So I have two beautiful Bengals, Panbu and Phoebe, both are 18 months old but from separate breeders. Phoebe is an older generation Bengal and is more moggy in behaviour. Panbu is new generation and I'm starting to question whether she is actually possessed!
The main problem I have with Panbu is her nonstop need for play. She is never mentally satisfied and will play fetch for hours at a time. (I didn't teach her how to play fetch, she learnt that by bringing back the toy, I would throw it again). When she wants to play fetch, I will play with her for a good 5-10 minutes, when it's time to stop playing she would accept it. If I am sat down and I ignore her pleads to play, she climbs up on my lap and puts her paws on my chest and stares in to my eyes and meows until I throw her toy again. If I am stood up and I ignore her, she tries to trip me up by walking right next to my feet and circling me. She meows insanely, louder and louder until I throw her toy. In the past week, she has started to tie her favourite toy (mouse on dangler) around my feet until they are bounded together.
The problem is I work from home, I can't lock her out as she meows and hammers down the door with her paws. If I go to the toilet, she put her paws under the door (in true "here's Johnny" style). I can't leave a room without her following me. Even if she's napping, I have to tiptoe out the room because she wakes up and sees me she'll meow the house down.
In all seriousness, I am struggling to manage with her insatisiable appetite for play. What should I do? She has so many toys and I give her so much of my time but I think it's making her spoilt? She doesn't behave as badly when there are more people around, she loves people and when the house is full as she gets attention non-stop, so weekends when family come to visit and when my husband is home are when she seems happier but come Monday she is pretty unbearable with her demands. We have a large garden for her to play in and there's a wooded area at the back but she's not interested in going outside unless I am outside too.
I can deal with her attachment but the play thing is hard work. I absolutely adore her and she is 100% my cat and my responsibility for life, but I want her to be happy as she seems painfully bored and the more I give the more she wants. She will gladly play until she is hyperventilating and dizzy, she rarely gets tired. What can I do? I spoke to a behaviourist who said I giving in to her but if I don't give in she goes crazy and if I do she's goes crazy. Please can you advise me what can I do? I've tried a timetable of play to get her into a routine, but she wants what she wants now. Any advice would be greatly appreciate! Thanks, Lizzie
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