Got any stories to share? Then tell us about your Bengals here.

Hi ya'll, I'm new to this forum!

Until last August, I didn't even know what a bengal was - except for bengal tigers!
We had taken the kids down to an animal shelter that we visit sometimes and while there, my kids saw a little kitten and wanted it. BUt, since my youngest child is only 4 and the kitten was only about 8 weeks old, they said no. Well my daughter was looking at a young cat that was trying to play with her through the cage bars and I heard her say "Momma, this cat looks like a leopard!" Naturally, we all started looking at him and his brother, saw on the paperwork "bengal." Usually cats in shelters are mixed breeds - this one wasn't! That night we came home and I started looking on the internet about bengal cats and found another forum similar to this one. After reading about how expensive these cats are and their heritage, we decided we better go back and get that cat! The next day, Simba was adopted by our family or should say we were adopted by him! So, now we have Simba the bengal, Sam, and Sylvester. Sam and Sylvester are just 2 loveable boys that after a couple of days accepted Simba like a regular family member. Now, since I've learned so much about Simba, I can't imagine myself without him! He loves all 3 of my kids and is such a character! I'll post a picture when I learn how! That's all folks! :rolleyes:

Hi Everyone,
Im new to this forum. I got my bengal about 3 months ago. And I feel that she is just great! She is very lively, has mad runs around the house, and of course lots of chattering.... The only problem is she has made my other cat, a large ginger and white female a bit moody. I try to give them both attention, but it is not always easy. Sandy is 12 years old (in human years, in cat years they say 64!).

I cannot believe Lily's intelligence! She has tried almost from day one to open the living room door by jumping on the handle (not succeeded as yet!). She loves attention, whether I am busy or not. When Im on the phone, she will climb on my back and play with the aerial as if to say hurry up on there! She certainly keeps me busy. We have had a slight accident when she fell in the toilet whilst trying to cross over it to reach me ( she was unscathed just wet!).

We go out, Lily on a harness and leash, she has taken to it really well, almost like a puppy and gets excited when I put it on her! Lily is a bit naughty with Sandy and on occasion holds the cat flap down so Sandy cant come in! (not nice for Sandy but amusing to Lily).

Anyway, its great to find a site where I can talk to others about my girl.

I am hoping to post a piccy when I work out how to.

Cheers,

Julie

Hello,

Welcome to the forums.....

Opening doors is a Bengal speciality, ours used to do it a lot, but now they know it's "naughty" they don't do it so much

They also like to sit on our shoulders and use us as a round the house taxi

I think the others will confirm that the racing around the house never stops, ours are over a year old now and still do it regularly.....

Gavin.

Hey all! I'm new here, kinda posted a long book over in the gallery with a link to Leo's site, didn't realize this area was here to discuss him! lol But anyway, I have so many stories of our crazy boy that I'd need a whole site just for him.

Like many others keep saying, Leo just has so much energy and personality, it's almost overwhelming. He is an F3 brown marble, his sire and dam being quite the show-stoppers (we lucked out that he picked up the beautiful tri-color that his father has, but he is a cooler shade).

The first couple of months with him were almost frustrating, since he really has a very dominant personality. Things were so bad with his biting and scratching, that at one point I thought I would break down. I have scars from his claws starting from fingertips all the way down to my elbows, and puncture marks where he'd bite into the palms of my hands. He never growled, hissed, or showed "anger", so I took it this was either all in play, or he was trying to show his independece. Not sure if anyone else has ever had this problem with males? We bought him stuffed animals to chew on, and he can get so rough with them! lol He tore the belly open on one, so I had to sew it back up. God forbid you touch his animals, he jumps up and protests loudly until you drop it. Then he'll pounce, and wrap his entire body around the toy, biting and clawing to his heart's content. He has a "special" way of asking for attention, too. He'll just walk right up to you and watch you. If you don't acknowledge him, he will jump up and try to hang from your neck, or wrap his paws around your head. He did that to me a couple times, and actually sliced my lower lip pretty good.

He's definitely a chatter-box, and mumbles to himself alot. Right now he's shoving his way onto my lap while I'm typing, for his usual ear-scratching. Ok, I'm entertaining his need for attention... now he's jumped down and is intent on biting my feet and legs. LOL and he's purring all the while! I am still trying to figure out why it is he is so rough. Just now he bit my ankle really hard, and he thinks it's a game!

I came here hoping to see if I can understand Leo more, because I'm not sure if it's just his personality to be this way, or if he is trying to tell me something that I am missing? I play with him as much as possible (I work full time and go to school full time, but online, so I'm on the computer alot). And my husband plays with him quite a bit too, but somehow he just doesn't seem satisfied. Is he bored? Is that why he acts up like that? He'll be fine for 10 or 15 mins in my lap, and then all of a sudden he'll try to latch onto my hand, arm, or knee. Help! lol

Hello everyone! I'm also new here, live in Helsinki, Finland with my bengal Vilma. She's almost five months old and she's definitely stolen my heart.

I began dreaming about having a cat at the beginning of this year (as far as I can remember) and thought that some day I'd have one, but not right now. My problem was that I am allergic to cats and so I thought I could not live in a household with one. It must have been summer when I realised that I was actually seriously looking into different breeds and when I found THE breed for me - it was love at first sight! And of course I didn't think I'd have the cat this year but later in my life...and on November 10 I got to go home with a little bengal.

I reserved a boy and was prepared to wait for him until next year, but it turned out the breeder had a girl available who had the personality of a boy. And the breeder's description of her was exactly true: she's so outgoing, so talkative, so affectionate, so full of energy. She greets new people with no fear and doesn't seem to feel uneasy in new places either. And she doesn't cause allergic symptoms to me, which is a little miracle! (But note that I do not recommend allergic people to have a bengal because people and their allergies are different - I've noticed that there is no logic behind my allergy at least!)

