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Are you curious to how well Bengals and dogs get along? Are you considering getting a Bengal but already have a dog, or have a dog while interested in owning a Bengal? Bringing these two animals together in a home can be a very trying time if they don’t get along. We’re going to take a look at Bengal/canine interactions with these points:
This might just another question concerning whether a Bengal cat is right for you. So the quick answer, usually. Vet Street even ranks Bengals as 5 out of 5 for getting along with dogs.
Every cat is an individual. What works for one owner, may not work for another. With that in mind, Bengals often get along well with dogs. They associate best with dogs that can be a playmate for them, as it can burn some of the energy of both pets at once.
Titan Bengals advises to consider the disposition of the behaviors of all pets involved when introducing someone new to a household. Pets, and children for that matter, that are already in the home will likely and even possibly inadvertently protect the environment that they are already so heavily associated with. This is especially true when introducing a new pet or infant into a house containing a Bengal.
Maybe you’re looking for a mixture of a cat and a swimming pal for your dog. This can make it even more prevalent for your Bengal and dog to get along.
Introducing a Bengal to a home with other pets is best done when the Bengal is just a kitten. This way, the Bengal will grow up knowing of a household with other pets and will best accommodate a new inclusion to the household.
This isn’t to say that a Bengal can’t be introduced to a home with pets already in it. The cat will likely accept the other pets perfectly fine as their friends or adopted siblings. It is best to do this by slowly introducing your new Bengal to the other pets.
This can safely be done by giving the Bengal its own litter tray, food and water bowls, toys, and maybe its own room for these items and to give your kitten some time to itself. These things can develop an accepting environment for all pets involved.
Keeping in mind, of course, that Bengals love to climb. If you are worried that your dog would nose your Bengal too much, a vertical escape would be a great way to give your Bengal some time without the dog. It can be a space for your Bengal to have time away from the dog, a space just for your Bengal to be by itself, or just a space for your Bengal to be confortable. Here’s a list of the best cat trees we could find for Bengal cats.
It isn’t just the Bengal that should have its own space. Your dog should also have a space away from the cat, for comfort and even for protection. If one pet is hyper and wants to play, but the other pet doesn’t want to, the personal space will give that pet a feeling of security when it needs it. It’s the same if one of the pets has to have surgery. That space away from the other pet will be needed for your injury, beloved pet to recuperate.
This doesn’t have to be a whole room dedicated to each pet. A section of a room or a bed all their own can give the same effect on a smaller scale.
But what if you’ve got one of those Bengals that just doesn’t accept canines? Maybe you want a dog or your Bengal spends a lot of time around a dog. Whatever the reason, this quirk would need to be trained out of the Bengal in question.
Training this out of your Bengal is the same as training your Bengal to do anything else. You must be cautious when training them as they are a cat of intense personality. If their negative behavior is not dealt with right away, if they are teasing or tormenting a dog or any other behavior, they may begin to get aggressive when pressed for changed.
When discipline isn’t working for your Bengal, behavior therapy may do the trick. They respond well to it, but not to the traditional methods used by most behaviorists, something to keep in mind when correcting your Bengal’s negative behavior.
Bengal Cat Helpline also advises that taking their training seriously is detrimental to correcting a Bengal’s negative behavior. Their aggression when being forced to change a behavior that they do not want to change can become difficult to deal with.
If you won’t be able to cope with getting bit or experiencing a mock attack from a cat, then you may not be prepared to train a Bengal. For training away a behavior of aggression or malcontent towards a dog, a Bengal that accepts canines would be a better fit for you. Luckily, there are many like that.
Still worried about whether the everlasting idiom of cat versus dog can be beaten?
This video should ease your mind:
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