Not really sure what's going on at NCP newbury. There are now three bengals there out of fifteen cats. New bengal called Leo (full or cross? picture not clear) Izzy is still there and Rory is reserved so hopefully he will go soon. Such a high percentage of the cats are beautiful bengals! Leo has the most stunning face but could not see his body properly in the picture. Feel so sad that this is happening. Do you think breeders should make people go on a Bengal 101 crash course before owning them? Or even just give potential owners an IQ test and only let people with at least half a brain have a bengal! It must be owners getting these kittens and not understanding how to bring them up to be a happy, well adjusted cats. Is it people messing these cats up so they develop behavioural issues that equals rehoming for whatever reason in the future? Sorry everyone - Rant over !

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Melissa

UK
Oscar - Rescue (Rascal!!!) Bengal

Melissa, I think it's just the luck of the draw. Life happens to people. I just hope these kitties all find wonderful homes. Perhaps some already had cats and a bengal just didn't work into their lives. As I've said before, a bengal takes a lot more time, effort and patience than your regular kitty. I have owned cats 55 years and they were a piece of cake compared to Raiden. They never demanded the attention Raiden demands. I've learned so much about Bengals in the last 30 months. People don't have to have a high IQ to adopt a bengal. They just need to be aware that a bengal is going to take up a lot of their time.

I thought it was strange too that Newbury appear to have so many Bengals recently. It does make you wonder whether owners are researching the breed before they go ahead.

I spent almost a year trying to decide which cat to get and although I already knew a bit about Bengals (I often research and look at different breeds of cat) I thoroughly immersed myself in everything Bengal before we went ahead.

I think some people just see a strange looking creature and fancy having something different without realising what they are letting themselves in for!

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Oscar and Jasper (or one ear and two ears as dh calls them) black rescue mogges

RIP my sweet baby Dexter, Snow Bengal 19/5/14 to 5/3/15 and my lovely dear old friend Muskey, Brown Burmese put to rest aged 15 on 14/11/15.

Debbie

So sad...
We have a family here in Portsmouth who adopted a Bengal from Essex Cat Rescue, and has no idea at all of the issues they can have / cause. They have nil experience or knowledge of the breed....

The cat is a queen, @3 yrs, and has begun to hunt down other cats and attack them. The neighbours cat is in a permanent state of terror, as she has managed to get in and attacked it in its own home multiple times, resulting in vet bills. The poor cat is now locked in, windows all shut to prevent access, so she now sits on the window-sill growling and staring at it!

I am trying to help my colleague with advice, but I am going to sort out visiting ASAP to see first hand the issues, and see if there is room for an enclosed run, as this queen is a danger to all other animals by all accounts! Initial advice is to keep her indoors, but they seem to not want to do this...?!? It can be difficult, but better that than she ends up being PTS for attacking

I imagine the previous owners (several of them, apparently) passed her on because they couldn't cope, and failed to warn of her nature, but hopefully she can be brought back to being a sociable cat.

Depending on where the breeder kept the queen -- possibly in a run separated from the household -- it could simply mean the girl wasn't socialized properly and was strictly used to produce litters. This is a sad situation. She may be aggressive because she feels she has to when it comes to another cat. An outdoor cat run would be perfect in this situation. It's important to keep your cat safe. Perhaps this girl could be taken out on a lead. It sounds as if she is used to be outdoors and is miserable being inside. My Raiden was an outdoor cat for 6 years, but constantly got into fights that resulted in infections and vet visits. When I took him from his owner, I tried to make him an indoor cat, but he was having none of that. We now take two walks a day and he has a very large outdoor enclosure. It has made a huge difference -- but it took a very long time for it to happen. I hope these owners have patience and faith ... it can work.

I think that the external beauty of bengals sometimes attracts new owners who want something pretty to look at and don't care about/research the cat underneath the coat. When they've bought a slightly prettier cat than the Jones's they suddenly find out that the cat is going to be a lot of work an requires good and consistent training, it suddenly becomes the cat's fault and they get it rehomed.

I knowt that the Blue Cross in the UK, when they have bengals to rehome, quiz anyone who calls up and tells them they will have to prove that they are experienced cat owners with a lot of outdoor space and a low number of cats in the neighbourhood in order to get their cats into the right sort of home where they will be properly cared for.

Owning a bengal cat sounds so intriguing. Wild blood, exotic looking, spots. I mean, they are spectacular looking cats. But they come with their own set of issues. Highly energetic, highly vocal, very social! I've had cats for 55 years and they all pretty much found a spot in the corner and slept 20 hours a day. They were very little work and took up very little of my time. Oh boy ... not Raiden! I have to deal with him constantly during the day. The only time I get peace is when he takes one of his three short naps a day. If I were not so committed to him, I probably would have given him back to his owner! I had no idea what I was in for. Yes, the good times outweigh the bad, but I'm getting older by the day and don't have the stamina or patience that I might have had in my younger days.

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Oscar and Jasper (or one ear and two ears as dh calls them) black rescue mogges

RIP my sweet baby Dexter, Snow Bengal 19/5/14 to 5/3/15 and my lovely dear old friend Muskey, Brown Burmese put to rest aged 15 on 14/11/15.

Debbie

Then someone needs to train these people better to give them a good understanding of the bengal breed.