Caring for your new Bengal kitten

First Days - Nutrition - Grooming - Litter

Living with a Bengal is a rewarding adventure, as they are much more than just a pretty face and a sweet paint job. They are loving, loyal, intelligent and athletic cats. And chances are, if you’re considering a Bengal kitten, you aren’t looking for a lap cat.

With their passion for climbing, you’ll often find them perched atop the highest point in the room, surveying their kingdom. And with their fascination with water, don’t be surprised to see a Bengal eager to splash away in the sink as you wash your dishes or knee-deep in an undrained bathtub. These are both traits passed down by their ancestor, the Asian Leopard Cat; click here for more information regarding the wild and exotic Asian Leopard Cat.

Here are a few tips to get you started on a mutually enjoyable relationship with your new Bengal kitten.

First Days

The first several days in a new home are quite a culture shock for you new Bengal kitten as it adjusts to being taken away from its mother, littermates and the comfort of its former home. The trauma can certainly be minimized by confining your new kitten for a few days once it arrives in your home. This is especially necessary when there are children or other pets in the home.

Confinement in a small room or second bathroom with a litter box, food dishes and a comfortable bed enables your new Bengal kitten to feel safe and sound as it adapts to your home. After a few days, leave the door open and allow your kitten to exit a re-enter as it desires. You’ll enjoy watching your new Bengal kitten curiously surveying each room, not missing an inch, as it gains trust and confidence in its new surroundings.

Feeding your Bengal

For optimum health, energy level and a lustrous coat, only feed your Bengal super premium cat food.

You will receive a starting supply of premium quality food that it is used to. We ask you to keep your Bengal kitten on this same food for at least 4 weeks. If you do decide to change to an equally premium quality food, we suggest that you slowly transition your kitten onto the new food over a transition period of 10 days by gradually increasing small amounts of the new food as you decrease the original food. Progressively introducing the new brand of food will help to avoid digestive problems for your Bengal kitten.

Your kitten should always have a fresh supply of water and dry kibble to free feed throughout the day.

Bengals, and cats in general, are obligate carnivores, which means that in the wild, they subsist on a diet of only meat. So, when you choose a new food, become a label reader to be sure that meat is the primary ingredient listed. A cat will not thrive and will be at risk for diabetes and other diseases on a high carbohydrate diet. In fact, cats require considerably more protein than dogs do, about 2-3 times as much. (Never feed dog food to a cat.)

Do not exclusively feed dry food to your Bengal. Cats have a low thirst drive and are designed to get water within their food. Supplementing with canned food will allow your Bengal to get the proper amount of water needed to maintain a healthy urinary tract system, as well as keeping fresh water available in several locations throughout your home.

If you feed premium canned and dry food and always have fresh water on hand, there is no need to supplement your Bengal cat. For an occasional treat, however, many Bengals enjoy bits of cooked chicken or fish, or a small bite of beef. Never feed table scraps, raw fish (causes vitamin E deficiency in large quantities), or milk (may cause diarrhea even in small quantities).

Grooming your Bengal

Bathing: Bengals are rarely afraid of the water and many willfully jump in showers or bath tubs. Aside from this, bathing a housecat is rarely a necessity.

Brushing: Cats are excellent self-groomers and spend many of their waking moments doing just that. Most Bengals thoroughly enjoy a good brushing to remove dead hair. At the same time, the physical contact establishes good communication between you and your pet.

Nail trimming: Your kitten will already be accustomed to having it’s nails trimmed, and it is essential that you continue to keep your Bengal kitten's nails trimmed.

We stand against declawing, which involves amputating the last joint of a cat’s toes. We have found it completely unnecessary with our Bengals. We trim their nails frequently (every 2-3 weeks), and provide scratching posts covered with sisal rope. A cat enjoys scratching a sisal post much more than a wooden table leg or a leather sofa.

Litter

The most important part of the litter box is keeping it clean, by daily removing the soiled litter. Sanitize the box weekly with diluted bleach solution (1:30). Do not use clumping litter for your kitten as it can cause severe problems if ingested.

Cats have a highly sensitive sense of smell and for this reason to avoid having your cat defecate or urinate outside of the litter box, clean it frequently and don’t use scented litter. Never punish your Bengal for inappropriately eliminating outside of the box. In many cases, this will occur as a result of a dirty litter box or a poor choice of litter (such as scented or crystals). Cats desire to use their litter box, if they don’t, they are telling you something is wrong.

Safety Tips: Make sure that you “kitten proof” your home by:

removing all poisonous plants*
putting household cleaners out of reach
storing away valuables and knick-knacks kept on dressers or coffee tables .

*Cats have a penchant for chewing on plants. It’s best to provide your cat with their own plant, such as a pot of ‘cat grass’ so that they can satisfy those desires harmlessly. Don’t think that you can place a toxic plant out of reach to a Bengal, they have amazing climbing abilities. Replace all toxic houseplants with a non-toxic variety. Don’t chance it, it’s not worth the risk.

Here you can find a list of both toxic and non-toxic plants for your cat.

Correcting Undesirable Behavior

Bengals are very active cats and truly enjoy climbing and jumping activities. They are also very intelligent cats. In the likely event that they start a habit that you don’t like, you can train you cat by following a few simple strategies.

Never stike a cat. Striking a cat will teach the cat to distrust and avoid you but will not teach him anything else. They are more likely to associate the punishment with the punisher, rather than the action they were doing.
Most behavior problems are best handled by removing the cause. For example, if your cat is eating houseplants move the plants to a room inaccessible or remove them permanently.
If you catch the cat in the act of doing something you want to discourage, deter you cat by making a startling sound (such as shaking a loud rattle).
It doesn’t make any sense to attempt correction after the damage has been done. Your cat will not associate the correction with the previous action, but he will associate it with you.
If you are gone for a large part of the day, set up a special kitten room with a litter box, toys, scratching post, cat tree and comfy bed. That way, while you are away, bad habits are less likely to even develop.

Cats are like humans in terms of their basic needs, they need love and affection, mental and physical stimulation, they need fresh food and water, they need peace and quiet, they need routine, and they like to be clean and dry. Always consider behavior problems along these lines. Working with their needs is the best ways to keep them disciplined.

*Keep in mind, though undesirable to you, some behaviors such as cats scratching are a necessity to a cat. Cats must scratch; it’s a part of their normal grooming routine. It also allows them to effectively stretch and to also mark their territory. To prevent damage to your furniture, provide numerous scratching posts in the areas that your cat likes to be. And of course, make nail trimming a habit.

Just like raising a child, the best results are achieved with love, patience, consistent praise and rewards for good behavior.

High-energy…It’s a Bengal Thing.
Exercise:

Bengals are high-energy cats. That’s partly why some owners compare them more to dogs than other cats. They need stimulation and interactive play for at least 15 minutes, twice a day. It’s enjoyable to engage in a high-powered game of fetch by hitting a Mylar ball across the room with a badminton racquet or engaging in a game of tag with your Bengal.

Bengals need to release their energy; they’re not aggressive--just energetic. It’s a Bengal thing. They can turn anything into a game, and often feel inclined to help you with whatever task is at hand from washing dishes to making a bed. This is what makes life with a Bengal so entertaining.

They have an affinity for heights and require a tall cat tree or perch to satisfy their climbing desires. Bengals are also accomplished high-jumpers and may be able to reach heights over 5 ft. in a vertical jump.

It’s not necessary to purchase expensive cat toys; Bengals are very industrious and will make a toy out of anything. Tossing a small, sparkly toy moss is an invitation to play fetch. And they can play with a feather wand tirelessly. The most important thing is to play daily with your Bengal.