Bengals...

[penski]

...Right...After spending nearly all day saturday with a pair of Bengal kittens (and being kept awake most of the night by them...), my girlfriend and I have fallen in love with the idea of getting a pair.

We've been thinking about getting a cat or two for the last year or so...So it's not something we'd be diving into.

Anyone own Bengals?

I've only ever known half a dozen of them; all have been inquisitive, friendly, playful and rather scatty; my kind of cat - they don't mind being pestered and played with

Any advice?

*n

 

[penski]

We're looking at getting a Bengal as well - is it true that they 'cough' rather than miaow?

It's certainly not a normal 'meow' voccalisation but seems to range from squeaking to ribbeting, coughing et cetera...Some seem to be a lot more vocal than others.

They sound more like a dog (in terms of enjoying a bit of rough and tumble), which appeals to me.

Same here - the two I was pestering on saturday/sunday were happy with a cardboard box each and a bit of string on a stick to chase and pounce on...Hours of entertainment.

*n

 

[penski]

Agree 100%. If you can't let the cat out, you shouldn't own one. Not fair for the cat to live it's entire life inside a flat. Wouldn't get one live next to a major road.

On the contrary; I know many people with housecats; I'd certainly call it fair - average life expectancy of 13 years as opposed to 12 months for an 'outside' cat.

*n

 

[penski]

Our outside cat lived to 18 years.

That doesn't change the average life expectancy for an outside cat one iota but...thanks for the info

*n

 

[penski]

you are on the right lines , a indoor cat lives around 3 times longer on average

ours is an indoor cat though we do take her out on the garden occasionally , the only time I feel a bit guilty is in hot weather like now ( and maybe getting 2 would have been a better idea )

Yeah - they seem to prefer being in pairs or trios (known one pair, a trio and a single cat).

As long as the cat(s) remain mentally stimulated and get plenty of exercise, I don't see an issue with them being indoor cats; certainly preferable to them being stolen, killed or murdered (I think we all know the hatred that some people have for cats...someone in my girlfriend's parents' village killed 12 local cats in 2 years before being caught )...Plus I don't relish the prospect of losing £500 of cats at a young age

*n

 

[penski]

ours too, I would say it is VERY cruel to keep a cat locked in a flat all the time, cats need to go outside and prowl run about socialise with other cats etc.

I certainly wouldn't call it cruel; that's quite offensive.

Rotty - the male has won a first and a second...He has beautiful markings - marbled. The female is spotted...quite dusky.

Certainly lovely cats for £250 each.

*n

 

[penski]

£500 for 2, they're probably bengal cross kittens (e.g. half bengal, half tabby).

No - they're purebreds.

bengals can be very expensive, especially from reputable breeders.

I know - My ex's mum used to breed them (not personally though ) and last I heard she was charging from £400 with the sky being the limit (obviously based on patterning, size, bone structure et cetera...)

*n

 

[penski]

I'm like a three year old around cats - I pester them and play with them constantly.

But unlike a three year old, as soon as they grow tired or show any signs that they're bored or have had enough playing around, I stop

*n

 

[penski]

Instead of spending silly money on pedigree cats, why don't you get a rescue cat and donate some cash to some random cat charity?

I do regular volunteer work for a local cat rescue when I can get the time away from work and other commitments and I donate regularly to a few other local rescues; my conscience is sated in that respect

*n

 

[penski]

I know our cat would rather be rolling around on the patio/driveway than be locked up in a room during this time of year. Our tomcat stayed out around 21 hours a day, and went missing for weeks at a time.

But that is just one cat; you cannot make such a broad and sweeping statement as that.

To call cat owners with indoor cats cruel is offensive. The word implies intent of malice.

An indoor cat can enjoy a life that is as enriched as an outdoor cat and one that is usually longer.

*n

 

[penski]

Importantly, 'outside' where I live consists of 15' drops onto concrete, cars, a river, a building site about 200m away where they're starting on the next phase od the development and, because of the last two, a bit of rat poison.

