We Are Finally Getting A Bengal!

[MamaOf4Boys]

After years of research and googling millions of pictures of Bengal kittens/cats, it is FINALLY happening. We have decided to get a Bengal. We have found a breeder, picked one out, already know his name and have fallen in love with his pictures (he's quite a bit of a drive away so unfortunately we can't meet him until we pick him up to bring him home). We are bringing him home right before Christmas! I don't know who's more excited lol, me or the kids... But I just had a few questions - is there anything you'd do differently with a Bengal than you would any other kitten? Any recommendations? tips? Tricks? Advice? Anything would be greatly appreciated. We have all grown up around cats (my son's included) but I have read so many articles/posts that contradict each other so I'm just looking for personal experiences and stories I have added a couple pictures of our little boy as well! We are naming him Oden. We have already fallen so in love with this cutie and he isn't even home yet.

 

[kittyluv387]

No experience with bengals but wanna say he's so cute and beautiful!

 

[MamaOf4Boys]

No experience with bengals but wanna say he's so cute and beautiful!

Thank you!! I may be biased but he is super super cute hehe. His markings are so distinct at only around 4 weeks old (how old he was in the picture). I have a feeling he's going to be a gorgeous adult I'll be sure to update this post or make a new one with more pics when we pick him up!!

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Congrats on the pending adoption of your new kitten.

I don't know much about Bengals, however, TCS does have this article: Bengal Cats

I also did a site search for "Bengals" and came up with these results.
Search Results for Query: bengals | TheCatSite

Looking forward to seeing more pics of Oden once he's home.

 

[Timmer]

Hi. He's gorgeous.
My Timmer was a bengal and he was a handful. They can be very very affectionate and loving,full of energy and needing a lot of stimulation and play. He was my soulmate. I lost him to IBD nearly a hear ago.

I can only tell you about his personality. I don't know what your baby will be like. BUT, if you have any other animals in the house, a bengal can treat them like prey and be very aggressive and unfortunately that is what happened with my other cat who could not fight him off. I had to build a door at the top of my second floor and she lived upstairs and he lived downstairs. My boss had a bengal, too, and he told me the cat beat the daylights out of their dog all the time.
Timmer also liked to scream his head off and call out in the night. I think they all do that. I didn't get much sleep. HA! Just very vocal all the time with a big vocabulary that I enjoyed ....unless it was 2 a.m. I don't think that cat ever slept more than a few hours during the day and a few hours at night.

He loved jumping up on things and climbing. He could jump up onto the top of the fridge from the floor with ease. It always amazed me, like magic. One moment he was on the floor and in the blink of an eye he would be on top of the fridge or my 7' tall bookcase.

Best of luck to you and your new baby.

 

[MamaOf4Boys]

Hi there, thank you everyone!! You guys are awesome. He is coming from a breeder where they are raised underfoot around other animals/daily life so I am hoping he will be okay with our Siamese. He's still fairly young and loves to play so hoping they can get along. I guess it'll be trial and error in finding out what works for them but from what I've read, they can be okay with dogs right? Does anyone have any good experiences with bengals and other animals? I know he's going to be a lot of work but after everything my family has been through in the last year, he's the light at the end of the tunnel

 

[MamaOf4Boys]

Also does anyone have an idea what his coat is going to look like as he grows? Not sure if it'll stay the same or change as I've read and seen lots of different things regarding that. Thanks again everyone!! I'll be sure to update pictures as I get them and once he's home I'm sure I'll never stop hehe

 

[abyeb]

He is so cute and has a gorgeous pattern! Bengals are an extremely active, intelligent breed, so I would just be sure to have plenty of cat trees and perches. He might also like puzzle-type feeders, which will allow him to show off his smarts.

Please do keep us updated! I hope to see pictures of him as he grows!

 

[Wile]

Hi! Very cute kitten. It's really exciting that he'll be home in time for Christmas!

