Caring For your Bengal

Considerations|| Grooming || Feeding || Litter Box || Playing || Sleeping

CONSIDERATIONS:

We are very pleased that you are considering being owned by one of our
Bengals, however not everyone is suited to live with this particular breed.
As responsible breeders, we feel it is essential that we make people aware
of exactly what they are getting, should they choose a Bengal for their
companion. Please take the time to read the following facts and think
about how adding a Bengal to the mix in your home will realistically work
out.

A Bengal kitten is usually very energetic, curious, playful, cuddly,
talkative, and most of them also have a touch of Velcro in their genes.
This means you will probably have a new shadow once you bring your kitten
home, and it can be very persistent about having your full attention.

This breed of cat is drawn to water and high places, most likely due to
their wild ancestry where the Leopard cats lived near water and very tall
trees. This means your kitten or cat may like to help with the dishes,
test your bath water for you, (may have to totally immerse to do so),
sometimes test your cold drinks for you with one or both front paws, and
occasionally will tip the glass just to make sure there's nothing unusual
at the bottom.

A shower reminds them of a tropical rain and they find the downpour quite
refreshing. They will make good use of an open toilet as they enjoy
washing their paws in the cool water. They will always be within an inch
of your face when you brush your teeth, just making sure you don't miss
anything. (Dental floss is very dangerous and should be discarded in a
safe place where your cat will not be able to retrieve it!)

Their love of high places may cause some difficulty, depending on whether
you are open to making some changes in your home, which may or may not be
necessary-depending on what you place the most value on. If you have a
house full of priceless items adorning the top of China cabinets, T.V.
display units, other "out of reach" shelving or display cases, please be
advised that they may no longer be quite as out of reach as they were
before your Bengal arrived.

These cats are absolutely unique and make devoted companions for the right
people. They are also very stubborn and extremely intelligent. If you
intend to put something away and don't want your Bengal to find it, do not
let the cat see you put it away! Just because there's a lid on something,
for example a container of "Pounce" cat treats doesn't't mean it's safe. I
have witnessed my cats holding the container with their front feet and
opening the lid either with their teeth or their back feet!

Bengals are very active cats and if you are looking for a strictly "lap
cat", please choose a more suitable breed. Typically these cats prefer to
decide when they should be on someone's lap, and it isn't usually a long
lasting activity when they are young and full of energy.

If you cringe at the thought of a cat walking across the back of your couch
and nuzzling your hair, this may not be the breed for you. Sleeping on the
very top of the kitchen cupboards is not unusual, nor is it unusual to see
a Bengal open a cupboard just to check out what's inside. We put
"childproof" locks on doors that we do not want our cats to open.

Although you are now aware of the height jumping capabilities of these
cats, please be advised that they are also very adept at jumping across a
room. They may easily jump 5 feet from one surface to another, and can
knock things over/off in the process. Any damage would be accidental, but
the natural jumping and climbing instincts of these beautiful animals must
be taken into consideration before bringing one home. If you want the look
of the wild, there are some idiosyncrasies that come with it. Of course as
they get older they do calm down a bit, but healthy, happy Bengals love to
display their prowess in many types of activities.

If a fly or other small moving object should find its way into your home,
you may rest assured that your Bengal will hunt it down and eat it, even if
it has to jump and climb over every inch of your house!

Not everyone will find this type of behaviour endearing. If you have any
doubts about your ability or desire to live with such an enthusiastic,
playful, bundle of fur and fun, please make the decision not to bring a
Bengal home in the first place, rather than returning the kitten/cat after
a few days/weeks.

If you are not terribly upset by these antics, and can perhaps even find
humour in them- that is definitely a good sign.

Bengals have a beautiful, short, pelted coat that requires minimal
grooming. Most Bengals keep their coat looking bright and shiny with no
help at all, however, brushing with a soft brush will stimulate circulation
and keep the coat shiny and healthy. A quick wipe with a damp cloth will
help remove any dead hair that would otherwise end up on your clothes or
furniture.

Bathing is seldom necessary, unless you are planning to show your cat, or
if he/she has gotten into something nasty, requiring a thorough cleaning.
If you ever need to bathe your Bengal, you should always use a shampoo made
specifically for cats. There is no need to use a flea or tick shampoo
unless your cat has fleas or ticks. The medicated shampoos contain
ingredients that you should not expose your Bengal to unnecessarily.

Your kitten can be bathed in your tub or kitchen sink, and it is preferable
to have a spray attachment for wetting down and rinsing off the shampoo.
Always hold the spray attachment against the skin. If it is held a few
inches away from the body, there is increased noise, and the water pressure
from the spray can surprise or even frighten your Bengal. Care must always
be taken to ensure that all shampoo residue is thoroughly rinsed, as
inadequate rinsing can cause irritation of the skin.

