My husband is active duty military and is often away from home. At the time, I had 2 children whom were both in school half of the day. I wanted a companion, so I searched the local homeless shelters. I came across a very unique looking and beautiful kitten that was a Bengal mix. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending upon how you look at it, I was too late in claiming the kitten. However, my curiosity had been piqued since I have never heard of a Bengal before.

So in earnest I started my search on all things Bengal and immediately fell in love. It seemed to me that this Breed was tailored for me. I loved the exotic wild look but most of all, I loved the intelligence and the extremely social temperament. The best part of all, my husband whom is very allergic to cats could be fine since Bengals are hypoallergenic.

The down side? There weren't many Bengal breeders around. Bengals have only been around since the 1980s and there are many states that outlaw Asian Leopard Cats and early generational Bengals, which are needed to create the Bengal breed. Also, most of all the Bengal Breeders are down south. This is because Bengals can't tolerate cold that well for the same reason they're hypoallergenic, they don't have 2 layers of hair instead they have 1 tight, short pelt. In the warmer climates, Bengals can be housed outside all year round. In the colder climates, Bengals need a heat source.

The lack of Bengal Breeders in New England is why I decided that I would make it my passion to Breed Bengals so that others could experience all the love and craziness Bengals had to offer. I have a degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and I use to do Pharmaceutical research before the economy turned. This background is why I am huge on Bengal biology and subsequent health. This is why I write papers on Bengal genetics for breeding and also to prevent the prevalence of genetic issues in bloodlines. All my Bengals are genetically tested. This is also why I am big on proper nutrition, hydration, and the use of supplements. My posts on vet testing and vaccinations are also based upon my scientific background. For me, Lap Leopard Bengals is not a business, it's a passion I want to share.

Most breeders wait until a kitten reaches 12 weeks or more before releasing them. This is for several reasons. One reason is to assure themselves that the kitten is getting at least 2 rounds of vaccinations before leaving. Another reason is to give time for the kitten to develop into a higher quality so that the Breeder may charge a higher price or get a Breeder price. Lastly, most Breeders feel that additional time is required for the kitten to develop consistent litter box habits and important socialization skills.

So why do I break away from this norm? One way I have overcome the concern regarding vaccinations is by supplying the 2nd and 3rd rounds of vaccinations in an intra-nasal form that can be administered by the buyer at home. This results in peace of mind for both buyer and seller. As for allowing more time to determine quality, an experienced Breeder will be able to discern quality potential as early as 4 weeks. I also feel that the benefits of releasing at 9-10 weeks far outweighs getting more money based upon a higher quality achieved later.

Our socialization program, which starts the moment kittens are born, gives significant results in obtaining socialization skills. Lap Leopard Bengals also starts the process of presenting solid food and litter box training at 4 weeks. Our intense hands-on and early approach allows us to achieve consistent litter box habits and socialization skills on an earlier time frame then Breeders whom don't have as much time dedicated.

So why do we spend money on giving vaccinations away, potentially loose money from kittens that develop into higher quality, and use so much of our time to train and socialize our kittens on an earlier time frame? The major benefit to releasing a kitten at 9-10 weeks is that kittens are more vulnerable and thus more reliant on their new parents at this age. At this early tender age, a critical moment in development happens where a kind of "imprinting" can occur.  This allows for a stronger bond to be formed early. We also recognize that our kittens are going to homes that have all kinds of environments and they must adapt to their new home life and this is best done when young and impressionable. We don't want our kittens to bond to our family and become use to our home and their litter-mates. This would make their later transition more difficult. It is also possible that in the critical time between 9 and 12 weeks kittens can grow more confident and independent. While this sounds like a positive thing, it also means the new parents miss out on helping the kitten to grow in their confidence with them. 

So in our passion to develop not only stunning and social kittens, we are most concerned about having our kittens molded by you into the kind of lifestyle you desire.

Bengals are very active when they're awake and most importantly, they are like that throughout their entire life span. This is truly a mixed blessing. Coupled with their activity level is their curiosity and intelligence and this can all spell for some bad behavior if not given a proper outlet. Bengals can get quit persistent in wanting to get playmates and this is primarily why I highly encourage having other pets, or even better another Bengal that can give that outlet. Let me give you an example of behavior that can appear when there is no outlet. A Bengal can jump onto cabinets and knock down something interesting. Even if what they knock down breaks into tiny pieces they can then start to play with the pieces until they are bored again. At this point, they can go back to the cabinets and knock down some more stuff. Bengals are very much like little children that do require an outlet and a certain degree of stimulation.

