2 different breeds of cats = OK? And other cat questions

[sunama]

Hi,

I am thinking about buying a cat. Well, originally, I was going for a dog, but have decided against it as it will be left alone for upto 8hrs/day, 4-5 days/week. Apparently dogs donot take kindly to solitary confinement for 8hr stretches.

So, anyway, I hear that cats are much more independent and can be left alone for extended periods, especially if they have another cat to keep them company. Just to confirm, is this true?

With the above in mind, I am considering buying 2 kittens of approximately 3 months old. Rather than buying 2 kittens from the same litter or breed, I would like 2 different breeds. At this stage, I am thinking of a Bengal Kitten http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_cat and a Maine **** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine_coon. These cats will be pets and shall be neutered/spayed. I was thinking of getting a male and female of either combination.

Q1. Is it ok to keep 2 breeds like this or is it better to stick to the same breed/litter?
Q2. Will they keep eachother company while I'm out of the house?
Q3. In terms of sexes, which would be the best combination for me to buy the cats: 2 males, 2 females, 1 female & 1 male?

Not letting them out
I'd also like to point out that as these are more exotic cats, I wouldnt really be happy letting them out of the house. If I let them out in my garden I fear they will climb up trees and begin to roam the neighbourhood. The Bengal especially is a £500 cat and has been known to be held to ransom. Even if I increase the height of the fence to say 9ft, the Bengal cat should be able to negotiate this with ease. To this end, they will be house cats, but wouldnt this be bad for their health? Is there any alternative? Do I buy them some contraption for them to exercise? Is the only other alternative to exercise them on a leash - maybe take them on a run? Perhaps a cat breeder can give me some tips here.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Ideally I did want a greyhound, however, leaving it alone for 8hrs/day would be cruel, so I am looking to revert to 'Plan B': cats.

Thanks

 

[sunama]

The problem I find with the Burmese breed is that they are little too dainty and fragile looking. I presume when touching them, they also have the dainty/delicate feel to them? I prefer something a little more robust.

The reason why I went for the Maine **** is their large size, while the Bengal is exotic looking and capable of behaving in a non-domestic cat, kind of way. It is also capable of physically doing things that other domestic cats cant do, eg. jumping up very high, with easy. Ive also seen videos of Bengals and they can move like lightning when they want to. Clearly, their senses are razor sharp.

My gut feeling is that I will have to let them outside in the garden. Ive heard though, that Maine **** cats tend to be very bad at crossing roads, which means that letting it out could lead to its death.

Can cats be trained to be let out in the garden, but not stray outside of its vicinity?

Would it look homosexual if I were to take these 2 cats out on a leash? Ive not seen this sort of thing.

 

[sunama]

Burmese are anything but dainty - they are often referred to as "velvet bricks".
Both of mine have had very dog-like tendencies in that they love to chase and fetch. If you stop playing with Lily she will get her toys and drop them on your feet to remind you that she hasn't finished playing.

I think my problem is that I have my heart set on the larger, more exotic cats (not that the Burmese isnt exotic). I still feel that it doesnt look robust and I might end up inadverdantly, one day, stepping on it and injuring it severely. The physical look of a Burmese just isnt me, even though the personality traits you describe sound ideal. I would love to have a Bengal cat that behaved like Lily.

Do Burmese cats chase/catch/eat mice btw? I strongly believe that cats should be good at hunting.

Oriental breeds are also fairly easy to harness train.

Harness? Are we talking about a leash here?

They are also cheaper than Bengals - usually between £300 and £400.

Cost isnt really too much of an issue. My thinking is that the cat(s) will be with me for the next 15yrs or so, hence, £100 here or there isnt going to make much difference.

I dont believe in spoiling animals. IMO animals should be treated like animals and not humans, however, where needed I am prepared to spend vast amounts of money, should it be necessary.

Thanks for your advice guys, keep it coming. The last thing I want to do is go and get myself kittens, only to discover a few months down the line that Ive made a big mistake.

