Hi Laurel,
My two are outdoor cats, but they are devils for getting in vehicles that are left open. If I know something is happening at our end of the road, I keep them in. However, I wasn't told about the work next door was having done on their garage door and as workmen do, they left the van open on our shared drive while I was unaware at work. He got in, didn't get out in time before they closed it and drove off. He jumped out at their next stop 11 miles away. Next door told me no way he was in the van, the garage door people swore blind he wasn't in there. But I knew when I saw the new garage door that his disappearance was linked to it. Fortunately someone found his collar and called me which was how we eventually found him. They have trackers on them now!
Re the behaviourist, if Jagger starts bullying Hendrix (or vice versa!) I have to face the aggressor and chase him off. I was also advised to put them on Zylkene (a natural product, basically milk protein which calms them down), which takes a few days to work, but things improve pretty quickly afterwards. I was told to keep them on it for a month more once their good behaviour is back to ensure the brain is fully reprogrammed and then add a couple of drops of two bach remedies (cherry plum and willow) to their food and water as a back up for about 6 weeks. the behaviourist has Bengals herself and runs a Bengal rescue/rehoming service where people can't cope with them.
They are currently still on the zylkene (I started it again a couple of weeks ago when a load of hissing and growling started again) and they are getting on really well. I do have feliway plugged in as well. Obviously there will always be the odd squabble, just like children but I couldn't continue as it was in December, it was so stressful. They'd always been so bonded as kittens so it was heart breaking to see Hendrix so miserable from Jagger's tormenting.
So this time I will finish the treatment! I literally could have cried with happiness when they were laying on the footstool and my legs the other night and started to groom each other! It was just like old times.
Have to admit I do the fireplace trick as well! The heat from the wood burner has a lovely calming effect on them both and they go really dopey