Hello,

We lost our housecat (disappeared), and friends have offered us a roughly 2-year-old neutered Bengal male. They currently have four cats (including two Bengals) and this particular Bengal has been terrorizing one of the other cats, so they have decided that they can't keep him.

He is reportedly quite affectionate and gentle when alone with his owners... he seems just not to like other cats much. The other two cats in the household (including the other Bengal) stand their ground and don't get bothered; the aggression is directed at the one somewhat timid cat, if this means anything.

Question:
Our friends got this cat as a kitten. I've read that Bengals tend to bond very closely and very early, is this likely to be a problem in a new home with new people? I work at home and am used to taking breaks for cat-amusement time.

Many thanks in advance.

I shared your concerns about bonding before I adopted my 3.5 year old Bengal, Tallulah, last October. She is a female and was not spayed when I adopted her. She was terrorising the other two cats in her household. I was worried that she wouldn't be happy being rehomed as an adult, also that I might find it difficult to bond with a grown up cat rather than a kitten and that the whole situation would end in tears with me having to return her to her original home.
I need not have worried as within hours of coming home with me we had formed a firm attachment. This has intensified on her part since I had her spayed. She loves being an only cat and also adores my Jack Russell. She follows me around, brings me her toys and talks to us all (including the dog!) non-stop.
I've only owned good old moggies before now and I must say that her behaviour is very different: she comes when called, is very vocal, is insistent on climbing to the highest place in any room, demands attention from myself or the dog most of the time she's awake and has bags of confidence. She actually behaves more like my JR than any cat I've been used to! She is also extremely intelligent, very gentle, loving and affectionate. Most of all I think that she is happy and relaxed because she's now 'top dog'. I hope my experience has been of some help to you.

I think given proper time and TLC to him and respecting his mannerisms will make him a fine companion for you. I've heard a lot of success stories with people adopting bengals, they do closely bond with their humans and I'm sure it will be hard on him at first, but I would think that he would/could come around to adjusting to you similarly. Good luck!

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The little monsters 3

I think that's more really early gen bengals, not the later ones.
Cats are fickle, they'll love on whoever feeds and pats them

I got my boy aged 5 and he bonded to me fairly quickly. He's been wonderful.

I took possession of a six-year-old bengal from a neighbor 2-1/2 years ago. The kitty bonded with me almost immediately and has never had a problem. Now when he sees the neighbor, he doesn't appear to even remember him. I know you said your other cat disappeared. I had that happen to me before I got the bengal and I decided the bengal would not roam free anymore, so he gets two walks a day on a harness and leash and he has a 12'x12' cat enclosure on our deck that he can access 24/7. I know people are tired of reading about this .... but I am a huge proponent of keeping your kitties safe, especially bengals. And a cat is not going to be familiar with your area and can easily get lost of try to return home. An adult bengal is a great pet, although they do still appear to act like kittens much of the time. You would be rescuing a kitty from a situation where he is not comfortable. I have a neighbor's cat who is basically living at my house -- outside -- because Raiden (bengal) will attack him at every corner. He's here because his brother runs him off the property! Here, he has a heated cat house and heated beds, plenty of food and attention. Sometimes I wish I didn't love cats so much. You have the opportunity to help this kitty and give it a great, loving home. Go for it!

Thanks for the advice everyone.

So everything went a bit faster than expected and we ended up taking him home Sunday evening.

One poop accident the first night but he just hadn't registered where the litter box was. After we got that straight, no problems there.

I don't know what "F" number he is... his coat and face are very distinctive, but I don't notice anything personality-wise that I can definitely attribute to his "Bengality." He definitely wants his play time but no more than I would expect for any other "muscle cat" of his age.

The only thing new to me is that rather than becoming pushy about playtime, he retreats under the furniture and meows rather desolately. This was a bit alarming until through trial-and-error, I found this was his way of saying "I'm bored, soldier. You go get ping-pong balls now."

He very much likes to be petted and cuddled, but he doesn't come to you... he chooses a place he likes and you have to go sit next to him.

Anyway, all seems well and we're very happy to have him. We will definitely think carefully about letting him roam, it doesn't seem like a good idea under our circumstances.

Know that your home is a new environment. There are totally new smells going on and he needs to stake out his territory. It is common for them to "hide" and not want to come out when you want them to. It's only temporary! As time goes on, he will gain more confidence and feel safe in your home. Patience is the key! Sometimes we want that instant bond with a kitty and, in some cases, it will take a little time.

hope everything goes well for you and your kitty

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Thomas

Lily & Noha - Oct 7th 2015

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The little monsters 3

Sorry, I was unclear. As soon as he sees the toys rolling, he runs out from under the couch and has a good time.

aaw glad things are going well
Bengals can be vocal about all sorts of things, it's rather amusing at times.
I don't let my guy roam, but that's my personal choice.
Keep us updated with how he's doing

10 days in residence and all's well. He's very well-behaved and a belly-rub fiend...

IMAG1109.jpg

aaaw lovely

See, it just takes time! Love that he loves belly rubs! That's a sure sign of settling in and bonding! Congratulations. He's a cutie pie.