Hi I have a dhc and it has been playing with another young cat in the garden recently. The young cat seemed very placid and skittish. Then a month or two ago my neighbour got a Bengal cat. I have seen the Bengal cat seem aggressive towards my cat and also chase the young cat away. My neighbour has also mentioned that it has brought home and killed a rabbit, jackdaw bird and a bat. It was only yesterday my wife mentioned it seemed quite aggressive when my 2 yr old daughter went near to it.
Then this morning I opened my side door to see the young cat dead by the side of my house. It had quite a bed head wound from the looks of it and blood was everywhere. I cannot be sure it's the Bengal cat that has killed it but it just seems a bit of a coincidence. Can anyone give me any advise on whether they think the Bengal has killed the other cat? I am worried for my own cat and also concerned for my daughter. I am planning on talking to my neighbours who own the Bengal but they are currently at work.

Cats can kill other cats when fighting, however, they will usually go for the neck area. I'm guessing with your spelling, you are in the UK where they claim there are no natural predators. Anything could have happened to the deceased cat and it may not have been the bengal responsible for its death.

This one reason owners should not allow their cats to roam free. A bengal cat is no more dangerous than any domestic short-haired cat or any other breed, for that matter. Bengals are energetic, territorial, but not dangerous. They are bred to have a sweet disposition. However, all cats can attack unprovoked. It's happened to me a couple of times.

Definitely speak with your neighbor. And keep your daughter away from the bengal. I get children who want to come up to Raiden when we're walking and we'll usually go in the opposite direction. He's a wonderful kitty, but I do not know what he would do to a child.

I would suggest your keep your kitty indoors and supervise your cat when it is outside, even training it to walk on a harness and leash. The problem with free roaming cats is just that ... they don't stay in their own yards and wander the neighborhood. There are perils at every turn (cars, neighbors who hate cats and hurt them, dogs (yes, they kill cats, too), etc.)

You are responsible for your kitty and to keep your kitty safe. Your neighbors need to do the same for their bengal. You need to discuss with them what could happen to their kitty and your concern for your daughter.

Good luck.

I think it is much more likely the young cat was killed by an out of control dog.

A new cat in the neighborhood can cause inter-cat disputes. It isn't abnormal for a cat to kill a rabbit, bat, or bird.

I do think you should tell your daughter to keep away from the cat. Was she actually approaching an aggressive cat, or was the cat acting defensive because she was approaching?

All in all it doesn't really sound like anything weird is going on here, unless you have some further information. A dominant cat has moved into the neighbourhood. If you let your kitty roam it will need to deal with inter-cat politics.

A bengal cat is not some ferocious monster to be feared, especially with regards to your daughter, that's silly. Bengals are domesticated, and bred to be family pets. They are probably far less likely to be wild and out of control than your average feral cat, so the bengal would be way way down on the list of murder suspects in my book. Head trauma also doesn't sound like something a cat would do. They go for the throat, or the underbelly is more their MO. And cats just don't kill other cats very often. Can they? Yea, sure, but they usually just want to establish territory. Not kill.

_________________
The little monsters 3

Could it have been hit by a car and crawled home? possibly a fox? cat fights are often very noisy with lots of yowling and you probably would have heard it

_________________
Melissa

UK
Oscar - Rescue (Rascal!!!) Bengal

The thing with children and new cats is that kids don't know the proper way to approach a cat. Many are super excited to see a cat and want to rush over to it, which can cause problems. I don't think this bengal is harmful. It's just establishing territory! Two cats fighting is a horrific sound. You don't want to hear that. Someone usually loses the battle and comes home injured. So keeping your kitty away from the bengal is best. I hope your neighbor is willing to work with you on this