 

[sunama]

it would look a little weird taking a cat on a leash, seen a couple people do it now and then, as in like twice in 20 years

What if I make the cat wear a pink coat and I wear some tight pink shorts, with "spank me" on the back? You think that would make the leash thing look more palatable?

I've heard you can keep cats inside all the time, more sedate breeds i guess would be better but, its a case of they can't really miss what they don't know to a point. if they never go out they can be happy, but if they go out a bit they'll probably be miserable kept in after that.

The breeder of the Maine **** that I am thinking of getting is based in Morden. She doesnt let her cats out as she states that the Maine **** breed is a little oblivious to traffic. So, for their own safety, she doesnt let them out. Ive seen her website with pics of her cats and they look pretty healthy and in good nick.

Foxes are a big problem in london and we are scared ******** that they will get eaten but really its a risk that has to be taken...

I used to live in Streatham and the foxes there were terrible and bold. At night they would come out in numbers and hunt the trash cans in packs. As a human being I felt intimidated. As a cat, it would be down right dangerous. The problem with the Bengal cat is that they are very brave and bold, which means they dont know when to back down. This worries me.

it really depends on your area, how big your garden and ones connected are to if you want to try to keep them inside/go for more sedate breeds.

My own garden isnt the largest, though there is plenty for the cats to do. Its extremely mature with plenty of vegetation. There are plenty of gardens either side of us. Cats often visit my garden, though these cats are not like Bengals or Maine Coons.

at a guess i think two male cats from diff litters might be a bit meaner when fighting each other and prone to fight more, two females the same maybe, i really don't know.

The male Bengal would attempt to be very alpha, however, the Maine **** wont be easily over awed as it is one of the biggest breeds around. This is why I thought of partnering the Bengal with the ****. A Burmese male cat, for instance, would get dominated by the Bengal. Unless I get a female Bengal and a male Maine ****. A male Bengal would be nice though as it would be larger, more athletic and just more physical than a female.

Dog's you just can't let out on their own at all, ever, and being left at home for long hours is really hard on them afaik so i wouldn't go for a dog.

I was bitterly dissapointed. I really wanted a greyhound and was prepared to spend upwards of £5k on the garden to get it "Greyhound proof", but I just wasnt prepared to have the dog barking its head off, while I was away. Eventually, it wouldve got taken away.

 

[sunama]

First do a google search on general cat breeds and after many hours/days you will begin narrow it down to a few specific breeds.

Once you have targeted the chosen breed you need find a breeder. Once again, google would be a good start. Also, try using www.pets4homes.co.uk to search for your chosen breed. The ads on that advertising board often has websites to breeders, which give you an idea of what the breeders are like and images of the manner in which the cats are being bred. Its upto you to do the search on which cat you want and the breeder you want it from. With uncommon cats, it can take a while. Originally, I wanted a Savannah, but there is a good reason why they are so rare - the waiting list is long and slow moving.

I am finding that with the Bengal cat, I might have to travel as far as 150 miles to get it; so it will be a long trip. It depends how important to you it is, I guess. Some people are happy to pop down to their local rescue centre, with no research and just pick something up they like the look of.

Have you got a particular breed in mind?

 

[sunama]

If you're out all day, you really have to let them out...use collar with radio chip, with cat flap. My cats would go up the wall leaving them in all day, with no company except each other.

I think in your circumstances you shouldn't have a cat.

 

[sunama]

Ive actually emailed some breeders of the cats in question to ask them about the sexes/breeds combination. Lets see what they have to say. I would actually prefer to have 2 males, but I thought there would be much fighting.

With regards to allowing the cats outdoors, I'm beginning to gravitate to have a cut run area in the garden that is linked to the house via a cat flap in the window. The area is protected with a wire mesh and prevents the cats from getting in/out. So they are safe in their area, while having access to the garden.

