In our multi cat home our bengal has always been more active/ agressive in play. The breeder he came from, I later learned after asking for help, has an open acceptance to cat fights and was dismissive to my concerns. We redirected much of our bengal's behaviour with toys and learning what play with him wore out his energy but toned down his aggression towards others. It was working. Over the past several months things have been changing though. We can play longer and much more frequently but his aggressive behaviour towards two of our other cats has increased.

The first cat became his target early on because of her flight response and vocal reinforcing response. Much was done to calm her response, empower her and increase catification. All of which helped. Both our bengal and her can eat out of the same dish and our bengal will even let her in his bowl but when he uses direct eye contact it can trigger a game on response. They can go nose to nose at other times. I can't put my finger on what I'm picking up on other than it seems to be what energy he seems to be holding in his energy field in that moment can dictate how she responds to him. Engaging him in a play session doesn't always stop the interaction from happening.

The other cat he is now targeting is the most confident cat who has frequently put the bengal in his place for approaching him with the wrong energy. A big hit to the head is what he'd get for the wrong approach. The bengal's response has been to squeak and back off timidly. The bengal has gotten in a couple good sneak attacks and is now stocking him at times to get more of the vocal response from him instead of the hit to the head. This seems to be playing out like it reinforces the bengal to keep going and takes some of the other cat's confidence away.

With the other two cats in the home, they have learned to live with his behaviour in a more middle ground way. Getting away from him when he starts aggressive behaviour, fighting back at times till they can get away, giving in so it becomes boring for the bengal, and even making it a safer game of two playing cats. Both are more forgiving of the bengal if he does bite too hard or takes a small tuff of hair.

As for the bengal's reaction to us, he's learning that when we hear he's clicked into what I call instinct mode and the response of the receiving cat that we aren't happy with him and he will be the one to be removed from the situation. We've tried positive reinforcement to disengage using the clicker and treat method as it seems to be starting but it doesn't work all the time. It's like our bengal can go from 0 to 100 in a matter of seconds and full instinct is clicked in. At this point the only thing stopping him is to see us coming quickly and noisily towards them or feeling the grab as he's separated from the situation. Using a physical divider does nothing for him as he continually moves around it to get the other cat...it seems to stimulate him more. Our touch has a big impact on a calming effect but if full instinct mode clicked in, he'll need some time alone to calm. Engaging in a positive play session at this time doesn't stop him from going after the cat when finished. He still needs disengaged time to stop the behaviour.

I know we need help but we're stumped at what to try next. We know our current view and emotional response isn't helping. We've talked about rehoming him if we can't keep the peace as we know it can't keep going in this direction before someone gets hurt.

Your help and experience would be greatly appreciated.

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The little monsters 3

Sounds like your bengal is a big bully. You didn't say how catified your home is, but a bengal requires a lot more than your usual kitties. Interactive play can only do so much and, as you've discovered, isn't working at the moment. I'd suggest you look at Jackson Galaxy's Spirit Essences and see if something there might help with your problem and give it a try: http://www.spiritessences.com.

Take a look around and see what you can do to satisfy your bengal .... lots of cat trees, shelves for climbing, nice escape routes for your other kitties. Rehoming a bengal is never easy. Before I got mine, the owner said he had tried to rehome him for years and nobody would take him. He ended up at my doorstep and I have had him for more than two years and he's the sweetest little kitty in the world. Environment is everything to a cat. If you can't find peace between your kitties, then you may just have to find a new home for him. It sounds like he needs to be an only kitty.

At two years old he is no longer a kitten, he has grown up into an adult. Many adult cats are territorial and multi-cat homes need to be of a reasonable size in order that each cat can feel safe in their own territory.
As many owners do not have the horizontal space go allow that to happen, then the next best option is to introduce vertical space and plenty of it.

Some Bengals are highly territorial (the ALC is a territorial wild cat), hence the reason that most Bengals who need rehomed, come with the proviso that they be the only cat.
If you have a highly territorial Bengal, not only does he/she not want to share space, he will not be content until he drives interlopers off that space. Bengals can be very determined and single minded.

This may just be a temporary rearrangement of power, in that the kitten is now establishing his own territory as a adult and once he has his own territory sorted out, it may all calm down, but it may also be on ongoing problem resulting in injury and bullying and/or the dreaded peeing and soiling.
Catification of your home, even perhaps to the extent of splitting up cats into their own spaces/rooms may be required here.

