# Misbehaving Bengal



## ashleyalexis (Feb 10, 2013)

Hi There,

I have a 1 year old Bengal.. He is neutered and declawed... I have owned him for the past 5 months and he has been okay, however, he has a habit of peeing on a chair.. The chair has been cleaned with deodourizer and he still pee's on it.

Recently he has been going into the bathroom and taking things off the counter (including a gold necklace with a charm attached.. the charm has only been found thus far)... And also taking all the toilet paper off the roll.

I have stried spraying him with water and he does not react, i have also tried grabbing him by his scruff when caught and spanking his bottom and he does not react to this either as he continues to misbehave.

I'm new to owning a cat and am more of a dog person (I have a 11 year old Standard Poodle), and I am unfamiliar with how to correct the cat's behaviour.

Please help!!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi, Bengals are very beautiful cats, but as companion animals they need patience and understanding from their owners.

I am not sure whether you are serious or joking when you refer to punishing your cat by "grabbing him by the scruff and spanking his bottom" !!

In case you _are_ serious I can assure you it is completely the wrong way to treat your poor cat. He will have no idea whatsoever why you are hitting him, and all you will achieve is to make him anxious, edgy and possibly aggressive and mistrustful of humans.

Personally I do not agree the right to train a dog is ever to hit it, but it most certainly is not the right way to train a cat!

You have a Bengal kitten, and as you know, Bengals are renowned for being very energetic, adventurous, lively, intelligent and mischievous. They need lots of entertaining with plenty of interactive play and climbing opportunities or they get bored, frustrated and then destructive.

From your description of your cat's behaviour I can assure you he is not "misbehaving" he is just being a normal kitten. Perhaps a little bit more lively than some kittens, but that is because he is a Bengal.

If your cat is kept indoors all the time, it is up to you to provide plenty of varied play to keep him amused and give him a good quality of life.
If you are out at work in the daytime, then he probably sleeps all day, and will be full of energy every evening ready for play.

You need to provide several ceiling high cat trees for him, one in every room he uses, so he has lots of places to climb. Use the vertical space in your house by putting shelving in steps up the walls for him to climb and sit perched high up.

Here are lots of ideas as to how to do this:

Image Search Results for shelving for cats

Buy wand type toys and fishing rod toys such as Da Bird. Also little balls, which you can throw for him to chase. Give him large empty cardboard boxes to play and hide in. Be as inventive as you can, and continue to come up with new ideas regularly, to prevent boredom.

As for safeguarding your belongings -- you must try and think ahead at all times, as if you had an adventurous toddler in your home. Keep your bathroom door closed always, to stop your cat going in. He will see your jewellery as a toy, and you will never teach him not to play with it, so put it away in drawers, and put away, or pack away everything else that is delicate breakable or valuable. This is the compromise you make if you have a lively cat such as a Bengal in your home.

Re: the peeing on the chair, first get him checked by the vet to see if he has a urinary tract infection, as peeing on soft furnishings is often a sign of this. If he has a UTI he will need a course of antibiotics.

The other possibility now he is 5 months old, is that he has reached sexual maturity, in which case he is scent-marking his territory with urine. Have you booked to have him neutered yet? Any scent marking behaviour will be reduced, or even cease, after neutering.

It is a general rule to always provide one cat with 2 large litter boxes.Some cats do not like peeing and pooing in the same litterbox. Use a soft cereal based litter that is comfortable for his feet. Clear the deposits several times a day, and change the entire litter once a week.

Locate the litter boxes in quiet areas, away from your dog, so your cat has privacy when he toilets. You could make one of the boxes an open one and one hooded, as he may have a preference, but only provide a hooded litter box if you can find one tall enough for your cat to squat in comfortably, bearing in mind he is a large, long-bodied cat.

Feed him a wet food diet that is high in meat protein. Do not feed him dry food as it contains a lots of carbohydrates which will give him spikes in his blood sugar levels and make him hyperactive. A high protein diet takes longer to digest (as nature intended for cats), and will keep him calmer.

Good luck. Let us know how you get on

EDIT: Clean urine off soft furnishings thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner such as Simple Solution or Urine Off (or similar available locally) or the smell will linger to the cat's nose and he will keep returning to pee on the same spot.


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## Tao2 (Sep 9, 2012)

If you mutilated me by having me declawed I would do a lot worse to you than just peeing on your chair, so think yourself lucky. Meow!


