Hi All,

I've done a ton of research and finally decided to take the plunge and get a bengal. I purchased it from a reputable breeder (with 15+ years exp) and will be getting him in 4 weeks from now. He will be about 13 weeks when I get him.

Right now I am trying to prepare so that he feels at home and settles in as quickly as possible.

My typical schedule is working from 9-5 every day - so I am a little concerned that the cat will be all alone for such a long period of time.

My plan is to hang out and play with him every morning from 6am to 7am (and feed him). Go to work, then come home around 5PM and play with him some more.

Do you think this will work? Also - I will be home a lot on the weekends so I will spent lots of quality time with him on the weekends.

Are there any other 9'5'ers out there that can recommend tricks/tips to taking care of a bengal?

We are 9-5rs and more, out solution: two Bengals. If we only had one, I think they'd struggle on their own. They do sleep a lot during the day but they also chase each other and play around.

I'm also a 9-5'er and like Inkyfingers we have two so they could keep each other company.

I did make a point of going home every lunch time while they were little though as they need feeds little and often, 3-4 a day. Their tummies are small at that age, so they'd have breakfast, I'd pop home for lunch to feed them, feed them again when I got home after work and then give them supper before bed.

Like your plan, I would get up early to spend time with them before work whilst they settled in. Unfortunately they now think I should be up early every day to pander to their needs lol I think it was 5.30 am that they both strolled in to see me this morning...

You will need to Bengal proof your home with leads and wires etc. Hopefully you will have a couple of days with them to see what they are getting in to as you can guarantee they will find something you didn't think of to get up to mischief with. Minimalist is the way to go if you aren't already as Bengals have no respect for anything on shelves. They will knock it off just to see what happens when it hits the ground!

Good luck!!

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

Oh yes, blu tack everything to the surface it's on, even paintings on the wall, lots of strong blu tack

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your upcoming arrival. Your question is asked a lot. Every cat is different. I think the main thing you need to worry about is to completely cat proof your home. That means, locks on cabinet doors, making sure wires are out of the way and cannot be chewed, items you cherish to not get knocked off and broken are put away, keeping things off the countertops that can hurt a cat. Get down on your hands and knees and look at everything from their perspective. Make sure you have a tall cat tree, scratching posts. A bored cat will find trouble. Kittens will sleep, but they also have this huge amount of energy. Find some toys the cat can enjoy without you -- ball track toys are good. Cats don't know time -- so yours will not realize you are gone for 8 hours during the day.

As Clare mentioned, kittens do need to eat frequently, so you will have to keep out some food during the day. Many owners swear by getting two of them, but that's double everything -- food, vet bills, etc. I took on a six-year old bengal and I was gone 9 hours out of the day. My husband was terrified the hour would be destroyed upon our return. It wasn't! Raiden slept most of the time or went out into the enclosure we built for him. He has never destroyed anything.

Unfortunately, when you are home, your baby will take up much of your time. They bond quickly and completely. Yours will demand attention, want to play. Hopefully, he will be a snuggly lap cat (but many bengals are not).

You will want to prepare a safe room for him --unused bathroom, spare bedroom where you can place the food, water, litter box, toys, bed. Know that your baby is entering a totally new environment and leaving mommy and siblings behind. This can be stressful for him. The safe room allows him to acclimate without having a huge amount of space and it will allow you to start the bonding process. You can bring him out to interact with you in a larger area -- and sometimes a cat will adjust almost immediately. Don't be alarmed if the kitty hides. New smells, new people -- it's daunting for a little kitten.

Good luck and we would love to know how it goes.

I had one at first but he seemed to be suffering from separation anxiety so I got another and the change in Shaka is amazing. He is far livelier and seems to be a far happier cat. My other cat accord into the previous owner looks to be a lot happier too. I am also relieved to see they get along with each other fantastically well. So yes I advise get 2

I leave for work around 8:30 and get home about 6:30-7:00. This was a problem the first year I had my kittens because they needed to eat frequently. I would get up very early, around 5-5:30 and give them 3 oz of wet food to share. They would go out on the patio and play until I left for work. I got them to come back in with about 1/3 cup of dry food. Then I would leave an auto feeder with two trays of dry food (about 1/4 cup in each). Sometimes they popped it open and sometimes they waited for it to open. When I came home I would give them another 3 oz can of wet food and about 1/4 cup of dry just before bedtime. That seemed to keep them happy enough. I cut back on the auto feeder now that they are big cats. They are always waiting for me, but not panicked when I arrive. They are 20 months old now.

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The little monsters 3

For some, it's challenging just to afford one bengal, much less two of them. Two may make it a little easier -- but I don't know that it's necessary. The kitten will adjust to a schedule over time. But, could be a mischief maker at some point.

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The little monsters 3

I've only had my bengals for 2 months now, they'll be 5 months old in a few days. Getting two it's the best decision you can make, obviously circumstances/money permitting. I spend 10 or more hours away from home and getting just one was not an option. They keep each other company, chase each other and overall have a great time together. Also at night, they haven't so far had a tendency to wake me up as they play with each other and are quite quiet about it. True, you find the strangest things scattered around the floor in the morning :).
Sometimes, however, two cats means more hassle and effort, especially if you're cleaning the litter boxes and have to defend your "prey" against two cats . Regardless of them having fun together they will want to play with you anyway.
I would totally recommend getting two, it's a different experience than having a single cat and especially if you live on your own it's also much better for the cat(s).

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Thomas

Lily & Noha - Oct 7th 2015

Hi castortroy, I got one Bengal kitten back in October and I do leave her home alone whilst I'm out at work. In the past I have always got cats in pairs so that they have company but my husband is not a big cat fan so in this case getting two kittens was not an option.
My kitten was the boss of her litter and she has made it quite clear any time she has met other cats (even with gradual introductions etc) that she wants to live in a one cat household!

Her main room is a large conservatory (with heating & ventilation so it is comfortable in both winter & summer) and she has a large cat tree, various toys including a ball track and she has many windows she can look out of on to our garden. She seems to have a great time playing with her toys and watching the world go by, jumping up on to various window sills and bookshelves and attempting to hunt the birds she can see outside! Whenever I do work from home she is happy to have the company but still plays with her toys on her own or just snuggles up on my lap and sleeps for hours.

I think it very much depends on the cat as an individual but if he/she has enough space and toys to keep entertained then being home whilst you are at work shouldn't be a problem.

Hope it goes well and congrats on your new addition!

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