Cross Breeds

Are bengal cats a difficult breed?

I've heard that bengals do give a lot of trouble. I've had cats since I was little. My parents had two cats that live long lives and myself had a cat for 17 years, sadly he passed away away 6 months ago and I miss him very much. Now, I would love to re-home a bengal cat but i keep hearing that they can be problematic. Can people that own bengals tell me about their expericence with this breed?

Public Comments

1. I have known one Bengal fairly well for a few years. She is a beautiful and charming cat. One obvious peculiarity of hers is that she is extremely talkative. This cat has to have the last word on everything. Another is her water obsession. One of my own DSH has a water obsession but hers beats his. She also is quite "needy" in the way a dog might be. She wants humans around, loves company, and becomes extremely stressed when her owners go away for even one night. She demonstrates her anxiety with inappropriate urination - including in her water dish and in the toilet as well as one one of the carpets. I really like this cat a great deal but if I were to get another cat of my own I would shy away from the breed based the constant meowing of this one Bengal that I know.
2. Well what you should do is if you found a cat go visit it BEFORE you bring it home just in case. Since these cats are bred from leopards they can be wild and hard to train but if you get the right mix between domestic cat and leopard they should be fine. Hope that helps!
3. I love my bengal. His name is Willis and he is an absolute @$$. HA! I love him. Love his personality, love everything about him. He finds anything in the world it takes to get my attention, and breaks it, steals it, knocks it off the shelf, or gets into it. All while staring at me over his shoulder. Then he tries to rub me and make it up to me 24-7. He's like that little sour patch kid on their commercial, where they cause havoc then are so sweet you gotta love them. Dead on. I would spend a thousand bucks for one again... all day long. Gotta add mine is a male. Neutered at 8 weeks. Never meows. Just when he wants a pet... or some food, and it is a huge lion roar motion with a little pansy squeek that comes out.
4. I would not recommend a Bengal to anyone who has not had a lot of experience with cats. It's not that they are difficult, it's just that they are that different. For example, they are not afraid of water. Mine gets into the shower with me, he doesn't stay long, he’s just curious. Another thing, their claws are longer than a regular cat, so a scratching post or box is a must. They're also more clever than other cats. I'm not sure if it's intelligence or just quick witted. They are affectionate if raised with a lot of petting and love. They can also be very opinionated. For example, mine will sort through his toy box until he finds the one he wants to play with. (He still leaves his toys laying all over the living room, but I don't think that's related to the breed.) They also tend to be talkative. They want to know where you are and what you are doing. Probably the most unusual thing about them is that they sleep less than most cats. Mine gets up around 6 and stays awake until noon or 1 o’clock, and then naps. Most cats would have had 1 or 2 naps in that time.