When I was 15 years old, I decided to save up and purchase a Bengal kitten. I had no idea what I was getting myself into and my parents were both ignorant with the breed. I will admit that it was a spur of the moment purchase and although I won't go as far as to say I regret my decision, I will say that I wish I knew a little bit more before entering the world of the Bengal. So to start, she was the only cat in the house. She grew to be a beautiful feline and she was given much love and respect. The older I got, the more I realized that she was no ordinary cat. She was an indoor/outdoor cat and every once in a while, she would come home just to sleep on my bed. Then- my brother decided to bring home a little orphaned cat. The cat was a young adult and she was very sweet. From day one, they did not mind each other...they tolerated eachother. Then, we moved. My Bengal was not a huge fan of staying indoors so a few weeks after moving in, we allowed her to go outside more frequently. Then...my brother brings home another stray. It was a male this time and again, Ezra( my Bengal) did not mind the kitten, but the older he got, the less we would see Ezra. Eventually, she would be gone for 5-10 days at a time and it became more difficult to get her to come home. We found out that a neighbor down the street was feeding her and Ezra basically moved in with the neighbor. Ezra hated coming home and would hiss and snarl like a wild animal anytime we caught her in the garage. I was heartbroken. I went down to the neighbor and begged them multiple times to stop feeding my cat cheap junk food (I had her on an expensive diet to maintain her beautiful coat) but the neighbor completely ignored me and I had no other options. We tried to keep ezra from going outside but again, she refused to aknowledge that I was not an enemy. She escaped one day and was gone for good. I've moved out and live in a two bedroom apartment and when I visit my parents, I see her running around every once in a while but when I would call to her, she would run away. Today however, my mother found her trapped in the garage. My mom some how managed to lock her in my old room and insisted that I move her into my new apartment- this is where the questions start:
I have a spare bedroom that I plan on turning into her own room until she gets used to me. I have no other animals in this apartment. I'm worried that she will hiss and moan like she did once before but I'm praying that I can someone get her used to the idea of living with me and only me- no other cats- just like it used to be. To describe her temperment now, I can only think "ferral". Should I treat her as one and work my way up to regaining her trust once again? Any suggestions? (Please refrain from making any negative comments on your replies, I'm completely aware of the mistakes that were made for this very special cat and although I know this experience will not be a walk in the park, I am hoping to redeem myself and to once again establish the relationship I once had with this cat)
Please, any advice will be much appreciated.
*shes about 10 years old now*

Such a sad story to hear, i hooe everything goes well with the rehabilitation process.

It is good you are not giving up and attempting to rekindle your bond from years ago. Maybe she will appreciate living indoors now that she is older and the only cat. If you are successful with the transition, I would suggest letting her rule the roost and be the only pet. She is very beautiful by the way.

She is very beautiful. I'm sure others here with far more Bengal experience than me will chime in with some great advice and also offer things to consider in this process.

I would start from square one like she is a brand new cat. Give her a "safe room" with food, water, litter boxes (I would put at least 2 in there since you don't know what she likes, 1 covered and 1 open) and some toys. Spend time just sitting in the room with her, read a book and talk out loud so she gets used to the sound of your voice. If she comes out of hiding with you in the room try playing with some interactive toys.

Give it lots of time, don't rush her or try and corner and pick her up. Let her come to you.

I hope it all works out.

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Dallas, TX USA
Diesel - snow Bengal born 09/01/2013 adopted Feb 2014
Tuck, Chloe, Buddy, Lewis & Tia - rescue kitties
Clyde, Bleu & Coal - Great Danes

I have heard of many cats who "run away from home" because they don't like the situation there. If Ezra has been delegated as an outdoor cat, she is going to be more feral than domestic. Reclaiming her is going to be a huge challenge. First of all, I'm surprised she is 10 years old and outdoor cats don't usually make it past five.

But let's get on to your question in taking her into your home and trying to reconnect with her Know that she will not be happy in the beginning and it will take a while for her to get used to you. Basically, it would be like getting a new kitty. She will want to go outside because that's what she's used to. And, since bengals are extremely vocal, she is going to let you know she is not happy.

What can you do to make her happy? You can see if she will walk with a harness and leash. Most bengals take to it easily and I know my Raiden loves his daily walks. A cat enclosure is great. Raiden has one of those as well. He was owned by a neighbor and spent the first six years of his life as an outdoor cat. Unfortunately, he got into many, many fights with lots of visits to the vet. Finally, the neighbor gave Raiden to me and I made him an indoor cat. It was a challenge. He cried nonstop. He was at the door scratching to get out. He still tries to get out the door when we open it. It's a constant battle because he tries to time his run as to when the door will open.

You will have to spend a lot of time with Ezra socializing her. I'm not saying she won't come around, eventually, but it will be a challenge and it will take some time, so you need patience. I always try to put myself in the cat's place -- new house, new smells, new human. It sounds to me as if she did not care for the other menagerie of cats in the household -- and many bengals prefer to be solitary, so I would not go and get another kitty because you think Ezra's bored and needs a friend. What Ezra needs is some bonding time with you.

So, you'll have to invest in the litter box, cat tree, scratching posts (the cat tree usually comes with them). You'll need toys to engage Ezra in play time. It's obvious you love Ezra and you really want to try this for her sake. She deserves a happy, safe home. She is a gorgeous kitty and she needs to keep as many of her 9 lives as she has left.

