Bengal Cat Facts

Welcome to our Bengal Cat facts page where we’re going to tell you all about the wonderful and exotic Bengal cat! Not only are we going to let you know all about these beautiful felines, we’ll also hopefully bust some of those myths you may have heard about the breed!

We’ve written another article about the differences between a Bengal cat and a tabby cat so if you’re wondering if your cat has some Bengal genes, it may help you to decide – all you need to do is check out our article: “Is my cat a Bengal cat?” on our Advice Centre pages 🙂

 A Very Brief History

ALC and Bengal

The original Bengal cats are a hybrid of the Asian Leopard Cat and domestic cats. They were developed by various people, most notably Jean Sugden Mill, in the 1970s and 80s with the aim of harnessing the beauty of the wild cat, yet maintaining the temperament of the domestic cat. Through careful breeding, this aim has definitely been achieved!

Physical Appearance: The Famous Bengal Markings!

The first thing most people notice about the Bengal cat is the wonderful coat! Not only is it beautiful to look at, but it’s also very soft and sleek and many Bengals also shine in the light with a glitter that permeates through every hair shaft!

Brown Spotted Bengal Cat
Shining in the sun

Bengals have two basic fur patterns: the more common spotted pattern and the wonderfully swirly marbled. Both spotted and marbles are often tri-coloured with various shades forming the unique markings.

The tri-colouring is what can give spotted Bengals “rosettes” – where each individual spot has an outline of a darker colour, giving a look similar to that of a Jaguar, for example. Not all Bengals have defined rosettes – they have spots more like a Leopard, with no outline of colour.

Colours

Bengal cat colours
Bengal colours

Both spotted and marbled Bengals come in a variety of colours: Brown, Snow, Silver and Blue are the most common though newer colours such as chocolate, charcoal and cinnamon (must be something about Cs?) are also becoming more popular.

Seal Lynx Point bengal
Lula: Seal Lynx Point

Snows are also known as Seal Lynx Point, Seal Mink and Seal Sepia. Seal Lynx Points have Siamese cats in their ancestry, so will always have blue eyes, whereas the Seal Sepia was derived from Burmese and will never have blue eyes. A Seal Mink has both Lynx Point and Sepia genes so the eyes can be any colour, though they will never be as bright blue as the Lynx Point’s.

Just like in the wild with Panthers, you can also get black Bengal cats, these are known as melanistic. They do have spots or marbling, though you may only be able to see their markings in certain lighting conditions.

It’s desirable for Bengals (except melanistic) to have light or white tummies, just like many of their wild cousins!

Size

Bengal cats are usually quite large: males weigh on average between 10 – 15 lbs (4.5 – 6.8kg) and females 8 – 12 lbs (3.6 – 5.4 kg). Of course you will get some even bigger than that and a few who are smaller too, so don’t be concerned if your Bengal is outside of those averages.

Other Physical Features

The head of the Bengal should be quite small in comparison to the body, with small ears too, reminiscent of their wild cat ancestry.

Thumbprint
Thumbprint

The ears should have a “thumbprint” – a patch where the fur is very short, in the shape of a thumb! Many tabby cats also have this thumbprint.

M on the Forehead
M on the Forehead

Also in common with most tabby cats, Bengals have a clear “M” on the forehead

Bengals are strong and agile cats and should be slim and athletic. The back legs are slightly longer than the front ones, which give an arch to the back when standing in a certain position.

© www.bengalcatworld.com
Longer back legs

Bengal (mis) Behaviour!

OK, we admit it! Bengals are not your laid-back lap cat! They are often quite naughty and can be a handful, they are not for the inexperienced or nervous cat owner!

The Bengal is also very intelligent for a cat and needs lots of things to keep that brain occupied, lots of interactive play with toys (like the dragonfly you can find in our store) and if you’re out a lot, another cat is often a great playmate.

Adventurous Bengal Cat
Adventurous Bengal cat

Bengals are also very vocal and loud – they will always tell you when they want something such as food or the litter box to be cleaned out (did I mention they can be fussy over these things?). The Bengal miaow is not easily ignored!

Although Bengals can be naughty and loud, they are also great fun and love to play with their humans. They are affectionate and it’s not unusual for them to form a great loyalty to a single member of the household.

snow bengal cat on harness
Lula going for a walk

Their intelligence means they are easy to train and many react well to clicker training. It’s not uncommon for Bengal owners to train their cats to go for a walk on a harness and leash (we have safe and strong harness jackets for sale in our store).

They love water and many will drink straight from the tap (faucet) and watch their humans in the shower or bath tub! Beware! If you’re shy and you close the bathroom door – that loud miaow will soon be heard! There’s no escaping from the curious Bengal 🙂

If you want an active, affectionate, naughty cat who will make you smile and even laugh every single day then a Bengal is for you!

snow bengal cat
Lula

Health

Bengals are generally very healthy cats if you have bought from a reputable and registered breeder. The life expectancy is the same as many other cats: 14 – 16 years. In line with other pedigree breeds, there are some diseases that they have a slightly higher risk of – HCM (heart disease) and PkDef (chronic anaemia) being two of them. But if you go to a breeder who screens for these things, the risk of your Bengal getting them is much reduced, small though it is in the first place.

Bengal Myths – Busted!

The Bengal cat is named after the Latin name for the Asian Leopard Cat – Prionailurus bengalensis – and not the very distantly-related Bengal tiger.

Bengals are no more aggressive than your average domestic kitty! As for any cat, they must be well socialised from young kitten-hood which a reputable breeder will do. If you buy from a back yard breeder who doesn’t ensure this is done, you may get behavioural problems – but this is true for any breed of cat, it’s not exclusive to Bengals!

The Asian Leopard Cat is a shy and timid creature, and relatively small – not very “wild” when you compare them to their big cat cousins!

Bengals love water!

Bengals love water!

Bengals are NOT immune to Feline Leukaemia. It is thought that the Asian Leopard Cat is immune, and some of the early hybrids were bred to see if this immunity could be replicated in a domestic cat, but it wasn’t possible.

Are Bengals hypo-allergenic? Probably not, though anecdotal evidence suggests that some people who are allergic to cats do not have a reaction to Bengals. We have seen this from our own experience, so know it to be true, though we have also heard of allergic people that have reacted, so we would never risk human health and say that 100% of allergic sufferers would be unaffected by the Bengal cat.

Not every cat who has a spotted or marbled coat pattern is a Bengal or even a Bengal mix. See our article on “Is my cat a Bengal?” for more info.

 

467 thoughts on “Bengal Cat Facts”

    1. Hi there! You will now see your comment on the site (under the showtime blog entry). For any new commenters, I have to approve their comments to ensure that the site doesn’t get filled up with spam or inappropriate content. So there is sometimes a delay from when you first comment to me approving it. But once I have approved you, your comments should appear automatically 🙂 (though I do of course have the ability to remove any that I think are not in keeping with the site).

      1. hi .I need help.i do not have Bengal cats but my neighbour does.for the last year I have ben trying to communicate with her to shut her cats up.i am an animal lover and hate doing this but its getting to the point im guna ring the council on her .her tom cats start at 4 in the morning.then at 6 and don’t stop.its doing my head in and all the neighbours as well.she looks after them beautifully and they are confined on her property which is great.i don’t think she should have tom cats in a built up area but she makes excuse after excuse that she has to have them.i have dogs and wud be in the shit in 5 minutes if they started barking.can you please give me any advise to tell her to do with the cats to stop there horrific noises all day and night.i don’t like riff with neighbours but im getting pissed of.my daughter and partner and child had to move out as the cats kept waking the baby.any sugestions to solve this b4 calling the council.

        1. Hello Val. I’m sorry to hear you’re going through this, it doesn’t sound pleasant for you. It sounds to me like your neighbour has not neutered her cats? This will certainly reduce the noise, and there are other benefits you can run through with her too: They will be less aggressive if neutered, will spray much less (if at all), and they are at reduced risk of cancer when they get older. Unless she is a breeder, there is no need to have un-neutered males. They will be much less frustrated and happier in themselves if they were ‘done’. I hope that helped and good luck <3

          1. I had a neighbor who’s dogs barked incessantly. I was new to the neighborhood and didn’t want a confrontation.

            I renamed my wifi “shut your barking dog up”

            The matter was resolved in less than a week. A week after that I renamed my wifi “Thank you”.

            A few weekend’s later the guy saw me in my yard working and came over and introduced himself to me and apologized about the dogs barking. We laughed at how I went about “complaining”. It apparently became the neighborhood joke as well, because it apparently became a topic of chatter and I was thanked by my other neighbor who’d been putting up with the dog barking for years.

          2. loL! Excellent! Great idea and I’m glad it worked – barking dogs are very annoying indeed 🙂

        2. I feel as I am talking to a responsible adult. PLEASE don’t blame the cats and what ever you do don’t take any further steps to poison then the cats!!!! talk to your neighbor’s
          come to agreement a plan of action. you can were ear muffs and she can get up that early to play with the cats

      2. I’m a little confused because my cat is a “Bengal” yet he looks exactly like the Marbled Manx Tabby in “Is My Cat a Bengal?”

      3. The most wonderful foster failure I have ever had, is my most recent Bengal/Tabby (6/17) failure.
        Within 15 seconds of Kenya ‘s yowl, I was totally hooked; as was a 5 month old male orange tabby kitten foster named Nelson — whom I had already figured out I had to keep. Kenya and Nelson became instant “mother & son” paired.
        Today “mom & son” are absolutely in love and a totally devoted pair. Mom is 5 yrs old weighs 9 # and goofey son is a year old and weighs 16#.
        They fit perfectly and absolutely meld into the “original 5 Cat Klan”.
        I am very blessed with my 7 cat klan! But; I have temporally stopped fostering for a while……..

    2. I have always been one to take in the stray cats. The sick ones that need extra care. But now I am looking at getting a Bengal. The Bangles ever have long hair? I have any friend who swears her cat is a bangle. But all the pictures I see of the cat show him with a much more thicker longer coat of hair. I need to start keeping my eye open at some of the shelters. With the hope of finding a bangle. Someone may have had one and not realized in. Or at least that’s my hope. What is the cost of buying a bangle from a breeder.?

      1. Hi Edith! You can get longer haired Bengals, they are called “Cashmere Bengals”. We would certainly recommend that you keep your eye out at the shelter as Bengals do need re-homing sometimes too. The cost of buying a good quality kitten is around $1000, though they do sometimes need homes for older cats and these will cost a lot less.

          1. Hi Chris!
            You need to research registered, reputable breeders in your area. You can start just by googling, or by looking at Websites such as TICA or Bengals Illustrated. Always make sure the breeder is registered by asking to see paperwork, if you have any doubts about them, then trust your instincts and don’t buy from them. Quite often breeders will sell older cats that have retired from their breeding programme. We hope that helps!

      2. Hi Edith there is a website called Bengalrescue.com. they Foster Bengals that need to be rehomed. Their adoption fee is about 100 to $150 and it’s really worth checking out. they take in Bengals from high-kill shelters.
        Good luck and thank you for supporting a cat in need of a good home

      3. Go thru the Bengal rescue. There are bengals all the time of varying ages that need homes. From a breeder coats can be as high as $1500-$1800. Rescues are much cheaper and if you are looking for a pet, usually fees are for vet and such so may be around $100-$250 or so. I did get mine from a breeder for $250 but she is just building her program.

        1. We always advocate people getting Bengals from rescue, though they are not very common at most shelters.

          1. I have seen many bengals at shelters, but they are almost never purebred. Majority of shelter bengals are mixes between bengals and domestic shorthairs.

        2. please send a contact I can use to order for mine or follow me at instagram @timregals so we can exchange information

        3. I would be wary of getting a Bengal from a shelter or rescue. Don’t rule it out, but I’ve met several people who have thought they were getting a good deal when they got a rescue for a few hundred dollars. Bengals that end up there are most often not well socialize and have nasty habits. If the Bengal was brought up right from healthy parents you most likely won’t find it at a shelter. Also, if you find a breeder selling kittens for a few hundred that’s also cause for alarm. Our original breeding cats cost us $2000-$3000 each. That’s a hefty little sum, especially when vet bills and Bengal friendly environment come into consideration. There is no way I’m going to sell a kitten for $250 and if someone is you would be wise to investigate. It’s just common sense. Why would a breeder put $5000-$6000 into a breeding pair of bengals and figure in all expenses and then sell a kitten for $250? Ours start at $1000 and we always have more people wanting a baby than we have kittens for.
          Our kittens are always spayed and neutered before going to their new homes, except for the rare occasion we sell a breeder.

      1. Diann, Bengals can go outside whenever. If you want yours to be a safe indoor cat, I would prefer to keep him/her inside.

  1. You are very welcome, I hope you continue to find it useful as I will be adding to the site all the time 🙂

  2. Good day: thank you for getting the time of creating up this details. I frequently make an attempt to more my knowledge of factors. Irrespective of whether I concur or disagree, I love important information. I recall the old times when the only source of info was the library or even the newspaper. They each look so old fashion. : )

  3. Thanks, pet world 🙂 I will be updating the posts as often as I can, so please come back whenever you like! Or alternatively, you could subscribe, and then you’ll get an email each time I write something new 😉

    1. I’m sorry 🙁 I can see it on my Mummy’s phone… so I’m not sure what the problem is with yours.

    1. Thanks so much, Susan – I will be updating this page with some more facts and photos soon 😉

  4. I love your website and enjoy learning all I can about the amazing Bengals. I now have 4 kittens and 2 so far are going to their forever home in about 6 weeks. I am aure my 2 other boys will find wonderful homes also. I like it when someone takes 2 so they have a playmate and especially their own brother or sister. Keep up the good work and I will be visiting your website to learn more about these wonderful kitties.

    1. Thanks so much, Diana! 🙂 I am so pleased you like our little blog and website! it must be so hard for you to say goodbye to your kittens, but at least you have the knowledge that they’re going to a loving home! My mummy always says she would like more kittens, but daddy says we have enough cats (he’s probably right!) 🙂

  5. My cat, Louie passed away unexpectedly, so my dear husband replaced him with a Bengal kitten. We had a choice of 2…a dark marble with green eyes, or a white marbled one with beautiful blue eyes. I chose the white one. He was unusual, and very friendly. It didn’t take long to find out ‘Casanova’ was going to be a handful! He regularly destroyed the toilet paper, left the dogs know where they stand, and claimed me as his own! As he grew his color changed to a creamy white base with chocolate colored patches. He is beautiful! Very showy, however, he never lost the ticking over his back. The breeder said he would, but never did. Casanova likes to escape and when he does, he is gone for hours…sometimes days! It worries me a lot. He never got used to being ‘locked-up’ in the house. He howls all night long, letting out some pretty scary sounds. He is a loving little guy, thinking he needs to be with me constantly! He will jump through the air to land on my shoulder or back…having a full set of claws makes this very painful as well. I love my Casanova, but really think I could use a Cat Psychologist for him! He is like no other cat I’ve ever had! He is also a biter…nipping me on the chin or heels. We also went through a phase where he was marking me! He’s 5 years old now, and has calmed down a bit, but still has wanderlust. How do I explain to him that he’s neutered, and doesn’t need to go looking for a mate? He has provided us with many hours of entertainment, amazement, and enjoyment. Not sure our other cat or the dogs would agree.