So how can you give this much needed stimulation?

Cat furniture, toys, a running cat wheel, outdoor walks on a leash, and best of all: another Bengal or You! Why another Bengal and how to walk your cat on a leash are two topics I will address in other posts.

Cat furniture is cheapest online and the most expensive in pet stores since they seriously like to mark up all things accessory. Make sure the cat furniture has scratching sissel posts and preferably is very tall since Bengals are from a tree-dwelling leopard ancestor. It is also best to place cat furniture near a window where stimulating outdoor activity can be observed and the warming rays of sunshine can attract.

A running cat wheel allows for physically exhausting and active behavior while preventing your cat from bouncing off walls and using you as a spring board as they fly around the home.

Cat toys can include ping pong balls that are easy to toss, balls with bells, and catnip filled mice. Just a little fact, catnip won't have much of an effect on cats until they reach 6 months old. This is because catnip mimics the odor emitted by a cat when they're in heat and so they won't recognize the odor until the age they reach sexual maturity.  Any toys with bird feathers, including feathered wands, need to be supervised and hidden when supervision is not available because Bengals love to eat birds and they will pluck the feathers and eat them. Bengals have even been singularly named and blamed for wiping out entire bird populations according to the Audubon Society simply because once a Bengal gets into a tree there is no equal. Just like little children, once a toy breaks apart you will need to dispose of the pieces before they can try to eat them. Most cases of intermittent and occasional vomiting and diarrhea are really because of Bengals eating inappropriate things. This is, however, not the case for ongoing and persistent vomiting and diarrhea. The lazy man's way of interacting with your Bengal for hours is the time honored use of the Laser Pointer! Tunnels, or even better yet crinkle tunnels, are yet another additive to your toy collection your Bengal will thank you for.

Stay Away From:

While cardboard boxes are great fun for all animals alike, if your Bengal's nails are ripping off pieces of cardboard then you'll need to get rid of the box. Eating pieces of cardboard is yet another thing, along with eating pieces of plastic, feathers, or even plants that Bengals will do and get sick. This is also a reason I recommend using rope sissel posts but stay away from cardboard scratching posts. Plus you don't want pieces of cardboard all over your house either.

There are two major approaches to introducing a kitten to your home. The only concern regarding kittens in their new home is litterbox issues. Kittens are like little toddlers that always need to be close to the potty and don't always realize they have to go until it's too late. Kittens don't have great memory and depth perception initially and can get lost in large environments and can easily forget where the litter box is. Kittens can also be so preoccupied with playing that they forget they have to go and if they can't get to the litter box quickly, then they'll pick the closest corner.

Approach One:

You can allow your kitten the run of the house but keep several litterboxes close by. Using Dr. Elsley's Kitten Attract Litter should also help entice kittens to start using their new litter boxes. Make sure the sides of the litterbox is not too high for your 8 week kitten. Over time, after a month or so, you can slowly switch out this litter to an all natural litter. Also, over time you can slowly move the litter boxes from their close but inconvenient places to their permanent places and even decrease the number of litter boxes as the kitten learns their new home and learn to hold their waste longer. If littebox problems persist then you can adopt approach Two.

Approach Two:

Most literature online refers to approach two. You start the kitten off with a small area and work your way to big. So keep the kitten in a bathroom or small bedroom where they can learn the lay of the land and always be close to a litterbox. If at any point in increasing the area the kitten roams that litterbox problems creep up again you can either decrease the area again and wait for maturity or increase the litterboxes and go back to Kitten Attract litter.

Nails:
Do expect your kitten's nails to be out more often as they don't learn to sheath them until they're 4-5 months old. A kitten's nails serve as a protective mechanism while they are still young. You can curb this issue by trimming the nails every 7-14 days.

Want to sleep with your kitten?

Cats are by nature nocturnal animals. This means that they want to be up all night and sleep all day. Since we are on the opposite schedule, cats try to adapt to us by being awake during the day to be with us but require frequent and long cat naps. Cats can learn to sleep with us at night but sometimes requiring training. You can have a cat bed next to your bed or on your bed that is a dedicated spot for your kitten. Following a bedtime routine, just like for kids, will help a kitten prepare for bedtime. We even tell our kittens "Bedtime!" before turning out the lights. If a kitten wakes you up at night because they want to be active, kick them out of the bedroom. Since cats are social and love to co-sleep, this serves as a time out that will teach them quickly that waking you up is not acceptable. Do keep in mind that you will need to allow the kitten a way to access a litterbox as they will probably not be able to last throughout the night without relieving themselves. As I mentioned before, it's not in a cat's nature to sleep the whole night and will have to develop the ability to hold off using the litterbox for longer than normal times. When you first get your kitten at 8 weeks, they may not even be able to sleep with you at night immediately because they may sleep so deeply that they will urinate in their sleep. The only way to know is to try it and then if it doesn't work, hold off and try again when more maturity is reached.