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## ClaireandDaisy (Jul 4, 2010)

They declaw cats? Flippin` eck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That`s awful. 
(sorry - I`m a dog owner but was idly surfing posts and saw this).


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## Tao2 (Sep 9, 2012)

It's an American thing, I don't think it is a practice adopted widely elsewhere. They think it preferable to the possiblilty of some slight damage to their soft furnishings. So horrible.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Tao2 said:


> It's an American thing, I don't think it is a practice adopted widely elsewhere. They think it preferable to the possiblilty of some slight damage to their soft furnishings. So horrible.


It's illegal in many countries, except for medical reasons:

Onychectomy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Often when cats are declawed it leaves them with phantom limb pain, so things.

For the weeing - make sure he has enough litter trays and that the litter isn't too hard on his mutilated paws, that might stop him wanting to go in there. Also some cats like one tray for weeing and one for pooing. I'd experiment with different trays and litters and amounts of trays.

As for punishing a cat - you can't they are completely different to dogs ( not that I'd hit a dog either) - of you don't want him to wander off with stuff, don't leave it where he can get it, if you don't want him playing with the toilet roll close the bathroom door. 

Bengals are very intelligent cats and need a lot of work to keep them entertained - you need to make sure he has lots of high places he can get too easily, as he can't climb like a normal cat now, and you need to play energetic games and intellectual ones too with him. Many Bengals play fetch just as well as a dog.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

ashleyalexis, a further thought about your cat possibly scent-marking with urine on your chair. 

One of the main ways cats love to scent-mark their territory is by scratching with their front claws on their cat scratchers (or on real trees if they are outdoor cats). 

Unfortunately by taking the irreversible step of having his claws surgically removed you have forever denied him the possibility of expressing some of his normal cat behaviour, essential for his mental well-being. 

It is possible that, as a direct effect of being mutilated, your cat's behaviour has become neurotic, and because he is physically unable to scent-mark his cat scratching posts with his claws, as nature intended him to do, he has instead diverted his need to mark his territory into scent-marking with urine. If this is so, you are never going to change his behaviour, no matter what you do, as you cannot undo the damage you have done to him. 

In my last post I recommended you get several high level cat trees for him to climb, but I need to withdraw this advice. High cat trees will be no use to him because he has no claws with which to climb and hang on, or to save himself if he began to fall, and therefore he could be at great risk of hurting himself. 

However you could still put up the shelving I suggested, as he will be able to jump from shelf to shelf without needing his claws. Just don't put it too high up the walls. I hope you will do this, so your cat may be given some quality of life. 

p.s. I note you said in your post he has been neutered, sorry I missed that in my first response.


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## ashleyalexis (Feb 10, 2013)

First of all he is just over 1 year old.. Secondly, he was declawed 2 days after i got him.. I have a dog as well and the cat's claws were a hazard to my 11 year old dog! 

Declawing a cat is legal in Canada! He was fine after the declawing.

The cat has not been a problem until the past week. I have never had to worry about him getting into my things until now.

As for peeing on the chair, I am unsure why he does it as he uses the litterbox and I change it frequently. 

I joined this forum to seek advise, not get criticized for declawing a cat WHICH IS LEGAL IN CANADA!

I do work during the day, however, the cat has my dog as a companion and I have a room mate who is also home during the day to entertain him.

Cats are not supposed to be difficult pets and I'm finding it worse than a dog right now! If I tell a dog not to eat something and smack him on the bum (it is not animal torture if you discipline your animal by smacking them on the bum in Canada either), they will learn not to do that.. A cat could care less! 

I am the owner, the cat is not supposed to walk all over me.. Its an awful answer to suggest just closing the door.. the problem does not go away, as soon as I open that door, the cat is going to be right on in there! that's just masking it.

Again, I'm here to get helpful suggestions on tricks I can use to train the cat not to misbehave.. Not to get opinionated people saying how cruel I am to declaw the cat or for grabbing it by the scruff of the neck (which is how mothers carry their young). 

I am not inhumane, I love animals and have had a dog my whole life, as well as horses.. I have been able to train them all (They were actually property trained as well, so fences were never needed)... I just have never had this problem before.

So unless someone can give me some good advice, please refrain from posting your opinion.

Thanks!!


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## Flamingoes (Dec 8, 2012)

People have given you good advice.

As you've posted on a public forum I'm afraid you can't tell people where to post or if whether they're allowed to express their opinion, mine being that just because it's legal it in no way makes it right.