    *would like to send a picture of him…how do I do that?

    1. Your Casanova sounds like a character! But he shouldn’t really bite/nip/scratch or mark you if was socialised properly as a kitten. Do you know what generation Bengal he is – i.e. F3/F4/F5? I’m not sure how other people post pics on here to be entirely honest with you! Do you have a Facebook account? You could “Like” our Bengal Cat World on there and easily post a pic. Otherwise you could email me a pic to spottycat@bengalcatworld.com and I can then publish it on here 🙂

    2. My male bengal used to jump up and nip at me……he was an only cat…..then i got another bengal ,a female…..and he stopped that behavior…..I now know he was just playing with me….now he has his sister they both play together……get a female bengal kitten for him……

    3. Only just seen this so I hope you are sorted. I wanted to tell you about the nipping. It is because he loves you. He is so ecstatic being with you that he gives you a love bite. My kitten does this but I tell her no, since she was so excited one day, that I had a really nasty bite which broke the skin and bruised the thumb muscle. Its an over stimulation which they cant cope with. Now Im aware of how strong her bite is, and I recognise the signs, a gentle finger wag and saying no usually stops her.

      1. I have a seven month old Bengal. She is wonderful as well and i seem to be her “person”. I also found that she nip’s as well, i had the impression that Bengals had lots of energy and she does not hurt me. She seems to do this when i am not paying any attention to her and she has been left alone all day with me at work. She comes from a wonderful breeder that socialized her with 5 other kittens and other older cats. Just have paitence with her and do what the other person does and say no. They are very smart and catch on quick, if he or she doesn’t get a reward for the nipping it will almost stop. Mine forgets every once and a while 😯
        Good luck!

      2. Interesting comments on biting my snow Bengal used to be allowed to roam . Then one day long story short disappeared and came back with broken jaw the vey reckoned some nasty human kicked him in the face . After £2000 of treatment he healed but had lots of behaviour issues I hired a shrink and he slowly got better . I now have cat fencing at the back of my house so he can go out but not out of the garden if I have work people he stays in. He’s slowly becoming more trusting after his nasty accident I will never know the whole truth he also now has a sat nab collar so if he did get out the garden I can track him down . I’m disabled and at home all the time I love him to bits but they are a handful . He had his own room at night and lots of toys they need 24 hr stimulation he’s also broken about £1000 worth of China antiques worth remembering if you are a collector . My samoyed dog hasn’t bonded too well but she puts him in his place ir tries to as naughty as he is I love him to bits and wouldn’t change him. The cat fencing albeit very expensive was worth it as he can let off steam outside and be safe in the garden . They get stolen in the UK and held fir random although he was the runt of the litter and I got him cheaper still lovely Cosmo to bits. The biting is interesting as he does still do it normally when he’s on your lap he’s 18 months now !!!

        1. I believe my kitty is a modeled bengal she matches all your descriptions. The question I ask is does the breed have any unique traits involving the paws. She seems to make a fist when sleeping .and I can not pet her on my lap as she digs her claws in. So I pet her on the she grabs handfuls of carpet as she stretches her body out. I have never seen another cat use there claws like she does .and her purr sounds almost like a growl of a puma

          1. Please, never pay a deposit until you are allowed to visit the Breeder and see what type of condition her cats and the breeding area is like. Doing that will save you much heart ache and disappointment!

    1. I’m sorry but I haven’t. I’ve got Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages/accounts but not MySpace.

  6. i love all the pictures of the cats and the Bengal cats are just beautiful. my brother has got a Bengal and he takes it for a walk lol i wish i could afford 1 lol xx

    1. Thank you for your comment! 🙂 My mummy sometimes takes Lula for a walk, she doesn’t care if she gets funny stares from passers-by! Bengals are quite expensive, but it’s worth keeping an eye on rescue centres, as they occasionally come up for adoption.

  7. Hi. I love your web site and I also follow you on Facebook. I don’t have a Bengal cat myself, but I do have two rather beautiful tuxedo cats. Enjoy the rest of the snow. <3

    1. Hello Amanda! Thank you for your lovely comments – I am hoping to develop my website a but further as soon as I get some time 🙂 A lot of our snow has melted, but there are a few flakes in the air, so hopefully we should get a fresh covering today! I hope you and your furbabies have a lovely weekend! 🙂 xx

  8. I adore the photos,just stunning.i am owned by 2 bengals, brown spotted brother and sister, Yau and Yodi. Yau the male, follows me everywhere, chats and chirps to me, thinks he is parrot, jumps om my shoulder, such a loving boy.WHere as Yodi, she a lot more reserved, loving but on her terms, she loves the great out doors, wunderlust .As for Yau, hes always around, i also have two siamese, choc point ASito, and his brother cream pnt DItty.It took some time for them to make friends, when i brougut Yau and Yodi home, my word sparks, kept them apart for a month,it took 2 years, but Yau andthe siamese, sitin front the open fire, merged into one,curled up, watching them sleep, far better than any tv on a saturday night. Keep up the blog,keep us guessing.

  9. Spot, could you tell us something about average size, weight, etc. of a Bengal? Male vs female perhaps? I love big cats like Maine Coons and my overgrown tabbies. 😀

    1. June….I agree! I have a solid black Maine coon who’s 2 years old and weighs ..24 pounds. Eddie is his name and I too love big cats. I also have 3 tabbies. I want to get a Bengal by this summer so Eddie has someone his size to play with. He is a big love bug and loves other cats. I cant wait! Lol

      1. Maine Coons usually are a bit larger than most Bengals, Terri. You can get very large Bengals, though they are the exception rather than the norm. You’d increase your chances of a large one if you got a boy 🙂

  10. Very good. Im not a breeder but do have a silver spotted who we live with he is 24 or 2 human years. We love him very much.

  11. Thanks!I am only in 4th grade and I am using these facts for a report on Bengals.I love your spotted coats! 🙂

  12. Hi and once again thank you for all the advice you have given to me over recent times. When we were going thru all the chaos with our new cat Tiger, (who , by the way has settled in beautifully, but still dislikes going outside) We discovered a few things about Bengals and Bengal Cross kitties. And this is from our cat doctor. She was saying, that Bengals and Bengal X do not adapt well to change, specially dramatic changes, as in, new home, or suddenly from going from being confined for many months to being allowed to roam. Probably the reason why, Tiger had his feline panic attack. It was all too much for him. Have you heard of this happening to any other Bengal or Bengal X or indeed any cat? I value your input on this.

    Pam Tyter. 😛

    1. I am aware that many Bengals don’t like sudden changes, which is common to many cats. We are very much routine-lovers in a lot of ways 🙂 I would agree with your cat doctor, they sound very wise indeed, Pam 🙂 xx

  13. I love all the info but the bit about the longer back legs is cute isn’t it? Saffie runs a bit like a Meerkat coz of this. Do you run like your back legs are catching up with your front legs ,Spot? It’s soo funny, watching! 😀

    1. Yes we do, Em! When we used to be able to run around the big field, our mummy and daddy used to laugh at us running as we could build up quite a speed in there! 🙂 xxx

  14. Are the bengals immune to feline leukemia as it says on Cats 101, I have two, they have had their innoculations against enteritus and cat flu but should i have them innoculated against leukemia?

    1. It is very misleading that they say that – the short answer is that Bengals are NOT immune and you should have your cats vaccinated against it (unless they are strictly indoor only with no risk of escape). The myth that Bengals are immune is in existence because the Asian Leopard Cat is thought to be immune, and the breed was originally bred to see if that immunity could be replicated in a domestic cat – but the answer to that was that Bengals aren’t – the immunity was not passed on. I hope that helps you, Linda? xx

  15. HI there, thanks for your site and comments in advance. i just rescued a silver tabby/bengal mix – i think. The legs, spotted tummy, head shape and facial characteristics and tail match but, what about stripes down the back? she has 3 black (or 2 grey depending how you look at it) and she glitters! are the stripes a bengal thing or tabby? here’s hoping to help her transition into a home with 2 siamese, a (rescued) turkish angora, and SHD (think sylvester) and rescued street dog! we have quite the zoo and i hope everyone gets along soon! :0)

    1. Hello! Both Bengals and tabbies have the stripes down the back, but only Bengals have the glitter – it is unique to the Bengal breed, so I would say your girl certainly has Bengal in her! 🙂 🙂

  16. Hi There! Purchased a snow/silver bengal and we are now wondering if he is really a bengal. Exotic looking but not much in the way of spots like our other bst bengal. Can I send you a picture? Niko (silver) is 4 months old and Duma is 10 months old. Love the breed and really enjoy visiting your site. Many thanks!

  17. Thank you so much for all the information on Bengals and differences between them and tabbies. I took in a feral kitten of only a few weeks who was all teeth and claws the first three months, then decided not to bite the hand that fed her! Turns out she is a Bengal X–has the structure and face markings of a Bengal and is absolutely huge—16# at 21 months! She is very wary of strangers but has become a sometimes-lap-kitty with me. I have been following Spot and Lula, and Leo and Porscha on Facebook, and I have learned so much from all of you! Keep up the good work, promoting breeders and reputable rescues, and giving us all the much-needed information on this glorious breed!
    Nose kisses and head butts to your gang from all my rescued cats here in Wisconsin!

    1. Thanks very much for the feedback, Karen, and I’m pleased to hear you’re making progress with your new kitten 😉 xx

    1. Hello Kellie! Bengals should have a tail, but mother nature does work in mysterious ways sometimes and there are occasions where a Bengal may be born without a tail, or with only a very small tail <3

  18. 🙄 Cairo is 5 yo neutered boy. I got him at 18 mos, and he has pretty well taken me on as his pet. He gets along well with our other three cats and two Border collies, but persistently pees in the house. He has access to a covered, outdoor kennel. He destroyed the carpet in the hallway and our bedroom, and I have just spent $7000 putting in hardwood to get rid of the smell. He still marks a couple of times a week in two spots in the bedroom. Is there any way, in your experience, to curb this behavior? Other than this major annoyance, he is a great kitty. Thanks in advance for any helpful incite that you might have.
    Barbara

  19. I read the article you suggested. I have never actually seen him do it, but the evidence suggests he is squatting and not spraying. I clean it up with enzyme cleaner, then pledge to help protect the wood floor. He always uses the same area, but will go several days between, and faithfully uses the litter box. I have not had him checked by the vet, but the infrequency suggests it isn’t a medical problem. I ordered some Feliway today, and am hoping it will help. Thanks for your help.
    Barbara

  20. I have an orange cat that has the spotted markings of a Bengal. He’s also CRAAAAAZY hyper! I’ve never seen a cat this hyper. He’s 3 inna half and his sister isn’t hyper at all. Just out of curiosity do you think it’s possible he might have Bengal in him or just underplayed?

    1. It’s very difficult to be sure if you don’t know his parentage, Melissa – of course anything is possible 🙂 There are cats who have spots who are not Bengals, it’s not unique to the breed, though rosetted spots are (where the spots are not one solid colour, but have a darker outer circle and a lighter inner fill) 🙂

  21. We have two mostly Bengal youngsters (almost a year old). How do I convince them not to do some things? Our boy is biting and scratching the furniture and our comforter. He has started this recently – in the last few months. I know that he had a stresser in the last month, we lost our older cat. The female is not doing so much of this, she is fairly calm. We love these two youngsters. They have helped the loss of both of our older cats and given us much joy. They are brother and sister – one is striped and rosette (girl) and the other is marbled (boy). Two such loving cats should always be happy and full of good food. Thanks for your help.

    1. Do you trim his claws, Elin? That will help to protect furniture. Also, you could use double-sided tape on there for a while, until he gets out of the habit. Some people like to use “soft claws” which are little plastic things that go over the claws, though we have never tried these ourselves, we’re not sure how comfortable they would be for a kitty <3 Also, make sure you have lots of cat scratchers at a good height where he can stretch out and scratch to keep his claws in good condition. We hope things improve for you soon <3 xx

  22. Do you have any ideas on how to get my male to quit biting the furniture and the comforter and then rotating his head and tearing the fabric and upholstery? He is such a loving big (11 mos old and 11+ lbs) cat.

  23. Any ideas on how to get my young male Bengal to quit tearing the furniture upholstery and my comforter? He gets his teeth in the fabric and then twists his head and tears what he has in his mouth. I love my little boy (11 months old and 11+ lbs). He is one of the most loving guys I have ever had. Thank you for your ideas on the clawing.

    1. Hi Elin! We’ve not heard of this before. I think you may need to consult a specialist, a behaviour therapist – your vet should be able to refer you to one. xx

    2. Hi there. I have just rescued a bengal. He came from the rescue centre with the hard baked cardboard scratch pads that go on the floor. He loves to sit and chew bits off like he is a big cat gnawing on a carcass!!!!!!! I am sure having these around the house give him a chewing and scratching outlet.

      1. Hi My cat loves to do the same though thankfully never did this on furniture etc. I bought her a loofah and she has a whale of a time tucking into it. Creates a bit of mess that needs sweeping up though

  24. my bengal is a wonderful cat and he is only faithful to me. he is tiny but beautiful and naughty, he doesnt like to go outside or go in water,i laugh and say i was ripped of of that gene. but he was the runt of of the litter,also he has asthma lol. but i love him so . especially at night when i wake up and find him liing right by my side

  25. I have a kitten (Bella)who I was told when I bought her is half Bengal F5 and half Maine Coon. She’s the most adorable kitten I’ve ever seen. If I sent you a pic do you think you may be able to tell? Thank you for all of your great info..

    1. Hi Suzanne! It’s not always possible to tell from a pic, but we’ll certainly take a look for you 🙂 Please send to bengalcatworld @ iCloud.com (no spaces) and we’ll let you know what we think! 🙂

  26. hi my mom has 2 bengals …the female is 8th generation and and the male is 4th generation and they had kittens. how do you find out the generation of the kittens? thanks

    1. Hi Ashley! Once Bengals get past F4, they are generally known as SBTs – which stands for Stud Book Tradition. The F number becomes less meaningful the further away you are from Early Generations. The F number indicates the level of hybrid, so F1 is one species (i.e. Asian Leopard Cat) bred with another species (i.e. domestic cat). By the time you reach F4 and onwards, the differentiation in species has been removed, so you are breeding one Bengal cat to another Bengal cat. Hence, in answer to your question, your Mom’s kittens are SBTs (Sorry to have been so long winded!) 🙂

  27. Hello! My husband and I adopted a shelter cat a month ago who was supposed to be a gray tabby. Even with his paws, the vet said he’s over a year old. Not only does he have what we refer to as kangaroo legs (back legs are longer), he has several other physical and personality traits we’re now realizing can be those of a Bengal. We think he may be partly Bengal because he LOVES water, is really vocal when he’s needy, can open cabinet doors, is VERY active, gets pissy and a wee bit aggressive when we try to keep him off the curtains, blinds, counters, etc.. He also has a tiny head and distinctive caramel-colord nose and caramel paws with black pads. We’ve had cats for years, and we’ve never had one quite like our little wild man. He’s also very affectionate and curls up with us every night. Can I please send you a few photos so you can give me your opinion as to whether he may be part Bengal? We’re trying to give him the very best care and happiest life we can, and if he has special requirements, it will help to know the challenges of that breed. We’re going to buy a cat tree this weekend in any case, and we’re changing his diet to grain-free as he is quite the stinky pooper. The vet did a fecal test, and he doesn’t have any parasites, thank goodness, but we have read that Bengals can have sensitivity to grain. Thanks so much for any advice you can give us. I’d love to send you photos, if I may, of my half monkey/half kangaroo cat.