Nails on the front and back paws should be clipped once every week or two.
Cat nail clippers can be purchased at your local pet store.

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FEEDING

By the time our kittens are ready to go to new homes, they are being fed a
combination of "Whiskers" kitten food, which is kept available at all
times, and about 2 tablespoons of canned food as a snack in the morning. It
is best to try to keep your Bengal on the same diet, at least for the first
few weeks. If you decide to change the diet, a small amount of new food
should be mixed with the regular food, gradually increasing the amount of
new food over several days until the changeover is complete.

Fresh water must be kept available at all times, which can become quite a
chore, since Bengals love to play with water. Usually the first thing a
Bengal will do when fresh water is provided, is see how quickly the water
can be splashed out of the dish with both front paws. Standing in the dish
while drinking is another common sight in our home. We have found the best
way to keep the water contained is to put the dish in the bathtub.

Stainless steel or glass food and water dishes are most practical, as
plastic dishes are more difficult to clean, can be chewed, and tip easily.
There has been some concern about the safety of ceramic dishes and their
possible release of toxins, so they are best avoided as well.

LITTER BOX

There are a few things to take into consideration when picking out a litter
box. Bengals not only love to splash in water, but in litter as well. They
will often spend a fair amount of time preparing their "spot" in the litter
box before doing their business. I have witnessed our Bengals moving almost
the entire contents of their litter box to cover the "evidence". I have
also seen the aftermath of such a "litter storm" on my bedroom floor. Since
this is a natural habit, and I have a multi-cat house, I have several
covered litter boxes. This contains the "litter storm fall-out", and my
Bengals can fling litter to their little hearts content. I do not use
clumping litter of any kind.

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PLAYING:

There is no limit to the variety of cat toys available, and a happy,
healthy Bengal will play with just about anything. They are particularly
fond of interactive play with their humans, and will be as happy to play
with a crunched up ball of paper as they would with an expensive cat toy.

It is the movement that Bengals cannot seem to resist, and they will
instinctively begin stalking their prey and pounce with astonishing speed
and accuracy. The beauty and grace displayed by these felines is
captivating to say the least.

Bengals also have an affinity for high places, and a perch overlooking
their "kingdom" will be well used and appreciated. They will find their own
perch if one is not supplied, and it may not be what you had in mind. Baby
Bengals can find themselves in dangerous situations due to their love of
heights, so they will need your protection and supervision until they are
older and more accomplished in the fine art of descending

Like any other cat, Bengals need to scratch and stretch frequently, and
should have access to a scratching post of some kind. Once taught to use a
scratching post, most cats will continue to do so.

It is in your best interest to provide good scratching posts, trees, or
other suitable objects that the cat knows are "okay" to use. In doing so,
the cat's natural instinct to scratch will be accommodated in a mutually
agreeable fashion.

Being the curious creatures that they are, Bengals will attempt to climb
into anything they can reach, and will play with hanging cords from
appliances, blinds, etc. It is important to cat-proof your home if you
intend to bring any kitten into it.

Another potential hazard is the mixture of water and clumping cat litter.
If wet paws come into contact with clumping litter, the litter will stick
to the paws and should be totally washed off so your Bengal does not
attempt to "clean" his/her paws. Regular litter would simply be passed
through the digestive system but clumping litter is intended to clump
together, and will do so after being swallowed. An intestinal impaction of
clumping cat litter will often require surgery to save the animal's life.
Since this is a totally avoidable situation, your responsible supervision
of water-play is always a necessity.

Bengals should never be allowed unsupervised access to large amounts of
water. They will be attracted to the water and it only takes a minute to
get into big trouble.

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SLEEPING:

It is advisable to keep your kitten in a smaller room with a soft bed,
litter box, food and water for at least the first few days. That way the
kitten will not feel so overwhelmed by the strange new surroundings. Your
Bengal will probably choose his own bed once he is more familiar with his
domain, and it will likely be somewhere close to his owner.

If you have any other cats, it is important to isolate the newcomer until
your Veterinarian has checked the kitten out. Your Vet can advise how long
the isolation period should be, and should give the kitten a clean bill of
health following a thorough examination. Introduction to other family pets
must be done cautiously so as not to frighten the kitten, or upset the
other pets.

Like any other kittens, Bengals need lots of sleep and will spend the great
majority of the day doing just that; provided they are made to feel safe
and comfortable. Take this opportunity to just sit back and admire your
beautiful Bengal before he is off and running again.