Do owners of pedigree cats even let them outdoors, as I've never seen a pedigree cat walking on the street; Ive only ever seen mongerals.

I was briefly thinking of getting an Ashera Cat (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=490429&in_page_id=1770), but at £13k, I would need to hire a security guard to make sure it doesnt get stolen.

 

[sunama]

Well, sort of. I like the look of the abyssinian breed. But theres really only so much you can tell from reading online.

Really i want a cat that independant enough to go out of the catflap for intself for a long time, i like animals to actually do something not just sit there for the umusement of people, which is why i always used to take my dog ratting and beating (pheasant shooting). Are abyssinian's energetic or are they more lap cats? If you know that is.

What about the Egyptian Mau - reputed to be the fastest domestic cat? It might be able to give a greyhound a run for its money. I'm pretty sure this cat will hunt rodents and be good at it.

I know what you mean about a cat that actually does something. I am actively trying to look for cat breeds that are active and always doing something. Ideally, I want a cat that either sleeps or is a real livewire - zipping from one end of the house to the other. If it sees a mouse, I want it to rip it to shreds. I'm not really into the sedate, lethargic cats that just eat and sit in your lap. Character and personality is important to me. Thats why I chose the Bengal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abyssinian_cat
Abyssinians are very active, friendly, curious and playful, and almost dog-like, but are usually not "lap cats", being too preoccupied with exploring and playing as they would in their natural habitat. However, "abys" will also usually adopt one person in the household and become their best friend, often becoming a lap cat as they are extremely affectionate animals. They are "busy" cats, and can get bored and depressed without daily activity and attention. Many Abyssinians enjoy heights, and will explore their surroundings in three dimensions, from the floor to their owner's shoulders to the top of the highest furniture. They are highly intelligent, and very independent.

 

[sunama]

No good breeder will want you to let their cat outside, and most will have a clause in their contract saying you're not allowed to or they can take the cat back. It is dangerous for pedigree cats to go outside because they are partly bought for their looks and interesting personality, which means there's a much higher chance of a neighbour deciding to take it for themselves, not to mention that it's just generally dangrous to let cats out anyway.

Its interesting you say that. To this day, I have never seen an exotic/pedigree looking cat on the street. Ive seen countless mongies though. And also those cats that have been in many fights have patches of hair missing...you know the sort.

If you like the Maine **** for their size, I'd also recommend looking at Ragdolls. I have two and they are wonderful cats.

I'm not sure. I feel the Ragdoll would quite literally get ripped apart by the Bengal when they play. The Maine **** is much more rugged and equipped to deal with the Bengal. The only other breed that I think would go well with a Bengal is the Egyptian Mau, as it, like the Bengal, is fast and agile, though it is a smaller breed.

There is more chance of kittens getting on together if they have been together from the start than older cats, but it mostly depends on you introducing them properly.

Thats what Im going to try and do. Introduce them to their new home, within a week or so apart.

At this stage, Im still keen on the Maine **** due to its size/strength and therefore its ability to handle the strength/bold nature of the Bengal.

We are in a similar position getting 2 cats in June/July

we are getting a Bengal Boy and a British shorthair ( blue ) girl

Intend getting them fairly close together so that one doesn't get Territorial

My intention is to introduce them to their new home within 1 week of eachother. I think I might've found an available male Bengal, but until I visit him and check him out, I wont know for certain.

Can I ask why you chose to pair your Bengal with a British shorthair and not any other breed or even another Bengal?

As for the danger, its much better for a cat to have a year of free life, being able to go outside when it wants and behave naturally for a cat, and then be run over, than 10 years of living inside 24/7.

I see your point. But, what happens if there is a high likelihood of your pet being stolen should you keep letting it outside, unsupervised? I know for a fact that a Bengal would go missing within a few days/weeks if I let it out. Its just too exotic/unusual looking. Moreover, they tend to be very bold and wont hesitate to walk upto complete strangers and get stroked. There is also the aspect that a big Bengal might be mistaken for a wild cat and could end up having the RSPCA called out for it to be taken away. Now, if you can get a pedigree cat that is scared of strangers, then you might be able to let the cat out.

