Hi there,
I have two Bengal kittens, Holly is 5 months and Simon is 4 months old. I think that Simon is teething now as he is chomping on everything that is reachable (trim around cabinets, soft and hard furniture, clothes, toys, cutlery, etc., etc., etc...). He's destroyed a number of things, including cat toys (they don't seem to be as tough as they should be for a kitten), and he's gives me a near heart attack daily as he seems to be able to find and chomp on dangerous stuff no matter how well I kitten-proof things. Today he ripped apart a toy with an electronic noisemaker in it (I was worried he swallowed this, but he didn't), and I caught him chowing down on a piece of steel wool that I have no idea where he found....

So do you guys think this is a phase that will pass or might he always be into mischief? My other Bengal is very curious but not into stuff the way he is.

~Liz

Liz, I am assuming you do feed your kitties!

You are witnessing bengal kitten behavior! Some bengals babies are worse than others. This is why we tell people you have to bengal proof your home. They will get into EVERYTHING and find the smallest thing you couldn't see. The key is to make sure things are put away so your babies aren't eating or chewing on something they shouldn't. They make chew toys for cats -- and hopefully, cats can't actually eat them.

Just as human parents will have a child that is into everything and all things -- it can be that way with a kitten. It should get better as he gets older. The other thing is boredom! Hopefully, your babies play a lot and you engage them in play a lot as well. They need distractions. They go searching for things because they are bored and MUST look for trouble!!!

I don't believe their adult teeth come in for several months yet, so teething is probably not the issue. Simon is bored ... so make sure he has other fun things to concentrate on. And he may need toys that are indestructible.

Thanks, Sherry. I do, indeed, feed the kittens - they actually eat an astonishing (to me) quantity of food, so I know it can't be hunger driving Simon into getting into stuff..

You're probably right about him getting into mischief out of boredom. He gets loads of playtime and attention during the day, but lately he seems to get a second wind at bedtime and we discover his little path of destruction in the morning :). We do close off parts of the house at night while when we are asleep, but he has a knack for finding anything potentially dangerous and chomping on it.

Any specific toys you can recommend that are particularly tough? He has a good collection of toys but is pretty good at ripping them apart (I toss and replace them as soon as I see they are damaged, and he's going through toys pretty quickly).

I'm not good at recommending toys as Raiden doesn't play with toys! He wants me to swish the opposite end of a wand toy and he just chases the wand around. I understand the second wind at bedtime! It's all I can do to get mine to settle down -- and he is 9 years old!!! He wants to play constantly and he wears me out!

Most cats just "play" with the toys. They don't destroy them -- but you obviously have a destructive Simon who is really rough on them. Check out this website: http://petcarefacts.com/blog/training-a ... e-cat-toys

Here's a toy for you: http://mygbgvlife.com/2016/03/10/indest ... e-cat-toy/

Another: http://www.thecatnipcafe.com/rough-n-tough/

You should find something that will work for Simon.

Thanks for the links - Simon and I will do some online shopping :)

Let us know if he can destroy any of the indestructible cat toys!!! I didn't even realize they made such things, but I guess there are other kitties like Simon! Hope he picks out something fun.

cat lesson.jpg

_________________
In Ancient Egypt, cats were considered Gods... Cats have not forgotten this.