Hey all,

I'm a 24 year old in Pennsylvania who is looking into getting a bengal. I currently work 8 hours a day (and no more), and have a 2 bedroom apartment for one person that would be very spacious. I have not had cats before, but had a childhood dog I helped train (golden retriever), and have helped to train my mom's current dog (cavalier king charles spaniel) with agility and behavior. I know that dogs are incomporable to cats, especially bengals, but I have worked with two very needy dogs and they loved me and weren't destructive. My apprehension is that 8 hours a day may be too long to leave such an intelligent and potentially deviant breed alone. I am a morning person and would be able to spend about 2 hours before work with my bengal each day. I want a bengal so bad but only if I can provide it the right environment and care. I will be heartbroken if the answer is no, but I definitely want an honest opinion above all else. Thanks in advance, this forum is a great resource!

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The little monsters 3

Key point there is a single bengal! I think that in your situation I would get two from the same litter. They will play with each other sleep together while you are gone. Things to keep in mind is if you are gone make sure you play with them and spend time with them when you can, as much time as possible, and another thing is that they will probably bond more together than with you, but that is not to say they wont like you or give you affection it would jst probably be less then if it was just one kitten and you were home more! It sounds like you have enough room for two just make sure you get a tall cat tree and PLENTY of toys and other things to keep them stimulated while you are away, a bored Bengal=destruction!

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this is about what I expected. A wild cat like a bengal is probably a handful for a first cat. And if I could afford the cost of buying and maintaining two bengals I would. I could undoubtedly cover one, but two would be a stretch and I would hate to live outside of my means and have to give one up or not be able to provide for it. Any recommendations on a good somewhat exotic pure bred for a starter? I quite like siamese, but fear they will be just as needy.

Hi there. If a bengal really isny for you i can recommend an egyptian mau. They are incredibly affectionate loving and playful though they do like some alone time (learned from experience) which would be ideal for you in your situation. All breeds are different as is each cat. An egyptian mau is my suggestion. And i know this breed well through years of experience

While i am a novice with the bengal breed and have only had my bengal for a week, i have had cats my entire life which have been used to living in a household where everyone has been out of the house pretty much 8-5. Not just moggies either, but burmese & siamese as well. The burmese i wouldn't really compare as they are pretty chilled out in comparison to a bengal but i would say our siamese (Neo) is pretty similar.

I think since Neo has always been used to the fact that we are out during the day, she has adapted to that way of life. She's getting older now (nearly 11!) so she has slowed down a bit but even when she was very little, so long as we rotated toys for her in the day and played with her alot when we were home, she was and still is a very happy cat.

We currently only have one bengal boy who is at home while we are at work, like i said he is very young so we have yet to see how its going to work out (i.e. whether we will need to get another cat to keep him company)but currently we have a little toy rotation going on so he doesn't get bored with the things he can play with during the day, we will be hiding treats around the house once he is a little older, he gets at least an hour of play and attention before work in the morning and once we get home at about 5-5.30 he gets all the attention he wants up until bed time.

My sister also has a bengal / siamese cross (what a combination :S) who is now nearly 2. My sister and her husband are also out all day but use similar tactics as the ones we are putting in place and he is also more than happy.

If you are willing to put in the time and make a large effort to supply him with a variety of activities during the day, i do think you could have a happy bengal. However, if you have any doubts of whether you will be able to provide your new furball with this amount of attention, then maybe keep your cat plans on hold and save for a little longer until you can have two

i do know loads of people with 1 bengal who are out at work all day and they have incredibly strong bonds with their cat, it can work, as long as you are willing to spend time playing with your cat when you are home it shouldnt be a problem, kittens adapt easily... if it didnt work and your bengal was lonely, you could always add a moggy kitten at a later date or a rescue so you wouldnt have to spend out on another bengal, there is no reason why you would have to have 2 bengals.... xx

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Miki & My Beloved Bengals http://mybelovedbengals.blogspot.com/

Shiloh, Darcy, Rudy The Roodster & Ozzy...

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Lollo

I have a 6 month girl that ive had for 3 months and shes amazing. I work full-time and I spend time with her in the mornings and evenings, and her temperament is very loving and caring, and she displays no negative behavioural problems at all. The key thing is you have to spend time with them daily, you have to. If i come home late one night, shes VERY energetic when i get home and i have to play with her for a good couple of hours to calm her down. Having a single bengal can definitely work, you just MUST be prepared to put the hours in.

Saying that, I've just bought home a little boy as a companion for her! Shes my first bengal and ive fallen in love with the breed and thought it would be fun having another one running round Good luck to you!

maybe there is hope! my family isn't the type to be frustrated with animals. both of our dogs have acted crazy/been complete mama's girls, but were great, well trained dogs. it isn't that i am concerned about the money im spending, but honestly, the quality of life for the bengal itself. I have a good friend who is a vet and another family friend who trains dogs and has cats herself. I think I will talk to them before contacting a breeder, and see if things seem right. Bengals seem so beautifully and unique, and I really really hope that a bengal is right for me, but will be understanding (albeit sad) if not. Again, I can't tell you guys how great of a forum you have going. If all goes well, I'm going to look for one in the next month or so, and would love to be active on here!

You are more than welcome on here even without a Bengal I would actually strongly suggest that you seek advice for looking for a healthy kitten and a good breeder! I really think you can make this work , if you are dedicated to your cat and give it plenty of time with you in the mornings and when you return home! I find that when I am out BB sleeps most of time so I return to a wired Bengal! Nothing that about an hour, if that, of playing with her wouldnt take care of! You can make it work with one but I will advise that Bengals are quite addictive more than likely you will end up with more than one

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Whether you have a bengal or not, feel free to post away on this forum! That's what i did before i got my boy and got an amazing amount of helpful advice which really helped me decide whether i could provide a bengal with a happy home and also with the whole selection process.

Would highly recommend reading through posts on this forum for more info on the breed as well

Also, it definitely won't hurt to contact some breeders around your area just to have a chat about bengals. They will then also be able to give you a good idea of what you would be letting yourself in for! You may also just be able to visit breeders to get a first hand experience of bengals before making any decisions.

and as an update, our boy has been completely fine since my partner and i went back to full time work after getting him. I came home early one day and just found him crashed out on our bed so i'm pretty sure they adjust fairly quickly to whatever lifestyle you have, so long as you give them plenty of playtime and attention when you are home

Glad to hear the new guy is getting acclimated well. Thanks again guys, having my first pet on my own is daunting and I'm really trying to make sure its ideal for me and the cat, you guys are making me way leads stressed and more plain excited!

A Bengal is surely something to be excited over! I think you will be good!Start researching breeders in your area and keep us posted on how things are going! I am sure you will be a god match for a Bengal you really care about what will be best or you wouldnt have come to a Bengal forum for advice if you didnt have the best interest in mind for your new baby! Let us know how things go and make sure you find a good breeder if you have thoughts or concerns over ANYTHING post it and I am sure everyone will be more than willing to help you along the way to the Bengal world!

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