This evening I played with Bella and Jamie for about fifteen minutes and then, at 7, as I always do, went to the TV room where my husband and I watch a series of news programs every night. I decided to leave the TV room early; my husband was watching Rachel Maddow and I wanted to watch Democracy Now and he did not. So I took my laptop into the kitchen and sat listening to DN there. Bella almost immediately began doing absolutely everything to divert my attention. First she tried to knock down a framed photo that sits on one of the two kitchen window sills. I took it away and placed it in the bedroom. Next, she started to knock something else off the counter; I removed it and put it in a cabinet. Next, she started to knock down my rice cooker, which sits on the same counter. I removed it and placed it on the floor. I decided she wanted her nightly feeding, so I split a can of Weruva chicken shreds [yes, I know I need further tutorial on better feeding for both my girls] for her and Jamie, giving her, as usual, the greater portion. She scarfed that down, but then started pulling the same knocking-things-off-tables-and-counters behavior. I said a firm "No!" after each of her efforts to test gravity and my patience, and finally left the kitchen, went to our bedroom and finished watching Democracy Now there. But Bella didn't follow me into the bedroom. Jamie did -- as is usual now at night. I mean, what's going on? Is the kitchen perceived by Bella as common living space shared with me, her human mom, and the place where I must always be available to give her full attention? Does she see it as her territory? Or....? Usually I'm in the kitchen preparing food while Bella sits on the counter or the kitchen table. At breakfast she almost always sits by my left arm on the table. I give her lots of attention in said kitchen in the morning. So was my watching the news on my computer an unwonted activity Bella disliked, so different from the cheerful morning bustle that always includes her? All the toddler antics ceased when I went to the bedroom. Really strange. She now sleeps in the living room while Jamie sleeps at the foot of our bed. Is she jealous of Jamie for supplanting her in the bedroom? Is that why she's stopped sleeping at the foot of our bed? She used to sleep there. I'll now go to the living room and kiss her all over to say goodnight. Boy, it is a lot like having a 2-year-old!

Hungry? Nah, but if food is presented she'll eat it. Destructive? Undoubtedly, but that isn't the goal. Attention seeking? Absolutely. She wants to play with you, but that wasn't happening, so she still wanted to hang out with you, while making her own game with whatever she had in that room, which sounds like just a lot of things to knock off counters. Real typical bengal behavior.

Why didn't she follow you into the bedroom? Probably a combination of your scolding (which doesn't help) and the other cat seemingly having a stronger claim over that space.

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The little monsters 3

This made me laugh. You have just described the behaviour of most of the bengals on this forum! They are unbelievable attention seekers! Oscar even ramps up the meow volume if i'm on the phone. It's exactly like toddler behaviour

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Melissa

UK
Oscar - Rescue (Rascal!!!) Bengal

My Pearl is exactly the same she does masses of attention seeking, she is a very needy high maintanance girl unlike my boy he isn't so needy.

I spend alot of time playing with Pearl to tire her out otherwise she will be very disruptive she has had many pictures off walls and knocked off many things and they have been broken, she is by far the most high maintanance bengal I've had as yet.

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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, folks. As I write this after reading the morning paper, Bella is asleep on the rug in front of the kitchen sink. As if she ran around all night and is now to tired to play.

Yes: this is a steep learning curve about Bengals! Her former owner's sister said she was very needy and this is certainly proving to be so.

To Brian. "Scolding?" I simply said "No" to her in a firm voice. I didn't yell at her. Finally I locked her out of the bedroom despite Sherry's comments yesterday. Not sleeping will severely impact my health. I have experience with insomnia and do not want to revisit it. How is one to discipline a cat save by saying "No" and giving her/him a "time out?" Please tell me. I'm happy to have any suggestions.

And BTW: I already have created in my mind's eye a long metal stand that hugs the bed and obscures the mattress. This would be expensive to build but if the behavior keeps up I might be able to create it somehow. There have been turf disputes in the b.r. between the two cats. Originally Bella chased Jamie off the bed but now she seems to have given up. I have photographs from early September and late August of both cats sleeping on opposite corners of the bed. So this behavior is relatively recent.

This one had me laughing only because I have also experienced it too. Mine seemed to get more hyper the longer it went on so....I put her in time out (spare bedroom) and shut the door. I expected screaming but there wasn't any. I finished what I was doing then went and opened the door...this was about 15-20 minutes. She came out and was fine. I even went and looked through the room to see if anything was torn up and nothing was. The time out room does have a bird feeder just outside the window and that may have calmed her.

My 4 1/2 month old F1 was like that over the weekend while cleaning. I stopped and sat down to see if that would help and it did. He was tired and just needed down time before sleeping. He hasn't been in time out....yet.

Life sure is different with bengals but I love them to pieces and wouldn't have it any other way.

I may be able to line up those long, rectangular storage box lids beside my side of the bed and prop them up with something, god knows what. It's a puzzle. But thanks to the third commenter for his/her empathy.

You're right! It is a puzzle for sure and trying to figure it out is hard and it can be frustrating. They are very smart. Mine like the toys that move (battery operated) and puzzles. I rotate so they don't get bored.

I wouldn't worry about where they sleep. Mine go through phases where they sleep with me then decide to sleep in the cat tree or up in the loft. My old non-Bengal cat gets rooted out a lot so I made a little bed from pillows and blankets on the floor so she can stay in the room even if she gets run off of the bed.

Ellen, I told you having a bengal is like having a perpetual 2-year old toddler. Mine is horrendous at throwing things off tables to get my attention. He did it this morning! It's nothing but an attention-getting thing. I've had other cats throughout the years that did the same thing. Telling Bella "No" is not going to change this behavior. You simply need to keep things off tables that you don't want to end up on the floor. Raiden is particularly good at knowing the treat container off the table and one day had them splattered all over the floor and he was truly having the time of his life trying to eat as many of them as he could as we were scooping them back up.

Living with a bengal is a true adventure! Get use to it. LOL

All my cups have lids on them now because of the knocking over thing. Had to learn not to react when they have their moments. Knowing it was attention seeking I knew if I reacted they would get the attention they were seeking and get worse. When they start I go to the floor and play with their toys. They can't stand it and end up playing instead of messing with things they aren't supposed to. You have to think like a 2 year old LOL.

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The little monsters 3

Got it. But at 4 in the morning it's kind of tough to devise a "yes." I used to be able to go without much sleep. No more. But of course I understand what you are saying; excellent point.

Got it. But at 4 in the morning it's kind of tough to devise a "yes." I used to be able to go without much sleep. No more. But of course I understand what you are saying.