5 responses to “How Much Attention Do Bengal Cats Need?”

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  save money insurance July 31st, 2009 at 22:57

  Bengals need an extraordinary amount of attention, or they will become bored and destructive.
  If you are away from home more than 8 hours a day, or if you vacation/travel often, a Bengal (or any exotic for that matter) is NOT for you.
  You wouldn’t leave a puppy alone for hours on end, and for the same reason, you shouldn’t leave Bengals unattended to for long periods.
  My cats are always in the middle of what I’m doing. If I’m doing laundry, they’ll jump in the dryer. If I’m reading, they’ll chew my pages. If I’m on the computer, they’re walking across the keyboard or sitting in-front of the screen. If I’m eating, they want to know what’s on my plate. If I’m washing dishes, they’re playing in the sink.
  Bengals have different needs than your average house cat, and you must fulfill them in order to keep not only your sanity, but to make your Bengal happy. Bengals need an incredibly interactive environment, and expect you, as their human, to teach them, entertain them, and be a playmate to them.
  If you’re not ready for a rowdy flat-mate, your best bet is to adopt an average housecat in need of rescue.
  

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  Torie July 31st, 2009 at 23:07

  I lost my first bengal in October and just got my second one 2 weeks ago. As kittens if they are not sleeping they are playing. And if you don’t want to play they will find something to entertain themselves even if it’s something that they probably shouldn’t be playing with. Like for instance my martini glass holder lol. Bengals are the nosiest cats ever. No matter what, they want to know what’s going on. Weather you are eating, taking a shower, folding laundry, or on the computer they are right next to you. Owning a bengal is more like owning a dog that can climb and is litter box trained. They love water, playing fetch, and you can even leash train them. They are extremely active cats and require a lot of attention because of this. As they get older they only thing that chances is that they sleep more and become cuddlers. My bengal and Pomeranian are best friends and I didn’t have any jealousy problems with my last one either. They are very social and I have found that it is actually better for them to have an animal friend to play with.

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  lgdubya August 1st, 2009 at 03:21

  I got Binnie at 14 weeks old and she was an only cat up until 8 mos old. She does follow me around or stays in the area I’m in. When I’m home from work, she did demand my attention and if I ignored her, she would hit my leg with her paw, or she’d grab my leg and nip, or she’d do something she knew she wasn’t allowed to do like jump on counters right in front of me. She also started to become somewhat destructive and knock over trash cans and rummage through them, tear up the carpet which was something she never did and constantly bug the hell out of me. And the constant meowing!
  I got Marble when Binnie was 10 mos old. She isn’t destructive at all anymore since she has Marble to play with. Although, now I have 2 cats following me around and begging for attention at the same time. But Binnie is more attached to me than Marble. I was told if I get 2 cats at the same time, they would tend to stick with and bond with each other more so than bond with me. I do believe this since the close connection with Binnie is very clear to myself and to my visitors, whereas Marble is close to Binnie and comes to me when Binnie ignores her.

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  Butterfl August 1st, 2009 at 04:10

  I love the bengal kitties! I have seen photos of them, and wow! They are beautiful! You are so lucky! Give that cat lots of love! Cats on the whole aren’t jealous, and they will get along with other pets if they are a very young age at adoption 9 weeks, though. I never owned one, but, I can tell you, I have 3 cats, and one is siamese, he’s mr. attention love playful kitten. I have owned a Persian and Himalayan, Rag Doll, long-haired breeds. My uncle raised these types of cats. Full breds, they do have a lot of love to give, and are very playful. I can say, I have now 3 cats, 2 of which are mixed and they are just as loving and playful as the 8 month kitten! He’s got them going, and they are like kittens, again!

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  Ocimom August 1st, 2009 at 05:46

  Bengals are demanding of action with you – you have to entertain them or they will do it theirselves – and not something you want them to be doing.
  They are smart and VERY active cats. Not good as an only cat and need to have a dog or other high energy cat to play with when you are not there.