Good luck.


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## ashleyalexis (Feb 10, 2013)

The topic is not about declawing a cat good or bad?.. It is misbehaving cat.. And it has nothing to do with his claws being there or not.. They have been gone for 5 months, and have not been an issue.

Either pay for the declawing or have to put down my dog for an infection from the cat scratching him.. What would be worse? Hmmm.. You do the math.

Thanks,


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

ashleyalexis said:


> (which is how mothers carry their young).


Yes, mothers carry their *young* this way, it is not a technique for a grown cat as it can damage the neck. 
Even mother cats stop doing it as the kittens grow.

It's very sad that declawing is legal in North America, that doesn't make it right and cats do often show side effects from this cruel surgery. 
Biting and not using the litter tray are the most common, also arthritis and pain that comes as the cat grows putting more weight on the paws. I wouldn't assume because he's been ok (or hiding his pain) for 5 months, that this is still the case.

Claws are easily clipped or there are nail caps that can be applied, far better options than the equivalent of removing your fingers at the first joint.

Bengals are not a breed for everyone, I assume you researched the breed before purchase to know who you'd be in for.
Have you asked your breeder for advice?


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## Charleigh (Nov 9, 2012)

You are not the cats owner, you are it's slave.


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## Charleigh (Nov 9, 2012)

In all seriousness though, I would take him to the vets if he is urinating like that and his behaviour has changed drastically just in case. 



I think you are very hypocritical, should you remove all of your dogs teeth in case he bites the cat? No, yet you seem to be perfectly okay with removing his claws just in case. And to state that you have removed the cats claws so it doesn't cause infection to your dog that would result in it being put to sleep is stupid, any competent pet owner would take their dog to the vets long before there was any need for the dog to be put to sleep.

The point you made that that's how they carry their young in the wild is ludicrous, at over a year old he is no longer young, nor is your other behaviours natural, I don't recall any mother cats picking their adult offspring up then slapping its bottom. Nor do they take their offspring to have their claws removed. 

You say that shutting the door and putting the items away is just masking the bad behaviour, well so is de-clawing the cat, perhaps you ought to have taught your dog to either avoid the cat, have lots of high places and dog restricted areas for the cat to escape to, or to have well socialised them together in order that if the cat did scratch the dog it would be a one time thing.

Your cat needs more entertainment, if you don't have the money then you can get lots of cardboard boxes and cut holes for him to hunt around in, you can get treat balls which he would have to bat to get treats out, lots of toys, wind up mice he could chase etc etc. 

Don't post on a public forum if you don't want people's views.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Yep _ i'm out of here too. If you don't want advice - don't post.


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## Treaclesmum (Sep 26, 2011)

A cat is NOT a dog and does NOT have the same needs nor does it learn things the same way. A cat should never be compared with a dog, as they actually have very little in common. The only thing they really share is the ability to be a companion animal and live in your house with you. Other than that, 2 totally different species!! Their dietary needs and behaviour and psychological needs are completely different, but sadly the OP seems to be one of those people who see cats as a 'lesser' species than dogs... 

Learning about cats and their needs and behaviour might help to give you a better understanding of them...... :rolleyes5:


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## Tao2 (Sep 9, 2012)

Just a word about scruffing your cat. Mother cats carry kittens around by the scruff WHEN THEY ARE SMALL KITTENS. They do not carry larger kittens or cats around because the weight of the cat will cause permanent damage to the musculature of the region. DO NOT SCRUFF YOUR CAT YOU WILL INJURE IT.

As to the declawing: it is an inhumane practise which MOST people eschew rightly. You have been given helpful advice on this forum, in spite of your appalling attitude towards your poor cat.


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## Tao2 (Sep 9, 2012)

Forgive me, I am trying very hard to be polite and positive here but one thing really stands out in your posts: you are utterly ignorant about cats in every way. Why have you got yourself one when you have no knowledge about them and apparently no interest in learning about them? I fully admit to being the first person on here who offered no positive advice to you and criticized you for declawing your cat but I imagine, that on reading your responses, that those people who took the time to offer you constructive advice and ignored your woeful behaviour towards your cat are now sincerely regretting ever bothering. 

Listen and act on the advice given. Find out more about cat care or find a more responsible and caring person to take on your cat.


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## Aurelie (Apr 10, 2012)

How much breed research did you do before you got your Bengal? It sounds as though you didn't do any, bengals are really, really naughty - something that most Bengal owners who have done their homework relish. When people look into the breed of the cats versus their needs and living conditions they stand a much better chance of a happy alliance. 

