I'm sure many here have far more experience than me. But as I'm a pet lover for decades and got blessed recently with currently an 11 weeks old Bengal, allow me to share how I managed to make a lap cat out of her.

The cats in general go through activity phases during the day; i.e. sleeping, napping, grooming, eating, playing... etc.

SLEEPING
And I'm referring here to deep sleep, not lazy naps. As she sleeps I tend to touch her head very lightly just till she becomes aware of me without scaring her. Then continue touching very gently and softly few times to get her pleased. Afterwards I touch the cheeks few times. By then she'll start tilting her head upside down, so I go to her jaws and neck. Very few times (in total 30 seconds max) and I stop without waking her up completely and leave her to continue sleeping. Do this every time he/she sleeps, for few days before going forward.

NAPPING
This is when she naps during the day for an hour or two. Start touching her as I did describe above starting with the head, cheeks all the way to her jaws and neck. Less than 30 seconds in total. Then carry him/her to your lap gently (just a meter away, not more) holding her body and legs (not dangling her legs). She'll be annoyed a bit, so I go on touching her head. And then... she continues napping on my lap allowing me to touch her. And as she wakes up she'll start playing while in my lap. However, anytime she decides to jump out of my lap, I don't stop her. But touch her head after she jumps to show her I don't mind.

KISSING
Yes believe it or not. After doing the above successfully, I started kissing her head as she sleeps and she'd turn her head upside down to kiss her cheeks and jaws... and she loves it.

I'm spoiling my Snickers with love and she loves it.

Try it with your Bengal and share with us how did it go.

PS Trying to turn her on my lap upside down (her back down and tummy up) is still unsuccessful. I'm not sure if I can succeed.

My Blondie will nap on me and stay for a long time. She is very calm and loving. I can touch her and even trim her nails and she lets me. It is as if she goes into a deep trance where she is sort of aware but keeps her eyes closed and clings to me even in a chair. Grace on the other hand is very twitchy and jumpy, she has always been this way. On very rare occasions she has jumped up on me when I have been lying down on the sofa during their afternoon nap time. I have to hold completely still and she will settle in for a brief nap. If I move at all or breathe too deeply she will jolt up and fly right off me. One time not long ago, she jumped up onto my lap when I was in my chair watching TV and let me pet her as i do with Blondie. It only happened that one time, but I am optimistic she will do this again one day. Grace comes to me when I am sleeping and chirps asking me to pet her and rub her belly (she has the softest fur imaginable on her belly). She feels secure that she can easily get away if she wants to as I am lying down and sleepy. At times like that she is very loving, but this is usually the time she rips the bed sheets with her nails when she is kneading out of contentment. I keep having to buy new sheets so it is an expensive habit. When it is not nap time, neither one of my cats wants to be touched. I might be able to get a quick pet in but they usually dip down or run out of reach so I respect their boundaries and let them come to me for the most part.

Know that most bengals are not lap cats and cannot tolerate being held. Tummies are not exposed until the cat is confident with you. That's exposing their most vulnerable area and when it happens, you'll know how she feels about you. Mine insists on several tummy tickles per day.

That main thing you need to be worried about is startling her. Nobody likes to be woken up from a deep sleep, especially ME!!! You sound like a touchy, feely type of guy that really wants to bond with her, but be careful and don't rush her. You have many years ahead and these first few weeks need to be cautious so you are not overwhelming her.

I'm writing now with a heart full of joy... what a day!

First and foremost I'd like to highlight that I'm between jobs. Therefore I'm 100% of the time with Snickers which might explain why things are developing so fast. Now the news:

LAP CAT
Today in the afternoon to my surprise while I was lying on my back on the sofa, Snickers jumped from his tree mansion to the sofa and slept on my neck, not chest! And she just slept for an hour or so. Despite that I wanted to do few things, but I was so happy with her presumable hug, so I stayed still. After she woke up she started licking herself, and went on licking my face and light beard till she finished grooming both of us ;)

After a long day with Snickers, I wanted to share the above with you. But after Snickers finished playing she came and slept on my lap. It's passed 2:00 am in the morning, which is not usual for any of us to be up this late.

