| COPYRIGHT © SPOTTED FEVER BENGALS CATTERY 2006-2007. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. |
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1. A Bengal Cat is usually very energetic, curious, playful, cuddly, talkative, and most
of them also have a touch of Velcro in their genes. This means you will probably have
a new shadow once you bring your kitten home, and it can be very persistent about
having your full attention.
2. This breed of cat is drawn to water and high places, most likely due to their wild
ancestry where the Leopard cats lived near water and very tall trees. This means your
kitten or cat may like to help with the dishes, test your bath water for you, (may have to
totally immerse to do so), sometimes test your cold drinks for you with one or both
front paws, and occasionally will tip the glass just to make sure there’s nothing unusual
at the bottom!!
3. Their love of high places may cause some difficulty, depending on whether you are
open to making some changes in your home, which may or may not be necessary-
depending on what you place the most value on. If you have a house full of priceless
items adorning the top of China cabinets, T.V. display units, other “out of reach”
shelving or display cases, please be advised that they may no longer be quite as out
of reach as they were before your Bengal arrived.
4. These cats are absolutely unique and make devoted companions for the right
people. They are also very stubborn and extremely intelligent. If you intend to put
something away and don’t want your Bengal to find it, do not let the cat see you put it
away! Just because there’s a lid on something, doesn’t mean it’s safe. I have
witnessed my cats holding the container with their front feet and opening the lid either
with their teeth or their back feet!
5. Bengals are very active cats and if you are looking for a strictly “lap cat”, please
choose a more suitable breed. Typically these cats prefer to decide when they should
be on someone’s lap, and it is not usually for very long.
6. If you cringe at the thought of a cat walking across the back of your couch and
nuzzling your hair, this may not be the breed for you. Sleeping on the very top of the
kitchen cupboards is not unusual, nor is it unusual to see a Bengal open a cupboard
just to check out what’s inside. We put “childproof” locks on doors that we do not
want our cats to open, which they sometimes chew on, to get the cabinet open!
7. Although you are now aware of the height jumping capabilities of these cats, please
be advised that they are also very adept at jumping across a room. They may easily
jump 5 feet from one surface to another, and can knock things over/off in the process.
Any damage would be accidental, but the natural jumping and climbing instincts of
these beautiful animals must be taken into consideration before bringing one home. If
you want the look of the wild, there are some idiosyncrasies that come with it. Of
course as they get older they do calm down a bit, but not very much!!
8. If a fly or other small moving object should find its way into your home, you may
rest assured that your Bengal will hunt it down even if it has to jump and climb over
every inch of your house to do so!
Not everyone finds this type of behaviour amusing. If you
have any doubts about your ability to live with such an
enthusiastic, playful, bundle of fur, please make the decision
not to bring a Bengal home in the first place, rather than
returning the kitten to me after a few days/weeks.
| We are very pleased that you are considering being owned by one of our Bengals, however not everyone is suited to live with this particular breed. As responsible breeders, we feel it is important that we make people aware of exactly what they are getting, should they choose a Bengal for their companion. Please take the time to read the following facts and think about how adding a Bengal to the mix in your home will realistically work out. |
| ONE OF MY BENGALS CLIMBING OVER INTO THE BATHWATER |