So we have a 4 month old little boy, I understand he's too young to go outside at the moment, but I'm trying to think ahead.

Because of the hot weather, we've brought a 'board' of sorts to put against our patio door, so we can have it open, so Kasper cannot get out. However, being the spawn of Satan that he is, he is already climbing it and attempting to jump over. So we have to watch him constantly.

When we brought him we decided between us that he would be a house cat, but I've heard people saying that buying a lead, tying it to something and letting him roam around the garden would be good.
But I feel like that's a bit cruel, letting him but not LETTING him out, if that makes sense?

I don't want to let him out properly because I've lost two cats before, one to straying and one in an outdoors accident so I'm reluctant to let him become an outside cat.

Is it cruel to let him roam the garden on a lead? Obviously not until he's older.
Help?!?!?!

I would never tie a lead up in a garden and let the cat be out there by itself. Still too many dangers for him and he could get tangled up pretty easily. I WALK my Bengal. Well, he walks and I follow. We walk completely around the yard a few times. For the most part, he prefers to lie in the shade. I take a towel with me and sit down beside him, we have a chat, I pet him constantly. It's our time together. I took a free-roaming outdoor cat and have forced him to accept the fact that he can walk freely 10' ahead of me on a leash or he has a large covered outdoor enclosure where I don't have to worry about him and he can access that 24/7. My Bengal is six years old and quite set in his ways. I think all cats enjoy the smells of the outdoors. I would get no peace and quiet if I forced my Bengal to stay inside 24/7. He has a yowl that is quite loud and would drive me crazy. He cries until I get him outside on the leash. Unfortunately, we are having thunderstorms right now and he is not happy that he has not gotten to go on his walk yet.

I starting a kitten out with a 30-minute outdoor time is nice. If you can catproof your garden so he can't escape anywhere, then you can just let him go out there on his own. All but one of the cats I've ever owned disappeared without a trace and I'm not going to let this happen to this kitty cat. He's used up a few of his 9 lives already.

Thanks for replying!

When I said tie him up, I meant something like, tie it to our door and let him into the patio whilst we sit out there. I don't trust him to be out there alone, he's a right devil

I just think it's going to be difficult to have him as a 24/7 indoor cat, but we're very protective. He's out first 'pet' as a couple and he's already my world! He's also my first Bengal and I'm realising more and more that they're so different to ordinary cats! My others have never been this mischievous!

He doesn't try and get out the front door when we come in, it's just since we put this board up the other day. Which we were desperate to do because this house is like a sauna! We needed some relief.

I'd love to be able to walk him. Does he try to get out more, now that he's been able to go outside?

My Bengal still wants to run outside on his own. There is an orange male cat that visits our yard and Raiden is anxious to get to him (even though this cat has beat up Raiden four times now). The nonstop crying has subsided and he's pretty good except when I'm home and he wants to go out. Today the outside temperature is so hot. He was panting from just a few minutes out there and refused water. I finally brought him inside to cool off in the a/c. The orange cat was under the deck the entire time. Usually once a cat tastes the outdoors, they pretty much want to get out there ALL the time. It's just Bengals have so much energy and there has to be a lot of walking and playing involved just to get him to settle down. He's bored most of the time and knows if he just looks at the top of the TV, someone will get up and pay him attention.

The walking has helped because he loves being outside -- even if it's at the end of a leash. It gives him more freedom as we can walk down the street together. I give him an hour daily out there during the week and 2 hours when I'm home from work and on the weekends. He'd take a lot more if I'd give it to him, but I already have discovered it's hard to get things accomplished having him around.

We still have to guard our back door every time we go outside because Raiden will be right there ready to flee. It's only been about 9 weeks -- and I'm hoping within a few more months, it gets a lot easier for both of us.

I think we are gonna walk Kasper cause as you said, he has so much energy and not enough space to get rid of it! He's too young at the moment, and we're gonna wait till he's been neutered too. But he definitely needs some kind of exercise! I was also thinking of putting him in a harness and sitting in the garden with him and just letting him wander for an hour or two!

It seems the more a cat is exposed to the outdoors, the more they want it.
So IMO, if he is an indoor cat then keep him indoors, as few manage the trick of indoor/outdoor without the cat yelling to get out at all sorts of inopportune times. Whereas if he knows his boundaries are indoors many cats will accept that as the norm.
If you can let him out whenever he wants and it is "safe", then fine. It is very risky and some will not want to take that risk, but a mix of the two when the cat sometimes gets out on a lead or into the garden and sometimes doesn't, with no real routine then it makes for cats getting confused and that is when screaming at the door takes over. It also takes over when the "walk" or the mosey about in the garden is just not enough, they have tasted freedom, they liked it and they want more
Some cats, can be quite happy with a small territory, never going further than their immediate back yard, whilst others are the equivalent of "globe trotters" and are never happier than when they going somewhere exciting.