I would wager that your Bengal is following his breed profile quite well, have you got any cats trees, toys, interactive games for him? How much attention does he get? You should have got yourself a Ragdoll and a set of nail clippers. 

Poor cat.


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

Declawed :sosp: my dogs certainly survived a few bats from our cats with no damage, usually our long haired tabby would just go for a hairy tail anyway so she often just grabbed hair. And as for the scratching, I got a couple of cheap door mats from ikea for my indoor cat to scratch on.


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## Ang2 (Jun 15, 2012)

Cats are a bit like children - they go through a naughty toddler stage. With a bengal, you are going to get that tenfold!! Owning a bengal, I can tell you that climbing is one of their greatest pleasures. By de-clawing, you have taken away that natural instinct and may have caused great frustration. Criticism aside on the right or wrongs of de-clawing - this is my honest opinion. I have several cats and two dog and in all the years, my dogs have not sustained any injuries.

With regard to peeing in the chair. I think your bengal is reaching maturity and marking his territory. Try putting a litter tray on the chair to try and encourage him. How big are your litter trays and which litter are you using?


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## Kah (Jul 20, 2012)

Whilst having nothing to contribute regarding the original post, I do think there is some very useful advice being given here about Bengal cats in general. I have always loved the look of these cats but reading this and other threads have made me realise my lifestyle (e.g out all day, used to my more placid justa) would not be suitable for this breed.


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## Sassi (Feb 8, 2013)

Not much to add, just that the naughtiness of kittys getting into everything and grabbing stuff is just part of their lovely personalities. Enjoy it. Keep dangerous stuff out of the way from now on and try to supervise the play as much as possible. I have a british shorthair and she needs 4-5 hours of play time per day so I can only imagine how much fun a Bengal might be.

Your treatment of the poor kitten so far has been cruel but I hope it has been just out of ignorance. Please listen to the people who have posted so that the cruelty can stop. What's been done has been done. You just need to show this little boy how much you love him; you have a lot of making up to do. Hope it works out for both of you.


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## auspiciousmind (Sep 2, 2012)

Declawing is just a "fluffy" term to make people think your just removing the cats "nail" ... Your actually partially amputating it's digits... (for us that's cutting our finger / toe off to the first knuckle).

Did you actually even do any research before you decided to go ahead with MUTILATING your cat?!??!

*phantom pains, arthritis or other associated problems declawed cats tend to urinate or defecated throughout your household.*

*Actually disgusted.*


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

ashleyalexis said:


> First of all he is just over 1 year old.. Secondly, he was declawed 2 days after i got him.. I have a dog as well and the cat's claws were a hazard to my 11 year old dog!
> 
> Declawing a cat is legal in Canada! He was fine after the declawing.
> 
> ...


I am shocked by your ungracious (even antagonistic) response to the excellent advice you have been given.  Have you not read all the thoughtful replies people have taken the time to write ? 

It has already been said in several posts -- your kitten is displaying 
*normal kitten behaviour*. Why can you not accept this and adapt your attitude to it?

You stated you have never had a cat before, so therefore you do not know what is "normal" behaviour for a kitten and what is not. In which case, surely it behoves you to take advice from people who have many years of experience of kittens, and clearly know what they are talking about!

You have a beautiful Bengal kitten, who at 5 months is curious, enquiring, lively and adventurous. Please stop trying to turn him into something he is not!

Making certain areas of your house (such as the bathroom in your house) out of bounds to a cat, is the sensible and practical way of learning how to 
manage your cat's behaviour. It is a tried, and tested method that cat owners have been adopting for decades. It involves *making allowances* for your cat, and *learning to live * with your cat. Why are you refusing to take on board such common sense advice?

Lots of cruel and inhumane practices are legal in many countries, not just in Canada. It does not make them morally right or acceptable. An appalling fact is that in liberal-minded California the human death penalty is still legal for example!  Does this make it morally right? I think not.


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## Meezey (Jan 29, 2013)

Not even going to comment on the declawing ( well it's really cutting the tips of the toes off your cat) :incazzato:

What does concerns me is you have a Bengal, and the fact that you thought a cat would be easier than a dog really really does concern me. Scruffing and smacking a cat is so not going to work, I might also add that kind of "training" doesn't even work for dogs although some still like to think it does...:sosp:

I would say rather than getting defensive, read through the posts you have been given some great advise. I would take it..