    1. Hello Cathy! Your little man certainly sounds like he’s a character! Please feel free to send photos 🙂 Send the to bengalcatworld @ iCloud.com (no spaces) and we’d love to take a look at him 🙂

  28. Thanks so much! Yes, he IS quite the character; he was just dangling from a low-hanging fiber art piece just moments ago! I sent some photos, and I hope you get them. Our local provider has switched our e-mail format, and it’s a gamble these days on sending and receiving. I truly appreciate you taking the time to look at my little guy, and I thank you for providing great info for Bengal care on your site!

    1. Great minds think alike, Cathy 🙂 We were writing to each other at the same time 🙂 x

  29. HEY ITS ME AGAIN WEDAD I JUST WANTED TO SAY I HAVE A BENGAL CAT HIS NAME IS BESO AND ON ACCIDENT I USED MY DADS NAME FOR THE FIRST COMMENT OK BY

  30. I have a 5 month old Bengal, Lou. He is an absolute delight, he makes us laugh with his antics and is more fun to watch than tv. Lou was easy to box train. There is only one problem , at night he would like to get in bed with us which we liked. After playing in bed Lou would paw at the blankets , sit down and urinate on the blankets. He has done this quite a few times , needless to say he is no longer allowed in the bedrooms. Once he marked my daughter. He’s a wonderful pet and addition to our family.

    1. Awww…. bless him 😎 I think he must have gotten a little over-excited when he was playing in the bed x

  31. I adopted a bengal cat from my vet’s office last March and she is the sweetest, most affectionate feline who has ever been part of my family. She was in the house only one hour and declared her possession by curling up on my lap and staying there for 2 hours. She does this all the time. Mira is such a talker and I love when she chirps. At first I looked for a bird until I realized it was her. She’s not done this in the last year, but she has attacked me twice when I’m in bed. At first she would sink her teeth into my arm through the cover and then later that night left teeth marks on my arm which was outside the cover. A few weeks after that I awoke to find her with her mouth open and her teeth just touching my neck. That was the last time she has done something like this. Have you heard of them doing this?

    1. Hi Rita. We’re sorry to hear this, it’s not something we’ve heard of from others. Has anything changed in your bedroom at all? Have you changed the laundry detergent you use, for example?

  32. No, Spot, she had only been with me for a few weeks when this first happened. What scared me was not the teeth but the snarl and look on her face. It was if she were facing an enemy. It has been 10 months since this has occurred and it has not been repeated with either myself or my young granddaughter who Mira has come to love. Mira nows sleeps on my legs while I am sleeping and she goes nose to nose with me to express her happiness. She is also the only cat I’ve had that will eat from your hand. I would not trade her for anything.

    1. perhaps it was just a one off – something that spooked her and made her feel uncomfortable, it might have been completely insignificant to you, Rita. At least things are well now 😎 xx

  33. Your website it so great and helpful!
    My husband and I adopted a beautiful kitten (rescued from a fire) last week. Every characteristic you describe of Bengal SEEMS to match up. Is there a place/organization I can take our kitty to, so he can get “evaluated”. I really would like to know if he is a Bengal from somebody who knows their facts. Would YOU be able to tell me if I sent u photos?
    Thanks 🙂

    1. Hello Susan! Thank you for your lovely comments 🙂 We’re so pleased your boy was rescued from the fire and we hope no other animals or hoomins were hurt. We would love to see some photos! Please send them to our email address: bengalcatworld @ iCloud.com (don’t put any spaces in) and we will have a look 🙂

  34. So enjoyed reading through your blog! My husband and I just adopted a 3.5 year old female Bengal and she is our delight – never a dull moment with her around! She is very vocal and loud and very mischievous, it’s nice to read that this is her nature and not something we’re doing wrong for her.

    1. Thank you, Suzanne! Bengals are well known for being naughty and loud, your girl sounds like a typical example! 🙂

  35. I just purchased a beautiful, Bengal kitten. Looking forward to sharing my experiences with all of you.

    1. Hello Vincent! We look forward to you sharing them too! Good luck with your new baby! 🙂

  36. Im elegiac to cats . Someone told me once that you cant or something be elegiac to then like the yorkie dogs fur ?

    1. Lots of people who are allergic find that they don’t react much or not at all when they’re around Bengals, Nicole. Of course, there’s no guarantee, but perhaps you could try meeting one to see if the same is true for you <3 xx

  37. Hello, I would be grateful for some information from you, if possible. I am about to adopt (tomorrow) a year-old male Bengal (not yet neutered) and he is a cross between and his mother was an F3 and his father an F4 Bengal. What does that make him, please? The lady that I am buying him from says he is a “handful”, but in my previous experience with other cats, they usually settle down after they’ve been neutered, which I intend to do very soon after I get him. I have two other male cats, ages 5 and 6. Do you think the fact that his mom is an F3 is something I should be concerned about, please?

    1. Hello Sue. Your Bengal will be an F4. He probably will be quite a character and you are right to get him neutered as soon as you can. I don’t think the fact that his mom is an F3 is anything especially to be concerned about, as long as he has been well socialised from an early age, and has had close contact with humans on a regular basis, he should just be like any other kitty.

  38. We have a male Bengal cat that we love very much. Too smart at ties for his own good. He is an attention hog. My only problem with hin, is he occasionaly bites at our legs. Not hard but its a problem at times. Any suggestions?

    1. Hello Roberta! I bet he does it when you are not giving him the attention he craves? Say ‘no’ in a firm voice when he does this and then ignore him. He is doing it to get attention, even if that is negative attention. So never react by giving him attention – if you say no and ignore, he will soon learn that this doesn’t achieve what he wants it to. I hope that helps.

  39. I have two Bengal cats male and female (different breeders) the male seems to be very aggressive with the female and they have been together since they were babies 6 weeks old. He seems to be very jealous and she hangs back and seems to be fearful of him? He plays very rough with her and she hisses sometimes and often it doesn’t see like play especially with the female. Is this normal? They both would rather sleep apart in the day however at night the share a room together and are closed in (not by choice).

    Thanks for your comments in advance just need some answers.

  40. So I found a Bengal kitty awhile ago he was skin and bones but now he’s at a healthy weight he is a silver and he is my baby but my other cat chub chub try’s to fight him and he won’t fight back so I don’t know what to do cause I don’t want him getting hurt

    1. Hi Montana! Make sure they both get equal attention and also that there are places that they can call their own and don’t have to share so they can have time out from each other. Also make sure they have their own food and water bowls, and if possible, litter trays too. You could also try using a product such as Feliway which is a plug in or a spray that helps to calm them.

  41. Hi, I’m hoping someone can give me some much needed advice. I have just purchased my first bengal kittens after losing my lovely old tom cat. I have never owned a Bengal before but my sister as and hers got me into the breed. I have borough two from the same breeder, both female and both four months old. They were both very nervous at first but one of them has now started to let me stroke her ( on her terms) the other completely ignores me. She runs away if you go near her, she appears happy playing with her sister but just doesn’t want anything to do with me. Is there something I can do other than giving her more time to make her more affectionate? Any advice would be great.

    Thanks

  42. We took in a grey and white tabby cat who was pregnant. She had six kittens and one of the kittens looks just like a Bengal cat. Her markings are marbled and her belly is spotted. Is this possible?

    1. Hi Amy! It is possible for a feline mother to have kittens from different fathers as they often mate with more than one male and can carry babies from all of them. Without knowing her history, it’s difficult to say how likely it was she came across an un-neutered Bengal tom wandering the streets 🙂 Not all marbled/spotty kitties are Bengals 🙂

  43. Hi,

    I was wondering if you could send me your email address as I have a few questions I would like to ask you re Bengal cats which have gone missing in .

    Many thanks,

    Nicola

  44. Thank you so much for your article on determining if your cat is a Bengal or not! We adopted 2 kittens some months ago, the most interesting cats Ive ever had!! I kept getting asked if they were Bengal so I finally looked it up. It appears that they do, in fact have Bengal blood in them according to your checklist. I assumed siamese with how vocal they are but they are so interactive that I really questioned that. Our male has to be forcibly removed and locked out of the bathroom when we shower, prefers to “perch” on our shoulders and plays like our dogs. And he is HUGE for his age with huge paws! The sister, “calls” me to come sit and play with her, she is much smaller, but just as sweet!! more timid with newcomers. I have had alot of cats over the years and I have never had any with this type of personality. More dog-like than cat and so beautiful!! Whats even funnier, my sister adopted a cat also that is marbled and has a glittery coat, same type personality. I sent her your article so she could check for asymmetrical markings. I suspect someone in our area has an un-nuetered male running around.

    1. How exciting! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Kris 🙂 It’s funny you say you thought your kitties had Siamese genes, because Siamese cats were part of the original breeding program of Bengals so this is probably where they get their chattiness from 🙂

  45. What is the average price if a Bengal car weather it’s for pet or breeding purposes my gf wants one and I don’t want to get saffed

    1. Hi Zack! I’m not sure where you’re based but you must always go to a registered and reputable breeder. You will pay more but you will get a better quality cat that is less likely to have illnesses and be better socialised. Pet prices start at around £500/$1000; breeding prices will probably be more than double that.

  46. Morning All,

    I want, no let me start again, I need a Bengal cat in my life, I ha e managed to convince my partner that this is a must however I don’t want to buy one from some random person on Gumtree so I wanted to know where to find a breeder that has taken great care in its early life and has now got one for sale.

    If anyone has any information please let me know.

    Thanks

    Scott

    1. Hi Scott! I think you’re in the UK, but if you give an idea of roughly where you are, we may know some reputable breeders in your area.

    2. Hi Scott.
      I don’t know if you managed to home a Bengal yet but in case you haven’t
      My Silver Queen (Asimi) is currently pregnant and the kittens are due approx Jan 20th. They’ll be F5 (TICA registered) and won’t be ready to leave for a further 3 months. I’m located in South London/ Surrey and and kittens will potentially be Silver Bengals.
      Let me know if your’re interested
      Zai 🙂

  47. We just adore them and their chattiness! Their mother is still waiting for her forever home and it’s killing me, her babies are so special I’m seriously considering adopting her as well!

  48. A Bengal cross now lives with us,(Adler) ❓ and I have been trying to research potty training for Bengals. When I was younger I had several cats I was able to train to use the toilet, so the litter box was seldom in use. I can’t seem to find any info on ease of training Bengals. Can anyone help me out?

    1. Hi Arlyn! We’ve seen lots of examples where people have trained their Bengals to use the toilet 🙂 Bengals are very intelligent cats and usually are quick learners 🙂

  49. Okay question would having a bengal mix change there neediness alot or there attitude? If not then how would they adapt at an older age to a new family. no I dont have nor know anyone who does just a curious reader

    1. Bengal mixes (and Bengals) should adapt quite well at an older age to a new family. Just make sure they have lots of TLC to let them settle, the same as you would for any kitty <3

  50. I have found a female bengal and have a male half siamese. He is white with blue eyes and orange markings on tail and tips of ears. I was thinking about breeding them. They are about the same age. Is this a good idea?

    1. Hi Clarissa! We would only really recommend breeding by registered breeders who are looking to further the breed. We are supporters of spaying and neutering for most cats, just like ours are. But of course, you are free to do as you wish 🙂

  51. I just adopted a marbled Bengal he was abused and 4 paw de- clawed and then some uncaring idiot to put it nicely got tired of him and just threw him out side to fend for himself. Needless
    to say he he is beyond scared. And super skinny. I already have a bengal who I love dearly. And I am familiar with there trait’s and behaviors.( I did a ton of research beforei I bought my bengal) The rescue Bengal I was told is about 7 years old they found his previous vet and got a minimal amount of information on him. But this boy seems extra large and of course is hissing and he actually growls, and since he is scared he growls about everything even while he is eating. Any way I was wondering how far down in the breeding chain can a cat be marbled and is there any way to tell if they might be a F3 over a F5 or F6. I am starting to wonder if he is a F3 maybe and someone bit off more than they could chew and just tossed him. (he is netured).
    He isn’t vocal yet like my other bengal he just hisses and growls like a big cat.His head seems large of course he is so thin from being thrown out that it could just appear this way and his neck is very muscular.

    1. Hi Rhonda! We’re sorry to hear that your boy was so mistreated, but it’s good news you are looking after him now <3 You can often tell early generation Bengals from their looks, try googling F3 images and see how they compare to your boy. Once they get past F4/5 it's much more difficult to know unless of course you have their pedigree papers. They can be marbled from F2 onwards 🙂

    1. Thank you very much, Elaine! We’re glad you enjoy our site and congratulations on your new addition! 🙂

  52. Oh my gosh now I want one 😥
    It is so cool that you can walk them! I love a cat with a bright personality. I was wondering if they have a mushy side, and I am sure it depends on the cat, but do they Iike to snuggle too, like on a daily basis? I don’t mind them being energetic, but I need the love!

    1. Hi Jaqueline! It certainly does depend on the cat. Most Bengals are affectionate, but not all are lap cats. They are very loyal and usually like to be in the same room as their humans, but not all enjoy getting too up close and purrsonal with them! 🙂

  53. My Una is …. almost 8 months im guessing shes in heat ..no moewing but peeing n pooping in corner s. Just not the usual heat of a like a tabby say. She wants to gwt out side really bad …not good n idea.my frie n d has a tuxedo cat we want to makethemballl. But im bugging on bengal..idky I think dhrvcant get PREGO..THREE FEMALES IN THE HOUSE.SO CUTE. HOW DO I MATE THEM?

    1. Hi Carla. We don’t recommend anyone breeds unless they are registered breeders, so we would recommend you spay your girl.

  54. Our Bengal, Moosch, is the joy of the neighborhood. When. We walk our dog the cat comes along. Buddies to the end walking side by side. He loves people and will visit with neighbors, go in their houses, watch t.v. (likes the angels and the steelers. May spend the night. I sometimes get a call ffrom the humans so we won’t worry.

