Comments on: How to Care for a Bengal

on 7/16/2008 please post as much information about kidney fits and other diseases cats can get if not properly fed, looked after, fed etc...

on 6/12/2007 It can be difficult to find a dry food Bengals like. You may need to try several. I found Science Diet Adult Light has less cereal and more protien, and best of all he eats it. They prefer a diet of wet food and will usually only eat a small amount of dry. They will beg for table scraps too so be prepared to have some treats on hand or give in and toss them bites of your dinner. They are very needy when it comes to attention and require a lot of interactive play time comparitively. Fetching is a way of life for my little guy. Quiet time in a bathroom or room free of practically everything can help moderate behavior and give you a small break, but be prepared to follow them around constantly monitoring potential trouble. They are much more curious comparitively and likely to become bored easily. Most cat lovers expect a low maintenance pet. You will not find that in a Bengal.

on 5/4/2007 Please also note that although your cat will appear to love dry cat food. This is because commercial cat food contains flavor enhancers that are addictive to cats. It in no way reflects the nutritional value of the food.

on 5/4/2007 Unfortunately you are all misled if you are feeding your bengal commercial cat food. I would like to note also the information above noting that bones should not be given, as well as no milk. For bengal kittens a calcium rich diet is essential; lactose reduced milk with added taurine will ensure healthy bones in your bengal kitten and will establish healthy bones for it in adulthood. Minced chicken with the bones minced in it as a kitten is very benefitial for cats. I have witnessed young bengal kittens die from a lack of calcium in their diets. Calcium supplements eg powders are very advisable for kittens. As bengals grow into adulthood - they are able to eat whole bones eg chicken wings and drumsticks. Please note all meat given to Bengals should be raw. Cooked food removes alot of essential vitamins and cooked bones are dangerous for all animals.Essentially Bengals require a raw diet!

on 1/13/2007 I have a 4month old female bengal and 2 other non pure breed cats. I have had cats and kittens through out my life, but I have NEVER incountered such a loving yet way too wild, cat. She is consistently running or breaking something. She even tried to toss the mouse off of this table as I am typing this!!! I don't know what to do, I need help. I squirt her when she is in front of me misbehaving, but alot of the time I just hear a crash and come into the aftermath of her running a muck. What can I do to tame this girl? Please help me if you can; my husband and I aren't sleeping because she wakes us up. My other cats have never been like this and he wants to sell her. I don't!!! I just need to know what to do to help her. Please help if you can.

on 12/11/2006 we have just purchased two little boy bengals, brothers. Theyre adorable and settling in extremely well, however when we got them they had sniffly noses, runny eyes and the sneezes they also have diorhea. We kept them on the food that they were on with the breeder but maybe this is too rich for them, its called vitalin dry food. Theyre going to the vets tonight and hopefully things will clear up for them. I will post a comment afterwards to let you know whats said, Just incase your having the same problems :)

on 4/4/2006 Bengals are a very hardy cat with a lot of attitude. They like high places and most Bengals will claim any shelf they can. They also play a bit rougher than other breeds do, and often this can cause conflict if you have a solo Bengal with another breed. They are talkers, as bad or worse than the Siamese.

Cats are what is referred to as obligate carnivores. They get all of their nutrition from meat. Most cat food is filled with carbs, wheat, corn, oats, barley, etc. The cat's body cannot use these things, and so they store it as fat. Many cats have to over-eat kibble to maintain their nutritional levels, making for a fat cat. Feeding foods higher in real meat and lower in corn and other carbs will ease this, and help in losing weight naturally. I feed chicken soup for the cat lover's soul, and my Bengal has no tummy troubles at all.

Also, if you are willing to do the research, you may want to look into a raw diet, specially if you have a cat with a corn or wheat allergy. There are many people out there that feed a wholly raw diet, I am transitioning my cats now. Bones are perfectly safe to feed a cat, provided you do not cook them. Cooking makes them brittle, like glass, and when they chew they splinter the bones, causing severe injury to the mouth/throat/stomach.

I feed my cats a partial raw diet now, and they have never looked better, shiny coats, amazing energy levels, clear eyes and much less smelly feces/urine.

on 2/16/2006 Thanks for posting all these useful tips. I did not know that Bengals were prone to have diarrhea, and thought it was just a problem with my two females. I wasn't certain until now, but suspected that dairy may be the cause. After narrowing it down, we identified the culprit without a doubt - ice cream! After eliminating it from their diet (we stopped letting them climb all over us and steal it from our bowls whenever we ate it), the diarrhea completely cleared up.

on 11/22/2005 I have 2 Bengal cats. I have always fed them Purina One food, and I have never had an issue with diarrhea. The cats love it, and it is comparable in ingredients to Iams. Bengals are the most loving and affectionate cats I have ever known.

on 11/22/2005 Bengals are notorious for getting diarrhea. I bought every expensive cat food there is and finally found Purina Cat chow to be the one he could eat with no diarrhea. He is doing great and is very healthy. You might try it!

on 11/22/2005 Just found this site. This is awesome. I did not know that diarrhea was common in Bengals. I thought it was just my two girls. I found that of the premium cat foods, all gave them diarrhea except Iams and Eukanuba.

on 11/22/2005 My Bengal enjoys Max Cat by Nutros. Not only does she get the nutrition that she needs from this dry food, she loves it! She's never had any digestive problems from eating this food.

on 11/22/2005 Bengals are wonderful dog-like cats that are very intelligent and demand their owner's attention. A few also have tendencies towards dry noses and stomach problems. Before adopting, please research at www.bengalcat.com.

on 11/22/2005 I bought every expensive cat food there is for my male Bengal with little success. He still had diarrhea. I bought Purina Cat Chow and put a little warm water on it. He now has no diarrhea and he likes the food and he's totally healthy on it. Try it!