Bengal Characteristics

kai bengals · Nov 23, 2006

There have been alot of questions in threads about bengals lately, so I'm posting this link to a pretty good article about what it can be like to own a bengal cat. I don't agree with all the points the author makes. For instance our bengals sleep through the night and they never use the sink or tub to pee in, as they have 100% good litterbox habits. I think those are just training issues.
Over-all the article is very accurate.

http://www.bengalcatclub.com/art-1.htm

epona · Nov 23, 2006

They sound great to me, the only thing out of that which puts me off slightly is that I prefer a cat that enjoys cuddling, other than that it sounds like there's never a dull moment.

Actually the rest is a pretty exact description of Radar, even though he's not Bengal.

It's a good thing to post that up though, I personally love very active cats, but they are not for everyone.

hopehacker · Nov 23, 2006

They may not be lap cats, but they are EXTREMELY affectionate, at least mine are. They lot to be petted, and give really strong demonstrative head butts. I have a little song that I've sung to Simba since he was a kitten, and now when I sing it- he just comes running. He knows it's his song. Simba is naughty, but often I'll be sitting at work, and I'll think of some of his crazy antics, and I'll just burst out laughing. Both Simba and Angel are very vocal, and in Simba's case he does yowl a lot. Angel just has these cute stuccato meows and she can give you a look that is almost human when she visits with you.

I'd have to say that most anyone could enjoy Angel, because she's such a sweet little thing, and she really doesn't do any of the naughty things that most Bengals do. She's a very easy cat to live with, and really well behaved. Simba on the other hand, is about as naughty as a Bengal could be, but his antics really make me laugh. I love his naughtiness, and he's so very affectionate when he's not getting into things. I LOVE Bengal's. They make Siamese cats seem tame.

cata_mint · Nov 23, 2006

One thing I always wondered, how did the snows' spots come about and why are they So pale (the spots not the cats)? I

the snows, ... and normal, ... and silver ...and melanistic

Lets face it, I

bengal cats

kai bengals · Nov 23, 2006

Originally Posted by Epona

They sound great to me, the only thing out of that which puts me off slightly is that I prefer a cat that enjoys cuddling, other than that it sounds like there's never a dull moment.

Actually the rest is a pretty exact description of Radar, even though he's not Bengal.

It's a good thing to post that up though, I personally love very active cats, but they are not for everyone.

Yes, well, our bengal cats do enjoy cuddling, but it has to be on their terms. They love for us to come to them to pet them, head butts and so forth, but bengals don't like to be forced into situations. For instance, if I take one of our bengals, pick them up and go sit down on the couch with him, he'll get up and leave. That is against his rules. If he comes to me and lies down in my lap for some snuggle time, that's great....he decided to do it and that's what he wanted to do. So, bottom line is, bengals will do the lap cat thing, but only when they feel like it....it can never be forced upon them. I always view it as a special gift. As my wife likes to say....a bengal cat can never be placed somewhere and expected to stay, the spot is no good unless they selected it themselves.

I know you're looking for an active companion for Radar, and a bengal does sound perfect for him, as long as you can deal with a bengal being happy to see you, be with you and have you pet him/her with short holding times and no expectation of him hanging out on your lap for hours at a time.
I actually think bengals are one of the most affectionate cats. They are constantly looking for attention, but they are not snuggly comforters to keep you warm. They want entertainment, affection and fun.....in any order.
Another good choice for Radar would be an Abby. Much the same personality as bengals. Beautiful cats with spunk and attitude.
Very much my kind of cat, I would own Abby's if I didn't love bengals.

kai bengals · Nov 23, 2006

Originally Posted by cata_mint

One thing I always wondered, how did the snows' spots come about and why are they So pale (the spots not the cats)? I

the snows, ... and normal, ... and silver ...and melanistic

Lets face it, I

bengal cats

Snow is the laymans term for seal mink, seal lynx and seal sepia bengal cats.

The background color is always pale cream/white to dark cream with darker "point" colors.
I think the cat you're refering to would be a spotted seal lynx bengal.
The background color is usually very pale cream with light brown spots or rosettes and very brilliant blue (siamese) eyes.
The seal minks usually are a darker shade of cream with very contrasting dark brown spots and pale green to aqua green eyes.
The seal sepia are usually a mid range shade of cream with contrasting brown spots and yellow/gold eyes.

epona · Nov 23, 2006

Originally Posted by Kai Bengals

Yes, well, our bengal cats do enjoy cuddling, but it has to be on their terms. They love for us to come to them to pet them, head butts and so forth, but bengals don't like to be forced into situations. For instance, if I take one of our bengals, pick them up and go sit down on the couch with him, he'll get up and leave. That is against his rules. If he comes to me and lies down in my lap for some snuggle time, that's great....he decided to do it and that's what he wanted to do. So, bottom line is, bengals will do the lap cat thing, but only when they feel like it....it can never be forced upon them. I always view it as a special gift. As my wife likes to say....a bengal cat can never be placed somewhere and expected to stay, the spot is no good unless they selected it themselves.

I know you're looking for an active companion for Radar, and a bengal does sound perfect for him, as long as you can deal with a bengal being happy to see you, be with you and have you pet him/her with short holding times and no expectation of him hanging out on your lap for hours at a time.
I actually think bengals are one of the most affectionate cats. They are constantly looking for attention, but they are not snuggly comforters to keep you warm. They want entertainment, affection and fun.....in any order.
Another good choice for Radar would be an Abby. Much the same personality as bengals. Beautiful cats with spunk and attitude.
Very much my kind of cat, I would own Abby's if I didn't love bengals.

Thank you so much for that information! It's really useful as we're looking into getting a second cat, and we both like the sound and look of Bengals. And that does sound really good to me, I would never expect to pick up any creature and cuddle it just because I wanted to at that time.

The description you give does sound even more like Radar now, he loves a cuddle, but only when he comes to me for it, I think I would lose skin if I tried to plonk him on my lap when he wasn't up for it! And I wouldn't expect him to just sit still on me for no reason other than that's where I wanted him!

I must look out for Bengals then having read this. Ultimately though, I know I'll end up with whichever cat chooses me

cata_mint · Nov 25, 2006

So spotting that light is intentional? I read somewhere the coat colour was a form of albinoism, and wondered if the particularly light spot colour was the desired outcome, or a bit of a work in progress towards darker and more clearly defined markings. (in the nicest way possible btw, I do think the spots are amazing, whatever the colour).

Bengal Characteristics

kai bengals

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epona

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hopehacker

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cata_mint

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kai bengals

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kai bengals

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epona

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cata_mint

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