  55. Allo!
    Just bought a little Bengal Blue in august on my birthday (I was supposed to go get stuff to make a spaghetti sauce but…) it turned otherwise..!! :mrgreen: I already have a 5 yo Tabby and apart the fact that Snooky had some problems with its stomach (diarhea, loose stools) , he is a perfect wise and funny cat. Here are the little videos I made to show the easy socialisation with my old Tabby Plumo. Do you have advice for its stomach? Went to the vet, he has no worms nor anything wrong. Eating ACANA food… Any better food? merci! https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2526bh_chats-bengal-silver-bleu-et-tabby-1e-semaine-de-vie-commune_animals (1 week/ 6th week/ 10th week clips) Enjoy!

    1. Hello Plumo! Thanks for sharing your video link, it’s cute! 🙂 ACANA is a great food, though perhaps it may be a little too rich at the moment. Perhaps you could try something like Royal Canin Sensitive, though you should never change foods too quickly. Do it gradually by mixing the new with the old food, with gradually increasing proportions of the new. Good luck! <3

    1. Hello Jorion! I’m not sure where you are in the world, so it’s difficult to be precise about where you can purchase a Bengal from. If you’re in the US, the TICA website has a list of reputable, registered breeders. You must always buy from a registered breeder. The cost can vary but is usually around $1000 for a good quality kitten.

      1. 2018, The cost is now between 1,1300 and $ US 2000.
        Research your breeder well, do not Air Ship a Kitten, and be careful of someone who always has kittens to sell, they over breed the female cats.

  56. Generally speaking, the Bengal needs no more care than most cats. Proper food and veterinarian care will keep your cat in good health. ❗ 😛

  57. I’ve had my beautiful, sweet, Rajah for 3yrs now. I’m not a cat person, but he is no “cat” I assure you of that! LOL! He walks on a leash, refuses to drink from a bowl, will only drink from running water so I bought him a fountain, insist on taking a shower with me, argues with my boyfriend and I about who he wants attention from on the couch at the moment, but is sure of one thing, he will be between the 2 of us! God forbid we show eachother attention lol. As crazy as he is, I’d not trade him for the world! But I had a couple questions. Curious if any of you had delt with these 2 issues…. First, it is pure hell trying to get in and out the house because he tries to escape every time. I know he would be either hit by a car on this busy street we live on, or ate by one of the neighbors 6 evil dogs. So I just can’t let this happen! (And yes he is fixed) … Second, when my mom comes over, and ONLY her, he whines and cries to her steady! Trying to be as close to her and in her face as possible. Like he is just dying for something! She hates and is allergic to cats and is always telling me he must need food or water or something! LOL, he doesn’t need any of those things and was just fine until she walked in. And he doesn’t do this to anyone else! So I can’t imagine it’s her attention he wants, or he would do it to everyone. Anyway, if anyone has some advice on either subject, I welcome it! Particularly the escaping part!

    1. He sounds like a real character, Holli 🙂 In terms of the escaping part, it’s all just a matter of logistics. If you can’t any type of double door set up, then perhaps you just need to (a) be very, very careful, EVERY time the door is opened or (b) make sure he has no access to the area where the door is, there are no other magic answers, I’m afraid. In terms of your mom, he has obviously formed a strong bond to her, for whatever reason. Many people (though not all) who are allergic to cats find they are not allergies to Bengals. Perhaps your mom just needs to give in and accept his advances lol! The more she resists, the more he will try! 🙂 It’s not unusual for a Bengal to form a strong bond and loyalty to one particular person, though usually this is in the direct family group.

    2. I asked my Vet about taking my Bengal out on a lead. His answer was, he will enjoy it, then the minute he is off the lead and you open a door he will be out in the wild blue yonder with out his lead. You will lose you cat!! Result :- Miss Kitty Bailee, has no lead, is an inside cat. The other problem, The cat is not stupid! It knows your Mother does not want to be near it!!!

  58. We just bought a marble brngal8 weeks seems to cry alot and he has clean kitty litter and fed and watered ?and lots of play

    1. 8 weeks is very young, Joan – usually registered breeders don’t let their kittens go to their new homes until they are 12 or 13 weeks old. He has separation anxiety from his mother and siblings (if there were any). You need to carry on giving him lots of love and attention and I’m pretty sure in time he will understand your place is a good place to be. Patience is the key.

  59. HI! We just got a bangle kitten today he’s 8 weeks old. We also have a 3 yr. Old German Shepherd, it’s been a challenge trying to introduce them because the kitten starts growling and then hissing any time he sees him. I just kept telling him no, and that he was fine. We we’re also told to put him in the room where his litter box was going to be for the first 24hrs. so he would know where to go. Then when I was feeding him it was like he was talking but growling at the same time. He would stop, but then I started petting him and he started doing it again. Does he already have aggressive issues? And if so I know he’s young how can I break him of them? Thanks in advance for your help & time.

    1. Hi Angie! It’s quite common for Bengals (and other cats) to talk/growl when they are eating – it’s a sign they are enjoying their food and they’re warning others to stay away from it, so there’s nothing to worry about there 🙂 In terms of the dog, it will take a lot of time and patience. He is probably quite scared such a large animal, and he is being defensive, not aggressive. Give it time and they may well become best of friends. I don’t think your kitten has any aggression issues, though he was rather young to be taken away from his breeder at 8 weeks. Most registered breeders don’t let them go until 12 or 13 weeks.

  60. Just to add, my kitten Snooky was 4 months old when I saw it at the pet shop, licking and playing in the same cage with an angora and a siamese. That was what decided me of buying Snooky, he was already socialized and when at my apartment, it took 1 hours and ½ before he played with Plumo the 5yo Tabby. So, just take your time, these cats are VERY FRIENDLY, in a no way agressive. 😎

  61. hi I have a Bengal loves water into everything are they all naughty my chug and shiz have had enough but they can,t get him he is to fast, if I fix him will he slow down, pulls curtains down in the garbage oo and don,t think of taking a bath with door open im in over my head with this one. he is very loveable purrs very loud and MEOWs loud. help

    1. He sounds like a typical Bengal! This is why it’s so important to research the breed before committing yourself to having one 🙂 We would certainly recommend that you get him neutered, but he probably won’t slow down much. He sounds like he is probably a kitten, he may get a little quieter as he gets older.

  62. My Question is this: We live on 61/2 acres, carved out of the woods. As a result, we have an abundence of mice, inside and out. We HAD a pair of Siamese kitties, a male and a female, (Brother and Sister) that we Rescued from a Family who was overpopulated and could not afford to feed them. Th female was an exceptional “mouser” and kept our mouse population under control, to the detrement of her waistline 🙂 She had also claimed me as her personal property 🙄 I am disabled. As a result of my disability we rescued a Mastff who also claimed me as his personal property 😳 As a result she began spending more time outside and fell victim to our local population of coyotes 😥 Our male is still here, but he is NOT all that interested in controling our interior mouse population 🙁 How are Bengal kitties, generally, as far as being “mousers”? I would plan to et female s as Not to have two boys fighting over “King of the Hill”. I will, of course, get her spayed as soon as she is old enough. Even though our male Siamese is nuetered, I would not want our new kitty to be interested in finding a “man”. How are Bengal kitties, generally, when it comes to entering a family with other pets(3 toy poodles, 1 Mastiff, and 1 Male Siamese cat)?

    “.

    1. Hi Lynn! I’m sorry for the loss of your Siamese girl 🙁 If given the chance, Bengals are very good hunters indeed! 🙂 As long as you make sure you purchase a cat/kitten from a registered breeder who has socialised their kittens well from an early age, Bengals are generally very sociable cats and get on very well with dogs and other cats too!

      1. SPOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH for YOUR PROMPT REPLY! Any Kitty we get will have a hard vacancy to try and fill. I need a Hunter and it appears that, like their Lion Cousins, Females may be better hunters than the males. I am hoping to move in a new kitten to learn to take over the “mouser” chores without “upsetting” the present occupants. Chasten, the male Siamese, is much more accepting of newcomers than his sister was so I am hoping a Female kitten will have a better chance of gaining acceptance into the family. We live in Decatur, IL (About 40 miles east of Springfield, the state Capitol) do you have any information about registered breeders in our area?

        1. You are very welcome, my friend! A female kitten sounds like an excellent choice. There are a few breeders in IL on the TICA website, this is always a good place to start. Here’s the link I hope that helps

  63. My Bengal kitten is now 11weeks old he had his second shot wed he is very playful my teenage bonus daughter and our granddaughter s 13 yrwere here this weekend end and slept with him all weekend now he Cry’s very loud and @the moment slkepibg on my chest 9:30 so do I put him on his CST room or ?

    1. Hi Joan! I think you mean cat room? It’s really up to you and whether or not you would like him to sleep in your room with you. If it’s not a problem then fine, but if it is, you need to get him back used to his cat room again. You will have to try and ignore his cries if you can.

  64. We love our Bengal, Lou. He came into our home, as a kitten, and turned it upside down and took over. He’s loud and has much to say. He has noises for food, a messy box and individual calls for the three humans living in his house. We watch Lou more than the TV because he is more entertaining. He makes us laugh zooming through the house jumping from counter to furniture while making his twill calls. We will never be the same without this wonderful creature.

  65. I’m not confident exactly why but this web site is loading pretty slow for me. Is any one else obtaining this concern or is it a challenge on my finish? I’ll verify back later on and see in the event the difficulty nonetheless exists.

  66. Hi!
    My name is Alon and from ISRAEL. I have a beautiful Bengal cat (it’s very rare in my country), but I have no papers that he’s original Bengal cat.
    Someone in Israel bought him from UK, and when he sold me the cat he said that he lost the papers.
    How can I get new certificate? can you help me please?
    And btw, thanks for this lovely site! 🙂

    1. Hello Alon! Thank you for your kind words about our site 🙂

      Do you know who the breeder is? You would need to find that out first, and then you can get in touch with either the breeder themselves or whatever organisation they are registered with to ask for the papers again. It will probably be either GCCF or TICA. You can usually tell the breeder if you know the full pedigree name of the cat as it will include their own prefix – e.g. our cats are called Tobysden Sunspot (Spot), Tobysden Tallulahbelle (Lula) etc… so Tobysden is the breeder identity.

  67. Hi there. I have a Bengal cross male kitten aged 19 weeks. I love him to bits. He is always playing fetch and drops his toy mouse on my knee to throw. He is very loving towards me 99 percent of the time but occasionally he latches on with his teeth and claws and just will not let go. Is it likely he will grow out of this once he is neutered ? I love him to bits and would never part with him but ouch it hurts ! Lin

    1. Hi Lin! He may well grow out of it, but you should not rely on that as if he doesn’t it will only get worse and not better! Each time he does it, try not to react with a loud “ow” or any similar noise, as this is what he wants 🙂 Try and say “no” in a firm, but not shouting, voice and try to make him let go and put him on the floor, and ignore him for a while. He is probably doing it to get attention – have you noticed he does it perhaps when you are not taking so much notice of him? Or it may be when he has become over-excited during play time. Either way, you need to withdraw the attention from him (even ‘bad’ attention is sought after by cats sometimes) so that he learns he gains nothing from this interaction so he may as well not bother at all. Good luck! 🙂

    2. Snooky does that sometimes when playing with the paper ball (see the previous video link) when I am at the pc, he just give me the ball and since my attention is at the pc screen, he used to grab my feet/sock/slipper to wake me up! and continue to play with him… which I do kindly. The behaviour is not negative from him, he listen to all the commands, he already understand the “Non” since the first days… Continue to teach him, they are very wise cats…

  68. I’m trying to figure out if my cats bengal or part bengal. When I got her they told me she was but reading this article I’m not too sure? Theres no where to put a picture up to show you her

  69. I am trying to adopt a kitty named princess but I am not sure if she is a bengal or not . I was wondering if you could help

    1. As Plumo says, make sure he/she has lots of scratch posts etc. You can always trim their claws if you’re worried about scratches. It’s just like humans cutting their nails so there is no pain, but if you’re unsure ask your vet to show you how to do it the first time.

      1. As for Plumo the tabby, I learned Snooky to let me cut his nails when I am before the pc; while talking to him when he’s on me (usually in the morning when he is more relax), I check and cut each nail (or not)…. Its like a little game, during around 5 minutes or less… Bonne chance! ;)-> #JeSuisCharlie

  70. I would say that I cover my bed with a blanket and he has 2 scratch pad, 1 cat tree and another pillow over a pile of boxes so he can rest there. So far, Snooky did not attack anything in my appart….

  71. I’m planning on buying a Bengal and the first question I have is, when you already have two female cats is it better to get a male Bengal or a female one? Both my cats are Ragdolls and I’m not really sure how they would get along. 2nd question is, would the Bengal get along with my two Ragdolls if I were to leave and they were all home, I want to know if we should keep the Bengal apart from the Ragdolls for the first few weeks. Thanks

    1. Hello Mike. Are your Ragdolls quite active cats? Bengals are very high energy so perhaps may not be the best match for very laid back Ragdolls. If you do decide to get a Bengal, we would usually recommend one of the opposite sex, though a female may be slightly less high energy than a male, so may be the better match for you. We would always recommend that new cats are separated from existing house cats for the first couple of weeks, whatever their breed. We’ve written an article on introducing a new cat to existing ones which you’ll find here on the website 🙂

  72. I’m taking care of a 10 year old neutered male cat while a friend is on a 2 week vacation. Red is very used to me. I’ve taken care of him previously and visit his home often. My issue this time around is his vocalization seems more than excessive. Nothing is different. I need advice please, as I can’t disturb the neighbors. Thank you in advance!

    1. Has he been to your home previously, Kathy? He is probably stressed out by being out of his territory, even though he knows you. You seeing him at his home is completely different (for him) to not being in his home. Unfortunately, when Bengals are stressed out, they do get talkative and are not a quiet breed. Other than make sure he is as happy and comfortable as possible, I’m not sure there is much that will stop this, other than going back to his own territory. Sorry!

  73. These cats are absolutely stunning and their markings are beautiful. I hope to get me one this coming summer. Thank you for sharing and educating us about these magnificent cats. You sure did answer a few questions I had.

    1. You are very welcome, thank you for your lovely comments, Terri. I hope you get your kitty in the summer 🙂

  74. Wow….I love this page!! Its so informative and educational. Thank you so much. I love Bengals and want to get one hopefully by this coming summer. Your pics are absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing with us.

  75. Hey. We adopted two kittens back in the summer & whilst mum was all black, they are definitely part Bengal. They are a mixture of stripes, spots and marbled, utterly beautiful markings, very similar to the “shining in the sun” picture. They have the characteristic ‘M’ on their heads, thumbprints on their ears, such soft and shiny/glossy/iridescent fur, long muscular legs, relatively small heads etc. They are incredibly vocal and, the boy especially, very naughty! They are incredibly affectionate and we love them to bits. I was just wondering whether there was any indication on potential fully grown size for cross-breeds?! Whilst the little girl is still relatively small, Jasper is now bigger than our 13 year old black & white cat & nearly over 3.5kg!! They are only 6 months old! Thanks!

