Bengal Cat Owners Please

Kimberley

I've looked on Google but want information from those who have them as pets to get their views please.

:beer:

Jellicat

My friend has one, not sure if he's F1 or F2 but to look at he is just another cat, maybe a tiny bit bigger. Very pretty but pretty indistinguishable from your regular mog. He has an EXTREMELY well developed prey drive, is constantly chasing and killing birds, and in temperament he behaves a little more like a dog than a cat. He's a nice boy, not "wild" or anything...except to the local mice lol. Myself I cant see why you'd shell out so much for what is basically a regular kitty, but I the ones with more Asian leopard cat in them are beautiful. But again, I guess the more ALC blood they have, the wilder they will be.

Kimberley

I foster dogs and soon to be only cat friendly dogs and read on a website that they are good with dogs. I also would like to have something a bit different then a normal moggy. Some people say they are hard work and some say it's just the same as having a normal moggy.

The price doesn't come into it and you have the cat for life at around 16 years so it would be worth it.

Lillys_mum

I am sorry but I have to disagree with the above post.
A bengal should not be an F1 F2 or F3 if it is to be a pet. Any reputable breeder will only sell F4 and above.

I have a beautiful silver spotted one and he is completely different to a moggie - you can tell a mile off he is no ordinary cat.

He is very playful, they do prefer company so it is best to have someone else for him to play with. He is an indoor cat with access to an enclosed outdoor run - I would never risk him going out unsupervised as there are too many dangers.
He loves to climb up the curtains and will try and climb anything at all, he also loves water and will sit in a shallow bath and play.

If you are considering getting one please go along and have a chat with a breeder and they will be able to tell you anything you need to know and will help you to decide if it is the best breed for you.

Lillys_mum

louisdog

He is gorgeous! Is he a silver spotted variety? I love his spotted tum! Is he an only cat?

Lillys_mum

Yes he is a silver spotted.
We also have a blue tonkinese as really they both need company.
We had the tonkinese for a few months before we got the bengal.

Magpye

Bengal owner ready to speak out... I have one Bengal girl at the moment and our other Bengal was unfortunately put to sleep in February.

These cats are unlike any other cat I have owned. They're definitely not your run of the mill moggy! Apart from their striking markings, are very human-centric. Our boy (rest his little soul) used to demand a chair be pulled up for him at the dinner table - he never begged for food, just used to like to sit in our company. They are very active and playful, full of the joys of spring; they are also very vocal and like to speak back to you.

They have very soft coats, more like pelts. Our boy was incredibly docile, never showed his claws or bit, and was hugely tolerant of all the attention he used to get. Our girl cat is less tolerant due to poor socialisation, but still rarely scratches. They both loved human contact, or to be together. I have noticed our girl is a bit lonely now it's just her, so it's ideal to have a Bengal to socialise with other animals.

I don't find them hard work per se, but they are stubborn and wilful and you should be prepared to lose a few ornaments. For some reason mine have both had a particular hate of representations of other cats. And both of mine like(d) to rip up paper, so don't leave newspapers lying about or they will be shredded, books and magazines will be clawed and chewed, and for the love of god don't let them get into the bathroom unattended as they do love to spread ripped soggy toilet paper through the house. Oh, and they do like to play with water. Heads under the cold tap, trying to get in the shower with me, and paddling in their water bowl. The only time they don't like water is if you actually have to wash them!

Of course, every cat has its own particular personality, so your experience may differ but Bengals are fantastic little characters. I wish I could get another one - I envy you!

Edit: Aww Lillys mum, he is gorgeous!!! I should post my little girl here!

Lillys_mum

I am sorry about your boy Magpye. I hope your girl isn't pining for him too much.
Please post up some pics if you have any I would love to see them.

XX

vaksam

We have 3 Bengal crosses, and in my opinion you can't get a better cat with personality! Just a warning though, with this comes the fact that they are VERY lively and inquisitive as well as intelligent - we currently have child locks on all of our kitchen cupboards due to them learning how to open them and 'investigating' the contents. They've also recently discovered how door handles work, and so I'm sure they will be breaking out of closed doors any day now! They also tend to love water, so will come running when they hear a tap being switched on, and many also have a habit of flicking water out of their bowl all over the floor, apparantly a throwback from their asian leopard cat ancestors which would near to clear algae and plants from the surface of pools and puddles before they could get a drink.

They are very, very affectionate and need quite a lot of human contact imo, so probably not a good choice if you like the typical 'aloof' cat. When one of ours is feeling particularly needy, she will jump from the floor up onto my shoulder - or as far up my back as she can manage until she has to pull herself up using her claws!:eek: Ours will also let you know vocally in no uncertain terms if you are not paying them the required amount of attention.

They also need a lot of entertainment, so getting two is the best bet if you're going to be out of the house for extended periods of time - then they can entertain each other.

We only have the 3 cats, so I can't speak from personal experience about how they are with dogs, but I too have read they tend to get along well with them, and given how much attitude they have I could well imagine that this would be the case! I read one description of them that described the breed as 'lovable hooligans' and I have to say that this rings very, very true.

vaksam

Magpye - you posted just as I was writing mine. I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Hopefully you and your little girl can take some comfort from each other.