Dose Anyone Have Bengals?(the Cat Its A Type Of House Cat)
- Thread starter TigerMan
- Start date
Amerce
Fish Herder
Check out these website, if you're interested I know there is a breeder down near Southport -
http
/www.bengalcat.com/main.aspxhttp
/www.bengalcat.co.uk/http
/www.tuhinabengals.com/They are beautiful and so much more interesting than the run of the mill domestic cat, but you do need a run for them (like dog runs) and they need more space than normal cats cause they are a lot bigger.
Bloo
~ I learn something new ~ ~~~~ every day ~~~~
Look at my Avatar. He's a blue eyed snow-leopard (75%) cross Siamese. All I can say is do your research and check out which F generation you'd get. My advice is to go for one of the lowest F numbers possible (or be that "highest" so as far removed from F1 as possible). I have first hand experience with some F2's and I can tell you they are pretty wild animals - and absolutely not what I consider a "pet". They are *not* house cats and must have outdoor access. They will roam. They will destroy your household if you force them to stay indoors. They are very dominant cats and not mushy at all. The stereotypical "aloofness" of all cats.
They are however the most awesome hunters & exude character from every pore.
They are fantastic cats, but not average and not for everyone.
They are however the most awesome hunters & exude character from every pore.
They are fantastic cats, but not average and not for everyone.
Captain Retardo
Fish Herder
This would be a cat that you definetaly couldn't take care of TigerMan! 
I'm really being serious here though
I have some questions about them though- So are bengals basically wildcats in your home? If so I believe it is a waste that people collect wildcats to breed them with domestic cats just for a profit and for your happiness, while at the cat's misery (Do you really think a wildcat could live happily in a human environment?). While most of these wildcats that are being bred to domestics are endangered, which dramatically heightens the problem.
Bloo- Do you mean that your cat is 75% Snow Leopard? And if so- What the hell is wrong with people!
Of course-sorry if I got some of my info wrong, I didn't read every single word in the links
I'm really being serious here thoughI have some questions about them though- So are bengals basically wildcats in your home? If so I believe it is a waste that people collect wildcats to breed them with domestic cats just for a profit and for your happiness, while at the cat's misery (Do you really think a wildcat could live happily in a human environment?). While most of these wildcats that are being bred to domestics are endangered, which dramatically heightens the problem.
Bloo- Do you mean that your cat is 75% Snow Leopard? And if so- What the hell is wrong with people!
Of course-sorry if I got some of my info wrong, I didn't read every single word in the links
diademhill
Fish Addict
Snow leopard is a colour variety, not "the" snow leopard
Bengals are not ideal pets which is why so many end up in rescue ( conbined with the high prices leading to a lot of irresponsible, for profit, breeding
).
If you want a spotty pet look at Ocicats. These have a fully domestic background and are much more people oriented than Bengals. They don't have as dramatic a pelt as high end Bengals but are prettier than many and they are good company.
Rescue is good as you can meet the adult cat & know it's character but if you decide on a kitten make sure it is registerable - if it isn't the litter has been bred purely to sell & the "breeder" won't care how they are likely to turn out.
Sue
( sitting waiting for a Grand Champion Cornish Rex to have her Kittens)
Bengals are not ideal pets which is why so many end up in rescue ( conbined with the high prices leading to a lot of irresponsible, for profit, breeding
). If you want a spotty pet look at Ocicats. These have a fully domestic background and are much more people oriented than Bengals. They don't have as dramatic a pelt as high end Bengals but are prettier than many and they are good company.
Rescue is good as you can meet the adult cat & know it's character but if you decide on a kitten make sure it is registerable - if it isn't the litter has been bred purely to sell & the "breeder" won't care how they are likely to turn out.
Sue
( sitting waiting for a Grand Champion Cornish Rex to have her Kittens)
Bloo
~ I learn something new ~ ~~~~ every day ~~~~
No - that's merely a colour description
The first Bengals were offspring of the (wild) Asian Leopard and Egyptian Mau (the Egyptian Mau has the distinction of being the only natural spotted breed of domestic cat) - this was during the mid-eighties - or at least when they were recognised as a breed and allowed to show.