Why is it that we never see any pedigree cats roaming the streets.

 

[sunama]

Right, update time.

I went to a breeder who is based in Bournemouth, 100 miles away from where I live in London, yesterday. Damn, I hate travelling.

Breeders Website:
http://www.xclusivebengals.com/Xclusive Available.htm

Baby Boy One is the one I have reserved and can be seen here:
http://www.xclusivebengals.com/Latifah&Firedragonspetboys.htm

The breeder was knowledgable and enjoyed talking about his cats. I think I ended up spending over 2hrs at his place.

Anyway, here are 3 pics I took yesterday, of Baby Boy One, who is now 5 weeks old:

While there, I saw the mother and father.

The mother had a rock solid temperment - she didnt even flinch when I first stroked her, which surprised me bearing in mind I was a complete stranger. She was a very good looking example of the Bengal breed.

The father was more orangey in colour, but was huge. He was about the most muscular cat I have ever laid eyes on. He was constantly on the cat wheel, while I was there. He was less laid back and was guarded by my presence, however, did not react adversely when I stroked him.

I also saw Baby Boy Two (see their website), though he was every so slightly smaller and his senses were perhaps sharper than the kitten I went for. He startled very easily and was a lot more weary of me. He was however, very comfortable with his owner.

The earliest I can bring him home is 3rd May 2008.

Now, all I need to do is find a Maine **** kitten, which is proving rather difficult.

 

[sunama]

The 2 month wait will give me time to find a playmate for him and get the house ready. I still need to get scratching posts, cat trees, toys, etc, though these wont take more than a week to bring in. The tough thing is finding the playmate.

I'm actually leaning towards the Egyptian Mau, as opposed to the Maine ****. The Maine **** has very long hair and I'm worried about having hair everywhere in the house. A shorter haired breed might be more appropriate.

 

[sunama]

Get them both done as early as possible, as if you dont theyll just fight for control all the time.

I presume you mean neutered?

The Bengal I reserved yesterday will be neutered at the same time that he has his 2nd set of innoculations at 12 weeks old. In this country though, the done thing seems to be neutering at around 5-6 months of age.

 

[sunama]

Baby Boy one lloks like he knows he's the boss!

He was the biggest of the litter, while Baby Boy Two was the smallest. Its too early to tell, how they will turn out though.

My sister has a Maine **** cat and for a couple of years (the cat) never went outside. Now she (the cat) only wanders around the garden.

Does your sister have any problems with regards to the long hair of the Maine **** and getting too much hair all around the house. I like the temperment and size of the MC, but its long hair is putting me off.

 

[sunama]

I thought I might rescue an older cat but your pictures have just made us all change our minds!!

The only reason why I've gone for a pedigree breed is because I know that I will be living with them for about the next 15yrs or so. Hence, its a massive committment. I want to make sure I am totally happy with the cats/kittens that I am going with. Its important that my cats/pets be very fit, slim and sharp. I dont care for the"cute" factor and at no stage do I wish to put the cat in my lap. Bengals and even Egyptian Maus are known to be cats that are very active and athletic and arent particularly happy in people's laps.

If however, you are someone who doesnt mind about the breed, then I dont see any real need to go the pedigree route. You can find very young cats in shelters who will be very cute, in fact more cuter looking than pedigree kittens. I would positively encourage someone to save their money (pedigree cats cost a lot) and go the rescue shelter route, as you are almost certainly saving a cat from being put down.

If I could find a Bengal or Egyptian Mau kitten/cat from a rescue shelter, I would. The problem is, these pedigree breeds are rarely available.

PS. If you like cute kittens, they have a look at the Maine **** breed. Those kittens are super cute and fluffy.

 

[sunama]

Thread revival time.

