Hello I am a soon to be owner of a beautiful silver Bengal kitten. I have always been a cat lover and i have had cats all of my life. I am interested in being a hobby breeder but i have lots to learn so it wont be happening until i have learned all that i can. I would like to thank you for allowing me to begin my journey right here. What do i need to know about this beautiful breed? TIA

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your upcoming arrival. What do you need to know about a bengal? You first need to toss out everything you know about cats because a bengal is completely different. You can read up on bengals on the internet -- there are videos to watch and this forum has a lot of great information, too. Bengals are highly energetic (cat trees, climbing shelves, wand toys are a must). They are highly vocal. They will cry for no reason other then to hear themselves meow. They are demanding. They bond closely with their owners, are very social and want to be with you. Mine demands his play time, his daily walks, change my food because I don't like what's left in the bowl. Bengals are challenging and you need to be fully prepared to deal with their craziness. They will get into everything. You must bengal proof your home just as you would for a child. I equate a bengal with a two-year old fodder that will NEVER grow up. My bengal is 9 years old -- still acts like a kitten. Many bengals do not like to be picked up and held and are not lap cats. A bengal will follow you from room to room. Mine usually ends up sleeping in the same room I'm in. If I get up and move, he gets up and moves with me.

Bengals will amuse you with their antics, show you love and affection, and become a real companion. Breeding is a totally different thing and there is a section in this forum on breeding that you might want to read up on.

When all is said and done, the bengal cat is an amazing breed. We here have bengals or had bengals. We love answering questions and seeing pictures of everyones' babies.

Thank you for taking the time to welcome me and for giving me some fantastic tips. I am a foster carer i have a busy home, I also have a beautiful little cock- a- poo and I did until 2 weeks ago have a gorgeous little female moggy. Unfortunately i found her on the laundry room floor and she had died. The vet thinks that she had a heart attack even though she was only 3 years old. To say I was completely devastated is an understatement. she was a fantastic companion she was a very happy little cat and loved curling up on my lap for a snooze. My poor dog Freddie is so sad he didn't really eat much in the first few days after she died and he misses her terribly. They were incredibly close and would often hang out and play together. My house does not feel like a home without a cat and i have been doing a lot of research about the Bengal cats and I think that it will fit in here just right. I work really hard and I don't have much time for me so I really want to learn all I can about these cats and really get to know her and learn from her. I need an escape I need to do something for me and I can't think of a better time to begin a new hobby. I am really enjoying reading people's posts and I feel like I have learnt a great deal already. I suppose the real learning will be when our little girl joins our family {3 weeks and 4 days} not that i am counting or anything. I am preparing a list of all of the things I will need and I have already begun to Bengal proof my home. One question I have read a lot of posts where people have several litter boxes is this just because you have several cats or will I need one on each floor? Thanks again I will keep you posted when she arrives.

First of all, I am so sorry to hear your lost a kitty! It is devastating. She was so young, but sometimes things happen.

The number of litter box one needs depends on the number of cats and the layout of your home. If you have a multi-level home, you really need a litter box on each level. If you have more than one cat, you need one for each cat, plus one. I have two for my one bengal, but one is out in his enclosure.

I know your new little one will add much to your life. Bengals are amazing and gorgeous!!! Hope you will post some pictures for us at some point.

Thanks Sherry I appreciate the help and advice it is really great to be able to get all of the things I need now so that I can concentrate on here when she arrives. I will post a picture of my new family member as soon as I get my grubby hands on her. I have never been very good at waiting for anything and this feels like torture!!!!! Joining the group has already helped me start to understand a little bit about what to expect and it has really helped me to focus on something nice,after my little kitty died.

Counting down the days until the arrival is fun. For me, time just flies! So the three weeks and 2 days would be here before I knew it. Sometimes when you're waiting for something, the time drags (I remember in school counting down until Christmas break or the end of the school year and it seems as if it would NEVER arrive). You can take this time to just google bengals on the web and read up -- especially on this forum. You can shop for all the things you will be needing and all the things you wish you could get for your baby! Have you picked out a cat tree? There are so many to choose from and what you buy will be determined by your budget, the room you have for the tree, and what you want on the tree (lots of platforms, house, hammock, etc.) And know that you can have more than one cat tree. Mine has three!

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The little monsters 3

Cat wheels can take up space. The one Raiden has is in front of the fireplace that we never use. He will jump on the wheel daily at different times, but always on his own. And Raiden definitely shows his displeasure by growling at me. He definitely lets me know when he is unhappy. Bengals have many different cries and you need to just learn what each one means.

