Cross Breeds - Anyone one know about Bengal cats?

Anyone one know about Bengal cats?

I might be getting a Bengal so I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on caring for it, or info about the breed, I'd be grateful.

Public Comments

There is a really good website: http://www.exoticbengals.com/ This is a breeder that gives you the complete lowdown on bengals (breed history, types of bengals, caring for bengals, etc.) There is also another website: http://www.hengeveld.com/~judith/bengal.html This is an article by the woman who started the breed (Jean Mill). Good Luck!
My cat is a Bengal mix. They are known to be quite playful and friendly. They are active and like to move around. Not really a lap cat, but they will site and let you pet them for a bit. They love to hunt. Mine hunts all the bugs in my house. I live in the country so we get some BIG spiders and Mr Pickens goes CRAZY! He loves it! They can be a bit vocal, especially when it is dinner time. They will let you know, haha! Oh, they also frequently (not all) tend to have a fascination with water. Mr Pickens will use his paw to splash his bowl up on the wall and then watch it drip. It's very funny. I know your question was specific to Bengals, but regarding care, I would seriously recommend researching proper food. People very rarely take this into consideration because it seems like no big deal. But regular super market cat food is VERY bad for cats! I won't continue on with that because it is off topic but feel free to contact me if you want any more information on it. That and kitty litter, which I also have good info on. I did tons of research before getting my cat. 0o) For deeper info on Bengals here are some links. http://www.bengaltalk.com/site/ http://www.tibcs.com/ Congrats on your soon to be new pet. ************** EDIT ************** I noticed people are saying that Bengals specifically need a special diet and cannot have corn products. This is ONLY half true. The fact is ALL cats are NOT suppose to have corn product, which is the problem with your average grocery brands. Cats naturally are obligate carnivores, they do not, nor is their body prepared for eating grains. Naturally the only grains a cat would get would be the stomach contents of another animal. I just felt this should be clarified in case you get a different cat, or for others reading who would get or have one and are unaware.
Cats are wonderful and the bengals are my favorite breed. Do know that they are quite expensive though. Here is a page of info on the bengals http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_cat Honestly the best thing to do, would be to go to a cat show, and bengal breeders will display their kittens their. They will know alot more than most people on Yahoo answers. An organazation that allows bengals is TICA. Here is a schedule of their shows. http://ticamembers.org/calendar/ I hope you do pursue the bengals as they are a wonderful breed! Chris
Bengals are lovely and interesting, but not lap cats. They're active and true hunters. They're also prone to digestive issues so they won't be able to eat regular grocery cat food. They'll need a grain free food. So this will cost more. Also, they're prone to auto-immune problems, so that's an additional cost. My bengal mix has a disorder that causes a weeping, bloody wound on his face every year or so. And if his food has corn or wheat, he'll just throw up and up and up. So its raw food or specialty. Don't get one for looks. It won't be worth it.
Hi there...Bengal cats "CAN" be great house pets, however there are some important things to note about their temperament and personalities. They prefer the company of other cats and most do get along with cats IF/WHEN the introductions are done correctly as this applies to ANY cats who meet for the first time. However, there are some who are the exception to this rule. Bengals are a very hyperactive breed of cat well as extremely vocal and loud cats much more than Siamese cats. They are very demanding for attention and interested in everything their owners are doing. They certainly enjoy affection however only on their own terms as they rarely like being held or are lap cats. However, some are an exception to this rule. Ideally, they may not be a good fit for young children, because children want to cuddle and Bengals are far from being such a cat who likes to be restrained. If they are left alone for long periods of time it's best to have the company of another cat or dog, which is preferable or they can be quite mischevious as well as destructive as a result of loneliness and/or from boredom. Please consider speaking with Bengal breeders before purchasing one because these cats are very demanding in general. Some important information about Bengals. They should never be declawed as it leads to overcompensation with vicious biting since they have larger canine teeth than a typical domestic cat as well inappropriately soiling (urinating/defecating) around the home. Something we have witnessed too frequently with the rescues we take in. Bengals should never be allowed to roam freely outdoors as they are apt to be stolen and later sold sometimes for profit. However, they will take to leash training easily and it is the safest way to give them some of the outdoor enjoyment. In some regions the Bengal cat is outlawed as a pet so be sure to check with your local humane society in your region to learn if they are legal. Georgia, Hawaii and a few