    1. Hello Jasper and Elsa’s Mum! They sound adorable! 🙂 In answer to your question, it’s very difficult to give any indication on potential size for a cross breed as of course it will all depend on their genetics and the size of the parents, grand parents etc. If these are not known, then it’s a case of being patient 🙂 Bengals can take up to 3 years to fully mature, so there is a fair amount of potential growing to do yet 🙂

  76. Wonderful site. Thanks for all the information. I foster cats and recently took in a Bengal. She is 4 years old. What a dear girl but VERY inquisitive. One question. She has a delicate “chirp” and not a full blown meow. She is a talker when she wants something, but it’s not a typical meow. Is this normal for Bengals? I’ve never fostered one before. Thanks.

    1. Hello Jen! Thank you for your lovely comments 🙂 All cats are of course different, but there is a distinctive chirp that many Bengals have 🙂 We often have long conversations with our humans, full of chirps and miaows (well, we have to humour them, because then we get some nice chicken treats 😉 ) x

  77. Hi Iam thinking of getting a bengal. I already have a couple of cats a Havana Brown and a domestic. I am worried that a new bengal would have a difficult time adjusting to my older cats. There is a breeder nearby and he said not to worry that he would let his bengal mix with mine just to get to know each other. I also live alone and work double shifts. Do I need to be concerned about leaving the bengal all day and sometimes nights with out me being there? The other cats adjust well with my schedule. I anxious to get one if everything works out. Gary

    1. Hi Gary! As long as you do the introductions slowly and carefully, tips in our article here, there is no reason why your cats shouldn’t get along. All 4 of our Bengals get one great with our 3 domestics (most of the time anyway 😉 ) Your Bengal will need lots of things to climb on, comfy places up high, lots of toys and activity centres and then he should adjust to your shifts. The other 2 cats should become good playmates too, so as long as they are reasonably active it shouldn’t be a problem. Though if they are docile, inactive cats a Bengal may not be the best mix for them when left alone for long periods.

  78. Great blog thanks Bengal ‘s are the best affectionate wilful funny loud it is like having another child but well worth it!

  79. I just adopted a bengal kitten, and I can’t seem to get him litter trained. We tried putting him in the box every hour. He runs right out. He is about 6 weeks old with a case of adhd I swear. Any advice that could help.

  80. From my knowledege, 6 months old is quite young… because after that, once the cat knows where is the litter, it can,t get it worng… I would suggest to you to keep an eye on him but since hes is too young, iyt would take few more weeks before he got the hook! Bonne chance!

    1. 6 weeks I should have write… sorry… adhd?? (which I doubt!) well, if thats the case, you should thik about letting it go… really…

  81. First of all, 6 weeks is WAY too young for this baby to have been taken from its mother, who usually does the litter box training for you! If this is a rescued baby, he should have been with an experienced rescuer/care-giver who knows how to litter-train babies–I have fostered and taken in many kittens of various breeds, and unless they are severely injured or traumatized, it only takes a few days to show them how to use the litter box. Using a larger carrier/cage so you can put the litter box in it, feed the kitten and then scratch with your fingers in the litter and put him in it. Repeat until it works! Be patient, don’t yell, and tell him what a good boy he is. It is a natural instinct to scratch in the sand or dirt for them, and you shouldn’t have too much trouble.

    1. I agree with Karen. 6 weeks is very young to be away from mother, but what’s done is done, so patience is a virtue. Just show him what to do and he will get the hang of it.

      Thanks too for your input, Plumo! 🙂

  82. Hi 🙂 i got a one year old snow bengal. I just bought a jacket/harness for her from your store and i loooove it! She’s not use to wearing a jacket, so do you have and tips or tricks to make her comfortable with the jacket? Because right now she is just “crawling” around one her belly.

    Best regards Melia and Unika from Denmark

  83. I have a Bengal male who is 14 months old. I bought him from the breeder when he was 2 months old. Can I put him on the leash and take him out for a walk. I tried to put the leash collar around his neck but he does not like it and starts take it out right away. How can I put the leash on him to take him out.

  84. How do I get my new adopted bengal male to sleep through the night, he wakes me up every 2 hrs.
    Thx
    Barbra

    1. I forgot another point, always play with him before going to sleep so he will be tired (enough tired I should say!)… Voilà! :)->

  85. Depends of its age, mine was 4 months old but I would say from my own experience; feed him before sleeping time + give him its proper place in the house +learn him the “no” early + tell him to sleep at night! Seems funny but it worked here… Time ois the better teacher anyway! Bonne chance! -Plumo

  86. My Bengal is 10 yrs old and he still wakes us up at night even after hes eaten im concerned that he loosing weight also as he dosent go out and hunt anymore should I be worried he very fussy with his food.

    1. Hi Faye. If you’re worried, it doesn’t harm to get him checked over by a vet. It’s difficult for us to comment specifically about his condition as of course we haven’t examined him, and are not medically trained anyway. We hope he’s ok! <3

  87. I don’t want to steal the site but before I had Plumo the Tabby and Snooky the Bengal (who’ll have 1 YO next april 23th), I lived with Afro the female Tabby for 20years old.: First, I would check with the vet OPC (in french, it means NOW!) for kidneys probs, dental probs (could be the main problem) or who knows what…
    Let us know what happen…
    Keep positive, cats are warriors!
    😉

  88. Last valentines day I adopted 2 18 month old Bengals male&female 1/2 sibs
    . I also have a pair of siamese & a 13 yr old blind yellow tabby. I’m having issues with the Bengals being very aggressive to the other cats no matter what Ive tried to the point They are becoming ill because of stress. I have used Feliway which helps a little but man is it expensive! Ive tried squirt guns & time outs by theirselfs when they attack the other cats. I was told that they were with other siamese so didnt predict this problem. I put collars on them w/bells to help alert the cats they are coming but the little smarties take them off of each other! I’m at my wits end & hate to think I will have to rehome them!!!! Any other suggestions?!!! HELP!!! Kat

  89. Have any kittens for sale near st Louis Missouri. Plus when a Bengal lives outside in winter will the coat change colors from Rosetta to a dark brown and looks like a hedgehog ! Will the Bengal coat change back in spring or summer to Rosetta coat!

    1. Hi Mary! If you’re looking for a kitten, I suggest you try the TICA website first, as we’re in the UK so I am not familiar with breeders in your area. I’m not sure about the coat changing colour as we only have experience of Bengals living indoors, I’m sorry.

  90. I adopted a rescue kitten from a vet where she had been dropped off. They said she was a Bengal mix… I Named her Matilda. Everything you wrote in the article was absolutely true about her: the coat, the water (she was quite large so she preferred the faucet in the bathtub for drinking but she played in it as well. She did have a quite large vocabulary and she did have that tone about her when she was ignored or annoyed…. She had a 3strike rule. If she told you three times and you still didn’t do what she wanted, she would bite you. She Did warn you. She was my child. When I left, she was waiting by the door when I came home. My roomie said sometime she would just stare at the door and whine. At seven years old she weighed about 18.3 lbs. That didn’t stop her from playing hard with me, she didn’t spend much time with the other cats. We understood each other perfectly; there was no language barrier. She stuck with me like Velcro, and as soon as I sat or laid down she was in my lap or lying on my chest using my cheek or chin as a pillow. She slept that way too, of course she also snored… I loved her so much. She passed last January 18th 2014. Delivery guy didn’t get the gate closed back properly and someone swerved to play that horrible game of hit the kitty. People behind them stopped and brought her closer to the house and got us. I got to tell her I loved her and then she was gone, but she had held on for me. She was cremated and sits next to my bed. I would give anything to have her back. But, I guess it’s good to know that if I could ever bring myself to have another, they wouldn’t be her, but they would have many of the same behavior and mannerisms. Thank you for the insight.

    1. Hello Alicia. Thank you for sharing your experiences. Your girl sounds like quite a character and we are so sorry for her loss. We hope in future you may find the joy in another, when you are ready of course <3

  91. I am so sorry your have lost your friend. I wish everyone could understand how much these wonderful creatures can enrich our lives. We knew we were going to lose our 13 year old mixed breed female 2 years ago. I was so sad. After the first couple of weeks of knowing, I decided that I was going to look for a kitten to fill the hole, not to replace my girl but to share our lives and our 13 year old male cats life also. When I got to the humane society the told me they were going to get a litter of 4 Bengal kittens in the next day. 3 females and 1 male. To make a long story short, we chose to adopt 2 of the kittens, knowing that they would keep each other company when we were not home. We adopted the male (a marble pattern) and a female (with rosettes). They have so enriched our life. We lost our 13 year old male 8 months later and then the little male really adopted my husband. These two kittens (now 2 years old) are so different from other cats. I really do not want to ever have another breed of cat. The kittens filled the hole in my heart, but they are totally different. I have a completely different relationship with them that I had with the other two cats. I am so glad I made that decision. So is my husband. Maybe you should visit a local humane society and just visit the cats. It sounds like you are still very lonely for your friend. That might help fill the void and the ones you visit would like the company. You are in my prayers for healing.

  92. Sorry for your loss, but Matilda was well-loved and knew it–that is more than a lot of cats ever have! I too have a rescued Bengal cross–she was feral when I took her in, and spent the first 3 months being all teeth and claws!! We bonded because I had to teach her how to eat solids and use the litter box, and because she loved her baths and being wrapped in a towel like a burrito. That sounded too strange (even for me! I have other cats with odd names like Fast Eddie McTavish and Rocket J. Katt, among others!) so I named her Chilada. She is, of course, very different from other cats and has only a high squeak for a voice, but her amber eyes are both mesmerizing and nearly telepathic! She is nearly 4 now, and about 15#, and loves music!! Please think about giving another needy cat the love you gave to Matilda–we don’t replace one with another, but only fill the empty place in our hearts!

    1. We don’t have dogs ourselves, Mel, but we know of many examples where Bengals and dogs get along well 🙂 I suppose a lot will depend on the individual characters of the cats and dogs concerned.

  93. Just an anecdote from yesterday afternoon here.. On my backyard balcony (at the third floor), there was a young (6 months?) Doberman female freezing, alone. I opened the door and try to find out from where she was and what she was doing there… I putted water in a bowl and dry cat food. She ate everything and then… entered my place. Snooky the Bengal and plumo the Tabby were standing nearby, watching with interest… The dog was very kind, nervous but in no way agressive… Finally, she entered the whole place, followed by my two “landlords” without any problmes. Snooky smelled her butt and was of a very familiar way with her. Same for Plumo… I was so pleased to see my cats behaviours… Finally, the dog was owned by the new tenants of the appart nearby mine..
    Voilà!
    I think this Doberman could have stayed here…
    Even if she let me a very nice “gift” nearthe fridge…
    ;)->

  94. I have just adopted a 4 month old Bengal/Scottish Fold. is black and has the Scottish Fold ears, is wonderful and both parents are suppose to be purebred. He really has the Bengal looks sleek long body . My question is about his tail, he has none, not even a nub. Does this occur in these breeds or is there a Manx in the mix.

    1. As far as we’re aware, Manx were not used in the development of Bengals, Carol, though genetically you can always get those that are different to the ‘norm’. Our breeder once bred a kitten that had no tail, it’s just a quirk of nature we think 🙂

  95. Hi, i’m in a bit of a problem. Our family feels fine with the expectations of a bengal, but it will be the first time owning one. We want this breed very badly, but we want for it to be in a family that can provide to all its needs. Is it still possible to adopt one? Is it also POSSIBLE for a bengal to not be highly active?

    1. In my experience, my bengal Snooky is active, but not HIGHLY active. Maybe the term is badly used… He does not have ADHD! He has his temper, play a lot but maybe because of Plumo my 5½yo Tabby’s presence, he is quite on average, sometimes looking at what Plumo is doing and…. thinking so he can manage his behaviours! Sometimes, Snooky is the one who leads the games, runs and jumps around the place but it is not for long time. Same when he learned when to sleep. I would suggest to look well at which stade od socialization your kitten is, if he is well with others, have good ears… Look at them carefully, at the parents and at the breeder’s place.. Bonne chance!

    2. I’m not sure where you are, Dania, but there are several places that re-home Bengals, please see our rescue section on our Breeder Directory page for a list. If you adopt an older cat, they have often calmed down by then – the shelter will be able to advise. A kitten would probably be very active, though of course there are always exceptions and are some that are less active than others.

  96. Our Bengal cross, Adler is very active. Toys can be a new or different cardboard box. I hide sift balls and cat toys in my purse and accidentally leave it on the floor. He plays catch, fetches and brings back soft balls. Likes to ‘fall’ into the bathtub on occasion. I owned a Moluccan cockatoo for 25 years, Adler is almost as ‘busy’ as Powder was.

  97. My mom has been sick,and her Bengal cat is not stop on top of her and is non stop following her everywhere she goes.She is getting scared. Why would her Bengal cat coo coo! Be doing this?

  98. Cats are very aware when you feel bad and/or are sick! Her cat is protecting her the best way it can.. 😉 He feels her sickness…

  99. I have a 2 year old female Bengal…she is a bit skidist and doesn’t like when company comes to the house. We are looking to resuce a male Flame Point Siamese cat but are concerned about how she will react. Thoughts!

    1. It’s really difficult for us to predict, not knowing either cat. Make sure you do the introductions slowly and carefully (we have written an article on this) and take it steady to see how it goes.

  100. You should ask her before!! Just kidding, its saturbday! ;)-> Snooky is miaouwling on the balcony…..

  101. actually the bengal cats are hypoallergenic! my husband is deathly allergic to cats, he starts sneezing within five minutes of being at my parents house where we have three regular cats. If he touches them he breaks into hives almost instantly, his throat closes… its bad. He bought me my bengal baby for christmas and this little love sits all over his face, cuddles with him, sleeps on his chest and he shows no sign of any allergies! they lack a protein in their saliva (which is what humans are allergic to which is mistaken for dander) so he is not allergic to our Kitty!

    1. We are so pleased that your husband doesn’t have any allergic reactions, and luckily his experience is also mirrored by lots of other people who are allergic to cats. However, we have also been made aware of several cases of allergic people still reacting to Bengals, so we would never be so irresponsible to declare that all Bengals are hypoallergenic and that every allergic person will not have a reaction because in our experience, this is simply not true.

  102. Am just wondering whether Bengals get more “wild” as they get older. Our Bengal girl has been such a sweetheart, but within the last two weeks has bitten me (the one she’s most attached to) twice, and nipped at me when I was talking with a man. She doesn’t seem to have any other symptoms – nothing seems to hurt, she’s eating, drinking, and using the litter box appropriately. She’s now 8 yrs. old, and we’ve had her since she was about 12 weeks. She’s socialized with our other cat, and though they get along well and chase each other through the house, they don’t sleep together or use one another for comfort. Our Bengal often sits on the sofa arm when I’m there and purrs when I pet her, or she follows me through the house and often sleeps on the bed when I’m quilt-making at my sewing machine. She was neutered when we got her. And she has all her claws. Do cats get Spring fever, too? Any thoughts about what might be going on? Do we need to take her to the vet, which she hates??

