Anyone have a Bengal cat or any experience of them

[LardLizard]

I love the look but even my local vets said don’t get one

We have one.
She is bad-tempered, stroppy, demanding diva. Will only go out to the garden if we are there.

Insists she is fed 5 times a day - she is fat but totally controls my husband. He is her slave. Wakes us up early for food.

Does not like to be stroked on her belly. Like a head and neck rub on her terms only. Husband has scars where she has attacked him.

Only likes 1 type of food. Does not like bits in her food.
Does not like children and certain people.

Does not like the Hoover or the window cleaner.
We of course totally love her and would not be without her.
We did thnk about giving her up many times but didn't think anybody else will put up with her.

Beautiful to look at & a complete bitch.

Oh we can't get to a vet's so no chance of getting her vaccinated.
No way will she go and stay in a cattery, so going away is a challenge.

I owned a Bengal cat for several years (he sadly died of cancer).

There are a lot of silly myths about them. Reputable breeders (please pick a reputable breeder!) will be able to show you the parents and the pedigree.

My Bengal was several generations removed from the original wildcat foundation stock. He was a very big, astonishingly beautiful cat with the most glorious pelt.

He had a wonderful nature, very gentle, affectionate and cuddly but he was lively and needed playing with and entertaining. He particularly enjoyed playing fetch. We had two cats at the time and our tiny, tabby girl cat was completely the boss of the Bengal.

I think they are fabulous cats and I would definitely have another one. They are bonkers but have such personalities. Just do your research and choose wisely.

I so so miss my Bengal. She was an amazing companion, very loyal and very energetic and feisty. She was born nearly 20 years ago though, so I don't know if over breeding has changed the breed for the worse?

Only as a cat charity volunteer hearing about the many who are being surrendered by owners for rehoming due to behavioral issues... They are very high energy cats for sure that need an owner who knows what they're doing.

Obviously avoid buying one from Gumtree/FB etc. especially any advertised as a "bengal cross", a lot of people trying to make money breeding irresponsibly.

Bengals are high maintenance. If you like the 'look' of them, have you considered a Savannah? They're a hybrid breed, cross between a serval and a domestic cat. Absolutely stunning, more dog like than cat! Mine in the pic is slightly rare as she's semi long haired, but they're a short hair breed

we had one next door to us. Loved humans but highly territorial which made life extremely difficult for our cats, their territory reduced hugely (not happened with other neighbouring cats) and they couldn't even sun themselves in our garden without next door's Bengal perched on the fence above them glaring at them. It actually caused one of ours a huge amount of stress.

In the summer it was also for ever coming into our kitchen and devouring our cats' food (our cats are grazers).

I was very sorry when our neighbours left but extremely happy when their Bengal went! I hate them!

@viccat makes a good point. I've grown up around and owned cats all of my life so I was very experienced by the time I got a Bengal. They aren't an ideal cat for a first time owner.

We have two half bengal cats, adopted from cat protection league years ago. Cat A is lovely, a beautiful tabby with hints of bengal, tiny docile and a joy.

Her brother is the cat from hell. Very obviously bengal with awful behaviour issues. Will eat anything - he's chewed through cardboard boxes to get at cup--a-soup! He attacks without warning, demands to be fed at odd hours, and is basically awful. We love him, though, and wouldn't be without him.

I have one. Very gentle. She loves to be cuddled or sat on a knee getting stroked and is very affectionate. She Doesn’t like to hunt but she will go outside for short periods of time usually just sitting on the garden fence. She loves when new people come to the house as there’s more people to stroke her and she greets you at the door like a dog. We have a dog as well and she will sit and do “tricks” for treats like the dog does such as paw, lie down or sit.

The vets have never been a proble, we have a top opening cat carrier and she gets her yearly vaccination and check up no problems

I have a toddler and she loves to cuddle her and sit beside her ever since she was born. She’s not very vocal other than breakfast and dinner but will try to climb high (we’ve had to get ladders to fish her off the roof once or twice) and if you run a bath she’ll get in before you have a chance to.

Find a reputable breeder that breeds for personality rather than appearance. Our girl doesn’t have the most amazing markings but we picked her breeder on personality, looking at both parents and history of previous litters. I’m so glad we did as she’s amazing.

I have 2 pedigree boys - high-octane, very affectionate, noisy, hilarious and totally stubborn. Never been hurt by either and both are well socialised and gentle. I would think VERY carefully if you intend on giving them access to the outside. They are extremely nosey (to their detriment) and very confident. And obviously risk of theft....but brilliant cats.

Wow what a mixed bag or replies, sounds like some are cuddly and fairly calm and other are wild !
Interesting to hear that a lot are rehomed
I haven’t considered a savannah but will do

LardLizard pm me if you'd like, I breed them

We have one, but I think he is a few generations removed, as his spots are not as pronounced as others I've seen. He does have the most gorgeous spotty belly! We get compliments on his markings.

He is larger than other cats but still very sleek, but then again he is only nearly 3. He has the usual spotty coat, stripy tail but also looks a bit tabby.

