Hi, i have a 3yr old marble bengal, i've had her about 12 months, she was used as a breeding cat and when we had her, she was spayed as we wanted her as a family cat. She's a very shy and nervous cat and has never actually let us anywhere near her and jumps at the slightest movement.Of an evening she will curl up next to us on the sofa but even then she doesn't like any fuss and bolts when we get up. I'm pretty sure to be this timid she wasn't treated well by her previous owners, but we accept the way she is because we love her. She was never let out by her previous owners but we let her out after the first month and she loves it.
Our problem is that last week we had a new baby boy and since he came home last week she's become very vocal, almost constantly meowing and wants to stay outside more and more, to the point we're having to feed her outside. Is this normal behavior for a bengal? Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you :)

My two SLP kitties have screened in patio access. One of them wants to live on the patio. Their life revolves around getting out on the patio to play. When it rains one of them runs across my body to wake me up she wants to go out so bad. Every morning they are at the glass doors meowing to go out. I won't feed them out there because that is how I get them to come in the house…food. I am happy they have the patio but I don't want to loose them to the outdoors. The other one goes in and out so she can keep an eye on me. She usually stays with me as I get ready for work. They have plenty of climbing trees and toys, but they just love watching the ducks and squirrels and feeling the breeze. It rained very hard last night and they kept racing around in the puddles getting wet and wound up. It was after 11 and I could see Grace's glowing eyes at the far end of the patio looking back at me in the pouring rain. I finally got her to come in by offering some food and it took them a good hour to calm down and go to bed. At 5 am it started all over again.

It sounds to me as if this previous queen was not socialized well and was kept away from human interaction while breeding. This is really sad as it's difficult to socialize an older kitty. You've had her for a year and there's not been much improvement. This is because an owner has to work with the kitten. If she's left to do what she's always done, she will not become a more socialized cat. Bonding comes from interaction with the cat, making sure the cat gets interactive play time with toys.

Now you have a new baby and babies come with cries and new smells and mommy has to spend more time with the baby than the cat. Bengals are vocal cats anyway. You've decided to allow her outdoors, which only solves the problem when she is outdoors. Unhappy cats usually seek out new homes, so are you prepared to lose her? Your first priority is your new baby, but you also do not want your kitty to feel left out and abandoned. She is part of your family, too.

I'm going to suggest you visit http://www.spiritessences.com and see if any of the formulas there might help your kitty. Bengals, for the most part, are very social cats and want to be with people. Your little girl needs reassurance. This is truly sad because she should be an integral part of your family and want to be a part of everything in your lives.

Allowing her outside to roam around is not going to help her shyness as there are a lot of noises out there that may startle her and she will run in the opposite direction. Bring her back inside where she will be safe and try spending more time with her. Make sure she has a tall cat tree, lots of wand toys, and that she gets some gentle petting, and talked to in a soft voice. This is probably not going to stop her vocalizing as that's what bengals do.

I know you have your hands full, but I hope you're able to help this little girl.