Good luck!

She is beautiful.

It sounds like she really enjoyed being an only cat and if you can give her that now, I would give it a shot. If she was still coming around your parents house, she obviously felt ties to you and/or her home. I would take is slow as others advised, safe room, patience, play, good food, etc. I have found that it takes longer to win over an older cat, but at the end it is worth it. Good luck!

I don't have anything more to add but wanted to wish you luck.

Please let us know how you get along.

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Oscar and Jasper (or one ear and two ears as dh calls them) black rescue mogges

RIP my sweet baby Dexter, Snow Bengal 19/5/14 to 5/3/15 and my lovely dear old friend Muskey, Brown Burmese put to rest aged 15 on 14/11/15.

Debbie

Same here - Nothing more to add, other than take your time and try your best! She will come round, I believe - My boy was a 'rescue' due to circs beyond his control, and he has bonded with me completely. Too well at times! He may not see his 15th birthday next friday if he keeps on....... xx

Thank you all for your support!
I have incredible news and I thought I should share!:

Ezra is a completely different cat in her new home. Her behavior has progressed exponentially now that she's in a one cat home and I'm so excited for the new life we are going to share together. She is so sweet and affectionate, I feel so relieved that I am able to give her a safe and comfortable environment. This just increase my love and respect for these cats and every day that goes by, I am more grateful for her return!

Thank you all again for your suggestions!
If you want, feel free to follow Ezra on Instagram to see how she's acclimating to her new home @Ezra_bengal

That's fantastic news! Congratulations.

_________________
Dallas, TX USA
Diesel - snow Bengal born 09/01/2013 adopted Feb 2014
Tuck, Chloe, Buddy, Lewis & Tia - rescue kitties
Clyde, Bleu & Coal - Great Danes

Hi all,
Again, I would like to thank you all for your support but unfortunately I have come across another snag.
The neighbor that had my cat is going to take my family to small claims court to regain the 3,000$ they have spent on her over the years. Never once did my mother or myself give them word of forfeiture of my cat which they are now claiming. As a mattet of fact, a few years ago, Ezra had obtained a trauma wound to her paw and the neighbor who is now suing us brought her wound to our attention. We treated her and nursed her to health and she went on her way. When we brought this up to him, he denied the entire thing. I'm just so stressed now and I don't know what to do. Have you ever heard of an experience where a neighbor had stolen an animal- claiming it as their own with out speaking to the owners about it? And then when finances came in to play, they demanded to go to court about it? I'm completely lost and I don't know what to do. I'm so thankful and great fun to have my Ezra back but I never anticipated this...

Do you have any documentation she is yours? TICA papers or vet records or anything of that nature?

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I have her spay and vaccine documentation dated 1/2006. I've spoken with the vet today and he remembers when she was just a kitten. We can't find the paperwork from the breeder but we are still looking. I'm on a college budget and can't afford any legal advice. i can't believe my neighbors are doing this to me.

Are they wanting her back? I don't understand why they are doing this either unless they feel like they have taken care of her for so long she became theirs. I honestly can't say that I blame them if that's the case. I would also think that if they have documentation of vet care and expenses it will likely go in their favor. I really hate this for you and Ezra and I feel like I am coming across a little blunt. I really don't mean to sound harsh but I see and empathize with both sides here. I know you want your cat back and you see her warming up to your home now BUT they have taken care of her for years and probably feel like they were robbed of a family member. Do you know these people enough to sit down and have a talk with them to find out what's going on on their side? They could miss her terribly, as I am sure you did. They could be one of those people that will sue you over looking at them the wrong way. I don't know the situation at hand but like I said I see it both ways.

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I think they want her but I can't help but thinking they're upset because they know in their hearts that she is our cat. This lady lives 3 or 4 houses down from my parents house where Ezra was staying. I feel that if they didn't spend 3 grand on Ezra, this wouldn't be an issue. We have told her time and time again to stop feed our cat but she refused to listen. They even went so far as to get her microchipped and that is where all of this stemmed from. My mother took her to the vet after she came home for a while and my mom found out they had her chipped. WITHOUT SAYING A WORD TO US! My mom and I have been on the phone non stop with petID to have the issue resolved- we've faxed her immunizations, we've faxed her spay paper work and now we are working desperately to get in contact with her breeder, but to no avail. My mother went down to the woman's house and offered to pay the price they paid for the microchip if she would transfer Ezra's info to me. She was very rude, and threatening and that's when she informed my mother that she was going to take us to small claims court. What gets me is that around a year or two ago, the husband of the neighbor came to our house and pointed out that Ezra had some sort of trauma to her front paw. My mother caught her, dressed her wounds ( which we do with all our pets unless it's something we know we can't handle). And nursed Ezra back to health. i really appreciate your honesty and trust me, I also see it from their point of view. They have obviously bonded with my cat but the fact remains, she is still my cat. I can't just wash and wax my neighbors car for 5 years and expect it to be mine all of the sudden. My parents have a maincoon named little man who our immediate neighbors daughter has taken a liking to. They're quite fond of him and they allow him to sleep with their daughter whenever he is there. They also feed him once in a while but they would never dare to just take ownership of him because they know he is my parents cat. I just can't believe this woman is doing this, knowing well that it is not her cat.