    1. Hello Bonnie. We have heard the opposite – that Bengals often get quieter as they get older. We recommend that any sudden or unexplained changes to behaviour are checked out by a vet. Cats, as with many animals, are very adept at hiding signs of illness (it is very detrimental in the wild to show such signs of weakness), so it is often the subtle signs you need to pick up on to figure out something is wrong. Your girl is being a bit more than subtle, so she needs to make that dreaded visit, I’m afraid! Hopefully all is well medically, but it never harms to get these things checked out 🙂

      1. Thanks so much. I was afraid of that. But do you know if cats act stangely in the Spring? We’ve had other cats that seem to and we wondered if our Benga is just reacting to it being Spring.

  103. We have not had experience of any of our cats acting strangely in the Spring, Bonnie. If she’s not done it previously, then I wouldn’t have thought that would be the cause?

  104. I understand that, according to your article, Bengals are no more aggressive towards other cats than any other breed. However, we have a problem with our cat constantly being attacked by a much larger Bengal from our street.

    It’s normal that cats have disagreements, but the Bengal will hang around the front of our house waiting for our cat – and also try to chase her into our house. We’ve had to buy a cat flap with a microchip reader to stop the Bengal getting in, but it’s still costing us a fortune in vets bills – do you have any advice?

    1. Hello Simon. We are sorry to hear this. Of course, as with any cat, they are all individuals so you can get some who are more aggressive than others, including Bengals. Have you had a chat with the owners of the Bengal? Is he neutered? If he isn’t, then that may help to reduce aggressive tendencies. Unfortunately, if both cats are allowed unrestricted access outside, then I’m not sure what I can do to advise. If it was me in this situation, I would probably cat-proof my back garden and allow my own cat to have access only to that part of the outdoors. Much safer for him/her in lots of ways.

  105. My husband recently passed away. Before he did to replace the kitty I had to have put down he got me my Bengal boy from our local shelter. Knew he was different but didn’t know what he was until a friend said “that looks like a Bengal”. AAnyways, he is my bestie now and smart as a whip. I love my little Bengal boy!

    1. Hello Dianne. We are sorry to hear that your husband has recently passed away. We are pleased that you have found such a good companion though xx

    1. Hi ibrahim. You can send us pics if you like and we will let you know what we think. You can email them here 🙂

  106. Hello,
    I am just curious, I am adopting an older Bengal. She is going to be three years old this year. What should I do to make her transition easier? I know cats can also have separation anxiety as well and I don’t want her to feel that way. I am so excited to adopt her, take care of her, love her and play with her. I just want to make sure she has an easy transition. I am worried about her peeing on places that she shouldn’t, like my clothes or things that are an unfamiliar scent to her, because I don’t know how to get that out. The people I am adopting her from are giving me her litter boxes, scratching tree, dishes and toys. which will help because those are familiar scents. Any other advice will be great.

    Signed,
    A Very Excited Soon To Be Bengal Owner

    or Lexi

    1. Hi Lexi. Just take things slowly and patiently. Keep her confined to a single room when you first get her, with all her familiar things, so that she is not overwhelmed. Then gradually introduce her to the rest of your house and let her explore at her own pace, don’t be too enthusiastic. I’m sure in time things will work out but you must be patient <3

  107. Hello, I am a volunteer at my local shelter and we happen to have a Bengal cat (left behind by his owners who moved). He is about 2 hrs old, 12 lbs, stunningly gorgeous, healthy. Of course we cannot speak to his pedigree with certainty but he looks and acts very much 100% Bengal. I am helping to facilitate an adoption with an experienced cat savvy family. their home is large and someone is always home.. They currently have 1 cat and 2 weimareiner dogs. Cat and dogs all get along and are well trained. What do you think about that fit for the Bengal? One dog is senior and less active, the other is about 7 yrs old and more active . The Bengal cat is very sweet and affectionate, albeit very stressed at the shelter. He is curious and athletic but will also curl up on my lap (b/c he is scared).
    Of course the shelter understands that not every home is the right fit for a Bengal cat and we do want him to go to an ideal and proper home. Unfortunately not a lot of people have experience with bengals! Do bengals do well with large dogs? You advice would be much appreciated.
    Thank you

    1. Hello Alice. Thanks for your message. We do not personally have dogs, though we have seen many examples on our Facebook page of Bengals and dogs (large and small) getting along very well. Of course, the correct introductions would need to be carried out and nothing is guaranteed, but we think this could be a good fit. We hope that helped.

  108. Hi, we have just bought a Bengal male cat from reputable cat breeder. The kitty is 3 months old. We are facing a bit of a problem in regards to his wilderness. Our kitty is afraid of us, though we are only two people in the house. The breeder kept her kittens away from people in a caged little house just for kittens and their parents separate. Could this be a problem? If yes how can we tame the cat?
    Best regards

    1. Hello Aziz. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to keep the kittens and their parents separate, as long as there was plenty of room and they had lots of interaction with people when they were there. If they were just left there on their own most of the time, they won’t have been properly socialised and it can lead to some problems like the ones you are facing. The good thing is, he is still young, so you can turn this around with lots of time and patience. Let him learn to trust you in his own time and don’t force anything on him, but show him love and play with him as often as he will let you. He may never be a lap cat, but hopefully in time he will learn that you are nice people.

  109. Hello I was wondering if I were able to send you pictures of my 2 cats if you were to be able to tell me if they are a bengal or not. My female her mother is Bengal and Siamese mix and her father was a gray tabby. My male we have no idea what he is and found him outside at 5 weeks old.

  110. Hello,
    I had two bengals kittens, for the first time in my life, and I had this experience: both of them were very energetic but very sweet and lovable, in their wilderness, but meanwhile one was a good behaved cat, the other one was kind of “challenging” me. It wasn’t stupid at all and it didn’t want to do a mess while I was working, but as soon as I got home, he would jump on the couch, in front of me, and would … poo ! Or, in my bed, while looking frankly at directly at me, was doing the same ! It was very strange… because he did not do one bad thing while I was away, but once I was home, and it didn’t hide, but looked at me, to be sure I see it. Do you know what the message was ?
    thank you for your answer
    Michaela
    ps: they both had the same good conditions of living: clean house and toilet ;), good food, trees and toys, and because I worked (6 h per day, not more), I bought two instead of one. I gave them back because my daughter developed an allergy. now, she’s been cured, and she wants her cats back :)) _Never loved cats before those, despite the attitude displayed but that one :)) but I really do now, thanks to them !

    1. Hi Michaela!
      It is a way to get your attention when you got home. The best thing to do would be in a firm but not shouting voice to say ‘no’, put him on the floor and not give him any more attention for a while. That way he would learn that doing this doesn’t achieve what he wanted it to.I hope you can get your cats back soon, it’s good that your daughter got cured 🙂

  111. Hello,

    I need some help. My daughter has convinced me (me being the avid pet lover) to adopt a 1 year old Bengal in need of a new home. I am told she is socialized having been around cats & dogs since birth. I have an 8 year old lab/german mix that is getting too lazy to be bothered with any other animal, but I also have a very friendly 110 lb 1yr1/2 year old Bernese Mountain dog. How well do these cats adapt to change? New pets? I have never owned a Bengal before before but I have dealt with different breads (regular tabby, Persian, himalayen) all pets have their distinct personality which is what makes them so special. I just want to try and make the transition for this young Bengal into our home the smoothest as possible so that everyone can be one big happy loving family.

    1. Hi Chantal
      We have heard of many cases where Bengals get along very well with dogs. Any introductions should be made carefully and slowly. We have written a couple of articles in our “Advice” section – one relates to settling your new cat into your home, and the other refers to introducing a new cat to an existing one (though it applies equally to dogs as well as cats) 🙂 We hope they help! 🙂

  112. Hi, we are adopting a Bengal kitten and when it’s old enough he will be free to go outside as he wishes during the day when we are at work. Breeder suggested wwe take a pair for company because they will stay around home more and a bengal by itself has a tendency to roam looking for feline company
    We are undecided. Take one or two? Would two mean we are in for double the trouble? ?Kylie

    1. We would agree with your breeder – Bengals do like feline company 🙂 If you don’t want to pay for 2 Bengals, you could always adopt from your local rescue – get a kitty that’s around the same age and pretty active 🙂

  113. Hi, I am in dyer need of help, I recently recieved a female Bengal kitten, 7 weeks old I was told she was litter box trained already, but when I brought her home she has not used a litter box ONCE! It’s clean, small but big enough for her, I have tried keeping her in a room with the litter box and she always used the bathroom on a blanket. I think I have tried everything and nothing seems to be helping. I have had her for a week now, is this normal or what can I do to improve this situation?

    1. Hello Amberleigh

      Sorry to hear you’re having these issues. 7 weeks old is very young for a kitten to leave their breeder. Registered and reputable breeders do not let them go to their new homes until they are 12/13 weeks old. It sounds to us like the ‘breeder’ was not a very good one. It is not normal for a cat of this age to not know how to use the litter box. All you can do is persevere. Try using different types of litter and different types of litter boxes. Show her where the box is and gently place her in it. Generally little cats like yours might struggle in a large litter tray with a lid (not sure if you have that or not) so try using a small open one, putting it on the blanket she is using until she gets the hang of it. Never chastise her and always reward her when she goes in the right place. Your kitten’s mother didn’t get the chance to train her properly and the ‘breeder’ probably didn’t care, so it’s up to you to train her now.

      1. Oh wow. I did not know that, no she didn’t come from a good home/breeder. I told her when I did because of the living conditions and they were feeding them raw meat. I have made sure her litter box is always clean and with dust free litter, she is to the point now where she uses the bathroom right beside the litter box, when I pick her up and put her in the box she will still jump out and continue to use on the floor. I will continue to train her the best I can, thank you so much for your help.

        1. You are very welcome and good luck. Lots of gentle encouragement will do the trick, she is still so young, but I’m sure she will get the hang of it soon <3

  114. Just perused your website – it’s fabulous!

    Trying to learn all that I can about newly acquired, beautiful, 5-yr. old Bengal female that previous owner could no longer keep. I believe she is Snow Marble Seal Lynx Point (very light cream/taupe, blue eyes, white belly, dark tail).

    She appears to be adapting well – eating, not hiding, loves to be petted but, without warning, will bite me! Could that be because, [I’m distressed to say,] she had been declawed (which I personally find barbaric) and has learned to use her teeth to talk? Should add that my 2 other (normally well behaved) cats) sometimes create a BiG! fuss around her for NO apparent reason, and she (of course) has no means to defend herself.

    It’s only been 2 weeks – hopefully all will adapt, but I welcome any pointers you might offer to make “Myai’s” transition into her new forever home less traumatic.

    Thanks!

    1. Hello Jacki! Thank you for giving Myai a new loving home. She is attention seeking when she bites. There will be warning signs, but may be subtle so you need to get to understand her a little more which I’m sure you will in time, it’s still early days. Just try not to react if she bites and she will learn that she gets no attention that way. We wish you all the very best 🙂

  115. Hello, having always had dogs I’m not very familiar with cats, but love the idea of having a Bengal. Several questions: at a recent cat show, someone told me that Bengals spray a lot, male, female, neutered or not. Is this true? Next, I have a very large garden and it would pain me to deprive my future cat of an outdoor life by keeping him confined indoors. most breeders have told me to keep cats inside, for their safety. Many cats roam here through neighboring gardens. What’s your opinion? Finally, can you recommend a really good breeder in France of Bengals, with special attention to beauty, character, socializing? Thanks!

    1. Hello Prudent! Bengals can be very sensitive which means they can spray. Not all Bengals do though and if you can avoid stress for them, the risk of them spraying is reduced. We like our cats to be outdoors too, so we have made them a secure large cat garden – you will see it in the advice section of this website 🙂 It’s a great compromise as it gives the cats lots of room to run around in the fresh air, but they are also safe and secure and we know they won’t go wandering off or get stolen (Bengals are very adventurous). We are in the UK so are not familiar with French breeders, we recommend you do lots of research by seeing if there is a French Bengal Cat Society, or maybe look at the TICA website to see the French registered breeders on there. Good luck!

  116. I had a Bengal half-breed named Valkyrie. She ended up being very small with half tabby, half Bengal markings. I have never before had a cat with such a big personality!

    I honestly would recommend a Bengal for anyone who is really looking for a dedicated companion. My Val wouldn’t be more than 10 ft away from me! She wanted to be involved in everything I did and was the first cat I’ve ever had who took to a leash like a dog did. Instead of a clicker, I ended up copying her vocals and accidentally ended up training her very thoroughly through different types of calls that she would then repeat back to me to let me know exactly what she was thinking. She was the best mouser I’d ever seen, and was smart enough to figure out how to open the doors in the house!

    But I have to recommend the Bengal because of that loyalty the article mentioned. I’ve owned both difgs and cats, but none of them compared to the relationship and loyalty I developed from my Valkyrie. I could cuddle her at night like a teddy bear (which is extremely rare for cats, and likely Bengals, too). But she was very in tune with me and my moods, as her designated human. It unfortunately went so far that she was some times moved to aggressively confront strangers or houseguests she knew I was uncomfortable around. She was loyal and protective and the most loving animal I’ve ever had. (RIP, Val).

    For anyone who can reciprocate the heart a Bengal will give, you couldn’t find a better pet.

    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences, Jackie. We’re so sorry for the loss of your beloved Valkyrie, she sounds like a true character <3

  117. Hello,
    I recently lost my 13 yr old dog. I cannot even imagine getting another dog. I don’t think I ever will. But I do miss having someone to take care of. My kids are grown and it’s just me. I live in an apartment on the 15th floor. I do have a balcony. How do Bengals do in apartments and would I be able to let her/him go on the balcony without worrying that the cat would jump?
    Thank you

    1. Hello Michelle. We’re sorry for the loss of your dog 🙁 Bengals needs lots of interaction and playtime, as they get bored easily. If you can provide things that will achieve this, such as high cat towers, cat wheels, and interactive toys, and spend time playing with a Bengal, then they can adapt to apartment living. They are quite fearless though, so I would worry with such a high balcony and unfortunately we have been advised by other page friends of their Bengal cats who have sadly passed away after jumping off balconies. But you can buy cat proof netting to go on a balcony so you can still see out, but it keeps the cat safe. We hope that helped.

  118. hi i like all the info abought bengals, my cat sabre is everything you have wrote,i have a question: what age is best to let a male bengal outside he is 7 month old

    1. Hi Neil! Whether or not you let your cat outside is a bit of a hot topic. We’ve written a couple of articles on 1. Should I let my Bengal outside and 2. Ways to let your cat outside safely – you can find them in our Advice section of the website 🙂

    1. Hi Jossy!
      Thank you! It depends on where you live, but we recommend that you start by googling breeders in your area. Make sure they are properly registered and always see the cats and kittens before you commit to any purchase 🙂

  119. I’ve had a Bengal cat for 3 years and he likes to bite and scratch and it’s been getting worse! I just want to bring him to the animal shelter. I won’t tolerate a cat that bites or scratches the hand that fees him! Is this normal for Bengal cats??