COMFORT ZONE:
Lastly, I can't express enough how helpful having a comfort zone diffuser installed 2 weeks prior to your kitten's arrival is. This will make a stressful life change into a more manageable and quicker transition.

Your kitten is going to be arriving in your home at 8 weeks and at a very vulnerable time. This allows your kitten to adapt quickly to your home environment and family. This vulnerability may also help aide in your kitten bonding to other animals quickly. To your other pet, a young kitten is as non-threatening as it can get. Protective instincts, a playful side, or curiosity may all help drive your pet into bonding with the new kitten. However, until you're sure your kitten will be safe alone with your pet you will have to monitor all interactions and never leave your kitten alone with your pet.

What to Expect:

When you bring your kitten home, you can keep your kitten in a room within a few strides reach of you while your other pets are nearby. Usually the first stage of meeting starts with curiosity and then distrust. So a cat may come up to investigate the kitten and then quickly hiss and retreat. This will probably happen a few times. They may stay at a distance while cautiously observing the kitten and quietly growling to show their mistrust.  Hissing and growling are all acceptable behaviors but you should react if physical aggression, such as attacking or swatting while hissing/growling, occurs. Cats can wrestle and tussle but they shouldn't be doing so while hissing/growling. The next stage is quiet acceptance. At this point, the other pet will tolerate your kitten and won't react much. The last stage, while it may never happen, is affectionate bonding where co-sleeping and social grooming or playing together can all occur. How long each phase takes and if the last phase even happens depends on several factors.

What Factors Are Involved?

The temperament of your pet has the most impact on whether they become friends. Easily accepting change and being very sociable to people or other animals are all good signs. The age difference can also impact the type of relationship formed. A closer age gap could cause a brother/sister sibling type of relationship whiles a greater age gap could change it to more of a parent/child. Space can also have an impact. Animals tend to require a certain degree of space for themselves and where their space overlaps with another animals can give tension. The more space afforded, the less stressful the situation is. Gender is another consideration. Neutered males have no social role and therefor are more laid back, less territorial, and generally like everyone with no preferences. Females, spayed or not, always have a maternal drive and this drive can get stronger with age. This tends to make females more protective and therefor choose particular people to protect and a territory in which to protect. While 2 females aren't doomed to dislike each other, more often than not, when someone asks a feline behaviorist for help in cat disputes it's 2 females involved. Therefor, opposite sexes or 2 males have more success. Breed can change the dynamic as well. While most breeds are known for certain behavioral characteristics that can impact interaction, most cats and dogs become more sedentary as they age. Bengals, however, are a breed that are known for retaining their kitten-like energy and curiosity throughout their entire lifespan. Bengals can easily overtire and pester other animals into playing with them and become easily bored. This is one really good reason why another Bengal is the best lifelong playmate for a Bengal.

What can I do to help my pet accept my new kitten?

During the day while you are around you can keep your kitten close by while observing the interactions. As long as there is only hissing and growling then you can continue to let your pet investigate and accept your kitten on their terms.  When you are not around and at night, the kitten will need to be isolated from your pet until you feel confident the kitten will be safe. The kitten's natural playful side should help to bring out your pet's curiosity and playfulness. If your kitten and pet are playing together, make sure the kitten is not getting hurt and not acting scared. If the kitten is running back for more, instigating play, and acting normal than a little rough-housing is nothing to be alarmed about.

At any point, if there is physically aggressive behavior you will need to use a much slower approach that involves keeping your kitten completely isolated. Take blankets that the kitten has slept with and use them to introduce the pet to the kitten's scent. You can bring the kitten out for short periods of time for supervised play around your pets and slowly increase the time. If aggressive behavior is still witnessed, the time your kitten is around needs to decrease or stay the same and not increased until your pet shows improvement in accepting your kitten. 

