Do your Bengal cats go out?

[Onefootinthegravy2020]

Hi all I've been absent from mumsnet for about 10 years so be gentle with me!

We've recently got 2 Bengal Kittens they are about 18 weeks old now. I've had cats all my life and we already owned 2 half Bengals who have been out and about.

I will be letting them out, they obviously will be chipped, neutered and will have their vaccinations etc

So many people seem to keep them as indoor cats, my two are just crazy and I don't see that being an option for us to be honest. I realise there is a risk they may get stolen but how common is this?

Just wondering how others have got on?

We got a 12 week old bengal this week. He's an indoor cat and hopefully he will like that....
can you get yours a cat wheel? They look fun!

Mine did go out but got run over and killed so I will be cat proofing my garden before getting another.

I will never forgive myself for not keeping him alive longer. He was 10. Of all the shitty things to happen to us over the years this is the one thing that’s hurt. I can brush everything else off but not losing him.

I think lockdown taught us being in all the time is no fun & their a very active breed who need to run around. I’ve had a chinchilla Persian House cat but that was her choice, not ours.

Someone did try to steal him once, she had a carrier and said he looked just like hers that had gone missing but dh was out there & said we’d had him from kittenhood and he was chipped. I didn’t know what had happened until it was over.

Pictures please!.

I would be worried about them being stolen. They’re so beautiful!

Lots of people don't let them out because of the huge risk of theft. Bengals are valuable cats.

Can you cat-proof your garden or build a catio for them? A friend of mine has a Savannah cat and she has a huge catio area with climbing frames and ropes for him to play on.

Hi
Thanks for all your replies
We do have quite a big garden but our other cat Buddy is used to going where he pleases. (He's half Bengal but fat and lazy so he must follow his dad!!)
How do I attach a photo, can't see a paperclip sign anywhere?

I'm on a desk top if that matters

Our Bengal sticks to the large, enclosed back garden where she can prowl to her heart's content without annoying the neighbours.
She'd go mad if we tried to keep her indoors.

There's a Bengal owner near me. I only know this as you see him walking the cat on a lead. I don't know if he lets the cat out alone or whether it's an indoor cat other than its accompanied walks.

Thanks for all your replies, just downloaded the mumsnet app, will try and post some pics x

I’ve got a 5 year old bengal. She goes out as she pleases. She’d not be happy stuck indoors!!

Mine goes out and about but is very lazy so doesn’t t stray to far. Not worried about cat nap as she’d not let a stranger near her. I think it’s nice for them to be out and about.

I have a 3 year old Bengal, she's only allowed in the back yard (but happy there and house is spacious). She's teeny and I think she'd get run over or bullied by other bigger cats.

Love to see your little cats if you have a pic

Thanks everyone, it seems I can't post a photo as I had to register as a newbie as my old mumsnet ID was too old
I have to wait 48 hours to post a photo !

This is the issue with bengals. They are high risk if allowed out, they have huge territories, will fight any other cat or animal, plus they are good looking cats that can put on a fine lost and abandoned act so commonly stolen or “rescued”

But the flipside is they are don’t do well in small territories, such as kept indoors or even in a small garden. The more cats in the household and immediate vicinity the more they dislike being restricted.

Mine was so destructive and loud if kept in it was the only option. Back then catios weren’t a thing.

I’d never get a full bengal again for those reasons. I think you need at least a fair sized house and enclosed garden for two so they can have their own space.

Do you have 4 cats now or do you mean you already had past tense?

Yes, we tried to keep him in but he had so much energy we just couldn't wear him out no matter how much we played with him. He would turn psycho and attack us at every opportunity, so we had to let him free for everyone's sanity. He's now the king of the neighbourhood and has adopted every house on the road as his own

I have one half Bengal Buddy, who is 4, we lost his brother to a saddle thrombus at the age of 4 it was awful. They have met Buddy and are tolerating each other quite well. We also have 2 border terriers whom they are playing with quite nicely (supervised of course) Red & Denver are brothers from the same litter.

He's now the king of the neighbourhood and has adopted every house on the road as his own

How many complaints are you up to about him beating up other cats? - mine never came to blows but would sit and scream at other cats so people thought he was agressive...

I also used to get complaints about him yelling to be let i. Other houses and waking babies, night shift workers etc...

They make fab pets on one hand but terrible ones on the other. I think they’re really beat suited to rural living...

Oh they are much better with dogs . I always aay if you think your bengal needs company get it a dog, never another cat....

Dogs provide the play and stimulation they need while not threatening their territory.

We have a quite old Bengal and she goes out and always has.

@bluebluezoo

He's now the king of the neighbourhood and has adopted every house on the road as his own

How many complaints are you up to about him beating up other cats? - mine never came to blows but would sit and scream at other cats so people thought he was agressive...

I also used to get complaints about him yelling to be let i. Other houses and waking babies, night shift workers etc...

They make fab pets on one hand but terrible ones on the other. I think they’re really beat suited to rural living...

Surprisingly none, I think people have become quite fond of him in a Stockholm syndrome kind of way. Same as yours he'll scream loud enough that the other cat will very quickly become submissive to avoid a fight. Bengals are horrifically loud aren't they, we always know when he's on his way home cause you can always hear this howl gradually getting louder and louder for a good 5 mins til the cat flap opens, then he'll continue to scream until he gets acknowledgement, even at 5 in the morning

Yep, don’t miss that 3 am scream “i’m home! It’s wet! I’m just through the cat flap! i’m in the kitchen! I’m coming up the stairs now! I’m getting on the bed!”

Then 20 mins of purring while trying to get under the covers soaking wet so they can warm up.

And don’t mention the bringing stuff home and fetching stuff. Sticks, dead pigeons, hats, shoes, milk bottle tops, gloves, scarves, soft toys... lord knows where they all came from...

That'll give me something to look forward to
Although have had a few dead pigeons dragged through out catflap in the past.
Many many frogs and a few mice just caught by my half Bengals so I'm used to it. If it's alive then I use the old chuck an old tea towel on it, scoop it up and out the door ninja style, its quite an art

I have a half bengal, he loves to go out I couldn't keep him in. But we have green space across the road so he can roam with little car risk. He goes into people's houses, steals food, fights all comers and shits in the bunkers of the golf course. I love the bones of his him, little goblin.

Letting them out can cause lots of problems as others have listed above. Keeping them in is cruel too though. I just wish the craze for bengals would go away, the states in the US that ban them have it right in my opinion. Sorry.

They tend to cause huge problems if you have neighbours. We had one that was determine to kill our small cat and many other neighbourhood cats. It would come in the house and attack our cat. Another mother eventually had enough and drown it. I wouldn't let them out.