Bengal cat

Wildlife gardens wherever they are have a good chance of having a resident cat. There is a fine balance in having a pet cat in your garden while attracting other creatures as well. So for the cat lovers among you, I am sure you will have had similar experiences, I hope this will give you insight to owning a Bengal cat should you contemplate buying one.

This is my Bengal cat, Ali. I didn't really choose to have him as I had convinced myself that I was not going to have another cat (too upsetting when losing one) but an emergency had arisen where he had lost an eye and had a fractured jaw due to a brush with a family dog. So I agreed to taking him on and so solving the dilemma of him having to remain in the same household as the dog. So the lesson began as my new kitten let everyone know he had arrived!

The first few weeks consisted of all three members of the family smelling distinctly of disinfectant as we bathed our wounds in TCP. An elbow hanging over the armrest of a chair was fair game to Ali. Making the beds was impossible with him around as he would leap from the windowsill onto your shoulders, his prey! So he was banned from the bedroom especially as he would get into the bed and before I knew it I was out as a set of claws edged closer and closer.

The game of moving anyone out of a preferred seat still goes on. As he is now in his eleventh year he is much gentler and a heavy nudge with his head is the most that you have to put up with, plus a gentle lick beforehand.

The wallpaper and furnture have suffered a bit over the years. The texture of the soft wallpaper in the living room is the biggest attraction. He has a scratching post which I put Catnip on and that helps to keep him interested and busy, at least for a little while.

Bengals like to carry things in the same way as a dog. Ali used to have a shoelace that he loved to play with but frogs, birds, mice and squirrels are more likely to be in his mouth now. He has to be checked to make sure he is not carrying his prey indoors.

Bengal cats are beautiful, very vocal (thank goodness it is only a short trip to the vet), and the hind legs are powerful giving them great speed and spring for climbing. They are also very intelligent. I didn't plan on having a Bengal but I wouldn't part with him now!

Insuring your Bengal is a must, apart from the price you pay to buy one the cost of vet's fees can be high. Due to the ancestry of the Asian Leopard, the Bengal Cat's immune system is not as good as the ordinary domestic cat.. Try to get insurance that lasts for the cat's lifetime as some will only last till they are eight years old.

I found my cat is very good with children, on the other hand I would not recommend a Bengal for anyone very elderly or infirm. They are extremely fast, energetic animals and do need some entertainment. They also need room to exercise so a fairly large garden is essential.

They love water as I have found to my cost as two of my bedside carafes have been smashed ,thanks to Ali dipping his paw in and playing with the water. They are supposed to enjoy swimming but I haven't noticed any inclination for him to do that.

Handbags, bags and baskets are all interesting to my Bengal. It can be embarrassing though to find he has tipped the contents of someone's handbag over the floor. Luckily this has been found to be amusing by my guests and so he carries on!

My cat is very territorial so has been in endless scraps there being a lot of cats in the area. I keep pure Sea Salt in the cupboard so that I can make up a saline solution to treat wounds. Antibiotics are very often required so then it is a visit to the vet.

I have to take a firm stand with this animal as I can be bitten if I dare to lean on something he considers belongs to him, like the fence. He has to be lifted down to the ground or taken indoors until something else catches his attention.

One last trick is wiping his feet on a towel when he comes in wet. He will do this to demand usually. I am hoping to video this one day. Watch this space.