Bengal cats
facts, products, and gifts for cat lovers
We brought our Bengal cat, Sam home in November and he is the perfect addition to our family. He is equal parts loving and rambunctious. Okay, he may have a little more rambunctiousness mixed in, but the sweetness makes up for it.
That being said, we researched Bengals, but weren’t quite prepared for what he had in store for us! After some trial and error, he is now well adjusted, happy, and beyond spoiled.
Below you’ll find some facts about Bengals, things I’ve learned about raising a Bengal, along with products and toys we love that have Sam’s stamp of approval.
I’ve also included a guift guide for cat lovers, a Bengal Resource Guide, and a Free Cat Coloring Page! While this post is geared toward Bengals, Sam’s favorite things can be enjoyed by cats of any breed!
Sam is a domestic cat that looks like a leopard with a beautiful spotted coat. He is a Silver Bengal with gray, brown, and black markings with green eyes.
Bengals are a cross-breed of an Asian Leopard Cat and a Domestic Shorthair Cat. Bengal cats are classified by how many generations they are removed from their original wild parent. The kitten of the Asian leopard is called an F1. every following generation gets a numerical designation such as F2, F3, F4, etc. To be considered a truly domestic cat, a Bengal must be at least an F4.
They are intelligent, talkative, energetic and love to climb and jump. Sam plays fetch and is fascinated by water and birds. While some Bengals do not like to cuddle or be held, Sam will let me pick him up for snuggles and takes naps on my lap. The affectionate personalities of Bengals make them perfect for children. They also get along great with other cats and even dogs.
The first thing I learned about Sam is that he is very picky about his litter box. It has to always be clean or he will find other areas of the house to use instead. He is almost 15 pounds and needs a large litter box with plenty of space. Since he has both sets of claws, he shreds the litter box liner making a huge mess. Two things that have helped make litter changing easier are using two liners instead of one and putting a large rubberband (the ones you can use for large trash cans) around the rim of the litter box base to keep the liner in place. We also switched from non-clumping to clumping litter, which has made a huge difference.
Dr. Elsey’s is at the top of the list of best litter brands for Bengal Cats.
I also quickly learned that if Sam has his eye on something, he will find a way to get to it whether I want him to or not. No shelf is too high and no space is too small to keep him from exploring. We pretty much had to baby proof the house all over again and make room for his huge cat tree. He has opened cabinets, pulled out sink drains, and jumped in the toilet. I’ve found him sleeping in the washing machine and hanging from one of our lights.
He definitely gives us more reasons to laugh and more stories to tell than we ever thought a cat could!
This is by far Sam’s favorite. He plays with it everyday and does not get bored. It senses when he is near and the feathers start to pop in and out of the 7 holes. It automatically shuts off in 5 minutes when not in use, comes with 4 extra feathers and is USB rechargeable.
Eyes Light Up!
18x18 inches
50x70 inches
Below you will find my Bengal Cat Resource Library with more litter options, books filled with helpful information, useful websites, and a FREE Cat Coloring Page! If you enjoyed reading this, you may also like my post about amazing dog products!