In either approach, you can help quicken the pet introduction phases by using positive reinforcement. You should find a tasty treat your pet enjoys and give that whenever your pet comes to investigate your kitten as a reward for being around the kitten. For dogs or cats, I find that cooked or uncooked hotdog pieces work very well as they are easy to chew and have a strong smell and taste. I would say to reward frequently, say every 5 minutes, while your pet interacts positively or hangs around the kitten. As time goes on, you can reward less and less frequently. You want to create a positive association with your kitten. You can alternatively or in conjunction use praise and give a lot more attention as a positive reinforcement as well. You may also try to use the playful nature of kitten and pet to bring out positive interactions by using a feathered wand or other play tool.

Lastly, a great product on the market that should help cat introductions is Comfort Zone. The name says it all as it is a pheromone based system that helps to create a calming environment for cats. The diffuser has refils that need to be replaced every month and should be set up at least 2 weeks prior to the arrival of your kitten to have an immediate impact.

There are multiple reasons why there are size differences within any given litter.

Gestational Age

A cat doesn't ovulate only once but multiple times throughout an entire 5-10 day heat period, the period of time a cat is capable of ovulating which is marked by several distinctive behavioral changes. This allows a cat to carry kittens that were conceived at different times throughout the heat cycle and even by different fathers. Simply being conceived a week after another kitten will create a different gestational age. Kittens mature so quickly that even a 1 week gap can create a vast difference in size and maturity. 

Nipple Fights

Kittens will fight over the best nipples because simply put, not all nipples are created equal. Some nipples will produce more milk than others. The kittens born slightly larger will be able to fight for those better nipples and thus the size difference can become even more exasperated.

Turning the Tables

Kittens start to wean from their mothers around 5-6 weeks when they're introduced to external food sources. It's at this time when kittens don't have to soley rely on their mother's milk that we notice the growth spurt does a little dip during the learning curve but then starts growing exponentially. Any growth differences between litter mates can now start to equal out. These so called "runts" start to make a come-back.

Conclusion

When we look at human preemie babies the size difference and maturity rate are drastically different from their peers because of the gestational age difference. Yet, most of the time those preemie babies grow up to be comparable in size and maturity to their peers years later although they had a slow start in life. This can also be said for the "runts" in many litters. Often times they may start off in life a little slower than their litter mates but then make up for it later on and ultimately show there is no difference after all. What's also true for preemie human babies and the runts of litters is that sometimes, being born a tad too early does in fact have a lasting impact and create a slightly smaller stature later on.

We have already addressed Gender differences when getting 2 kittens or bringing in another kitten.

Is there a temperament difference?

As a general rule, males and females have different roles in feline society. A male's role is sexually driven so a fixed male lacks any real role and therefor has no competition. Even in the wild, groups of male lions, cheetahs, ect will work together in absence of a female. Understanding this helps us to understand why male cats tend to be more laid back and get along in groups rather well.

A female's role in feline society is not sexually driven. Even fixed females will still harbor strong maternal drives. Just observe a little girl playing with a doll to realize this. These strong maternal drives can create tension, the need to protect even from other cats. It is because of this that females make great companions for children and people but less so in multi-cat households. In nature, female cats can be very distrustful of other cats, especially other female cats, because of the incidence of kitten stealing. It is because of this that female cats will "bicker" and be territorial with each other.


Is there a size difference?

Testosterone does make the male Bengal larger in muscle mass than the female. Since Bengals do have a larger muscular build than other breeds, this size difference between the sexes is more notable in Bengals.

Bengal male:   14-16 lbs
Bengal female: 9-12 lbs

Thirst Drive

The brutality of nature has taught animals that the mere act of going to a water source for hydration could mean your life as predators like to use these places to locate prey. This means that adaptation demands predators gain their hydration from other sources, mainly their kill. If you really stop and think about it, it is much more efficient to use all the liquid from a kill and maintain a low thirst drive. Since cats do not have a strong thirst drive, it is important for a cat to ingest water with his or her food as they would in nature. This means giving wet food every day and enough of it.

Importance of Good Hydration

Water is an essential nutrient for your cat and accounts for 60-75% of an adult cat’s body weight. Water helps your cat’s body digest food, regulate body temperature, eliminate waste (urinary issues continue to be one of the most common medical reasons pet parents take their cats to the veterinarian each year) and allows salt and other electrolytes to pass through the body. Encouraging hydration is extremely important. Providing a bowl of fresh, clean water does NOT ensure your cat will naturally drink what they need in order to stay properly hydrated and healthy due to their naturally low thirst drive.

