# New Bengal cat owner



## Kelsowallsend (Aug 24, 2012)

Have just become a new owner of a Bengal cat who's previous owner, an old lady said she couldn't cope with him as her husband had died. I have previously owned several ordinary moggies and had no problems but Kelso is totally different. I had been told he was a house cat but he wants to be free and yowls constantly and noisily to be out. We have tried to make the garden enclosed but he is clever and gets out frequently. We have managed to get him soon after his escapes but this is proving very stressful as we cannot relax when he is out and the alternative is to listen to him yowl. We are thinking of letting him roam and hope he will return as this is what he wants. Have any other Bengal owners got some advice please?


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Personally I would be very careful in letting him out - if he is a proper pedigree Bengal and not just a tabby (sorry to say this but there are many scammers out there that just call a brown tabby a Bengal - do you have papers? a photo?). They are voracious hunters and can be the terrorists of the local area. Also they are a huge theft threat. Have a look at the sticky at the top of the cat forum about enclosed gardens which will help you. Is he neutered?


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## AlexTurley (Oct 30, 2011)

hey 
 i have a bengal 

is he leash trained? could u spend the time to do this?

heffin only goes out wen he is on his leash with me and loves it we will spend a hour in the garden roaming about and half hour out the front teaching him to walk properly with me 

could that be a option? or make ur own outdoor enclosure for him ( sorry i presumed it was a he?) 

a neighbour has recently came to move in , on our street and has a bengal this girl has decided shell go for every other outdoor cat on our street. many times iv grabbed her as she corners them in our garden sending heffin nuts. but she also seriously injured one of them and the noise they make at night  

this ended my parents arguement of letting heffin out - as he is VERY territorial indoors and i would thort he would done a lot more damage than this female has done to our street haha.

lots and lots of toys and play time with you indoors tho will wear ur new cat out. 
if u need any advice on the breed general give me a pm


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## AlexTurley (Oct 30, 2011)

ohh and is he done? heffin used to yowl at night wanting to go out just to find a little girly - as soon as he was done it got rid of that


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## Alaskacat (Aug 2, 2010)

Bengal's are a vocal breed, and yowling is one of their communication tools so I doubt you will stop that whatever you do. They are very high energy and need an awful lot of stimulation or they do get bored and destructive (as do other cats but Bengals seem to be worse). We have recently got a safe outdoor enclosure to allow our Bengal to burn off some of her energy as even in a multicat household with several children to play with she needed a lot of thought to keep stimulated. It has helped a lot so far as she chases flys and paddles in the water tray as well as stalking the other cats out with her. She comes in after a few hours a much happier cat and ready for a cuddle.

I'm afraid they are a bit ADHD, in a good way, and are not at all like normal cats. I certainly would not consider allowing a Bengal free run outside, they are too easily destracted and I could not see one stopping to check the road was clear if chasing a form of prey or another cat!! They are accomplished hunters and very territorial so could run into problems with other cats straight away.

Have you looked at the Bengal Cat Club's website for advise on the breed. A photo would be lovely too!


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## Ang2 (Jun 15, 2012)

I would definitely not consider letting him roam. Bengals have a wild and territorial side to their personality and can terrorise and injur other cats in your area. Also, you are likely to have him stolen and then sold on.

What kind of cat proofing have you done in the garden? Try and make it more effective.


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## Alaskacat (Aug 2, 2010)

Bengals push every bondary and will need very very secure cat proofing. When our girl first went into our enclosure she pushed at each and every mesh panel looking for a weakness. She was scarily methodical. All the other cats just looked up and went - "oh wire mesh, I'll sit here in the sun then!" They are super athletic too.


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## AlexTurley (Oct 30, 2011)

thats y i leash trained heffin he seems to be able to think a way of escaping everythin even the dog crate n cat case for going to the vets  

even then on the harness goes incase he gets out haha

hes hard work and lots of playing and energetic but deff worth every min of it n the scratches - i get on fine without the outdoor run but if i could i would have one 

wen i move i can av one made


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## tattoogirl73 (Jun 25, 2011)

my bengal was a house cat when i lived in town centre. she was never bothered about going out but since we moved to the country i let her and my other cats out on an evening. she's happy just roaming round the garden with tigger, where as bryan, my youngest cat likes to venture out into the fields. she's very vocal when shes had enough of being outside and wants to come back in. she's also very vocal when she thinks the litter trays are too dirty for her precious little bum to use


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## Tula14 (Oct 2, 2012)

Hi there, I've just joined this forum and have read your thread about your Bengal, I have two Bengals brother and sister, 3 years old. We live in the South of Lincolnshire amongst cabbage and cauliflower fields so the area is not very built up at all and it is impossible to keep my boy inside, he will yowl the house down if he can't get outside and is not keen on using the litter tray. Hence, we let him roam (I know it is a risk but he really enjoys being outside and I feel that I can't hold him back if his instinct is to do just that) and boy does he roam, he is quite famous around the area especially at the local farm shop which is beyond our field next door which seems to be a meeting point for quite a number of strays, a lovely man there cares and feeds for them and he has brought Tiggs back to us on some occasions! and now it seems to be a regular haunt for him now that the cows have been moved from the field which was obviously a deterent for him to cross the field before! They have both been neutered and my little girl is not fussed about going out at all, but Tiggs can go for several days at a time, then just turn up through the cat flap with no conception of time, date and how long he has been gone! He is actually on one of his 'walkabouts' at the moment, been gone a couple of days. Have you decided to let yours roam? I know what you mean about letting him out and then you can't relax and then relieved when they are back and I used to be the same, but am resigned to the fact that he is happiest when he is doing his 'cat' thing and has his freedom, I can't deny him of that and apparently Bengals are renown for being roamers. Hope this helps, would like to know how you ahave been getting on since August. Lorraine


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