So, after a relentless search, I managed to finally hunt down the playmate for the Bengal (coming home on May 3rd).

He shall be a bronze Egyptian Mau. I visited the breeder, in Ipswich, which turned out to be an adventure as I got stranded (missed the last train back to London) and had to stay overnight in a hotel.

Anyway, here are 2 piccies I took of him, during the viewing. It wasnt easy to get him to stay in one place, so the breeder had to grab him by the back of the neck:

He was the only male left, but his personality suited me down to a tee: he was very very active and seemed to be the dominant one of the litter as he was chasing all the other kittens around. He was also determined to chew my shoelaces. He seemed to have no fear at all, just like the Bengal I chose earlier.

While there, I discovered just how fast these cats are. These are reputed to the be the fastest of all domestic cats and they all had rapid reflexes. The 1yr old Egyptian Mau who was also for sale, was huge, fast and didnt realise his own strength.

If you like placid, slow, lap-cats, DONOT go for the Egyptian Mau, as when they are younger, they can be a handful. The breeder had a 9yr old Mau and even he was competing/jumping for the cat toy that I was moving around.

 

[sunama]

Those Siamese cats look extremely well-behaved. Even as kittens they dont look too mischievious; the same of which, cannot be said about the Egyptian Mau and Bengal breeds. The female actually does look very feminine

I was initially looking at a Maine ****, which is actually very similar to the Norwegian Forest Cat. They are both big cats with long hair. However, what put me off of the Maine **** was its long hair - I wouldnt be happy having cat hair all over my clothing. The Egyptian Mau and Bengal have shorter hair and as a result wont cause too much (hair) mess on the carpets, furniture and clothes.

The Norwegian Forest Cat and Maine **** are amongst the biggest cats in the world, are well-behaved and laid back. Even when they are fending off big animals, they stand their ground and dont run around like crazy. Here is a nice video of a Maine **** facing off with an American Pitbull Terrier:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNvlssMR-rM

Observe the size of the Maine ****.

Here is a video of an Egyptian Mau:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyn4W0DHDBg

It gives you an idea of just how fast it can move. In fact, I have many squirrels that visit my back garden and even they dont move as quickly as that.

EDIT: Norwegian Forest Cat:

 

[sunama]

The problem is that any exotic looking cats, will almost certainly get nicked. In my life, I have NEVER seen an exotic looking cat on the street.

The pixiebob has the look of a "normal" cat, so wont stand out too much. Though as it grows and begins look less "normal", there will be a temptation for someone to steal it.

If I had a pixiebob, I would definitely not let it out, as eventually, it will either get run over or stolen. At one stage, I was researching the pixiebob, but decided against it due to it being so difficult to get hold of.

The best looking, most exotic cats are those that are most likely to get stolen. The ugliest, most common looking cats wont have that problem.

Right now I'm thinking of getting my garden cat proofed, which will be a major task. The alternative, is to build them a little cat-run. I havent decided yet.

Ive also read that pedigree cats are less likely to be able to fight disease (from eating rats and pigeons), as their genes are not sourced from a wide heritage. The rarer breeds are typically "line bred" to ensure the survival of the species.

Gurusan, do you allow your exotic cats out?

 

[sunama]

The Egyptian Mau will probably arrive on Wednesday and Ive just put up the cat tree for him:

I wonder if he will like it.

 

[sunama]

In that case, I may have to tie him to the damn thing, so he has no choice

 

[sunama]

Is it unlikely that your kitty will use one of them things?

We can only wait and see.

The Bengal breeder had a cat tree (not as wide, but just as tall) and quite a few of their cats (including the father of my Bengal) were jumping up and down, through the levels, like their lives depended on it.

I shall let you guys know how my kittens get on with it.

Ps bet that took ages to put up lol

I was up till 4:30am in the morning putting it together. The instructions werent particularly clear and some levels had to be disassembled and then re-assembled as some parts hadnt been put it together correctly, the first time.