Is a Bengal Kitten Right For You?

The Bengal breed brings a fascination unlike any other. Intelligence, gorgeous patterns, unique personalities, high energy levels… Many believe they will be bringing home their very own “living room leopard”. We hope you will consider the following before making the commitment to provide a permanent and loving home for the life of your Bengal. 

Do you have the time?
Bengals can be very high energy. Combine this with their higher-than-average intelligence, and you get yourself quite the whirlwind. A Bengal "teenager" as I affectionately call the 6 month to 18+ month stage is a Tasmanian devil in disguise if they are not given the proper amount of attention, affection, and outlets to release their energy.
 
Will someone be home with the kitten for much of the day? Bengals can often get frustrated and develop poor behaviors if they are consistently left to their own devices. They need someone to play with them and stimulate their active minds daily. We highly encourage harness training your Bengal kitten, so they have a chance to activate their wild instincts and get some exercise in the great outdoors. Another fantastic option would be building an outdoor Catio that the kitten could access at any time from inside the house. Bengal’s love being outside, and we have found that if given the option, our Bengals will spend a majority of their time in our outdoor areas. If you are handy, there are quite a few Catio design plans on Etsy and similar websites. If building one yourself isn't an option, here are a few links that we think could fit many diverse spaces:
- Lean to Attached Catio Plans
- Cat Enclosure
- Outdoor Cat house
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Lastly, do you have another high energy animal? Bengals are a social breed, and many thrive in an environment with another animal of the same energy level and intellect as themselves. A playmate is sometimes one of the quickest solutions to any damaging behavior being exhibited by your Bengal. Because of this, we are happy to offer a 10% discount if you should choose to purchase a second kitten from us. 

​Do you have a veterinarian?
Bengals are likely to live upwards of fifteen or more years. During this time, it is very likely a Bengal cat is going to require more care than just their regularly scheduled vaccinations and health exams. Will you be financially able to ensure that your cat will never be denied any necessary medical care? Whether it be an accident, an emergency, a chronic illness brought on by old age, or just some tomfoolery your young teenage Bengal got up to, vet expenses can add up. There are many families who have decided to sign up with a pet insurance company. We have personally partnered with Trupanion pet insurance and would recommend checking into their company.
Additionally, we hope you will establish a good relationship with your veterinarian. Finding one who is not only well educated on cats in general, but also in the Bengal breed would be invaluable throughout the lifetime of your Bengal.

Are you committed?
With any pet, issues are bound to arise within the Bengal cat’s lifetime. What will happen if two or three years down the road, your Bengal suddenly develops litter box issues? What if you move? Have a baby? Get married? What if your Bengal doesn’t like the new chihuahua puppy you just adopted? What if the Bengal develops cancer at twelve years old? Please be sure you are 100% committed to working through the problems that may arise throughout the years in your cats lifetime so that he or she can live a stable life without fear of being “re-homed”. We are always happy to provide advice based on our experience, and we have plenty of articles that we can send to you to help with various matters. In addition, we like to send our clients home with Jackson Galaxy’s book “Total Cat Mojo”. We ask that all our new kitten families read through this book and take note of much of his advice.