He is the soppiest cat ever! Absolutely loves to be cuddled & fussed, loves to have his spotty belly tickled. Favourite time is when the DC are in bed & he is straight on my lap or DH's & stays there until we go to bed. Loves visitors & will sit on their laps with very little hesitation. Prefers cuddles to food! Not a hunter at all, but does have a mad half hour each evening. Not very bright. We installed a cat flap & it took him ages to work it out

His name is Barry & he is loved by everybody. Quite happy to go to the vets as it is more people to flirt with & cuddle.

Totally different to our last cat, a ginger tom, who was a hunter & boss of all he surveyed.

Oh yes, as a kitten, he was very dog-like. Used to play fetch with a feather, loved the water. We had to keep the toilet seat closed or he would dive in there! Calmed down a bit now though.

We have two rescued as young adults. They are stunning but I have a really awful feeling they have been through some bad experiences earlymon in life. Cat A peed absolutely everywhere until I put the cat litter totally out ofthe house and will still pee inside if he doesn’t have really good access to the cat flap (raises eyebrows at DS2 who loves him and has been known to shut him in his room with him.

Cat B is a wanderer and hangs out in the local park where the alkies sit, and according to a friend of a friend: has been seen ‘ripping the heart out of pigeons’ in the very manicured front garden of a neighbour. Oops.

I know they are meant to be clever and adventurous- but these two are a bit touched -
One of them walked into the cat scratch post the other day and literally fell over on his side .

They seem a lot happier after a couple of years of freedom

I am still mourning my really intelligent and playful Abyssinian who was run over. Regularly to be found on various roofs in the neighbourhood, up trees stalking Jays, in various kids bedrooms having nmagicked himself over roofs and parapets through open windows. He would look you in the eye like a dog. He was also drop dead gorgeous and people used to stop in the street to look at him. I’d have an Abyssinian in a heartbeat

We went for half Bengal as I had heard lots about them being crazy . My two are a year now and adorable . One thinks he is a dog and follows me round the house ( no interest in going outside ) and is so cuddly and lovely ..the other is lovely but enjoys the outdoors more .
I will say though they are super smart , can problem solve with amazing memories and they are stubborn but I love them !
We saw the mum and brothers who were all lovely .

A friend of mine had a Bengal. Beautiful animal but very very un-cat-like.

She’d come in to work every day and tell us of the cats antics then shake her head and say ‘It’s just not a cat’.

Sadly her Bengal disappeared never to be seen again even though she was chipped/spayed and had a collar on saying as much. She suspects someone nabbed her .

We have one. He is very high maintanance, gets into a lot of fights, gets urine infections at the drop of a hat and is loud enough to be heard through industrial ear plugs.

He has destroyed most of our house and the stair carpet is up because he pissed all over it. I’m having to put hard flooring down room by room.

I will be getting another one but an adult rescue when the time comes because I’m used to it now.

MIL had a bengal; he was rescued from Blue Cross. He was about 5 when he arrived and the terror of the neighborhood cats - aggressive and territorial. Didn't like people other than MIL who loved him to bits. As he got older he mellowed a little but started daily spraying in the house and waking everyone at night. Repeated vet visits and behavioral experts didn't really help over the next 7 years. He had really bad arthritis towards the end but finally enjoyed being fussed by other people. I've had lots of cats but I wouldn't choose a Bengal.

We have a Bengal boy and a Norwegian Forest girl. He is no trouble except for licking plastic bags and being a fussy eater. He won't go to the vet and it takes upwards of an hour for 3 of us to catch him.

Weegie tho has pulled up all the carpets, scratched wallpaper off by most of the doors and is always getting shut in where she isn't supposed to be.

Bengal breeder said he would never be a lap cat. The second anyone sits down he is there and you remain cat trapped until he is ready to get off.

Oh and he’s so feisty at the vets he has to have a general anaesthetic to get blood out. When he had his teeth done he had to have a ga to test if his kidneys were up to coping with a ga. That vet won’t see him now.

Also he gets travel sick.

Mil tried to kill him with the Christmas tree as a kitten and about 7 years later he weed on her brand new coat, looked dh in the eye while he did it too. He’s ok with her now. Their even.

On the upside I trained him to push a lamp over that I disliked. Downside is I can’t put another lamp there because he’ll do it again.

We got our Bengal lady from a local cat shelter three years ago.
We love her dearly but there are several times that I would have taken her back to the shelter.
She has no 'flight' mentality - it's 'fight' or nothing. She will attack if she isn't fed quickly enough, or stroked in the wrong place, or there's a R in the month.
The kids have learned to read her moods.
They are demon climbers, ours goes on the roof until the crows chase her away.
But she is extremely affectionate when she's in the mood, and will sit on or near you in the evening.

We had a Bengal cross. He was very grumpy (read: would all of a sudden mid-purr decide he HATED being stroked and turn on you) and a very fussy eater. He eventually got a brain tumour when he was about 14 and had to be PTS. I think the dog still misses him a bit, they had a funny sort of friendship.

Why are bengals so prized? Especially to people with no experience of cat breeds?

There are so many beautiful cats in shelters - all different colours, markings and breeds. Long and short hair. Kitten season is nearly upon us.