A new addition to our family!

Kyra was adopted yesterday. Her story is quite interesting.
Her brothers and sisters were born on June 10th. We visited the litter
and immediately fell in love with Sienna. Calm, quiet, immediately attached to my girlfriend.
We had put a down deposit for her on June 25th. As we impatiently waited for the
big date (August 10th) we got an email saying that Sienna had lost weight due to
lack of appetite. She was not going to be spayed until she had regained her weight.
Her appointment was set for August 23rd but was not met due to continued weight loss.

Yesterday, my girlfriend received the sad news that Sienna had passed. She could not
digest her food properly and didn't survive, albeit she was seemingly the healthiest one.
We were told by the breeder that there is one kitty remaining, her sister Kyra.
We thought it would be the right thing to do so we adopted her without hesitation.

Now we have a beautifully healthy kitty who has been welcomed in our home.
As I am a brand new kitty owner, are there any tips that I should know about
having a new bengal as a family member?

Welcome to our great forum and congratulations on Kyra. You've hit on the perfect user name, that's for sure. I am so sorry Sienna did not make it. I hope your breeder provided you with some vet records showing that your baby is healthy -- AND you should always take Kyra to the vet within a few days (some breeders' contracts state 72 hours) to make sure she is okay and to start a medical history on her.

What do you need to know about bengals? That's something you should have investigated before you ever got one. But, it might not have helped. I've always had cats throughout my life, but a bengal is totally not like your regular kitty. You now have a highly energetic, highly vocal, very intelligent and quite social Kyra on your hands. A bengal needs a tall cat tree and LOTS of toys. A bengal loves to interact with its humans and you will spend hours playing with her -- on HER terms, not yours.

Owning a bengal can be an incredible experience, but it can be challenging if you aren't prepared. Kyra will never outgrow being a 2-year old toddler. You need to bengal proof your home, just like you would for a toddler. Get down on your hands and knees and look from her level. We recently had a member whose kitten had gotten behind the cabinets in the kitchen and they thought she was lost until she finally cried out for help.

This forum is a great place to ask questions, receive encouragement and understanding about the bengal breed. You can post pictures in the Gallery section. Just go to the green bar below the composing screen where it says "upload attachment." If the photo is below 256k, it will appear in your post.

Congratulations again and good luck with Kyra!