    1. Not really. It’s normal for any cat that wasn’t socialised properly as a kitten, the first few weeks are crucial and if your Bengal was bred by a breeder who didn’t really care about the welfare of their babies, then this is what can result I’m afraid.

      1. ❓ I have a kitty who is the same way – do you know of any training – or ways to stop or minimize this? I love the mock fighting but he has sharp teeth.

        1. You have to teach him that this is not acceptable. He is doing it for attention. Don’t shout at him when he does it, just say ‘no’ in a firm but not shouting voice and then ignore him. Once he learns he doesn’t get attention from doing this, he should stop. Perhaps discourage mock fighting too – play with cat toys and not hands etc else he will get confused and not know where the boundaries are.

  120. I have a kitten Bengal and he has been a great edition to our family! He is quite vocal but very loving. He loves water! He will drink water from anything. He is very active and needs a
    lot of simulation. He loves to snuggle under the blankets and to be covered. I would recommend the Bengal cat to anyone interested in a cat and has time to spend with them.

    1. It depends on where you are. The TICA website is a good source of information, or GCCF if you’re in the UK. Or you could try googling and checking that the breeders you find are registered properly with TICA/GCCF/FiFe etc. Ask to see their registration paperwork if you have any doubts. They should also always provide youth registration papers when you buy a kitten from them.

  121. Hi! I am a breeder in PA and have a girl that is a darker version of a Snow Bengal and her father was actually one… She just gave birth to three beautiful babies and one is completely white… Does this mean that she will be a Snow Bengal? I hope that you can help me because this has never happened in all of my history of breeding… Thanks,Sheree 😯

  122. Hey there! I’ve on,y just begun looking at Bengals as a breed for me ~ but it seems to be rather hard to decide.
    I live alone, without work and stay in my apartment for 20-24 hours a day, every day. I thought I might be able to have a Bengal, as I have the option of creating a pn incredible fun environment using shelves, cat beds, scratching posts and other stuff to keep my cat happy.
    But is it even possible to have just one Bengal like this? Or is it just wishful thinking?

    1. Hello Ida! Yes, it is possible! Bengals love being with their hoomins and if they have lots of toys and stimulation and places up high where they can sit and watch the world go by, they should be very happy 🙂

  123. Hi. Awesome site!! Very useful thank you. What I would like to know is when in a kittens life will the markings and bengal features show? We have a marbled kitten but now I am not sure whether he is bengal or not. He seems to have asimetrical markings but its also quite close too call. How can I be sure? I received photos of both parents but I never saw them in person and the breeder is not a registered breeder.

    1. Hi Jaco
      Kittens go though a stage called ‘the fuzzies’ where the markings are not clear at all. Their wild cat cousins’ babies also go through this – it’s a form of camouflage in the wild and a way to protect the baby. Their markings usually become clearer at 3 – 4 months old. We would always recommend going to a registered breeder and also seeing the cats and kittens at the breeder’s house. This ‘breeder’ could have sent you pics of any cats and you wouldn’t really know for sure if they were the actual parents or not.

  124. We adopted a free kitten off of craigslist back in oct and im really beginning to think he may be a bengal mix… Hes orange but not the typical orange colored tabby however does have the leopard spots with some stripes in a darker orange or rust color on his sides and definate spotted belly and it does look glittered in the sun light…. His fur texture feels so different than most cats as well…. His personality is off the wall and can go from sleeping soundly to bouncing off the wall in a split second- which my 4yr old absolutely loves…. He actually loves water and has learned to turn on the kitchen faucet himself and pretty much runs to the bathroom when anybody goes in there to have someone turn on the sink so he can play in it….he has learned to open cabinet doors and i had to go out and buy a crockpot with a locking lid because he figured out how to open the lid when there was food cooking…. Our christmas tree was destroyed as he would take all the ornaments off and hide them…. We currently had moved in with my father who is currently renovating an old school so there is plenty of rooms that he explores and climbs alot of the scaffolding which makes me wonder how in the world he got up there…. There are 2 other cats here but they are very old and grumpy so he resorts to playing with the dogs which are very large…. Hes large for being around 6mos old and his back legs do seem to be longer than the front and his tail is long and he carries it outward with the end a bit crooked- reminds me of how a tiger carries it…. Everybody that meets him says he is very different than most cats including our vet who said he was very pleasant but different than most cats hes seen…. My daughter absolutely loves him even though he takes the toys out of her toybox and she has to pick them up, but shes also taught him how to fetch and ride in her doll stroller and he has now learned to hug her whenever we come home from being gone….. I would never have thought he was a bengal mix until someone had mentioned it so i decided to google what they were and came across this page…. and its helped to understand a lil about his personality if that is in fact what he is….. No known background info as the guy just said they were born in a junk car in his work garage to a stray that he fed and wanted to find homes for the kittens before it got cold and my 4yr old picked him or like i say “she picked the crazy one that im constantly shaking my head at” lol

    1. Wow! He sounds like a character, Marris, and definitely shares a lot of Bengal traits so you could well have a mix 😉

  125. Helloo,
    Thanks for your article, my name is rico i lived in indonesia, i want to get bengal to indonesia but here sometimes temperatures is 34 degree, can i have bengal?

    Kindly your reply my question

    1. Hi there!
      Most cats do adapt quite well to heat as long as they have lots of fresh water available to drink. Of course, many wild cats live in hot climates so as long as they are acclimatised properly, it should be ok.

  126. I am a lifelong cat lover, and currently have two sister indoor cats. However, I am having a very difficult time with a neighbor outdoor Bengal cat. It is extremely agressive and stalks around our house for most of the day, attacking my cats through any means possible. We are woken each morning by a cat fight through the windows. We have blocked windows with cardboard, taken out screen doors and kept glass storm doors up, have needed to put up hardware cloth on the screens that are permanent because the neighbor cats is tearing through them. It is like we are under siege. Needless to say, my indoor cats are extremely stressed out. As am I – who would much prefer to make friends with this cat than constantly try to scare it away. I shout, I throw water, and I chase it. But it just lurks and then comes back. I am 50 years old and have never experienced cat behavior like this. Any advice? I don’t know who owns it, so a direct conversation is not an option.

    1. Oh dear 🙁 It sounds like he may not be neutered, Biz. I would try and find out by asking around in your neighbourhood if that’s possible? The owner probably doesn’t realise their cat is behaving like this and I’m sure if you could find them, you could reach some amicable agreement, like the cat being neutered for example, which should alleviate a lot of this behaviour.

  127. Hi, I came across this site as I was looking to try and discover what kind of cat I have on my hands.
    First of all I might mention that we are in China.
    About 4 months ago my son came home from school with a cat his classmate had given him.
    It was about 4/5 months old at the time (I GUESS, I never had a cat before so I really have no idea)
    It was pretty obvious it was a smart cat and soon became clear that there was something special about her.
    We knew she was coming and had prepared a litter box for her. The first thing I did when she came in was put her in the litter box.
    She didn’t use it, just had a quick sniff around and jumped out and continued exploring but she has never done her business anywhere but in the box.
    Anyway, her behaviour was quite different to any cat I had encountered previously, she was so definite and consistent in her behaviour that I decided to look around and see what we had.
    After some online investigation the nearest I can come to is a Bengal cross cat, though if this is an artificially bred species, bred in the U.S. I don’t know how on earth we found one in China (southern).
    Her colouring is that of a brown Bengal but without the specific spotting or marbeling (she is obviously a cross), she has a mottled coat with colours ranging from light brown through grey to black.
    Head on, her face and chest look exactly like many photos I’ve seen of Bengals from that angle.
    One of the first things I noticed when my son bought home that skinny, frightened little fleabag was it’s disproportionately long hind legs.
    The second was how quickly she warmed to us. (Myself, wife, son 10 and daughter 5)
    She’s turned out to be an absolute blessing, a little gift from god to have this wonderful animal prowling around the house. (did I mention I never had a cat before). She’s very affectionate and good with the kids, purrs a lot and very loudly. (and meows and yowls and generally has a lot to say whenever we come home from out or whenever she’s in the mood for a chat)
    While she doesn’t display the colouring of a Bengal cat she displays some other physical attributes. The long hind legs and long striped tail with a black tip and the facial characteristics, but what really makes me think she’s Bengal is her nature. Exactly as described here.
    She’s extremely vocal and absolutely MUST be in on whatever’s going on in the house.
    She loves to sit and watch the kids have a bath and if we’re having a shower she absolutely must be there, she will sit at the door yowling to be let in (and not in a quiet way) and will bang the door with her paw such is her drive to be near the running water.
    She just seems to love the water. My son was sat in the bath spraying her with a water pistol and she just sat there.
    I found her in the sink wet from a dripping tap one day as if she’d been bathing herself.
    She loves the kids and when my 5 year old daughter carts her unceremoniously about the house like a stuffed toy she looks quite put out (ears down slight frown) but tolerates it nonetheless.
    She runs at full speed all around the house and loves to play chasing and stalking and fighting games and she’s very good about keeping her claws in, especially with the kids. I must play a bit rough because she’s sunk her teeth into my arm a couple of times, but never scratched. She leaps and jumps to catch balls and I think she’s quite surprised even herself at times launching herself halfway across the room without first considering the landing.
    She’s trashed a couple of very nice houseplants before she learned not to and always likes to climb to the highest spot wherever she can.
    She’s such a loving affectionate personable cat it’s impossible to ignore her (not that she’d let you anyway).
    I think she’d do very well if just left alone in the wild. Her biggest ambition is to get those fish in the fishtank and when a open the top to feed them she has no hesitation putting her paw in the water. In fact she is definitely attracted to water .
    Is there any way I can upload photos here?
    I’d be interested to hear what members think.
    It seems odd that a Bengal cat should turn up in China, but then perhaps the ASIAN Leopard cat has been domesticated by cross breeding in Asia at some time in the past.

    1. Hello Vaughan! It certainly sounds like she has lots of Bengal characteristics. Bengals were originated in the US, but they are all over the world now, so it wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility for her to be a cross.
      You can email us some pics if you like, and we’ll take a look 🙂

  128. Ahhh interesting, the fact about Bengals like to watch their humans in the shower. I just thought Pie, my 1yr half-Bengal half-Tabby, was a monumental pervert!

    Looks like he’s inherited this fascination from the Bengal side. He’s also most interested in toilets, so we now operate a lid-down policy. I think I’ll stick with the pervert assumption, as it kinda fits his character.

    1. lol 🙂 It’s not uncommon for them to get in the shower with you, so I think you’re getting away lightly, Chris 🙂

  129. Our Bengal cat is almost 6 and still quite small, will she grow as she gets older or shall she stay the size she is ? Thank you !

    1. Hi Sophie! At 6 years old, your girl is fully grown and won’t get any bigger 🙂 Not all Bengals are huge, our Annie cat is a petite lady too 🙂

  130. Hi. I adopted 2 Bengal about 6 months ago. Ages 12 and 7. The 12 year old is super skinny and I’ve tried EVERYTHING to put weight on him! Vet gave me meds to increase his appetite. They do make him eat, but…he promptly throws up his food. He refuses wet food also. Any tips on getting weight on him? He’s around 8-9 lbs. But he needs another 3 at least! Help!!!!

    1. Have you looked into raw food, Pat? We’re not experts, but there’s lots of help on the internet. Also, there are certain friend foods that are higher in calories than others – your vet should be able to advise you on this.

  131. Hi! I was wondering if there was a difference between a snow Bengal and a regular Bengal besides the coat coloring. I was told elsewhere that all though they’re both bengals they’re both separate breeds. Is that true??

    1. All cats have their own personalities, but snow and brown Bengals are just different colours of the same breed, Bry. Many times a litter will contain both snows and browns (if the parents are carriers of the appropriate gene) – this wouldn’t be possible if they were separate breeds, so I’m sorry but whoever told you that quite frankly has no idea what they’re talking about.

  132. First off I just want to say that your website is great and the information you provided about Bengals is extremely accurate! Anyway… My boyfriend purchased his Bengal Sephora about 6 months before we got together. After 6 months of dating I moved in and everything seemed to be going well and Sephora seemed to be adjusting. Two months after I moved in Sephora had kittens (because my boyfriend was silly to think she couldn’t get pregnant at only a year old.) Sephora had five adorable kittens with grey and black rosettes and we gave them away at about 16 weeks in 2 pairs as we wanted them to have a buddy. We ended up keeping the littlest one who resembled an alien with her tiny head. It wasn’t until all the kittens but Aleon were gone when Sephora developed a behavior of peeing on anything left on the ground (towels, clothes, blankets, pillows) but mostly our bed. She now does it on the carpet as well and we have spent a small fortune on replacing bedding and the carpet was brand new. We have noticed it usually occurs after she has spent a while crying at the door to be let out (she loves to go outside but wanders too far and goes missing for weeks so we can’t let her out). She knows she is being bad too because she will run off really quick afterwards. Her litter box is kept clean and she definitely knows how to use it. The mother and daughter have separate bowls and litter boxes and both get a lot of attention. We are unsure if the cause is me (even though Sephora and I have a great relationship), Aleon (her daughter), just not being let out, or something else. What do you think it could be and do you have any suggestions? It happens about 3 times a week and is getting really frustrating but we love Sephora so much and she is such a special cat and we would never consider giving her away.

        1. Hi again. There could be any number of reasons, like the ones you suggested above. First of all, we would get her checked over by the vet to make sure there are no medical reasons causing this. Then consider whether there any way of cat proofing your yard so she can be let out safely? Or maybe taker out on a harness and leash? Also, you could try Feliway to ease stress. If you can try and isolate the cause, that will be the best option as then you can address it – a pet behaviour expert may assist you in doing this, your vet may be able to refer you to one.

  133. For info, just in case other people like me are reading this, I thought I’d share my experience to far.

    I’m allergic to cats, dogs, pollen and dust. Weirdly I was fine until my mid-20s, but since then it has been a pain. It’s a mild allergy in that I get cold symptoms, itchy, weeping eyes and occasionally hives if the cat touches my face. Not pleasant, but not medically serious. For years my wife has wanted a cat (she grew up with cats) and I’ve said no. I decided to take a risk and try Bengals. We visited the breeder and we spent a fair while playing with and holding the kittens. I held them up to my cheek and made a point of rubbing my hands into my eyes. No allergic response at all. We’ve now had them a week and the only time I’ve had to take medication was when emptying the hoover I knocked a cloud of dust into my face. I’ve occasionally nearly sneezed because cat hair went up my nose, but non-allergic people get that too. It might not be the same for everyone, but it’s worth a try. I don’t think it’s fair to upset the animal because you can’t handle it, so I decided that if the allergy was no worse than before then I would deal with it and manage it with Bendadryl (Luckily I am one of those people who have no side-effects) and have a space where the cat couldn’t go, but it seems that the cats don’t bother me at all.

