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If you are considering getting a Bengal cat and bringing one home to be part of the family there are a lot of things you should know first before making an important decision such as this one. In this article we will try to give you some important information about Bengals that you should know before bringing one home.
If you are looking for a cat that is a ton of fun to live with then you don’t need to look any further than a Bengal cat. However, be aware that Bengals are definitely not suited for every person. They also acre not recommended for the first time cat owner. A first time cat owner really should consider owning a cat that has a lower energy level as well as one that tends to be calmer and has less tendency to get into mischief.
If you are a person who has been around cats a lot then you’ll have a better chance of developing a good relationship with a Bengal, even still though you still need to be up to the task of keeping up with these incredible cats. The first thing you need to know is that Bengal cats are a lot more active as compared to most other domestic cats you may have owned in the past. Even though they can be a lot of fun and very entertaining for most people they still can be quite a handful because of their demanding personalities.
Bengal cats are cats that are extremely intelligent and because of this they easily become bored if there isn’t enough to keep their active and curious minds occupied so it wouldn’t be surprising to see something broken or torn up one day when you come home from work. If that happens it’s a clear indication that your Bengal simply didn’t have enough stimulation to keep their intelligent and curious mind satisfied. Bengals demand a ton of interaction and that means not just with toys that will stimulate them but also with the people that they consider to be part of their family. So if you bring a Bengal into your family it’s important for both you and your Bengal to have plenty of quality time together. Bengals demand a lot of attention and they will let you know when they want it. If you ignore your Bengal don’t be surprised if they start doing things in a negative fashion just to get your attention. They might start jumping up on the kitchen counters or other places that you don’t want them to be. So, it’s very important that you are willing and have the time to give them the attention they crave.
Because of their desire for love and attention, Bengals will quickly become attached to their human family members. Bengals are extremely loyal and faithful to their family and they will show their love quite often by wanting to be with their family everywhere they go. Often Bengals will following their people around and try to get involved with everything they might be doing, this even includes following them into the shower and even trying to join them while in the shower or bathtub. It’s not unusual for Bengals to be found playing in any place that might have water including the toilet. One of the many interesting things about Bengals, their lack of fear, even somewhat love for water.
They are far more intelligent that most cats and many people compare their ability to learn new things to dogs. You can teach them to do a variety of tricks along with leash training that leads to even taking them for walks around the neighborhood and often even to parks where you might normally take a dog.
With the personality, intelligence, and temperament of a Bengal they are probably best suited for homes that have older children who will enjoy spending time and playing with them. They also do quite well if the home has an active dog that doesn’t mind cats.
As stated previously, Bengals have extremely high energy levels and this means they need a lot of stimulation in order to keep them both happy and healthy. Bengals have a high level of curiosity to combine with that energy level so you need to make sure that you have all the right things in your home to satisfy this.
Bengals need to let off steam and this means it’s important that you provide them with toys that are interactive and will give them the opportunity to try and solve and discover things. Many Bengals love toys that have hidden treats in them and the reward is to figure out how to retrieve the treat. They also love items that will help satisfy their need to hunt for prey. This means toys that make sounds or have interesting attachments on them would be a good thing to offer them as well.
Along with their high energy level, Bengals need a lot of territory that is vertical. This is because Bengals love to climb and jump from their perches. The higher you have for them to climb the happier they are going to be. It’s recommended that you provide them with interesting cat trees that include several different levels as well as enclosures where they can play and hide. Often a Bengal will use these enclosures when they want to get away from something that might be upsetting them. By the way, if you don’t provide them with their own special area for climbing and playing, they’ll find their own places to climb and they might not be places you want them to use. So, it’s really important that you give them their own space for this or you could be in for trouble. Check out the video of two Bengals enjoying their cat tree together:
When it comes to Bengals being adaptability, in all honesty, they are probably more adaptable than a lot of people and other pets. It’s important to them that they become part of the family and they will try very hard to achieve that in their own quirky manner.
Most Bengals will quickly get to know children because they have something in common with children because of their curiosity for the world around them as well as their own high level of energy. So, if you have children that are old enough to learn how to treat a pet, your Bengal will quickly adapt to them as part of their family.
Bengals also adapt quickly to other cats, especially other Bengals as long as they are not from the same litter. Being from the same litter means that they’ve already bonded and they may have no interest in bonding with anyone else. But if they are from another litter or they’re a different breed of cat, your Bengal shouldn’t take very long to adapt to this other cat and become friends sooner than later.
The same goes with dogs. Bengals tend to get along with most dogs no matter what size. It’s the dog that you need to be concerned about. You need to make sure that the dog is okay with having cats around before even considering pairing them up with this active and energetic cat. But if the dog loves cats and is also active then there should be no reason why a Bengal can’t quickly adapt to a dog in the family as well.
Bengals are not the type of cats that you will find laying around wagging their tails and basking in the sunshine. They are not the type of cat that is content with doing absolutely nothing. Because of their constant need to satisfy their curiosity and to burn off steam, you are not going to see them being willing to do nothing but lay in your lap. So, the answer to that question would be no, they definitely are not a lap cat.
Now, just because they don’t desire to sit in your lap for hours on end doesn’t mean that they won’t occasionally want to crawl up and cuddle with you on the couch. They are often known to want to receive affection from their owners and are willing to snuggle up when they want to, not when you want them to. Also, they often will be found in bed with their owners at night and early in the morning giving their owners love and affection. So, never fear, even though they don’t prefer being in their owners laps, they do have their own loving ways of giving their people attention.
So, what do you think? Did this article answer your question about whether or not Bengals are lap cats? Let us know if the comments below.
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