I've had 3 bengals at this point. They are mostly like regular cats, but with higher energy levels. You will want to make sure that he has an appropriate climbing tower, and that you devote lots of time playing with him every day to drain his energy off. I find that bengals play rough, so sturdy toys are a must.

Most bengals from my experience are super social and generally get along well with other animals. I've never had a dog with this latest generation of cats, but my own leash-trained boy likes to meet friendly dogs when we are out on our walks. It is good that you have another cat for him to bond with. Socialization is really important and will keep him happy.

No idea what his coat will look like when he is older, but it looks like he has some nice rosettes. I would expect them to get bigger as he gets older, and his colour will come in more intensely.

Enjoy!

Edit: Also I noticed you mentioned kids. Sounds like they already know their way around cats, but its worth reiterating that you should make sure they don't use their hands to play with the new kitten. Only toys. Bengals can grow up to be fairly large and strong, so you definitely don't want to teach your new kitten to bite.

 

[neely]

There are several members on the site who are knowledgeable about Bengal cats.
They are: bengalcatman @Alejandra Rico @basscat and @goingpostal

Also here is a helpful thread for your reference:
Any Bengal Breeders/rescuers?

 

[Mamanyt1953]

GOOD LORD THAT IS A STUNNING KITTEN! I just adore those rosettes! He's going to be a handful, I do know that Bengals are very high-energy, but with all the searching you've done, I'm sure you know that! You might consider a good harness and leash. Most Bengals enjoy being out-of-doors and exploring. That will help drain off some energy, as well!

 

[MamaOf4Boys]

GOOD LORD THAT IS A STUNNING KITTEN! I just adore those rosettes! He's going to be a handful, I do know that Bengals are very high-energy, but with all the searching you've done, I'm sure you know that! You might consider a good harness and leash. Most Bengals enjoy being out-of-doors and exploring. That will help drain off some energy, as well!

Thank you!! Leash and harness training is definitely something we are thinking about 100%. It would be so nice to be able to bring him out places with us such as the park or beach etc. We haven't met him since he's from quite a bit away but we have done video calls and videos/pictures and I have honestly fallen so in love. He has the sweetest little personality and already loves to play I totally may be biased but he is super handsome. His rosettes are already so stunning at such a young age, I can only imagine what they're going to look like as he grows. I was told he may even be show quality. I'm obsessed and haven't even met him yet. I work from home too so I have lots of time and energy to devote to playing with him/spending time with him which I hope will help him settle in nicely too. We are just so excited to welcome him to our family!! Counting down the days

 

[MamaOf4Boys]

Hi! Very cute kitten. It's really exciting that he'll be home in time for Christmas!

I've had 3 bengals at this point. They are mostly like regular cats, but with higher energy levels. You will want to make sure that he has an appropriate climbing tower, and that you devote lots of time playing with him every day to drain his energy off. I find that bengals play rough, so sturdy toys are a must.

Most bengals from my experience are super social and generally get along well with other animals. I've never had a dog with this latest generation of cats, but my own leash-trained boy likes to meet friendly dogs when we are out on our walks. It is good that you have another cat for him to bond with. Socialization is really important and will keep him happy.

No idea what his coat will look like when he is older, but it looks like he has some nice rosettes. I would expect them to get bigger as he gets older, and his colour will come in more intensely.

Enjoy!

Edit: Also I noticed you mentioned kids. Sounds like they already know their way around cats, but its worth reiterating that you should make sure they don't use their hands to play with the new kitten. Only toys. Bengals can grow up to be fairly large and strong, so you definitely don't want to teach your new kitten to bite.

Thank you for all the tips! I definitely will be buying some heavy duty/sturdy toys and we plan on purchasing/setting up a cat tree before he comes home. Our Siamese has surprisingly never been a climber (too worried about always being on someone lol) so we never needed one before but from everything I've read/seen/heard we've decided to get one for Odin. I work from home so I'll have lots of time to play with and just be around him which will hopefully help with his socializing. When we found out we were getting him and decided to tell the kids the news (he's part of our family Christmas present so we weren't sure whether to tell the kids or not but couldn't wait lol) we went over the general rules of having a kitten again and what to do/what not to do/what to expect etc. They are really looking forward to having another fur brother hehe. Thanks for all your advice/tips

 

[MamaOf4Boys]

He is so cute and has a gorgeous pattern! Bengals are an extremely active, intelligent breed, so I would just be sure to have plenty of cat trees and perches. He might also like puzzle-type feeders, which will allow him to show off his smarts.