    1. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences, David 🙂 Whilst we never claim that Bengals are ‘hypo-allergenic’, they do seem to produce less of a reaction in quite a few people than many other breeds of cat do. You did exactly the right thing by spending time with the cats and kittens at your breeder’s place before committing yourself to a purchase. We hope it continues to be ok for you and your wife too of course 🙂

  134. I have found this site most informative as I have a 3 month old Bengal cross. He has a lot of the Bengal markings including the small head and ears. His colouring is different though as he is full grey in colour which he gets from the Persian blue in him. He loves to climb and gets on very well with the other kittens that belong to my brother and his partner. He’s very energetic but he is also very loving and hates to be out of my sight for long. Unfortunately he is unable to meow no matter how hard he tries it comes out as a squeak. But I don’t care as it means I know when he needs me for something he also had unusual eye colour which are a caramel brown. He’s very mischievous but he isn’t naughty he never growls or hisses at the other kittens even when they eat his food he just moves and eats theirs. I’m housebound due to bad health and disabilities so I bought him for company. Even though he’s only been with me for 4 weeks we have a special bond that he doesn’t have with my brother and his partner. I’m the only one he will go to when he wants cuddles and to curl up to sleep. Even though he is only half Bengal I just wanted to say he doesn’t have all the Bengal traits that full bengals and some mixed Bengals have. In my eyes he’s unique and he shows me everyday how much he loves me and I do the same with him our bond is very strong and I very much doubt it will ever change.

  135. Hi! I was wondering if anyone might have an idea, I adopted two kittens from the same litter at a shelter, a brother and sister about five months ago. We adopted them assuming that they were just tabby cats because the litter had two black and whites so we assumed there was no real breed, which didn’t matter to us anyway. I took them to get they’re shots this week and the vet mentioned to look into the Bengal breed because she was thinking they may be part bengal due to how large they are (the femal is 6.5lbs already, and the male is almost 8) and the markings on they’re coats. Does anyone know how to go about finding out if they may be part Bengal? Any info would be appreciated thank you!!

    1. Hi Lily! It’s almost impossible to be certain if you don’t know the full parentage, but if you email us pics, we can have a look and see what we think 🙂

  136. Hey guys
    I’m from Melbourne Australia
    I’m looking at getting my very own Bengal.. I was just wondering if you have any breeders I could contac??
    If you could please get back to me by my email address that would be great 🙂 xx

    1. Hi Meghan! I’m sorry we’re in the UK and we’re not familiar with any breeders in your area. You could try looking at the TICA website, or Google breeders, but please make sure they are properly registered and all their kittens come with papers. We hope that helps 🙂

  137. I just recently acquired a female Bengal cat from a friend who couldn’t take care of her anymore. Is there certain food restriction for Bengal cats? She tends to throw up her food occasionally and it can’t be because she suddenly switched food (she’s been eating it for several weeks now). Any suggestions?

    1. Hi John! We feed our Bengals the same food that we feed our non-Bengals – Royal Canin dry in the morning and a pouch of wet food in the evening. Lots of people like to feed a raw diet which you do need to work on to make sure they’re getting all the nutrients they need. Others say that Bengals should only eat grain free food. We found that ours didn’t like it. Does your girl eat very quickly? This can sometimes be a cause of them throwing up after eating rather than the food they’re eating. You can buy special bowls to slow down food intake, or try raising the bowl off the floor, both these things may help if that is the cause.

      1. Hi.
        I was told by my vet that wet food in gravy would make my Bengals sick but jelly was fine.
        As for dry food try royal canin exigent.

        1. I think it depends on the cat 🙂 Ours have wet food in gravy and they are fine 🙂 They also have Royal Canin dry food, which varies between Exigent, Bengal and Sterilised (you can switch between different types of the same brand without issue).

  138. We are looking into buying a Bengal. Would you suggest if it’s better to get a female or male? Neutered or not? We have a 5 yr old son who loves animals and has a lot of energy. Are they kid friendly?

    1. We would always recommend going to registered, reputable breeders. We have both males and females and both are wonderful, so I think it depends on seeing cats and which one you warm to. Definitely get them neutered if they aren’t already. As long as you go to a reputable breeder, who has socialised the cat properly from an early age, they should get on with everyone in the family, whatever age.

  139. This is awkward and sad ..I just lost my bangal cat on sept 2 . He got out somehow .. He is an indoor cat never been out ..but 4 the last few months his been eager to go out .. I hear that he is hanging around the neighbourhood .. He doesn’t come close to the house he stays a block or 2 distance . I’ve spotid him last week he knew who I was but he keeps running away … Or he will keep his distance frome me and wows at me and goes on his way he has been beating up a lot of the stray cats in the neighbourhood . But he won’t come home , I have his litter box on the porch and soft food and hard + water .. No one touches his food nor him .. I am really confused to what to do to get my boy home .. Or do u think he will come back on his own when his done vicationing ?

    1. Hi George
      We are sorry to hear this. At least you have seen him and you know he is out there, so many people’s cats go missing and they never see them again… the worst part is the wondering what might have happened, you imagine all sorts. We have experienced this ourselves, though thankfully our cat did return home.
      We hope that your boy does too! He will know where his home is. I’m sure that once he’s fed up of wandering, he will return to you, though he may always have the desire to go outside now he has tasted it. Perhaps you could try and think of some way to compromise – e.g. by cat-proofing your garden like we have or building a catio etc…

    2. Hi George,

      I’m a little late to answer this so I sincerely hope that your little man has since returned home safe and well.

      Your situation hit a nerve with me because I recently lost my 11-month-old kitten who I’d hand raised from 4 days old. He was also keen and eager to get out of the house. He eventually did get out. Sadly that afternoon he was found dead on the side of the road having been hit by a car. I blame myself for this because as an avid animal lover, pet owner, animal advocate and a responsible cat owner I should have known better and got him neutered when he was younger. It happens to the best of us George.

      So I hope that others reading this who are also struggling with a feisty male wanting to get out can learn from our mistakes and that neutering isn’t just about reducing the cat population and limiting the suffering of those kittens born on our streets but it’s also about controlling the urges of our boys and keeping them safe from themselves.

      Whilst still ‘intact’, male cats can continue to spray and become that little bit more aggressive and moody. Male Bengals, in particular, can get even more vocal than normal when a hot chick is close.

      These young adolescent male cats smell a fancy female from 5 miles away. Seriously, they do!!! They will go roaming that far in search of a mate, often into areas that they have never been before and if they are a house cat or generally a garden cat then they find themselves crossing busy roads or dealing with traffic that they just aren’t used too.

      I sure hope your situation turned out ok.

  140. Hi ! I love your page. It helped me figure out some things about a cat I have. I also had a few questions, maybe you can help me out? I have about 12 stray cats that hang around the scrap yard, that I own, by my house. Of course the pound here is always full when it comes to cats and they all grew up as strays, so they are friendly towards me but afraid of everyone else. So of course I feel bad and feed them. 6 of them are kittens that were born here at the beginning of the year. My friends make fun of me and call me the cat lady. I don’t care though, I’ll fully admit I’m a bleeding heart animal freak. But getting more towards the point, I’ve had a few random cats show up here. Like the one I call max who I recently took into the house. I had some concerns that he might be part bengal cat. Buy reading the descriptions of the personality and looks I’m almost 99.9 percent convinced he has descended from a bengal cat (Maybe one of his grandparents). He does not have the spotted fur, he looks more tabby with a white belly. He has the m on his forehead and a black tip on his tail. He has more of a dark blue looking coat.He has long legs, back are longer than the font, with a long tail. When he runs at full speed he actually looks like a tiny cheetah. And he has the cute little mews until he wants something then it’s more like a yowl. But the personality described here matches him perfectly. I have yet to the him to the vet. The one I really insist on going to was booked until next year. Now I’m thinking he is at least a middle aged cat. Maybe even a little older. Because he seems to have plenty of energy most of the time, but he is not interested in playing at all. He mainly lays around when he’s in the house. He wants constant attention, but other than that he doesn’t do much, although he doesn’t seem sick. It concerns me just a little. Is he just old enough that he isn’t interested in playing? I just bought some joint and bone health capsules thinking maybe he’s just in pain. There are times where he meows constantly and I can’t figure out what he wants. Perhaps it’s just his joints that cause him to be inactive? His appetite varies as well. Sometimes he’s ravenous and other times he’ll barely eat at all.I do plan on taking him to the vet asap. But maybe you have some thoughts on the matter? Thanks for your time.

  141. Any suggestions ?
    We just bought a 9 month old and a 3 month old – both male bengal cats
    We believe they spent there whole lives separately in about a 3 by 3 cage ….the younger I feel will come out to be a fine affectionate kitty as he is still in a moldable state
    However I’m at a loss as what to do with the 9 mo old
    He is just terrified of any and all humans , hiding in the farthest darkest place curling up into a ball and flattening his ears down and back against his skull….I feel bad for this terrified kitty…I talk to it regularly and try to be present when it gets food ….it has no desire to interact ….it will on occasion go out of the bathroom where I’ve started it in the house and hide in the front room at night
    Do you have any pointers that I can use to thaw this kitty’s heart and make him a more adjusted confident individual….
    Any advice you can impart would be wonderful
    Thank you
    Eric

  142. I have a male Bengel cat he’s 6 years old he developed allergy problems we changed his food and he takes predizone pills, I went to my Pharmacey and was talking to them about it because he also lost patches of hair she told me about shampoo for skin allergies it seems it worked, because before he was itching , licking and biting his self now he’s not, I’m so grateful for her advise.

  143. One year ago I adopted to bengals from our local SPCA. Which is a no kill shelter. Rajah was 12 years and Pharoah 7 years. Rajah is an Asian bengal and Pharoah is a snow bengal. I was told that both cats must be adopted together because they couldn’t live without each other. Shortly after adopting them, Pharoah began spraying. After a year of Vet , cat behaviorist and medications and having to throw away a new couch and buying another new one, I had to make the hard decision of returning Pharoah. Over that year, I noticed the two really never had interactions together and Rajah was so thin from being forced away from his food. One of the workers admitted that it really hadn’t been necessary for them to go together. ( they fought constantly and not gently either!)
    So after much thought,$8,000 in vet bills and furniture and a promise from SPCA that Pharoah would be adopted to a one cat household I tearfully returned him. They called me to let me know he had been adopted and that the new owners were fully aware of the spraying issue. Rajah just turned 13, has gained 3 pounds and is a much happier cat! The Vet said he has never seen such a great comeback in a senior cat. He calls me Mom, will tell me No! And runs around like a new kitty! Pharoah appears to be doing well also. I think they stressed each other out. We have layered walls with 12′ ceilings. Rajah lives to climb up and he’s clearly King of his domain!

  144. Hello, I am looking into adopting a Bengal cat. We already have two pets, a friendly, playful puppy called Taco, as well as an adventurous Burmese cat by the name of Fudge. This isn’t a very important question but I would like some suggestions anyway because we would prefer to stick with the food themed names for our pets? Would you happen to know any good food names (preferably cute and funny and easy to say) that would be great for a Bengal? If it helps, we were looking into the brown ones with rosettes.

  145. HI,
    I read this article about Bengal cats. Here I found many interesting things about Bengal cats and learn many important facts about Bengal cat.
    Thank you

  146. Good afternoon Bengal Cat Lovers :).

    First Thanks for your website full of great infos and fun facts !!

    I’ve adopt a small Bengal cat female (called Khalissi) 3 years ago and we are Happy and going on very well 🙂

    A month ago we’ve moved Home, and live in a two bedroom appartment with access to a Balcony.
    I’ve noticed a major change in Khalissi behaviour since then:
    Despite the usual Miaou 🙂
    She have suddenly shifted her “wake up hour” to 3:30am (miaowing at me, waking up my partner, and probably the all building :)) forcing me to stand up, feed her and open the window for her to go and do what needs to be done :).
    she repeat that same behaviour when our alarm gose on at 6am… I let imagine my nights and how much I miss a full 8 hours of sleep in a raw ; or the lazy sunday morning in bed :).

    I was wondering if you would have some advices to help us solving this situation ? I love her and don’t want her to be source of tentions 🙂

    Thanks a lot for your help !!

  147. I have a Bengal male. I love him. Had him for about 2 years now. He sprays everywhere…he was fixed at 6 months. Tried everything to get him to stop. No bladder infection or UTI. He has a calming collar on. Still sprays in all the rooms. I need help 🙁

  148. The Bengal Cat has to be one of my favorite breeds of cat. Lively, playful but a little noisy and demanding at times. Instantly recognizable and quite possibly the most talked about breed on the internet, or certainly the most photogenic. I now lot’s of people who use this site as their one stop shop for everything Bengal related and if they aren’t aware of it I send them here.

  149. I am currently looking to purchase a Benal cat but I am not sure what the price range is. I think they are absolutely beautiful creatures. Any imput would be appreciated. Thank you.

  150. Hi Bengal Cat World,
    I just bought 5months old silver Bengal
    She is so beautiful. On 4 th day at home I noticed that she acting strange 🙁
    After good 5 min running around and jumping like crazy she despaired so I want to look what’s happened
    She was taking a rest upstairs on landing, she was breathing very heavily and laid down on one side and coughing:( I scared
    I start stroking her and she didn’t mind but she was pulling her self with front legs forwards and didn’t stand up
    After 5min like that she stand up and was ok
    I’m scared and worried:(
    Is she have some problems or she just tired???
    I bought her with all the paper work and medical history which is all good no ilneses just before I bought her the owner of the mother she said kitten had a cold but vet checked her and she is fit to go to her new home .. I’m confused please could you give me some advice please

    1. Hi there.
      I had to put my beautiful Maine Coon down about six months ago. As well as being a sweet lover girl, she also kept the mice around my house in check.
      Are Bengals good mousers? I can’t handle having another Coon. It would remind me too much of my Bree. But Bengals sound like wonderful pets.

  151. Bengal Cats are the best, and I wanted to share the story of my experience with one of these marvelous creatures.

    A few years ago a skin and bones cat that looked like a wild animal showed up on my porch. He didn’t look like any cat I had ever seen before, but I did some research and it turns out he was a Bengal. I fed him and from then on he would come to my house for food. We would spend hours together playing and we grew an amazing friendship. After a month of his visits I saw that he had been declawed at one point. His visits to my house would continue like this for a year, until I got him to come inside. Now he would come more often to go inside and sleep and play, but he would never stay for long. We couldn’t make him stay in and he would need to go out. He had a second home in somebody in the neighborhoods garage. I wanted to stop him from going every time because along with being declawed he seemed to be deaf. Sadly one night about a year ago he left us and on his way home he was hit by a car. I miss him so much, and wish I stopped him.

  152. Hi! Would an f1 or F2 Bengal have a better chance at being more hypoallergenic vs one that has a higher f level?

    1. Hi Erika!
      Possibly, but in our opinion, the degree of the allergic reaction depends more on the person and their sensitivity rather than the cat’s generation 🙂

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