any cat lovers, HELP!

[tigger_my_T.]

Ok, so my friend is getting rid of their bengal cat, and I said I would take her. Im not sure how she will do with our dog and other cat. Any one have ideas on how she will react or what to do if there is a problem?

 

[desertdweller]

I have a friend with two bengals and he has told me they get along great with each other and hang together. Not as well with the other cats though. they are a bit rowdier than the others too. It could definitely depend on individual personalities though. good Luck, they are gorgeous!

 

[tigger_my_T.]

yeah the bengal is really layed back and mellow, same as my cat, just not sure cause my cat can get annoyed kinda easy.

 

[JayzunBoget]

Talk to other Bengal owners. They are not straight Felis domesticus, but a hybrid. Their diets are a little different as is their personalities and what they are capable of. Not that they are a threat to you, it's just forewarned is forearmed.
Good luck!!!

 

[tigger_my_T.]

all right shes home, we call her Keatah the Cheetah She is really sweet but such a scaredy cat (lol) For now she is in the bathroom chilling until its time to see my other kitty. So far so good.

 

[Veneficus]

Talk to other Bengal owners. They are not straight Felis domesticus, but a hybrid. Their diets are a little different as is their personalities and what they are capable of. Not that they are a threat to you, it's just forewarned is forearmed.
Good luck!!!

I have a 15 lb. Bengal male, and he's very territorial. There is no way I could ever put him with another cat or a smaller dog, because he has this natural prey drive to chase and attack any running animal--he even chases & sometimes attacks our 90 lb. Akita! However, I have heard of some Bengals getting along great with other cats, so it depends upon their personality. Hopefully, you won't have a problem.

I will say, even though my Bengal is territorial, he is also the sweetest and most lovable cat I've ever owned (to us humans)(and I've owned Persians, Siamese, and alley cats). He is very out-going and social to friends who drop in to visit. He is also a talker--and sometimes he can be obnoxious because he will howl loudly for hours, and he won't shut up.

As to what JayzunBoget said about their diets being a little different--technically all cats should have straight protein in their diet, but I admit the domesticated cat can eat grains and other assorted crap which is normally found in commercial food (even though they shouldn't); however, since the Bengal is closer to their wild ancestors, I would highly recommend feeding your cat a higher base protein and lower carb diet. If you do not, you might have problems with diarrhea and/or smelly stools. I feed my Bengal EVO dry cat food, and some canned food. The EVO is a meat based, no grain, low carb food. You normally need to get it at a specialized dog & cat food store (I don't think petsmart or petco carry it), so you'll have to look around in your area. The food is a bit pricey, but I swear the coat of your Bengal will shine and be soft.

Best of luck with your new pet, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me.

Ps. Post a pic of your Bengal if you get a chance.

 

[tigger_my_T.]

well I tried introducing them, I guess it went ok, my kitty(Whimsy) was very calm and relaxed, and Keetah, well she was a little bit scared, but I think after a couple more visits they could actually live together.

 

[betuana]

Pet intros can take time!

We have 5 cats, all rescues, 2 are bengal mixes. They all coexist fairly well, though there are occasional scuffles. One of our bengals is the most hyper cat I've ever met, one is a chub, and we have a range of other non-bengals (1.5 yr old DLH, 4 yr old DSH, and 11 yr old DLH). Despite all the differences they seem to have integrated into a good group.

Our chub bengal mix actually came from bengal rescue, where she was in a foster home with on the order of a dozen other bengal kitties of various ages, as well as a few dogs. Got along with all of them just fine. When she got to our house though it was hisses and growls and freak outs for a few weeks before she finally settled it. We took it slowly, gave her her own space away from the other kitties for a while, had monitored interactions until they settled. Had to do the same thing for the young DLH (who is quite literally an insane kitty, who didn't understand that she was a kitty for a while. Her behavior was so off, and sometimes aggressive, that we were literally the last change for her that the shelter I worked at could try. Luckily it worked out! And she's turned into a sweet, if occasionally psycho, kitty!)

But all intros take some time - some get along very quickly (one of our fosters was adopted by a friend - we are half convinced their cat and the foster were long lost littermates, they took to each other INSTANTLY and are inseparable!), and other can take a while. If the kitty has never been around dogs before that can take longer - luckily you know the dog has been around kitties!

So anyways, just wanted to say to make sure to be patient and give it time. It sounds like its going well so far, but don't get disheartened if there are a few snags, in most cases that I've seen they will eventually integrate if given time, especially if they have a place where they can cool down on their own between interactions, etc.

Good luck! I love bengals, they are really great kitties!

 

[T_ROY]

Where can i get a bengel and how much do they cost.

 

[tigger_my_T.]

Theres a whole bunch of breeders just google it. I think they are like $5,000. But im lucky mine was free, her markings where all wrong.

I think the kittys are making progress they can stay in the same room and not hiss. Well whimsy (resident kitty) 'tolerates' keetah but its still really good. No fights yet and I hope there are none.

 

[Veneficus]

Where can i get a bengel and how much do they cost.

The average price from a reputable breeder is around $600+. I got mine from the Humane Society, and only paid $50. I would recommend checking some Bengal rescue organizations first. There are several around. There is the great lakes rescue: http://www.greatlakesbengalrescue.com/

Also the Bengal rescue network: http://www.bengalrescuenetwork.org/reg_list.htm

And check Petfinder--there are lots of Bengals on there:

http://www.petfinder.com/