Hello all,

New to posting on the forums, but have been reading the different topics on here. I have a silver bengal kitten female (4month) at the moment and we are about to get a brown bengal kitten (male) (10-11 weeks). Our silver bengal, Luna, ia everything that we wanted, she is sweet, not too mischievious, love cuddles as much as she loves playtime. We are a little apprehensive that getting a second kitten will upset the balance of things. Has anyone ever added a second bengal kitten to the mix and the situation got worse? Because typically everyone says they are awesome in pairs.

The breeder describes him as the alpha male, likes playing more than cuddling at the moment. Just interested in hearing people's perspectives. Thanks!

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your babies!! The first thing is, YOU'VE GOT TO BE POSITIVE about the two of them getting along. Both are young kittens -- that will help enormously as they will want to be playmates. I don't think there is a negative here. Even though the new one is a male, he is the new kid on the block. The most difficult part will be getting him settled into your household. I don't know how long it took your first baby, but adding a second one makes it a little harder as you may have to keep them separated for a couple of weeks and do a slow introduction. Swap out scents, etc. We have had members here who put the kittens together and things went smoothly from the start. Know that each cat has its own personality and it can take time for the new one to feel safe in his new environment. You will need patience and give this time. Know that the first few weeks can be hectic and stressful for you and the kitties, but things will settle down after a while and they should be the best of friends. Always supervise the kittens when they are together until you are certain they are not aggressive toward each other. Bengals will play rough, but you can tell the difference once a cat screams out in pain.

Hang in there ... good luck ... and we are here if you need us.

In the 5+ years that I've been here on this forum, I can't recall a single instance where two bengal kittens of that age didn't get along by, let's say week 2 or 3 at the most. Two gotchas though:

1. Sometimes owners feel a little left out in that if they get along REAL well (like you'd hope they do), they no longer have that all-consuming need to cuddle and be with the owner all the time anymore, because they have a new BFF.

2. Although they tend to be "thick as thieves" as kittens, things definitely change when they reach adulthood and sometimes that is when problems can start depending on their personalities. Most of the time though, they are at least willing roommates (with occasional squabbles) after that. But I'd be lying if I said that it is guaranteed bliss into and throughout adulthood, even for kittens that were BFF's. That's when you as a cat parent have to use your problem solving skills and keep the peace sometimes.

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The little monsters 3

I added a second (Pearl a female) When Magic (male) was 4 years old and they got on straight away I didn't even separate them, they met on the first day I brought Pearl home, it was by accident but worked out fine.

I've had a few spats and a bit of bullying but that has sorted itself out.

Yours being much younger shouldn't have a problem.

I have found Magic is not as loving towards me since Pearl came along, on the other hand Pearl wants all the fuss and love that we can give her.

At this very moment they are playing hide and seek under my duvet, I can hear them bumping around upstairs.

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Clare
Magic (brown spotted boy born 31 March 2012)
Pearl (seal Lynx Point girl born 1 October 2015)
Bristol, UK

Thanks for the encouragement everyone!

We brought the second kitten home today. There is a bit of growling and hissing, but there were also moments where they seemed somewhat at peace with each other. I'd say thats pretty good for a first encounter!

We would like to keep a saferoom for the new kitten, unfortunately we are in a 2bed/1 bath and my housemate occupies the second bedroom. The bathroom doesnt seem quite large enough for the kitten so they are sharing living space and my bedroom.

Luckily my girlfriend and I work different shifts so there is always someone to supervise. We are hoping they become best buds soon and hopefully there will be some photo ops for us to post soon.

Have to say I was/still am nervous about adding a second one to the mix. Hoping it all works out.

Thanks again everyone.

Hang in there and BE PATIENT! The kitties will work things out. Hissing and growling is normal. Just make sure things do not escalate into a full blown fight. The two of them have to get used to each other's smells. Give it time. In a couple of weeks, there should be a HUGE change. Engage the two of them in play together. Feed them in the same general area. They will get used to each other as they are still kittens. They may make you feel left out of the mix when they bond closely. Hopefully, you have a nice tall cat tree for them to lounge and sleep in. We want pictures of them together.

Just a little update. Its been a few days. They've been mostly okay, some fighting and alot of hissing and growling initially. Then last night, we came into the bedroom, and they had curled up together to sleep. This was the moment we had been waiting for. Theres no longer any hissing or growling, and weve seen them grooming each other as well.

Only thing is the rough play. Ive heard that bengals can be pretty rough with the play. Unsure sometimes whether to separate them during these moments or let them have at it. The older female bengal likes to mount the younger one and seems to just sink her teeth into him. Sometimes hell squirm and fight back, other times he just seems defeated and lays there. We usually break it up if we hear a painful sounding squeak, but otherwise we just let them do their thing.

Anyway to know for sure that they arent hurting each other?

Nice!! I've never heard two bengals being called "pretty rough" though

IMO two cats that small can't really hurt one another under normal circumstances. When they get a little older it will be different :/ But in general, I think the only way to tell for sure, is to observe how they are *after* you've broken it up, or they split apart on their own. If one is cowering or scared or just wanting to get away and hide... then you know it went too far. If the one getting the worst of it bounces right back to play, then you know you probably could have just let them continue playing roughly. You get de-sensitized to it after a while. When one bengal puts the other in a headlock, and drops him on his head, you eventually will be like "nice move!"

Another way to tell is to watch what they are doing with their back legs. The back legs are the ones that can really hurt another cat. When they are just playing you'll see em do all kinds of stuff with front paws, and mouth and all that, but if they are starting to really go at it with back legs then you know it's out of hand.

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The little monsters 3

Hearing noises during fighting would concern me because when my 2 play fight it is always done without any sound. Hissing or any audible signs of pain ( that don't cause the other cat to stop playing ) indicate it might be going too far.

Good signs to look for - cleaning each other during play, they'll be in the middle of biting each other's ears off or disembowelling each other and stop, clean each other and then start again. Also the same but stopping to offer their bum up to the other cat for a sniff ( in cat language saying "look, it really is me" ) and then continuing on rolling around the floor.

I told you to give it a few days -- and you caught them sleeping together! That's success!!! Bengals are known for rough play, however .... one will usually yell out in pain if they get injured -- however, do not let it get to that point. While they love playing with each other, humans need to be playing with them individually as well. Teeth should not be bared when they are playing together. Infections can occur if the teeth break the skin of the other cat. I'd err on the side on caution and separate them when you feel it's getting too rough -- just as you would with children. They fight -- but you don't allow them to bite each other or slug it out with fists. One bengal brings quite the adventure -- with two, it's 10 fold. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

I brought home a kitten Bengal when my older Bengal cat was four years old.

At first, Jezebel, the older Bengal, hissed, spat and growled at the kitten. The poor kitten, Zelda, had no idea what she had done to offend Jezebel. Poor Zelda!

But after two-three days, Jezebel decided Zelda was okay, and Zelda chased Jezebel, and Jezebel chased Zelda! They wrestled! They wrangled! They slept near each other on the bed!

Occasionally, Zelda has too much energy for Jezebel, and Jezebel will meow loudly but that is about the extent of their disputes these days.

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Cat Friend