Thanks Sherry I love hearing about your lovely cats. I have invested in quite a few toys now and also a tree and my husband has been busy making our garden fence safe and so she cant escape, i hope. We have a lovely little dog who is missing our kitty so much and he has access to and from the house into the garden through a cat/dog flap. I really hope that she will be able to enjoy our garden and come in and out as she pleases but I don't want her to be able to escape over the fence. We have watched a few DIY ideas on Youtube to stop cats climbing the fences and my hubby has hopefully come up with a low cost way to keep her in. That is yet to be tested but fingers crossed it will work, I didn't want her to be an indoor cat completely and I know that with all the comings and goings in my house someone is bound to leave the back door open or a window! 20 more days still to wait until I get to meet my little girl I can't wait

Cat-proofing a fence is not easy! Even the Purrfect Fence has had a couple of escapees! The only way is to completely enclose an area that has wiring on the top as well. Cats are great climbers and bengals are extremely intelligent and can figure things out -- and they will keep trying until they do! You really do not want your kitty getting out into the open world. And, know, too, that you do not want to send her out immediately after you get her. She needs several weeks to settle in with your family and lose the stress and gain the confidence. Many bengals are perfectly fine inside. Many won't run through an open door. But, many will, so I would have your kitty microchipped to be on the safe side.

Initially, make sure her outdoor time is supervised so you know how she will react to the outside world and that fence. I'm sure as little as she will be, there will be no climbing -- but .... watch out. Bengals are nifty and nimble creatures. If she wants over the fence bad enough, she will find a way eventually.

Post a picture or two so we an see what you are doing and I'll be happy to let you know whether I think it's cat proof enough! Just add the picture below your reply where it says "upload attachment".

Sherry can I just thank you again for giving fantastic advice and for taking the time to write replies to me. I will take some pictures tomorrow when it's light enough and see what you think and if we are on the right track. I will be getting her micro chipped as I think that it is inevitable that she may get out at some point. I will take on board the advice and I will look at getting an outside enclosure built if it will make her feel more secure. I was worried because my dog has a door so that he can come and go as he pleases so I thought that I would need to make the garden safe. Also I want to be able to have some windows open during the summer months and I don't know how I can keep her inside.

I'm guessing you don't live the the USA where we have screens on our windows to keep the bugs out and the animals in. Most people when they get a kitten purchase bowls for food and water, toys and that's about it. For bengals, we go overboard. Mainly because they are a different breed. The money we spend to keep them happy tends to be quite a bit. A cat enclosure can alleviate a lot of stress on you. Dog doors are fine for cats, too. But if you have something that your kitty can access any time, it may be perfectly content with it. We built ours on an existing deck, put translucent panels for a roof so it does not get wet unless the rain is coming sideways. Raiden goes out through the cat door. Raiden loves it out there.

Sherry what a beautiful boy you have there, he has got such beautiful markings! We do live in England but we have spent quite a long time in the States due to my husbands work commitments. We lived in Washington DC for 3 years and had our 3rd son while we were there (quite a cool souvenir). We then had 3 and a half years in Connecticut which was wonderful, So we I do understand about the screens on your doors and windows. My two friends who lived in the same neighborhood both have indoor moggies as their homes back onto woodland and they have occasionally seen fisher cats and a coyote so they prefer to keep their cats safe indoors. I love your enclosure on your deck it looks just perfect for a cat to enjoy the fresh air and to be able to be outside exploring. As for buying lots of toys and scratching posts and trees I have made a good start I am just easing my husband in slowly as it has cost quite a bit so far and I haven't paid the balance on the kitten yet lol. I value your expertise you are obviously very experienced with this breed of cat and I want to do the best I can to make my little girl happy. Thanks again, Kind regards Sarah

Sarah, based on what the UK'ers tell us here, you have no natural predators -- their reasoning for allowing their bengals to roam free. You claim someone has seen a coyote! We have them here and they frequent the woods behind my house. They've never come close to my house, but people on a street farther up the hill say they have seen them in their backyards. If a cat runs into a pack, they have no chance as they circle and make the circle smaller and smaller until the cat has no escape and it's a horrible, horrible death for the cat.

I understand about the hubbies. Mine does not particularly like cats, but he adores Raiden. I've only had my bengal three years. I've had cats since 1960. I learned a lot from this forum and from reading up on bengals -- and just the experience of having Raiden. I love him to death! But he can be a real pain when he wants to be and knows how to get on my nerves, especially when he wants to go out for his walk. He is spoiled to death and it's not enough. He would prefer to be roaming outdoors which he did the first six years of his life. Too dangerous. He loves to fight but doesn't know how to win. He has a tear in his ear from one of those fights.

Bengals are happiest when they get what they want! LOL

Hello Sherry I am surprised that you are as knowledgeable as you are considering that you have only had a Bengal for three years you give some fantastic advice which I really appreciate. The Coyote was when we were living in Connecticut we certainly don't have anything like that here. There are some pretty big tom cats and the odd fox and our little girl did get into a few scrapes at times but we didn't want to keep her inside as I felt that she wanted to be outside. The Bengal is costing a good sum of money so I am reluctant to let her venture outside. We are still trying to make the garden escape proof I will send some pictures once we settle on the design. Thanks again from over the pond!