Tips to Encourage Healthy Hydration:

1. Many cats love to drink running water. Just turn on a facet to see this. We can come back to nature again to understand this predilection. In the wild, stale stagnant water could mean algae and bacteria that result in getting sick while running circulating water from a stream does not. So, re-circulating water fountains are very attractive water stations that, in many cases, will stimulate a cat to drink more frequently.

2. Having multiple water stations around the house can also encourage more drinking. Out of sight, out of mind is very true in this instance. Remember to keep your dry food close by your water stations but not too close as moisture can cause dry food to spoil, I would say 2-3 feet apart.

3. You can even add more water to your cat’s canned food to encourage increased water intake. Warm water may help to stimulate a "fresh kill". Other liquid that can be added to canned food or even given separately is chicken/beef broth or gravy and raw beaten egg.

4. Multiple, clean, fresh litter boxes should be placed in out of the way areas, making it easy for your cat to relieve himself without interruption. Increased water intake should after all equate to increased litter box needs.

Why is Dry food important?

After going through how important wet food is, sometimes we ask ourselves why not just give only wet food and no dry food? Dry food has it's value too. It offers other nutritional values that could be lacking within wet food, such as antioxidant or pro-biotic properties. Dry food can also be left out indefinitely in gravity fed bowls thus making food available at all times without spoilage. Lastly, dry food can help fight tooth decay and tartar build-up by scraping the teeth and gum lines.

Bottom line:

Both dry food and wet food should be available at all times to your Bengal in unlimited quantities. Limiting food intake will create a sense of scarcity that can cause an animal to covet their food even more. You should not have to worry about weight gain in a Bengal because they are very active throughout their entire lives, are more muscular and thus have a higher metabolism than other breeds, and lastly, animals eat according to their dietary needs. Bengals that become overweight are overeating because they are missing something in their diet that creates a craving that can't be met. A combination of wet food, dry food, and dietary supplements will ensure all dietary needs are being met.

Bengals have a pregnancy that lasts 63 days, give or take 2 days. While Bengals are considered exotic cats and therefor have smaller litter sizes of 2-5, they by far more often have 5 kittens in a litter. Bengal females reach sexual maturity between 6 to 8 months and males take longer ranging from 10 to 16 months. Felines are obligatory ovulators, meaning they can only become pregnant when they go into heat and receive enough stimulation to warrant ovulation to become pregnant. This saves energy as energy is not wasted on a pregnancy that can't happen.

Bengal females experience a longer harsher heat cycle than most other breeds and this takes a lot of energy from them. They are also more likely to get a type of uterine infection called pyometra should they go through repeated heat cycles without being bred. Due to the extreme nature of the Bengal heat cycle and the health concern of pyometra, it is far more humane to breed a Bengal when presented with the opportunity than to keep a Bengal suffering through multiple heat cycles. A Bengal's heat cycle will typically be less severe and shortened to 2-5 days when ovulation or pregnancy occur from being bred, otherwise it can last 5-9 days and cause more strenuous symptoms.

Felines show pregnancy signs in a few ways. This can be a little confusing because a lot of the signs for pregnancy can also be signs of an oncoming heat cycle, which include becoming very friendly. The most notable pregnancy sign is the nipples turning a pink/red color at roughly 21 days into the pregnancy and can even be used to help place the due date. Pink nipples can also be a sign of being in heat in some cats as well, thus adding to the confusion. Cats that have not had a litter yet tend to have small nipples while cats that have nursed have large distended nipples. Smaller nipples makes it a little more challenging to see the nipple color change in first time cats.

What determines when a Bengal mother goes back into heat after giving birth to a litter depends upon several factors, including if she has gained back enough weight to sustain another pregnancy. Often times at Lap Leopard Bengals due to our high nutrition standards, our queens go back into heat when their new litter is 6-8 weeks old. This can equate to a new litter being born and released every 4 months. It is very important to our cattery that we treat our queens as Queens and give the highest amount of nutrients and protein to support large healthy litters, easy pregnancies, and an easy recovery from pregnancy all while maintaining superior health of our breeders. Since Bengals do get bred very often due to the challenges in this exotic breed, it is also important to retire Bengals early so they can continue to live a long and healthy life after their breeding days. When to retire a Bengal from breeding is dependent upon the quality and quantity of the litters and ease of pregnancy as well as age. Most breeds that are afforded breaks in between pregnancies retire around 8 but Bengals usually retire around 5-6.