Please do keep us updated! I hope to see pictures of him as he grows!

Thank you so much! I am in love with his colouring/pattern. He actually has a smiley face on his back, which is so cute and unique. We plan to purchase and set up the cat tree before we bring him home. We've been looking at puzzle toys and that is on our list of what we need before he comes home I will definitely be updating pictures as soon as he's home! I already can't get enough of him and he isn't even here yet lol

 

[MamaOf4Boys]

Here is an updated picture of him he's about 4 1/2 or 5 weeks in this one!

 

[bengalcatman]

Oden could not be cuter!

We have two Bengals, a timid female (Lilia) and a rather bold male (Makena.)

Lilia is many generations away from the wild: she is louder than a normal cat, needs a moderate amount of interaction, but is not difficult to own or live with.

Makena is loud, highly intelligent, unbelievably fast and strong, was a study in non-stop action for the first few years, requires LOTS of interaction, plays very rough, and gets walks on a daily basis to keep him happy. If you like to spend time with a cat, love to go on walks and love to interact with a cat: Makena is a dream. He would be a nightmare to own otherwise.

Here are some of the surprises we had with Makena:
I found paw prints on the ceiling. More than once.
Last week he decided to jump up and a grab a track light, which tore out of the track and then broke on the floor.
He can climb 30 feet up a tree in 3-4 seconds.
He has done complete somersaults in midair while catching grasshoppers.
It takes 12-15 grasshoppers to fill him up enough that he skips dinner.
He found and subsequently raised a kitten Story Here
He protects my wife: often placing himself between her and dogs or strangers
The bond we have with the Bengals, especially Makena: is more intense then with other cats we have had

Bengal personalities and traits vary considerably. Some are easily leash trained, others can't be leash trained. Some love to be cuddled and held, others don't tolerate it: but in either case they are usually very friendly and LOVE human company. Be prepared for anything....

Advice: Start leash training early. Be aware that once you start with walks, a Bengal will EXPECT IT, so don't leash train if you can't do regular walks. It can take a lot of time (months) for both you and the cat to be comfortable outside with a leash.

We have found that Bengals do best with interaction rather than just attention. This means letting them participate in activities: my wife lets Makena sit with her to do puzzles, painting, etc. He goes with me out to my workshop and often sits on the workbench while I work: sniffing things, watching etc

Introduce your Bengal SLOWLY to other animals. We didn't let Makena near Lilia for about a month (she stayed in the bathroom.) Then we oversaw all their meetings for several days until we were sure they would get along. Makena had a slow intro to his kitten because she was in quarantine for 60 days to make sure she was free of disease. Now they are inseparable.

Before we decided on a Bengal, like you, we read everything we could find. Somehow we were still surprised at the energy level and the intelligence.

Makena was rescue with a lot of problems: honestly, nothing could have prepared us for that.

We had read that Bengals are "vocal." "Vocal," in the case of Makena and Lilia means "never shuts up" and "loud as fire whistles." When our non-bengal kitten meowed, my wife thought something was wrong with her meower. I had to remind her that a quiet little meow is the noise a cat is supposed to make, not a sound like an opera singer being stabbed to death. Fortunately, both Bengals have quieted down as they got older!

I can't wait to hear about the adventures you and your family have with Oden!

 

[MamaOf4Boys]

Oden could not be cuter!

We have two Bengals, a timid female (Lilia) and a rather bold male (Makena.)

Lilia is many generations away from the wild: she is louder than a normal cat, needs a moderate amount of interaction, but is not difficult to own or live with.

