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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Please talk to me about Bengal cats

78 replies

Qcng · 02/10/2019 20:48

Basically this.

I have posted this here and also on "pets"
We're thinking about buying two Bengal cats, because I have researched as much as I can and think they are simply gorgeous, brave, lovable, full of personality, etc.
The fact is though, we have no experience of keeping one, have never even known one.

So I'm throwing it out there. Please anyone with any knowledge of Bengal cats let us know the downsides/upsides! I don't mind if you've had one, your neighbor or cousin had one, you heard of someone who had one, just any experiences.
We're trying to research as much as possible and I trust mumsnetters.

Thank you

OP posts:
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6
nearlynermal · 03/10/2019 14:44

Totally different tack, but I've met Siberian Forest cats that are delightful. example...

bengalcat · 03/10/2019 14:44

Beautiful creatures but as with all cats you get what you get - can’t really predict . Friend of mine has a gorgeous one - mines a Bengal / Burmese x who was returned to the breeder as she wasn’t enough of a loving lapcat - guess who’s a loving lapcat !

Beamur · 03/10/2019 14:51

In my experience, my Oriental boy was pretty much perfect in every way. Funny, inquisitive, brave, loving and affectionate. Water, well, he fell in the bath a few times when he got a bit too big to walk round the edge..

Original poster
Qcng · 03/10/2019 15:00

nearlynermal Beautiful cats! But we're a short haired cat family really.

Aw I bet a Bengal/Burmese cross is a fine lapcat! The Burmese is very playful too isn't it.

OP posts:
Original poster
Qcng · 03/10/2019 15:02

Beamur sounds lovely thanks

OP posts:
FurnitureAndBackgammon · 03/10/2019 15:02

I think Bengals should only be owned by experienced cat owners.

I'm one of those and would never get another Bengal.

Ours is nearly 12 now and although he is very beautiful he is a pita and very very loud.

We tried to keep him in once, because of the UK cat killer, and he destroyed our kitchen - blinds ripped down, walls scratched, cat flap broken.
So we let him have free rein again 😂

He is lovely when sleeping and is very affectionate even with the kids but he's more like a out of control dog the rest of the time.

And he most definitely doesn't like water.

Please reconsider.

Beamur · 03/10/2019 15:07

I am looking for a pair of kittens myself at the moment as my perfect kitty sadly died recently. Hope the next ones are similarly typical of the breed.

HappyGoLuckyLuLu · 03/10/2019 15:07

We were first time cat owners & we have a bengal & she is a lovely family cat. She is very vocal and sometimes a bit playful. But she is basically a lovely cat who likes snuggles & being loved by us & kids alike. She is a hunter though & brings lots of her prey home with her, some for her supper & some as gifts for us. Don't let everyone out you off, not all bengals are insane, ours is genuinely a lovely friendly family cat

Original poster
Qcng · 03/10/2019 15:20

my perfect kitty sadly died recently
Beamur So sorry Flowers Sad

OP posts:
Original poster
Qcng · 03/10/2019 15:22

FurnitureAndBackgammon
Please reconsider

I'm not past reconsidering Smile

OP posts:
YesItsMeIDontCare · 03/10/2019 15:24

He's a full pedigree Rescue Moggy 😁.

Complete nutter but has a medical condition which means he's safer not coming in to contact with other cats (except the local stray who's his bestie). So the harness and lead was offered as a compromise and it worked!

Please talk to me about Bengal cats
Original poster
Qcng · 03/10/2019 15:25

not all bengals are insane, ours is genuinely a lovely friendly family cat
HappyGoLucky

It seems to be luck of the draw. Risk that you might get a bad one, but if you're lucky you get a good one!

OP posts:
pumkinspicetime · 03/10/2019 15:29

Our Siamese's breeder also used to breed bengals (14 years ago when we got our cat) I was asked about my Siamese so looked up the breeders. I noticed that they had a note saying that they had given up on Bengals due to their personality challenges.
And that was coming from decades of Siamese experience.
I will also mention that this bath swimming thing is likely to be a short lived whim of your dc. He isn't going to want this in a couple of years and the cat could live for 20 years.
What type of cat do you want? After dc has left home what type of animal do want to be responsible for?

pumkinspicetime · 03/10/2019 15:34

If you want a cat that will sit on the edge of the bath and shout at you I would recommend a Siamese!
Ours also played fetch when younger and walks well on a lead.
But noisy and very people focused.

AmIAWeed · 03/10/2019 15:42

Qcng I do think early days do have a lot to do with it, Our eldest was 7 when we got him and he was removed from an owner who kept him locked in a shed with 2 others. Our queen was exactly that, a queen and not a pet which I think is why shes timid.
Our youngest two, one was kinda a rescue as he was returned when he was 4 months old, the original owners only had him 4 weeks and claimed they couldn't cope. He was young enough that it doesn't seem to have affected him.
A genuine breeder wont let them go before 12 weeks, they do seem to need longer with Mum than other cats do.