*n

 

[penski]

Chairman Meow

I love you

*n

 

[penski]

Cats can survive much bigger drops than 15'

Yes, we all know that but it's not something I would want to happen on anything approaching a regular basis.

A friend of mine has the trunk of a pine tree leaning against his terrace for his cats to go up and down...it's about 45 feet. :/

*n

 

[penski]

how old are they ? that could affect the price , obviusly if they have been shown then they are older than the age when kittens are usually homed

marbles are beautiful but do fetch lower prices

They're just over two years old now I think.

They got the kittens when they were 14 weeks (if I recall correctly)

*n

 

[penski]

my opinion on your boyfriend.

What on earth are you jabbering about?

*n

 

[penski]

I agree 100% what benneh said above, as he's expanded and gone into further detail what I said earlier.

One reason the RSPCA say a cat can stay indoors is to give them a home, any adequate home...it's better than no home at all (and they can't leave them in the shelter) If a family drives upto the kennels but admit they live on busy road the life expectacy might be 6 months, so they wouldn't want to refuse them unless they have a bad history with pets. Not many people have time or live in a location to look after a indoor & outdoor pet (dog/cat) as much as it needs. ie most people leave dogs alone all day inside with no one to play with...the owners only arrive at 7pm, quick player before dinner and bed, and that's it. Cruel IMO. If it were a child, child services would have been called a long time ago

As for Barbie all your points are quite short sighted, I think you're trying to persuade yourself you are providing the most satisfying enviroment for your cat, unfortuantly you're not. Very safe, but very boring. You can't provide a cat a few toys and expect it to be entairtained for years on end in the same location, looking in the same house, same toys, same smells. ie my cat was sleeeping and awoke to find 5 birds nearby. You won't get that randomness inside with toys. Cats like to change sleeping places also, sometimes under a tree, in flowers, on the lawn, on sheds.. I certainly wouldn't like to be kept locked up inside a house for 80 years, even if I do have a lot of indoor "boys toys" ie computers, films, radio etc etc. Cats do suffer from boredom.

You can't keep using anthropomorphic projection to cats; they do not have the same brains as humans and they do not have the same requirements as humans. To do so is rather churlish. They are an essentially 'wild' animal that still responds to basic stimuli; Cats sleep for most of their day with a dozen or so short bursts of energy (for 'hunting').

Tie a few ribbons of newspaper to a length of string and lead the string around the room along a random (and differing) path. Sit down and pull the string slowly in a jerky motion, replicating a mouse scurrying along skirting boards, under and over chairs, tables, down narrow cracks. The cat will respond to this basic stimuli by going into 'hunting' mode and stalking the newspaper. The random path ensures variation and the cat gets both mental stimulation and exercise.

As long as you are inventive, an indoor cat needn't be 'deprived' in any way.

I agree that if you give an indoor cat a scratching post and a catnip mouse to play with and leave them too it then they will not live a content and enriched life.

However, indoor cats with inventive and differing means to play can be as constantly challenged and aware as they could be outside.

Your comment about a 'constantly evolving environment' does not hold water; most outdoor cats have a rather limited territory and, other than the wind blowing a crisp bag about, the environment does not change much at all.

*n

 

[penski]

Tbh, neither of them show all that much interest in 'outdoors' except when the local ferral tom comes around swingin' his balls and marking his stuff hehe.

Both my girlfriends' old cat and my old cat had open houses in the summer; if someone was in the house, doors and windows would be left wide open, giving them free reign if they wanted it.

Both cats chose to sunbathe outside then come back inside to eat and to play (my cat - he was only 5) or to cool down (my girlfriends' cat - nearly 18).

Obviously () by playing with my cat indoors, I was being cruel and not allowing it to follow it's instincts, yadda yadda yadda.

I brought my old cat up as an indoor cat; we often had the windows and doors open but it never showed any interest in the outside world (other than when summer came and the patio was flooded with sunshine all day). It chose to play inside. If you threw a ball of rolled up paper near it outside, it'd just watch it. If you did it inside, it would start playing with it.

*n