most beautiful cats I had ever seen. I read about them and wondered whether it might be just too much cat for our home, but yet, I was drawn to these beautiful creatures. Then I came across Great Lakes Bengal Cat Rescue and finally after seeing their appeal for more foster homes and with experience fostering under my belt I applied.
My first foster cat Raphael was wonderful, I only had him 2 weeks, but from the moment he thrust that powerful head at me for attention I was sold, so incredibly strong and powerful it was like any other cat on serious steroids. Our lovely angelic Raph a brown spotted male went to Michigan where he is making his owner ecstatically happy.
What happened next was strange. Cat after cat it seemed would come to me but nothing came of any of them. Then one day I got a call about Sakura, she needed a foster home, I was open, I said yes. Sakura came from a wonderful home, her owners brought her to me and spent several hours with us, facing a major move they could no longer cope with Sakura's urinating and they didn't think she could cope with it either. Furniture had been destroyed and they were willing to try, but their whole world was going to be upheaval for a while and they wanted to give Sakura the best chance.
Four days after she arrived our orange tabby Tyson was diagnosed with kidney failure - we were utterly heartbroken because at best we could buy him 6 months, he was dying. Four days later he was gone, with Mom and Dad by his side. This is still hard to talk about, once he was gone we both bent down to him, kissed him and promised we would see him again.
That meant according to the laws we had room for another animal in the household and 2 days later Sakura became a permanent member of the pack.
I thought we were winning. The night Tyson died Sakura went pee on our bed. I felt that might be just a reaction to change and her realising he was gone. Sure enough there was no other incident, not even when our new foster Mars came along and they seem to get along very well but yesterday morning, the bed was soaking wet and it was hard to get it out and stop it smelling. This morning, she went pee on Kasey's blanket on the couch so I had to move all of her things in to the Foster Room and she and Mars stayed there for the day.
It was suggested to us to try Prozac and after a conversation with our vet this morning he agreed. We are just waiting for him to decide on dosage levels and call us. I now know how Sakura's former owner Cindy felt, there is a feeling of failure, a feeling that maybe I am missing something or not doing enough for her. What I do know is this is her third home in two years and she needs help. All the usual things have failed to help her but I am consulting with behaviourists to see if we can pinpoint what is going on.
Sakura is not at all like Mars and she is not at all like Raphael. There is an 'edge' to Sakura. She is quick to growl, quick to snarl, and also quick to go into full blown attack at Scout and Waya who are very tolerant. Someone declawed her front paws so she can't hurt unless she bites and she doesn't get that close but boy can she look fearsome!
And I also know, Sakura is home. She will not have to worry about settling anywhere again if I can help it. And we will win and make you whole Sakura - if it takes forever - we WILL win!!
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