Ill second the bath thing, it may seem great until the jeffing cat is putting his claws into you to get a grip. The eldest will happily sit in the shower with us but I wont let him in if im having a bath. Learnt the hard way

newgame989 · 03/10/2019 15:55

@Qcng we've got a half bengal cat and she's 17 now, she's the cleverest and sweetest cat you could ever have, wonderful with the children and all kids, incredibly tolerant. Hates other cats though, and was a bully cat in her younger years to other cats. I remember looking for a rescue bengal - this bengal was dragging the other cat off its food!

billydilly · 03/10/2019 16:21

We bought a silver spotted Bengal and a snow lynx Bengal six years ago. They co-existed quite happily for two years then, suddenly, the snow lynx decided that the spotted had to die. The lynx was rehomed to a friend asap; when a Bengal attacks they really mean it, teeth and claws not the usual posturing. Our remaining spotted is the 'wildest' of our five cats (other breeds), loud and unpredictable. I often say it's more like living with a fox than a cat; if that's the experience you want then go for it!

Shazza88 · 03/10/2019 16:29

Hi my mum has a Bengal think he my be cross I would only maybe get one they are very needy very loving ,intelligent and can be trained Like a dog ! My mum trained hers as a baby to use the toliet !! Really! They are beautiful !! My mum's is a house cat though which I found sad at first but he is very human like . They will bite or claw you for attention tho if not shown who's boss .. Wink

PinkCrayon · 03/10/2019 16:36

I had a half bengal he was always getting into fights and catching prey. One time he bought me home a squirrel with its head hanging off. He was a real hunter. Even though he was only half bengal he was like a wild cat. I should never have got him. I dont think they are suited to live in proximety of neighbour hoods, Only rurally and echo previous posters only experienced cat owners.

newgame989 · 03/10/2019 16:41

Yep my half Bengal also a big mouse and bird present giver - at least two decembers running we had dead robins. Festive! But my farm cat has also killed a couple of squirrels - some cats love the hunt

K1span1el1 · 03/10/2019 16:45

Bengals like all cats have differing personalities.
I have had the most wonderful Bengal who had been rehomed 4 times before we got her. She was vocal, loving, bossy, bullied our other 2 cats, adored our dog and loved us to bits. She should have had every reason to hate everybody but instead she was such a loving character. She climbed the furniture, shredded chairs, was very clean with her litter tray, but you could not have had a more wonderful animal.

NotSoThinLizzy · 03/10/2019 17:21

Maine coons like water too and are huge fluff balls and are softys

Khay · 03/10/2019 17:34

Hi there, I have a bengal.. He's one of the most affectionate cats I've ever come across.. On the plus side he's extremely clever, he opens doors cupboards drawers.. There's nothing besides a lock left to see if he opens that too lol on the down side he is very vocal (sometimes too much) initially it was one of the things that attracted me to him but can get very frustrating when he don't take no for an answer.. Secondly he's a lot bigger than your standard domestic cats and he loves to jump up onto the top of the wardrobes and doors as they can jump quite high.. He has a shockingly large appetite from eggs cos rice chicken lamb to Crisps and cheese. They're a wonder to have but require a certain amount of patience at times to

AngelsWithSilverWings · 03/10/2019 17:37

Our neighbours have a Bengal. It's a beautiful cat but not overly friendly. It likes to roam far and wide and hunts all the time. I've seen it kill a pigeon and it also killed another neighbour's chickens. It has zero road sense and I've seen it hit by a car ( used up one of its 9 lives that day!). He was part of a pair but the other one was killed in the road.

I have Burmese cats and the breeder we got them from also used to breed bengals. She stopped breeding them because she said that the people who wanted to buy them were not the sort of people she wanted to sell a cat to. No idea what she meant by that. She was very fussy who she sold to and we were interviewed over the phone before she would even let us come and see the kittens. She was happy when we told her that we had owned a Burmese in the past and knew what we were taking on.

My Burmese cats are perfect family pets. They are great with children and are so affectionate. They are quite needy and want to be on you all the time. You can teach them to fetch and they will walk on a lead. When my kids were tiny the cats would sit on the edge of the bath and play with them at bath time. One did jump in once but jumped out pretty quickly. They do like water but more to paddle in rather than swim in.

They do like to be part of a pair - we had a single one for a year but realised very quickly that he needed a playmate so we got another and they really love each other.

MooseBeTimeForSummer · 03/10/2019 17:43

Here’s Bob. She’s a Siberian. She thinks she’s a dog. Loves playing fetch and loves water. She will sit in the sink and demand that you turn the tap on. Goes for walks on a lead.

Have never tried her with swimming though. She will happily walk around the edge of the bath when it’s occupied.

She is affectionate. Loves to sit on your lap. But she will let you know if she isn’t happy, with her teeth.

Please talk to me about Bengal cats
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