If you decide to use the lead or go and sit in the garden for hours with him, then you will have to keep doing it wind, rain and snow. If you cannot do that or commit to that long term, then do not start it, as you will pay for it with screaming matches and an unhappy cat.

Thanks for the replies :)

That's the reason why I posted this feed, I thought that if I let him out on his lead, I'd feel cruel then shutting him in the house.
I can commit to walking pretty much every day, but I'm still in two minds. We decided he would be an indoors cat because of past experience, but I just feel like he has SO much energy, and our house isn't exactly huge so I feel like he's not getting enough 'space' to use all this energy.

I'm still undecided as to what to do :(

The other thing you could do is get him a playmate and keep them both indoors. Playfighting with a playmate is can be more demanding on his energy levels and probably more rewarding for him too.
He is young enough to accept a playmate fairly easily too.

Oh God, don't tempt me with that idea!

Our house isn't really big enough for another Bengal at the moment, unfortunately :(
But the plan is, once I've finished University and we move into a bigger house, we want to try and introduce a silver female into the family.

He's too young for the outside at the moment, so I have a while to decide!

Hi
I've recently wrestled with this dilemma. I've had cats for over 30 years and recently (3 months ago) offered a home to two Bengals who were 18 months and 2 years old. My previous cats have all been "moggies" and had free range to go in and out but these two had never been outdoors. This did present a bit of an organisational challenge as we had a 12 yr old and 16 yr old cat who were used to going out. Sadly our 16 year died very suddenly but we still had the 12 year old who was used to going out, most usually at night for short periods as he sleeps all day on the bed.
What we did was to created a large enclosure using natural (very high) stone wall and the house wall (we have a courtyard garden) which all cats can access unrestricted during the day and at night around 10pm we shut the Bengals into the dinning room for the night, open the enclosure door and then Odo our 12 year old is free to come and go as he wants during the night with the Bengals safely (and very happily) settled in the dinning room. In the morning, between 6 and 7 am the enclosure is closed and everyone can then access it throughout the day although Odo inevitably settles down on the bed for his day long sleep.
Although a little unconventional, this arrangement seems to work really well for all three of them.. they don't mingle much at the moment despite our introductions - Odo had a semi feral parent and is quite a "nervy" cat- but all have access to the outdoors that they seem to really enjoy and which fits in with their individual routines.
Over time they are starting to spend more time on the same room together (e.g. Odo asleep on the bed while the Bengals race round manically during the day!) and Odo has tonight lounged round the living room for over 45 minutes so the scent mingling is happening by default . I am not sure they will ever be "best mates" but they are able to tolerate each other without fights and will play games together ( fishing rod!)

Hi
I've recently wrestled with this dilemma. I've had cats for over 30 years and recently (3 months ago) offered a home to two Bengals who were 18 months and 2 years old. My previous cats have all been "moggies" and had free range to go in and out but these two had never been outdoors. This did present a bit of an organisational challenge as we had a 12 yr old and 16 yr old cat who were used to going out. Sadly our 16 year died very suddenly but we still had the 12 year old who was used to going out, most usually at night for short periods as he sleeps all day on the bed.
What we did was to created a large enclosure using natural (very high) stone wall and the house wall (we have a courtyard garden) which all cats can access unrestricted during the day and at night around 10pm we shut the Bengals into the dinning room for the night, open the enclosure door and then Odo our 12 year old is free to come and go as he wants during the night with the Bengals safely (and very happily) settled in the dinning room. In the morning, between 6 and 7 am the enclosure is closed and everyone can then access it throughout the day although Odo inevitably settles down on the bed for his day long sleep.
Although a little unconventional, this arrangement seems to work really well for all three of them.. they don't mingle much at the moment despite our introductions - Odo had a semi feral parent and is quite a "nervy" cat- but all have access to the outdoors that they seem to really enjoy and which fits in with their individual routines.
Over time they are starting to spend more time on the same room together (e.g. Odo asleep on the bed while the Bengals race round manically during the day!) and Odo has tonight lounged round the living room for over 45 minutes so the scent mingling is happening by default . I am not sure they will ever be "best mates" but they are able to tolerate each other without fights and will play games together ( fishing rod!)