Choosing Great Pets

If you love cats and you are thinking about getting something that is just a little closer to wild than your average house cat, you might want to consider going with something like a Bengal cat. But what makes the Bengals a little closer to their wild cousins than the tabby cat that you might already have wandering around your house?

Bengal Cats

Bengal cats are a mix of the Asian leopard cat and domestic cat breeds. The leopard cat is found throughout south, east, and southeast Asia. In the wild, they are a relatively small cat breed, only being about the size of the average house cat. They get the leopard name from the fact that they have spots or rosettes, just like their larger cousins. In order to get the Bengal cat, the foundation cats were mixed with various domesticated cats. Then the resulting offspring were bred back to other Bengal cats as well as other domestic cats. Breeding them back to foundation domestic breeds reinforces the desirable traits found in the domesticated breeds, while breeding them with other Bengals help to keep the breed a little more pure. 

Characteristics

Since the Bengal cat, as a breed, isn't very old at all, they still have a lot of their wild traits. If you are looking for a nice, calm cat that is going to sit on your lap and let you pet them for hours on end, this isn't going to be a cat that you should buy. Bengals tend to be pretty active. They are very active and very smart. That combination means that they are going to figure out how to get into trouble if you aren't making sure that they get enough activity. There are various ways that you can make sure that they are getting enough stimulation. That can include doing things like hooking them into a harness and a leash and taking them out for a walk, or setting up a place outside where you can hook a lead onto so that they are able to run around. You also want to make sure that they stimulated inside, and throwing toys for them to chase and fetch will help keep them stimulated, active, and engaged. Plus, it will help to develop a better bond between you and your pet. 

If you decide to get a Bengal cat, make sure that you are going through a reputable breeder or rescue that has Bengal queens for sale. That way you are going to get a healthy pet who is well adjusted and ready for a lot of love.