My tips to new Bengal owners are the same things that were suggested to us before we brought the boys home.
1. Don't have the Bengal as an only cat, if possible.
2. Either remove what you value or stick them down with a good portion of a product such as Quake Wax--if not in CA, you can buy it online. Its a "good thing". Even with the Quake Wax, though, the boys have broken a very valuable Native American statue we had as part of a collection. It was very heavy and stuck down but, somehow, it got knocked off by one of the cats rubbing against it, hit the ground and shattered.
One of the boys tried to bite off the point of the arrow on another of the statues, but we finally got him to stop doing that.
3. If you have anything like drapes or curtains hanging down, they will climb them. Claws have a way of doing great damage to hanging objects, plants, artificial plant decorations. Be sure that you check to make sure that any houseplants you have are 1) protected from digging cats and 2) are not toxic plants. If they feel that they can eat it, they will, for sure.
4. Buy or make several scratching posts of different materials--carpet, sisal rope and cardboard and have both vertical and horizontal ones. Make sure that you get the vertical floor models that are at least 5' tall----the kittens grow out of the smaller ones very quickly. The cat has to be able to stretch as they scratch or they will find something else to stretch and scratch on (oops, not good). Same thing goes for climbing posts-different kinds--tall one is important--several rooms.
5. Don't buy toys thinking that they will last very long. We have found that we should have an open account with all of the pet stores, but we don't. We keep trying to find things they can't obliterate in a short time, but everything soon goes to that "cat store in the sky" escept sisal mice--which they don't play with because they can't rip them up! lol Cats love large baskets and empty boxes of any type. Get a nice, warm comfy round or oval cat bed. They are better priced at the shows. Oh, btw, go to the cat shows and look at lots of cats. Talk with the owners/breeders. They won't bite and most are willing to converse unless they are very busy. It is eye-opening and much fun.
6. Never hit the cat no matter how mad you get at 3:00 AM!
7. Buy some compressed air to use as a deterent (sp?) Water in a spray bottle works for some cats, but if your Bengal likes water, to them, you are playing with them even though you are saying NO. Be firm about what you want them to do--don't waffle because it confuses them.
8. Be prepared to have fun and be surprised daily.
9. Learn to be flexible in your choices of food, litter and other things. Some things work and some don't. Keep a close watch on your kitty for changes in behavior, energy level and eating that can signal an illness or a upset.
10. Get regular vet checkups for your cat and keep up with the vaccinations, if they haven't been done already. Make sure you have the entire medical history of the cat when you adopt it and that you understand what the breeder contract says before you sign it.
11. Read everything you can find about Bengals, health issues and tips. There is tons of it on the web on various sites with new things uploaded all the time. You will find things that you wished you would have known with all of your other previous cats and other pets. We thought we knew about raising cats until we got the boys and started reading and reading.
12. Keep a notebook at home listing vet visits, what was done, the dates you use flea meds., what kind of vaccines were given, date of alter (if cat is an alter) and anything else you want to remember. Keep it up-to-date (something I'm still trying to discipline myself to do). It helped us at our first vet check to answer questions, but I've been falling down on the job with all of Koby's visits to the vet in the past few months.
13. Cats can, and will, tear up window and door screens to get out if they see something they like out there. Consider using pet screen as a replacement if that happens or building an outdoor enclosure. (We've learned the hard way).
14. Don't expect Bengals to act just like all of your other cats in the present and the past. That's not the reason you are getting a Bengal. They are different, have more strength, more determination, more intelligence, and more energy than most domestic kitties.
I'm sure there are many things that I am forgetting, but I'm sure someone can add to this list. I feel fortunate that I found Bengals-L and I do ask a lot of questions when I have to. There are a great range of opinions there and much experience and wisdom. Never be afraid to ask questions.
Hope this helps a little. This list is based on our first year and a half with the boys. We've had cats since I was a teenager and I'm nearly 54 now. I thought I knew about cats, but turns out I have lots to learn.
Nan
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