Btw, Vilma's been a bit like Leo too. I can handle her ok, but she does get a bit too excited at times and attacks my legs and tries to climb me (even if I'm wearing just shorts and a t-shirt...). And every day when I leave home for work, she jumps onto my thigh trying to get a hold of my scarf; when I get home from work she welcomes me by coming to the door, meowing and climbing me. She is also very fond of food - especially the food I'm trying to eat. This is a bit of a problem, because she's sometimes VERY persistent and may actually do one of her magical bounces & end up on my plate...

Seems like I'm writing a novel here...anyways, great that there's a forum like this and pleasure to see there are so many bengal fans out here!

_________________
Proud mother of Vilma

I have always been into cats. I have loved cats... my mum said that she put our cat in my crib as an infant to see what would happen, she jokingly told me that if i had ended up allergic, i would have been raised with another family member. I still wonder the validity in that statement.
When I was 5 a "cheshire" cat (I called it, it was probably a Himilayn from memory) attached itself to my face by its claws, I still have the scars, tho they have moved down my face, they are still there.
I started asking for "my own" cat at around 10, I think I was 13 when I got Shasta, a grey and black tabby cat I loved that cat. He was flattened by a car. my boyfriends car.
I didn't yet get that inside was a better idea, and my mum kept getting me more cats.
For my 16th birthday I got Miko. He was just 3 weeks old, seal point siamese from a neighbor that was getting rid of the whole lot. A month later I realized he was she. She was the greatest, she stayed indoors, rode around on my shoulder, she was the best. But I hadn't learned anything about vaccinations and at 2 she got leukemia. I was devistated. I got her tattooed on my back shoulder just after i turned 18.
I found out what a bengal was when I was 17 and was fascinated, my fiancee said no way! it would eat the other cats! With what little I knew and the little access to knowledge I had at the time, he won that round.
I moved several times, this that and the other, 1/2 way across the country in a new relationship, I brought it up again, and the boyfriend I was living with said it was a money issue. Knocked down again. A few more years and I thought I was settling down with mr right and said I wanted a cat, I wanted a bengal cat, he said he was allergic. Dang! I about gave up! We did get Ruby at that time anyway. When my son was born I jokingly said to him what my mum told me and that I will tell Raven that when he grows up.
I am married for a 2nd and final time and we already have cats so I know he is not allergic. We can afford 3 cats, we can afford a bengal. I now know a lot about cats, and bengals; they wont eat the other cats. So I asked and he said yes and we are FINALLY getting my first bengal! Ziggy! I SO cant wait to meet him!
Well, that's my story!

^ That is a great story! lol It seems the more I read about others' experiences with their Bengals, the more I see how Leo isn't so onery, really, it's just his natural personality!

His wrestling "attacks" are fewer these days, but stronger, since he is getting so big. And, he's finally learned how to open doors! lol Instead of sitting and hollering at the bedroom door every morning, he now jumps up and grabs the doorhandle, and just lets himself in. He seems to be SO proud of his new accomplishment, too, that when we lock the door for that extra hour of sleep (he usually demands breakfast about 6am), then his frustration is obvious in his loud protests and repeated jumping against the door. lol

It's also funny how he picks up habits out of nowhere... things that have been around the house that he never noticed before, he's suddenly taken a fascination with. We have to be careful having flowers in vases, as he now tries to climb inside the vase to get to the water. I can no loner leave jewelry around, he'll have it scattered around the house! He likes to tip-toe through a set of glasses and a pitcher I have on one shelf, and before that he was playing "swat" with our collection of shot glasses! LOL Came home and found them scattered across the floor one day. lol He's chewed through water bottles and cans of Red Bull, so we have to store them in the garage now. He absolutely LOVES paper, too! I was cleaning the bathroom, and put a new bag of toilet paper right outside the door, stepped into the bathroom for 5 mins, and came out to my husband standing over a pile of shredded plastic and toilet paper. All 6 rolls. LOL

Now, his favorite toy is a Smirnoff party pack box...LOL We got him a mouse that chirps when you touch it (he goes nuts for that thing), and will toss it into the box... he'll crouch and then leap head first into the box after it, doing somersaults and rolls across the floor with his paws firmly wrapped around it. It is the funniest thing, I'm hoping to get some video of that soon.

LMM, where did you get that chirping mouse? I must have one!

We found this one at Publix, in the pet aisle. First one I've ever seen... next time we go, I'll be sure to get the company name so you can try to find it. (Publix is our local grocery store in Florida)

Hi everyone. I am new to this site but my mum breeds bengals and has done for a number of years now.

I adore Bengals and have lots of lovely memories. We used to have one cat 'Kizzy', she hated being picked up.

You will probably understand that bengals love to play and chase things. Well Kizzy loved flies and used to chirp at them. I decided that she needed some help catching them as they were a pain at the time. I picked her up and sat her in my hands, Kizzy was reluctant at first but then lifted her two front paws up to catch them. We used to have so much fun and she made me laugh.

Our first stud boy Striker, he was a lover of water, like most but moreso. We were going out for the day and my mum had decided to put a large pirex dish down on the floor full of water.

We went to leave the kitchen but someone had forgot something so went back in. We found Striker trying to pull the water out of the dish, he was going 100mph spilling the water allover the tiled floor, so funny. We got it on camera and have been meaning to send it to 'You've been framed' but haven't yet.

There are many stories i could tell, i will post them when i can think of more!

_________________
Kind Regards
Leanne x

_________________
Kind Regards
Leanne x