other states have banned Bengal cat ownership. Many Bengals require a healthier diet of closer to raw as many suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)--loose stools syndrome. Royal Canin 27 is generally what Bengal breeders use to feed their cats since this is highly endorsed with The Int'l Cat Assoc (TICA). There are premium brands such as Innova EVO or Nature's Variety Prairie (see other diets listed below) that help easy the problem with IBS. Any of the cat foods that contains the ingredient corn, corn meal (e.g. Iams, Science Diet, Purina, Whiskas, etc) causes severe bowel distresses so it's best to choose cat food products that steer clear of these ingredients. To learn more about Bengals consider joining the Bengal Chat forum: http://www.chat24.oli.us/hdw/ or http://www.bengalcatforums.com/forums/ . As a rescuer we always let new Bengal families know if in event there's a time in the future you are unable to keep your bengal perhaps to allergies, medical illness in the family or moving overseas, etc all responsible Bengal breeders WILL take their cats back (no questions asked) as it is their ethical agreement with TICA in the sale of the kittens. There are also Bengal rescuers located all over the world and we are also willing to help with rehoming if necessary. We try to keep Bengals from ending up in the shelters as many euthanize them quickly believing they are a wild cat and not safe as a pet, when in fact they are domesticated since they are four or more generations removed from their wild relative the Asian Leopard Cat (ALC). Diets for Bengals: Their diet should consist of very high protein rather than the usual commercial cat food, which contains corn, corn meal and preservative fillers... for example those would be: IAMS, Science Diet, Purina, Whiskas and many others...essentially, anything from the grocery store and pet stores. The reason being is that Bengals commonly suffer from lifelong Irritable Bowel Syndrome so if you live in a large metropolitan city look for a specialty pet store that carries any of the following products to help minimize his bowel distresses: Innova EVO and/or California Natural: http://www.naturapet.com/ Nature's Variety Praire: http://www.naturesvariety.com/ Wellness: http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/ Life's Abundance: http://www.healthypetnet.com/
The Bengal is a relatively new hybrid breed of cat developed to have a gentle and friendly temperament, while exhibiting the markings (such as large spots, rosettes, and a light/white belly), and body structure reminiscent of the wild Asian Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). In other words, a Bengal cat has a desirable "wild" appearance with a gentle domestic cat temperament, provided it is separated by at least 3 generations from the original crossing between a domestic and Asian Leopard Cat. The name Bengal was derived from the taxonomic name of the Asian Leopard Cat (ALC), as shown above, and not from the more widely known Bengal Tiger species, which is unrelated to the Bengal's ancestry. The Bengal is a large breed - weighing between 7 to 20 pounds (lb) (3.2 kg to 9.1 kg). Male cats are generally larger than females. The face of a typical Bengal features a series of distinct horizontal stripes, popularly known as "mascara", which extend from alongside the eye to the back of the neck. The sides and top of the body are marked with spots, usually rosetted like those of the jaguar. The remainder of the body - including the legs and tail - consists of symmetrical stripes. Bengals can have either spotted or marbled coat patterns. Spots with at least two colors present (rosettes) are particularly desirable. The following colors and patterns are recognized and eligible for competition: Brown Spotted Tabby, Brown Marbled Tabby, Seal Sepia Spotted Tabby, Seal Sepia Marbled Tabby, Seal Mink Spotted Tabby, Seal Mink Marbled Tabby, Seal Spotted Lynx Point and Seal Marbled Lynx Point. Silver was also recently accepted as a color variation eligible for championship status. Blue and Melanistic (black) are additional colors that occur, but are not yet recognized by most associations that accept the Bengal breed. Bengal cats are the only breed of cat which displays the gold or pearl dusting effect usually called glitter. Its pelt has a rich smooth satin or silk feel. Even the voice of the Bengal is different from that of other domestic cats. Males and females are extremely vocal.
I own a Bengal cat and just wrote an article about adopting retired Bengal breeders for "Bengals Illustrated" magazine. Below are the links to other people's questions that I have answered about owning Bengal cats. All of them were chosen as "Best Answer." Some of the answers are pretty much the same, but each of them has a little something different in them.: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ArWttoAbkw9lEvSHkrUmi1_sy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080503091241AA43Nw1&show=7#profile-info-lRrItfswaa http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=App4lMAT7JjLFyT9NZRBqhPsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080503155601AAijEd9&show=7#profile-info-jRH5fNg8aa http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aq.E0FVZpyD5bMogUjcJ1MHty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080425140832AAzkGRi&show=7#profile-info-Nq2HzAHgaa Seattle's answer is also very good. :-) Please feel free to email me if you have any questions!