Just now, I took her softly off my lap and got her to her treehouse bed. Took my iPad off the charger to write this update. As I sat down, Snickers left her bed and came to my lap, again, and now sleeping in my lap while I'm typing this.

It's a blessing to have her in my life, and definitely where we are right now has to do with trust, confidence, spoil and play.

Good night to you all and your furry masters :)

This is soooo cute!!!
I hope Aiko will share the same affection :)

WOW! She is bonding very quickly. Since you are around 100% of the time, this will go a lot faster. Snickers seems well socialized enough and she obviously is taken with you and happy that you are her provider and protector. No more screaming, I take it??? Baby steps until she is comfortable being taken to the garage or put in a harness. Sounds like you're doing a great job and letting her come to YOU, which means that is what she wants to do. I'd love for a kitty to sleep on me.

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The little monsters 3

Oh Brian, don't bring down his enthusiasm. Snickers is just super adorable and looks so content in that picture. I truly would probably be the same way with a little bengal baby. And I know how thrilled Hassaan with every single baby step in getting Snickers comfortable. Some people want a cat just to have a cat. Others want a cat to be a companion and friend. I think it is wonderful that Hassaan is posting about the way Snickers has settled in. I never had that with my bengel as he was six years old when I got him. But, I've had kittens before and I just can't let go of them. One was named Snuggles because he had to snuggle into your neck while laying on your shoulder. I am so happy for you, Hassaan and Snickers.

My Koneko will not be held. At all. But, he will lay on the edge of our sectional and flip his belly up for rubs as u walk by, and absolutely adores the suction cup cat perch that u attaches to a window. Will also come to snuggle while on the sofa, or bed. He also knows where we keep the cat toys. He will sit there and meow till we get up and play with him.

He will allow me to carry him outside after his harness in place. He knows he's going outside and allows it. lol

My Raiden is not a snuggle bunny and won't sit on my lap. The longest I can hold him is when I carry him home from our walks and even then he is trying to get down. Very hot this morning and he was panting heavily on the way back home, so I carried him back to the front door. Didn't help that the road was a tad too warm for his paws, but he is the one who wants to go outside on walks regardless of the temperature.

I have posted in this forum multiple times since I found out about it a few days ago. My Bengal, Bella, disappointed me hugely when, after adopting her on June 1 of this year, it began being apparent that she wasn't affectionate. In fact, on the scales of the "affection poll" taken in this forum, Bella fits in the tiny 3% who say, "Cuddlin', shmuddlin,' I just wanna play," or words to that effect. I mean, zero need to show conventional cat affection. She has NEVER - repeat: NEVER - head-butted me. She does lick my nose (sometimes) when I nuzzle her. But sitting in my lap? My goodness, I cannot imagine it. Last night, for the first time since she came to live with me and my husband, she did not sleep at the foot of the bed, but rather in the living room where her little playmate, my rescue cat Jamie, sleeps. I think she has bonded with that little cat finally, not with me. I would never re-home Bella - though I have had fantasies that her former owner might call saying he wanted her back. But I feel sad that, having adopted a cat I was confident would love me as all the other cats in my life have done, I have found in Bella a cat that turns out to be so aloof. About the only time she approaches me in the bedroom now is to scratch the sides of our mattress, which usually finally gets me out of bed and into the kitchen to feed her and Jamie. I'll try your methods ---- but I doubt they're going to help.

To Sherry: do you think my Bella has bonded with Jamie instead of with me? Do you think that in years to come Bella might become "more conventionally cat-affectionate" with me? You seem to know an enormous amount about this breed. I was admittedly offended when I perceived that you were calling me to task for my first post. Believe me, I've had many, many cats in my long life, and Bella is the very first who shows absolutely zero need for demonstrating love. No head-butts. The occasional licking of my nose when I stroke and kiss her. But nothing more. She seems also to have taken to not sleeping at the foot of our bed, which she did for several months after coming to live with us. Thing is, I adopted an adorable little rescue cat who is more the cuddler, but she, too, isn't your more rewarding "conventionally affectionate" kitty. We cannot get a third "compensatory" rescue cat. My husband is in his late seventies and I'm not far behind; while we had three Siamese siblings for nearly twenty years, he didn't want another cat to begin with and now we have two, which he tolerates with good humor. Another one would tax our relationship greatly.