If catification doesn't work and you do need to rehome your Bengal, then I suggest that you have probably reached the maximum number of cats that your house will sustain happily, so do not try and replace him.

I imagine this is a combination of your Bengal 'coming of age' and wanting to be the alpha cat in your household and the fact that Bengals are just really incredibly rough when it comes to play. I still cringe with my two sometimes as they can look like they really mean it, then pause, groom each other, and pounce again. I had to break them up this weekend - Hendrix wanted to play really rough and Jagger wasn't in the mood and it was all getting a bit antsy.

I think add more catification/vertical spaces and escape routes for your other cats. How old are they? Could your Bengal sense the one you say is/was most confident is getting older and not as strong as he was previously and wants to take his place as the alpha cat and nick his territory?

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Clare
Hendrix and Jagger, Brown Marble Boys (born 18 August 2013)
Hampshire, UK

I remember how my two females would fight. I was very concerned as I had never experienced this type of cat aggression during play. Just today I was looking out the window at the two of them on the edge of the patio staring out at the ducks on the lake at dawn. They were side by side so close and Blondie was leaning in towards Grace. It was such a peaceful loving sight. Then I remembered how concerned I was months ago when Grace was such a bully towards Blondie and how far they have come. Grace has turned into such a loving cat, Blondie always was. They change a lot those first couple of years while maturing. What seems impossible now may evaporate and be totally different in a couple of months.

I guess time and patience is the key, as always.

Thank you all for the replies. They, the dsh cats range in age from 5.5 to 4 years old, who are in great athletic shape and health. Our bengal is 2.2 years old. Our home quickly became catified upon our bengal's arrival with multiple trees, cat walks, and steps to furniture for greater perching/ movement. We also watched their movement to see what needed to change to increase confidence and flight options. It's been wonderful on the one hand to see the dsh's confidence grow and become the adult cats they are. It took our one cat almost the 4 years to grow into her own, which I would hate to see shaken now with our bengal's increase in behaviour. In that, our bengal reminds us a bit of her in the changes that are occurring, like he is growing into himself. I'd like to believe it is a phase and it will return to more peaceful times. We surely don't expect perfection. We are prepared to rehome if this is the new dynamic between them. In the meantime I'm home more and working on increasing all their confidence and redirecting choices in the moment. It's worked in the past when he came in as an ankle biter so hoping it works again.

We are still open to hearing your experience and suggestions.

I think this is going to be a case of monitoring and keeping him in check for a bit - it is quite likely a phase. He is full grown now and the youngest out of your cats, so now he is an adult is pushing his boundaries and establishing his position in his social group. Mine are just a bit younger than yours, and I'm seeing a bit of this at the moment. Hendrix is always looking for trouble with Jagger but definitely doesn't like it when Jagger gives it back 10 times harder. Their play is always rough, but Hendrix is taking it just a bit further every now and again. They are still buddies though, last night they were both curled up on the footstool next to my legs and its the first time they've done that in ages. If I'm honest though, Hendrix really wanted Jagger off the footstool lol

Are there any other changes going on at home at the moment that your Bengal may be picking up on? With mine, I think they have been a bit unsettled lately, my other half went back to sea for a week, then he came back, my mum appeared, we went on holiday, leaving them in mum's care, then we were back again, my mum disappeared and then Jon was back to sea again. So I'm conscious some of the behaviour I'm seeing at the moment maybe where they are unsettled with the changes and getting used to the new routine at home.

It's harder with the rough play when you have dsh and bengals and the dsh wouldn't naturally play as rough, but if they are still eating together and they are grooming each other, or whatever and they all accept each other as part of their social group, it will hopefully settle down eventually. Bengals are very much over exuberant in everything they do. Jagger earned the nickname 'psycho' very early on, but he is the sweetest and most affectionate boy out the of two now, he was simply over enthusiastic in showing his affection and excitement when he was younger.

You sound like you've done some excellent catification so I think keep an eye on things, and I have everything crossed for you that things will calm down in time. Bengals are very intelligent and they want to please, so when he gets the message you don't like certain behaviours he exhibits towards your dsh he may well stop it.

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Clare
Hendrix and Jagger, Brown Marble Boys (born 18 August 2013)
Hampshire, UK

Observation is the key -- just to see what might be setting the bengal off. Just as some children are little terrors, I guess cats can be the same. Trying to keep a happy multi-cat household is always a challenge. You want the other kitties to hang on to their confidence and to continue to be happy.