Hi, I am new here.

Well I am interested in owning a bengal cat but I would like it to be a kitten. I have looked at many pictures of bengal cats and they are just the most beautiful domestic cats I have ever seen. I like big cats, but obviously their temperament can not be tamed, bengals are the next best thing to them. I have never owned a cat before, does anyone have any tips for owning a bengal for a person who has not owned a cat before.

I wasn't a cat lover until I discovered Bengals!
They very best thing you can do is take your time and read/research all you possibly can. This forum is full of really useful information and so are all the websites of members here and non-members alike. Read read read...that's what I did!
Also visit as many breeders as you possibly can. Meet the cats in person. A breeder who raises their cats at home is the best place to meet the Bengals, as you'll see them in a home environment.

If you don't find the info you need feel free to ask! Good luck and welcome to Bengal madness!!

Like Hobbit, I wasn't a cat person either....before I discovered Bengals, and now I am an addict!

Hmm, general advice - Bengals are addictive - one is never enough!

Seriously though, they are very intelligent and vary between being extremely lively (or is that insane?!) to snoring away in a warm spot for hours on end. It's probably not ideal to have a single Bengal if you're out at work all day, because a bored Bengal is a mischievous creature indeed!

They are very dog-like and some play fetch happily for hours. They are a lot more devoted and affectionate to their owners than many cats and will wait by the door for you to come home at night or follow you around the house just in case they're missing something interesting...

Most love water (although my two aren't that bothered) and generally they like to be as high as possible so I often find mine peering down at me from the top of a wardrobe, or else they will climb up on my hubby's shoulder to have a better view.

They make very strange noises - not at all cat-like, especially if they spot a bird outside or there's a fly on the window.

I wouldn't be without my two, they are fantastic company (even though one of them had gone into a kitchen drawer this morning and had mistaken a lightbulb for a bouncing ball ) - so go for it!

Best of luck

Teresa

Thanks for the advice so far, I wasn't much a cat lover until I saw the Bengal cat theres something about Bengals that make you love cats! I will do as much research, before buying one of these beautiful cats. I am a student so I will be away from my house most parts of the day. So two of them would be ideal? Because at the moment I think I could only look after one at a time.

But I can see what you mean, about one bengal is not enough! I like that they are very outgoing cats and like to follow where you go all the time. Do they like being held most of the time?

What must I look out for when finding the right kitten for me? Are they still really small and cute by 13 weeks old?

I think the simple answer is that they're all different but if they're already content to sleep on your knee, then they're obviously settling in OK. I got mine when they were 16 weeks old and actually started to feel a bit left out because they seemed to get all the fuss and reassurance they needed from each other. It was several weeks before they regularly came and demanded attention, and even longer before they jumped on my knee for cuddles. Just give them lots of fuss when you can and talk to them a lot but don't force physical contact on them. Nowadays, mine will sit on my knee and they do demand to be stroked but Dolly still doesn't like to be picked up and cuddled, whereas Daisy does (provided she's on her back and having her tummy tickled).

In terms of playing with toys, try playing with wand-type toys - I usually find the instinct to chase something wriggly is too strong for them to ignore and if you're on the end of the wand, they'll start to associate you with playtime.

Let us know how you get on - you'll have a wonderful time seeing how they develop.

Once your babies come out of their shells, they won't leave you alone believe me! And don't forget catnip...lots of it too!

And welcome here!

_________________
Best Wishes,
Maddy

It took a little time for my guy to warm up to me after I first got him.

Now he is over three years old and I'm definitely his "favorite". He follows me from room to room, and constantly wants attention.

He is NOT a lap cat though. He'll lay on or beside me almost every night, but he isn't going to curl up in my lap. He doesn't like being held either, but he'll tolerate it every now and then.

What he does do is headbutt. ALL the time. He's on my desk ALL the time. Rubs against my legs, ALL the time, or he'll simply sit nearby and blink at me all day... like he's doing as I type this.

If you've never had a cat before, beware! LOL... bengals tend to be a bit more loud, and a bit more... rowdy. Having two will help because they can bounce some of that behavior off of each other.

I have three cats, and out of them, the BENGAL is the one who is super picky about his litterbox. It has to be scooped daily or he's going to go elsewhere. Ugh. It does force us to be extra clean about it though, so I guess that isn't a bad thing.

Haha, right now he's on the floor tapping my tortie girl's head trying to make her play with him. She is whining, and he is now maowing loudly because she doesn't want to play... haha... yes, he pouts all the time too.

All in all, I wouldn't trade him for the world. You're very smart for looking into this breed!

_________________
- Dawn

http://www.nutkitty.com