Makena is loud, highly intelligent, unbelievably fast and strong, was a study in non-stop action for the first few years, requires LOTS of interaction, plays very rough, and gets walks on a daily basis to keep him happy. If you like to spend time with a cat, love to go on walks and love to interact with a cat: Makena is a dream. He would be a nightmare to own otherwise.

Here are some of the surprises we had with Makena:
I found paw prints on the ceiling. More than once.
Last week he decided to jump up and a grab a track light, which tore out of the track and then broke on the floor.
He can climb 30 feet up a tree in 3-4 seconds.
He has done complete somersaults in midair while catching grasshoppers.
It takes 12-15 grasshoppers to fill him up enough that he skips dinner.
He found and subsequently raised a kitten Story Here
He protects my wife: often placing himself between her and dogs or strangers
The bond we have with the Bengals, especially Makena: is more intense then with other cats we have had

Bengal personalities and traits vary considerably. Some are easily leash trained, others can't be leash trained. Some love to be cuddled and held, others don't tolerate it: but in either case they are usually very friendly and LOVE human company. Be prepared for anything....

Advice: Start leash training early. Be aware that once you start with walks, a Bengal will EXPECT IT, so don't leash train if you can't do regular walks. It can take a lot of time (months) for both you and the cat to be comfortable outside with a leash.

We have found that Bengals do best with interaction rather than just attention. This means letting them participate in activities: my wife lets Makena sit with her to do puzzles, painting, etc. He goes with me out to my workshop and often sits on the workbench while I work: sniffing things, watching etc

Introduce your Bengal SLOWLY to other animals. We didn't let Makena near Lilia for about a month (she stayed in the bathroom.) Then we oversaw all their meetings for several days until we were sure they would get along. Makena had a slow intro to his kitten because she was in quarantine for 60 days to make sure she was free of disease. Now they are inseparable.

Before we decided on a Bengal, like you, we read everything we could find. Somehow we were still surprised at the energy level and the intelligence.

Makena was rescue with a lot of problems: honestly, nothing could have prepared us for that.

We had read that Bengals are "vocal." "Vocal," in the case of Makena and Lilia means "never shuts up" and "loud as fire whistles." When our non-bengal kitten meowed, my wife thought something was wrong with her meower. I had to remind her that a quiet little meow is the noise a cat is supposed to make, not a sound like an opera singer being stabbed to death. Fortunately, both Bengals have quieted down as they got older!

I can't wait to hear about the adventures you and your family have with Oden!

Thanks for your amazing in depth reply. I truly appreciate it! This is our first Bengal so it's definitely going to be a learning experience but something we are so excited to learn. We have already fallen so in love with him and he's not even home yet. I'm sure I won't be able to post enough pictures once he's home!! Am I able to message you if I have any further questions?

 

[bengalcatman]

Thanks for your amazing in depth reply. I truly appreciate it! This is our first Bengal so it's definitely going to be a learning experience but something we are so excited to learn. We have already fallen so in love with him and he's not even home yet. I'm sure I won't be able to post enough pictures once he's home!! Am I able to message you if I have any further questions?

I am sure you will love your Bengal kitten, and will learn quickly about their quirks. Also, with kids around the kitten will have extra people to play with to help get rid of the excess energy.

Feel free to message anytime, be happy to help if I can!

 

[MamaOf4Boys]

I am sure you will love your Bengal kitten, and will learn quickly about their quirks. Also, with kids around the kitten will have extra people to play with to help get rid of the excess energy.

Feel free to message anytime, be happy to help if I can!

Thank you so so much! I truly appreciate it!! we have 4 kiddos (all boys) so hopefully they'll be able to help him burn his energy lol I have a feeling they might even be too crazy for him

 

[recurringecho]

OH MY what a handsome kitty! Can't wait to see more of him!!

Don't have any long personal experiences with bengals to say much, but a relative of mine has two and god are they attention demanding!! I haven't seen anyone mention a wheel yet (unless I missed it), but from what I've seen, the cats love running on it! Lots of vertical space too. He has this setup where the cats can go all around the room without touching the floor.