Bengal kitten - do the all have "wildish" behaviour in the house? can they beleft in the house when going to work?

[keyboardwithpaper]

We have 2 children and wanted t get 2 kittens, but now decided to narrow down to 1 kitten...
We liked the look of bengal, but when I read info on some of th cat forums, I became scared...

we have 2 children who could play with them, but I am worried about nights - can they be disruptive/ vocal etc?

Also, if I go to work, chn to school, and they stay in the house, can they damage things?

Please share your experience...
Thank you

Haha, I'd never get a different type of cat. You either love Bengals or hate them it seems!

Seriously though elsiebear your experience is nothing like mine. None of my three bengals have ever done anything like that and I haven't had to change my lifestyle or house at all to accommodate them. Mine have all been really affectionate and loving animals (both are sitting in my knee as I type) and are nothing like you describe.

Not all bengals are created equal.

I'd go to a rescue and adopt a confident pair of kittens or young adult cats. Your children can play with them with toys etc, but are less likely to be woken up at 3am by a yowling Bengal.

You want Burmese, beautiful, great with kids, sensible enough to go out.

We go and pet cats at the animal shelter and there is a Bengal there who had to be rehomed because a neighbour was threatening to kill him because he was so loud and killed a lot of birds.

They are also territorial and can spray, even speyed girls. I say this while looking for a new sofa 🤬

We’ve got 2 pure bengals and I adore them. Yes, the male is very vocal but not unbearable. I love the way he talks to us. The female is less vocal but has her moments. The male is v dominant and rules the roost - even bosses the dog around. Ours are indoor cats but we have a biggish house with plenty of opportunities for them to climb up high (important for Bengals) and to chase each other around. The male is very dog-like especially with food, and he plays fetch.

They are very playful and affectionate and not generally aloof which is why we chose the breed. I would say they are not a breed you can leave alone for long periods - ours definitely need and seek out human company.

Here’s my lovely pair

My Bengal was the softest thing going, we were prepared for wild. He did have his moments of a toy was made of a certain type of fabric he would destroy it in seconds and there was the time he ran up the front of the tv to get to the window. The worst thing he did was claw at the seals in all of the windows.
He did have a lot of health issue as he was exposed to FIP as a kitten (at the breeders we found this out about a year after we had him) so good insurance was a must. Also he loved company on the days we had to leave him for more than a couple of hours you could see he was unhappy. He adored my DS, cat was 5 when he was born and he was so gentle with him and slept with Him until he died. (Cat not DS)

Now my Maine Coon he is a psycho just over a year old and he has done more damage to the house than the Bengal.

I would get a normal rescue kitten or preferably 2.
Failing that, if you want to get a ‘breed’ then get a British Shorthair. They are easy to manage and generally home loving.

Sorry for a quick detail but are Burmese very vocal as well? We've got a pair of brothers we think are half Burmese. You can practically have a full blown conversation with one of them.

Depends what you class as playing with. I don't think any cat would like being constantly badgered, but I also think the novelty could wear off, so perhaps you should get a cat if it's what YOU want too. I've had cats with children and they weren't all over them all the time and treated them respectfully. Maybe I was lucky, but when there was any kind of noisy activity going on the cats were very laid back. They were mixed breeds.

Look into Korats - great breed for children.

@iklboo

Sorry for a quick detail but are Burmese very vocal as well? We've got a pair of brothers we think are half Burmese. You can practically have a full blown conversation with one of them.

Yes they like to ‘talk’, some more than others. They’re quiet compared to Siamese though!

Thank you KnobChops. He's a very chatty catty. Quite a large vocal range and I can tell his mood by his meows. Siamese sound noisy!

I have a Black Bengal. He is a sod, but no more than his predecessor, (who I think was part Burmese). He is big and strong, and doesn’t like being picked up. He does however like cuddles, and is up for being stroked. He is a bit of a wuss, and unlike the late, much missed Buzz is a hobby hunter. Buzz was a full on dedicated hunter. He is a thief, and will steal food given half a chance. He was quite destructive on carpets, but learnt very quickly, with the aid of a spray bottle that the scratching pads were the correct place to sharpen his claws.

He is a rescue. I wanted a Bengal, but couldn’t have justified buying one, when the rescue centres are full of moggies needing homes. I was just lucky, one came in.

I certainly don’t regret getting him. He is a beautiful looking cat. He looks like a miniature Black Panther.