Hungry Bengal

Do Bengals have a higher metabolism than other cats?  I am taking care of a Bengal while the owner is away and he is hungry all the time--never seems to get enough. Plus he will eat almost anything including sweets. Gulps his food down like a dog and acts like he's starving;   Licked my empty plate of Tika Masala, eats bread, potato chips!  I don't feed him these things just a dropped chip or a crumb of bread. He's healthy and active and weight is normal and doesn't gain any.

Hi @Gene Traylor  Welcome to The Cat Site.

Yes, Bengals are high energy cats and they are bigger than your average domestic, so they will need a lot of food. What did your friend tell you to feed him? Is he on wet, dry, raw or a combination? If your friend has left his regular brands of food for him, check the calorie content and aim to feed him him 35 calories per pound of body weight. So, for example, a 10lb cat will need 350 calories a day.

It's better to give him a little bit extra and have him put on a bit of weight than it is to risk him eating something he shouldn't. Lots of human food, onions, garlic, chocolate, for example, are poisonous for cats.

Some cats eat because they are bored. You could try making a game of feeding him so that he plays as he eats. You can throw treats for him, get him a puzzle feeder or make one yourself by hiding treats in cardboard tubes.

The first post in this thread has a great home made puzzle feeder.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/264569/home-made-cat-toys

However, if he really seems ravenous he probably does need extra food. Unless your friend has specified that he is on a calorie controlled diet and should only be given a certain amount of food you should give him a bit more.

Forgot to mention he is stiil young -- 14 months old.  He is strictly on wet food.  I am aware of all the toxic foods for cats as I have my own 5 1/2 year old male who has had his own problems mostly with urinary problems and had to be catheterized a month ago for blockage, hence no dry food and he is on prescription diet now.

As for the Bengal, doubt he is bored as he and my cat are playing and interacting constantly. Since I am retired on fixed income and already buying expensive prescription food for my cat I have difficulty buying high quality food for the Bengal. But I do give him cooked chicken from time to time while being aware that all cats are obligate carnivores needing high protein. Thanks for the tip about calories per pound body weight.

Wet food is the best choice.



It doesn't have to be high quality, expensive food every time though. It's a good idea to have a few top range canned foods in your rotation, but you can feed cheaper canned as well so that he gets plenty to eat.

How long is he staying with you? Didn't your friend leave you a bit of cash to pay for his food? It's very good of you to take on full responsibility for looking after someone else's cat like this.

Could we see some pictures? I love Bengals.

Good suggestion on adding some high quality to rotation.  I call him Bigfoot.  Not sure how long he will be here but owner returning this weekend.

He is STUNNING :love:

As to food brands, I'm in the UK, but I believe that Fancy Feast, Friskies and Sheba are all pretty good, so long as you stick to the paté varieties. These articles may help you in choosing brands:- [article="29707"][/article][article="33149"][/article][article="31127"][/article][article="32669"][/article]