Anyway - there's loads of info to find on the web. But knowing what I know now and with the experience I've had: I will not get another Bengal (or part Bengal).
catxx
Fish Gatherer
from everything i've seen about Bengals is they're absolutely mad animals! haha. my little domestic cat claws the sofa, and we get mad about her about that (she's already destroyed one sofa that had to be chucked) to think theres something out there that would do even worse...eek!
they're beautiful kitties though, if i had the space, money and time i'd love one. but i think they have to be treated more as an exotic pet than a regular cat.
they're beautiful kitties though, if i had the space, money and time i'd love one. but i think they have to be treated more as an exotic pet than a regular cat.
dulce
Fish Crazy
My parents have a pure Bengal snow leopard and he is certainly not a cat for the faint hearted ! We live in the countryside so he is free to roam as he wishes but despite this he still insists on going off for 2/3 days at a time and coming back often wet and covered in mud ! His coat is very thick so he brings ALOT of mud and muck into the house and onto the bed, sofa, anything that looks nice and clean !!
He is a very tempestuous cat, he likes to be stroked when he wants you to but if not you get a good clawing and he is VERY big and not that easy to get off ha ha.. however when he does want strokes he will persist to follow you around and attack your ankles (often drawing blood!) around the house until you do pay him some attention !
He also eats alot.. and is still not fat but he easily eats 5 x packets of food in one go !!
I think they are a lovely cat if you have the space and dont want a clingy cat.... but they are a handful to say the least !!
He is a very tempestuous cat, he likes to be stroked when he wants you to but if not you get a good clawing and he is VERY big and not that easy to get off ha ha.. however when he does want strokes he will persist to follow you around and attack your ankles (often drawing blood!) around the house until you do pay him some attention !
He also eats alot.. and is still not fat but he easily eats 5 x packets of food in one go !!
I think they are a lovely cat if you have the space and dont want a clingy cat.... but they are a handful to say the least !!
RandomWiktor
Rabid Betta Activist
I'm going to keep it short and sweet....
The reason we domesticated animals is that wild animals were too dangerous, unpredictable, or unfavorable to have in our homes. As they mature, they develop behavior that is simply not compatible with man, which is why a disturbingly huge number of the exotic pets out there are abandoned, neglected, abused, euthanized, or dumped in over-crowded shelters and rescues. Few, if any, people are equipped to deal with the immense challenges these animals pose. And if you think that keeping a undomesticated animal like a sugar glider is hard, you shuold see just how hard it is to keep predators as pets.
Hybrid animals are, in many ways, even less predictable than wild animals. A wild animal's behavior can be studied, as can a domesticated animals'. But when you hybridize the two, you have no way of knowing which way the animal's behavior will lean. You might buy a bengal, treat it like a housecat, and have it become very agressive or imbalanced because it wants to live like a wild cat. Or, the opposite could happen. Hybrids are, overall, very mixed up animals, and as a result are typically very high-maintenance compared to domesticated ones.
So, IMHO, buying a hybrid animal of any sort is a risky venture, and one that often ends up with unhappy animals, unhappy owners, and a big, fat, whopping exotic animal homelessness crisis. My suggestion would be to just buy an egyptian mau if you want a pretty spotted kitty, or better yet, just go to your shelter and adopt one of the many gorgeous cats there.
((And yes, I have had direct experience with Bengals in the past; we've had many dumped at the shelter. Even though they're expensive, rare animals, they're one of the few cats we've EVER had to PTS because of behavior problems, because they were all pretty much rabidly vicious and dangerous to volunteers. Granted, that was in a very unfavorable environment for a half-wild animal - a cage - but that just shows how different they are from normal housecats, who about 95% of the time are fine.))
The reason we domesticated animals is that wild animals were too dangerous, unpredictable, or unfavorable to have in our homes. As they mature, they develop behavior that is simply not compatible with man, which is why a disturbingly huge number of the exotic pets out there are abandoned, neglected, abused, euthanized, or dumped in over-crowded shelters and rescues. Few, if any, people are equipped to deal with the immense challenges these animals pose. And if you think that keeping a undomesticated animal like a sugar glider is hard, you shuold see just how hard it is to keep predators as pets.
Hybrid animals are, in many ways, even less predictable than wild animals. A wild animal's behavior can be studied, as can a domesticated animals'. But when you hybridize the two, you have no way of knowing which way the animal's behavior will lean. You might buy a bengal, treat it like a housecat, and have it become very agressive or imbalanced because it wants to live like a wild cat. Or, the opposite could happen. Hybrids are, overall, very mixed up animals, and as a result are typically very high-maintenance compared to domesticated ones.
