Bengals

[PinkSRFloyd]

I've become very interested in getting a bengal? Does anyone own a bengal? I'm very curious of the temperment of bengals. Isis is definitely a mama's baby, and I assume she would be very jealous. She's never been around other animals, except the rats which are in a cage. I've done some reading on Bengals by breeders, but I wonder once you get them home how they are.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

[Vermontcat]

There are a few Pet Talkers who own Bengals.
I got to meet Sasvermont's Bengal cat Ti before she had to rehome him because he didn't get along with one of her other cats.
You can do a search in Cat General for threads about Ti's story.

You can also check out this website, it should have info that can help you and it also lists breeders in your area.
http://www.bengalcat.com/

[Randy_K]

The two Bengals I have know have given their human companions some stress. Unlike other breeds, they are fairly close in generations from some very wild genes. If there is another cat in the household, it needs to be the Alpha cat or strong enough to defend itself as the Bengal will challenge it's position.

One young female I know took a dislike to her owner's girlfriend and bit her at every opportunity. At eight months old, she was strong enough to push a sliding glass door open (left open about one inch for ventalation) and was found walking around on the balcony rail 12 stories up.

The Story of Ti and Miley is well documented here. Ti, a Bengal, became more agressive as Miley became more frightened of him and he put Milley in the hospital with injuries.

On the other side of the coin, they are quite beautiful and, in a single-pet household, a Bengal should do quite well.

[nemechek]

I think that before anyone tells stories about how bengals bite or do anything like that you should use some common since. Bengals, siamese, maine coons, anything could bite you. Breed makes no difference. As a person who shows cats, I see Main Coons and Persians are the ones that freak out and bite and scratch the judges... It's almost always those breeds. Just like a cocker spaniel could hurt you, so could a pit bull. If provocked any animal will bite. Any animal with inadequete socialization will react badly. As for close generations....this depends on what type of bengal you buy. Yes, and F1 is very close to the actual Asian leopard. But something like an F15 isn't. No unexperianced cat owner should be having an F1, simple as that. I have 2 bengals, and let me tell you, my bengals are more lap cats, and more calm and loving that my house hold pet cat. My house hold pet is the one that freaks out about other cats. My HHP is the one who causes problems and tried to bite me for no reason. It's the bengals that come lick my face, curl up in my lap and show me the most love. So, before anyone condiems one breed, think about the cats generation, the cats socialization and what you might be doing to provoke it. Any breed, perisan or bengal could have problems with other cats in the house, any breed.

[sasvermont]

You know, if you don't have anything kind to say, then you shouldn't say anything. I have taken my own advice - thus deleted my snotty responses.