Hello all, I have experience with Bengals, and Bengals mix kitties. My sister brought home a cashmere Bengal female while we were both still in high school nearly 20 years ago. That cat was allowed to have several mix liters before she was finally spayed. I kept a long haired female who was one of the few kittens that displayed rosettes, but several years later she was stolen from my yard. My sister then rehomed her normal short haired tabby looking brother to me. He is now approaching 17 yrs old and has been diagnosed with a tumor in his sinuses. He is receiving steroid treatments to slow the growth, but I know our time with him is limited.
After he passes I have really been considering looking for another cashmere bengal because I love the breed both in looks, and personality, and the long haired ones are some of the softest things you can dream of petting. However I also remember how active Bengals need to be to be happy. I would not want to allow the kitty out doors, because of my previous experiences, but worry that the kitten would not be able to get enough exercise and would pester our other cat until he is driven crazy. We also have an 11 yr old declawed rescue cat. He came to us with significant scar tissue covering his back and hind legs from a raccoon attack. He is unable to run or jump and although he is very tolerant of other animals there is no way he could be the playmate a kitten needs. I'm weighing the pros and cons of getting two kittens, but having two VERY high energy cats confined solely to the house worries me.
I am a stay at home mom so I would be around to play all day, but I remember our old guy in his youth and can't help but feel trepidation at all that energy having little outlet. He would play fetch for hours, had the power to take down full sized rabbits with regularity, and once took down a goose. He would also sometimes go swimming in the bay we lived on and would scare the wits out of me. I have no idea what F generation his mother was, but I know that if I had another cat with a similar energy and power level a standard sized catio would not be enough. All that being said he is also the sweetest lap cat you could ever imagine, and has always been amazing with small children. I did bottle feed his litter starting at around 3 weeks so that may play a part in his temperament.
I've been looking at different systems to do a larger enclosure using our existing fence, but so far I haven't found one that would both keep our kitties in and other animals out.
I also worry about the level of socialization any potential kitten would receive before coming to us. Often breeders give great blurbs on their websites about the socialization they give their kittens, but that turns out to be far from the reality. I'm hesitant to put down a deposit on a kitten I haven't met in person, but it seems a lot of breeders wont let you meet the litter until after you've put money down.
Any advice or suggestions are welcome Thank you!
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