So, IMHO, buying a hybrid animal of any sort is a risky venture, and one that often ends up with unhappy animals, unhappy owners, and a big, fat, whopping exotic animal homelessness crisis. My suggestion would be to just buy an egyptian mau if you want a pretty spotted kitty, or better yet, just go to your shelter and adopt one of the many gorgeous cats there.
((And yes, I have had direct experience with Bengals in the past; we've had many dumped at the shelter. Even though they're expensive, rare animals, they're one of the few cats we've EVER had to PTS because of behavior problems, because they were all pretty much rabidly vicious and dangerous to volunteers. Granted, that was in a very unfavorable environment for a half-wild animal - a cage - but that just shows how different they are from normal housecats, who about 95% of the time are fine.))
Bloo
~ I learn something new ~ ~~~~ every day ~~~~
That about exactly describes all of the pure Bengals we saw when I worked as a vet nurse. And being exposed to many large practices in the big city of London, I came across many.
Yes - animals are stressed when at vets - but these cats turned into absolute horror monsters when you tried to do anything to them.
And I was one of the most experienced and confident cat handlers.
My own cat could NOT be held down to force feed a pill and clip his nails. Not even the most experienced handlers could handle him to clip his nails. Not even several people. The strength and anger he had was quite astounding. He did not compare to even the most difficult moggie or other domesticated cat.
It didn't work wtih any method - unless sedated. Suffice to say - I soon learnt and gave up.
I won't even go into how he destroyed my house - quite literally - and made life a living hell. Who could blame him though ?
When I got mine - I actually knew very little about them (I'm ashamed to say). But now that I know better I will do whatever i can to warn people about them. They are *not* cute fluffy house/lap cats.
And sadly they're not rare at all. They are churned out like there's no tomorrow here in the UK and there are counless backstreet breeders jumping on the golden bandwagon. Very sad.
catxx
Fish Gatherer
and a quick flick through the animal section of Loot confirms this!
Captain Retardo
Fish Herder
Okay, I didn't know that snow leopard was a color, I knew it was a type of big cat (well kinda) though. And I was really confused with this, especially becuase you couldn't breed a snow leopard to a house cat! Snow leopard in genus Uncia Domestic cat in genus Felis
The problem that I have with bengals is that people are taking leopard cats from the wild just for peoples enjoyment, instead of helping conserve these awesome animals. Now if there were millions and millions of leopard cats in the world, then I just might approve of bengals (Although now i probably won't after reading RandomWiktor's post).
So instead of breeding the leopard cat to another leopard cat, the breeder is taking it from the wild, without helping it's species at all, just as good as killing one for fur. And people who buy bengals are just raising the market for them, which would mean more leopard cats gone to waste.
The problem that I have with bengals is that people are taking leopard cats from the wild just for peoples enjoyment, instead of helping conserve these awesome animals. Now if there were millions and millions of leopard cats in the world, then I just might approve of bengals (Although now i probably won't after reading RandomWiktor's post).
So instead of breeding the leopard cat to another leopard cat, the breeder is taking it from the wild, without helping it's species at all, just as good as killing one for fur. And people who buy bengals are just raising the market for them, which would mean more leopard cats gone to waste.
Bloo
~ I learn something new ~ ~~~~ every day ~~~~
Well uhm not really. They no longer use the wild cat for the lines. It's now all based on the stock that originated around the 60's to 80's or so. Not defending what they did, but just saying they have long stopped using the wild cats for the lines. That however still doesn't change the fact the there is still (realtively) very recent off-spring around.
I know in the US they're a lot more common as house cats than you might think because they can be declawed here. Makes them a little less dangerous, but still not a pet for the faint of heart. While I would never buy one, I'd be okay adopting a rescue. I've had a lot of experiance with feral and hard to control felines, and I'm pretty sure I'd be okay with one (and that was only after a lot of research). The only problem that would happen is the seven domesticated cats that currently reside in my abode. THAT can be the serious issue.
I do actually know of only one occicat/bengal cross. She's 10 years old and being housed with 2 domesticated felines and they get along great. It takes a VERY strong-willed owner to pull this off, and I know I couldn't do it.
I do actually know of only one occicat/bengal cross. She's 10 years old and being housed with 2 domesticated felines and they get along great. It takes a VERY strong-willed owner to pull this off, and I know I couldn't do it.
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