Hi all! I am new here and I need some help in making a decision. I wanted to buy a new male kitten (active) to introduce him to my lovely girl, she's a 1y 6m old Bengal rosetted brown Bengal and she's playful and very active, there are 2 reasons why I wanted to do so, 1st is cause I wanted her to have a friend and 2nd is cause I'd like to breed her later.

I have found the kitten I was looking for and I am ready to buy it but I started being worried about my girl, I have fear she will feel excluded and/or not loved like she used to be with the introduction of a kitten, obviously not cause I will care less but just cause maybe she will feel that way.... I am new to all of this and I want to make the right decision for her, could you please share your idea? is it right or not? can it be good having company this way?

thanks

Welcome to our forum. If you're new to introducing two bengals, how are you planning to breed them later? Your female and stud must have been registered with breeding rights. If so, then you should have registration papers which would allow you to register a litter and then register each individual kitten. I understand everyone has to start somewhere, but most new breeders will work with a mentor breeder to learn the ropes.

If you insist on getting a male cat, there is a proper way to introduce them, which is put the male in a safe room with food, water, beds, litter box. Start swapping the scents (rubbing towels over each one and put the other's scent in with the other cat. When putting them together, make sure to supervise them. Try feeding them in the same general area. Try playing with each of them together in the same room.

Know that intact females and males do mark for territory, especially a male. Most breeders keep their studs in an outdoor enclosure to save their furniture and walls. There is no guarantee that your female and a male will get along--EVER. You'll need lots of patience and hope for the best. So many owners think their bengal needs a companion and get another cat and things don't go well. My bengal has been an only child for 10 years!

Hi Sherry, thanks for your response!

so my girl is obviously registered as Active on the TICA active register and the boy I'd like to take with us is registered as well as Active on the TICA active register so yes :) I am also registered as cattery and I do have a "mentor" :)

the only concern was for my lovely girl if she could feel like less loved or something like that, I read about all you described and I know how to do that but I'm still scared...

feel free to share our ideas guys and thanks

I know breeders who treat their females like members of the family and give them all the love they can, pregnant or not. It's easy to fall in love with kitties -- and there should be no reason why both of yours could not feel loved. I'm sure you will give them endless attention, no matter what.

You right!!! I will and can't wait, I'll get the boy on the 30th!!!

The bigger risk is actually that they will bond strongly with each other and you will be the one feeling left out!

However, one note of caution, if the boy is not fixed and you are thinking of breeding, proceed very cautiously with introductions. Unaltered boys can be very aggressive towards females, even as kittens.

Not fixed = not neutered

Probably your breeding mentor would be the best person to ask this to (unless Ontariobengals is reading this... in that case listen to her).

I'm not a breeder, and never will be, but after years of hearing breeders here discuss this stuff, the overwhelming impression that I've been left with is that you're kind of at a fork in the road right now. On one fork has two neutered cats who will be potentially great companions for you and each other but can (obviously) never be bred, and the other fork is the joys of breeding lots of beautiful kittens, appreciative customers, cat shows and all that, but also having two high strung cats who spray all over the place, need to be kept mostly separated, and have more important needs to be met than to want to bother with you for the most part. I'm doubtful that you can have it both ways.

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The little monsters 3

Hi there! Thanks for your response, if I'm not mistaken you saying that I can't have both in the same house if they are active? Why is that? I went through lots and lots of guide and recommendations even asked to my breeder and yes it's hard but they can be happy together if following the "guidelines"

My girl is active and we live together since she she was 12 weeks old, never had s problem she doesn't spray anything, the boy I heard he could spray around but I'll take all the precautions to try to avoid that.

When you say mostly separated you meanwhile on heat?

Thx

Most breeders do not mix a male and female until the female shows signs of being in heat. An unfettered stud will pretty much ruin your home with spraying. The testosterone will make them crazy, especially as a female goes into heat. Most put the two together and observe their mating and then they are separated again. If you want these two to be friends, then they will need to be fixed. I don't know if you are planning to breed as a business, thus these two having multiple litters, but it's not as simple as breeding them, having the kittens, finding homes and getting rid of the litter. I don't think that member who posted that the five kittens from the litter were found dead after several days -- the owner knew the cat was pregnant but obviously didn't observe the cat as she had the kittens and the owner didn't know it until she found the kittens dead.

Only thing I know is I'll do my best to make sure they'll be healthy and happy, that'll be my first priority. Said that thanks for the suggestions.