I'd also start reading up on that amazing stunning breed of cat you have, because at year old you really know nothing about cats, let along the Bengal breed, and to be OWNED BY one of these cats your really going to have to read up on the breed traits.. They are not a breed for everyone and unfortunately, you don't ever own a cat, they own you


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## koekemakranka (Aug 2, 2010)

Frankly I'm appalled. 
1. You forced this cat to endure a barbaric mutilation surgery for ridiculous reasons. Regardless of whether it is legal or not, it is still a barbaric practice. From what I gather, Canada is not exactly in the forefront of countries known for good animal rights practices (read: seals) in any case. 
2. Secondly, you went and got a high maintenance breed in spite of being inexperienced and "more of a dog person". Did you do absolutely no research on cat ownership or the breed? I am surprised the breeder allowed you to buy a cat.
3. Thirdly, you admit you inflict corporal punishment on this animal for displaying normal kitten behaviour.
4. I am positive the horrible multilation you inflicted on this cat is a large part of the reasons for its now-emerging behavioural problems.
5. If you write to a forum of animal lovers based in an animal loving country, stating that you willingly mutilated your cat, expect some flack at the very least.
I truly do not feel you are deserving of the privilege to be a cat slave. 
Shame on you!
The Truth About Declawing


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## nightkitten (Jun 15, 2012)

A bengal cat is a very, very active cat. It needs loads of entertainment and exercise. As you are a dog person you could compare them maybe with a border collie. A border collie is very intelligent and needs to be "worked" otherwise they can go nuts. This is the same with bengal cats. You need to "work" with them.

A lot of bengal cat slaves have wheels for their cats. This is similar to a hamster wheel but obviously much bigger. This way the cat can get the exercise it needs.

Although you can't really train a cat you can look into cat clicker training. There are books available to buy online. This way you encourage your cat to use its brain and maybe you can achieve a little bit of behaviour you want to see.

Cats are completely different to dogs and yes, they just walk over you if you are in their way  Can you put shelves up along your walls close to the ceiling? This way your bengal will have a lovely place to relax and he will not be in your way at all times.

Think of young cats similar to toddlers. They are inquisitive and want to explore, touch and play with everything lying around. Keep everything that is important to you out of reach.

Hope you find this advice somehow useful.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Great idea nightkitten -- I agree one of those exercise wheels would be brilliant for the OP's Bengal kitten. 

3 bengal cats on exercise wheel - YouTube

Bengal Cat Fighting for the Exercise Wheel - YouTube

Cat Exercise Wheels - The Maclaw Wheel


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## muffin789 (Jan 28, 2013)

OP, I think you're finding that there is a completely different view of declawing cats in the US/Canada to that of those of us in the UK (and this is a UK-based forum). It's a widely reviled practice over here, hence the responses you've received.

I'm not going to comment on those views, seeing as you only want constructive responses.

I agree with other posters who are surprised that you don't seem to have done much breed research before taking this cat on, and I have to say that I am amazed that you seemed to think that taking a kitten in (particularly a Bengal) would be easier than taking in a dog. 

There is an old saying: Dogs have masters, while cats have slaves. As someone who's had cats for over a decade (and who is still learning about them and who never ceases to be amazed by the chaos they can cause), I can honestly say that there is no way I would ever want to even try to change my cat's behaviour into being dog-like, as it's her playfulness, naughtiness and character that make me love cat for who she is and make.

You CANNOT train a cat in the same way as you can train a dog. Their natures are totally different. There is simply no comparison. If you are looking to make your poor Bengal a feline version of your dog, then please stop and think about whether this is the right sort of pet for you. From what you've said, I'm afraid to say i don't think it is.

If you continue to train the cat in the way you've described, all you're going to get is an unhappy cat and a whole heap of trouble. Bengals are truly stunning creatures and deserve to be allowed to develop their own personalities and express their natural instincts. If you're insistent that you need to restrict this, do the cat a favour and find it a new home (one that can cope with a declawed cat), and do some proper research before considering adding another cat to your family.

Good luck


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## ClaireandDaisy (Jul 4, 2010)

ashleyalexis said:


> So unless someone can give me some good advice, please refrain from posting your opinion.


My advice is.... don`t declaw your cats again. Or hurt them or frighten them. 
If you also use these cruel methods with your dog, I suggest you get up to date with modern animal training methods which use science instead of cruelty.


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