The North Point

Photo courtesy of Georgia Welch, owner of Queen City Bengals Cattery

A child was eating lunch downstairs, when suddenly they heard a loud ‘thump’ on the stairs. Their cat had just fallen off the banister after walking it like a tight rope. If that’s not enough, imagine adopting two adorable kittens, only for them to tear open the bottom of the couch and hide in it, so now there are pool noodles and blankets stuffed all around the bottom of the couch to keep the kittens from climbing in there. Or imagine waking up in the middle of the night to a pet running like the elephants in Jumanji, knocking things off the kitchen counters before loudly asking for attention. 

Welcome to the average day with a Bengal cat.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to share your home with a creature who’s half pet and half shooting star, these cats are a worthy mention.

Bengal cats are a mix of domestic house cats and Asian leopards: not shooting stars, much to their possible disappointment. These cats are high energy, intelligent, affectionate, and possess a very talkative demeanor that people either love or hate.

—-So why do people want one? They do have a stunning appearance. They can be trained to do tricks like dogs. They will also steal your child’s rubber ducks in their bath water. Bengals will do it all. Instead of trying to answer the question of ‘why,’ Georgia Welch, owner of Queen City Bengals Cattery in Charlotte, NC explained why she chose these fluffy chaos machines as pets. 

“When I got my first Bengal cat, I was enamored with the beautiful exotic looking rosetted pelt. I had always been fascinated with big wild cats and wanted a jaguar or cheetah as a pet when I was a kid, but of course that was impossible for obvious reasons. After having them in my life for the past 15 years, that’s not what keeps me coming back to Bengal cats. It’s their unique, hilarious, mischievous, clever personality that keeps me loyal and devoted to them,” explained Welch.

Jennifer Waybright, Rock Hill resident and Bengal owner, agrees that Bengals can be mischievous. 

“Bengals are like the dogs of the cat world. Ours greets us at the door and can even do a few tricks. But they are definitely not your typical cat. When our Bengal was a kitten … well, we got him when he was 8 months old … we’d find him trying to climb a quilt I have hanging on the wall. He’d also sit at the top of the front door frame where there really isn’t a ledge! I’ve caught him playing with ice cubes in my cup if I turn my back. He also likes to steal my bath water, so I’ve had a couple times where I have to rinse out the tub and re-run my bath water. They are super smart cats but also curious and require lots of love and attention,” Waybright said.

Michelle Altmeyer, owner of Avalo Cat Sanctuary in Wagener, SC reinforces the idea that Bengals are full of personality, but can also be high maintenance. 

“I love their personalities. Most of them are very outgoing, and they always have very different antics. For that reason also they are not for everybody. They come in so many different colors. They are absolutely beautiful. I love their idiosyncrasies. They are extremely athletic, very charismatic and always keep you on your toes with lots of entertainment, charismatic behavior and companionship,” added Altmeyer.

While Bengals are playful and full of personality, owning a Bengal cat is not for everyone. They can also be destructive when bored and are often surrendered by their owners.

“Bengals are the most common hybrid cat. They are also the most surrendered hybrid cat. I think they are very misunderstood and many times I think people get the cats not knowing that they can be a lot of cat. Common reasons why they have been surrendered are because they have inappropriate urination, but I think that can also be misunderstood because I have many domestic cats that also have the same problem. Bengals need a lot of stimulation to stay busy, and sometimes when one thing sets them off it can become a conditioned pattern. They can be very busy and active non-stop which can annoy people. They can also be very loud which can also annoy people. Sometimes these are things that people aren’t aware of,” explained Altmeyer. “They can be very opinionated and sometimes hard to handle if they think that they want things their own way. Sometimes people surrender them because they are moving or somebody died or some other sad excuse.”

“I think behaviorally it is because people don’t understand them and don’t know how to give them the enrichment that they need. Bengals are not typically lap cats, but I have had some come through that are,” Altmeyer added.

Altmeyer started her exotic cat sanctuary in 2013 but has been part of Bengal rescue groups in the Southeast since she moved to the states in 2000.

“I’ve been a veterinary technician all my life and I really didn’t even know anything about them. I started the sanctuary because I realized that hybrid cats really didn’t have a safe place to go and were misunderstood by even veterinarians, shelters and the general public,” she added.

Aside from being misunderstood, Bengals are also prone to health issues such as cardiomyopathy. And they do not tolerate ketamine for anesthesia due to genetic risks.

“The most common health issues that I have seen in the Bengal are HCM which is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – a heart condition. A good breeder will screen their cats for this so that you know ahead of time if it’s a liability or a genetic problem. If the cat has this you can often treat it with medication to try for prevention but unfortunately they usually die from it. Sometimes if you don’t know they have it they can die suddenly or it can leave them paralyzed in the hind end leading to an early death,” said Altmeyer.

Appropriate diet is also important for Bengals. 

“Ultimately they do better on a raw or pre-made raw diet compared to the typical bad human-made dry kibble which has no moisture content and can affect their liver and kidneys over time,” explained Altmeyer.

Living with Bengals is an experience all on its own. With their high-octane energy, Bengals are opinionated roommates with a flair for drama. They turn everyday life into a safari, zooming from room to room like they’re training for the cat olympics. They are definitely not normal house cats and will steal your heart like no other. 

“I think the best thing about the Bengal cats that have owned me, and I do mean owned me, is the incredibly close bond I’ve shared with them. I’ve never bonded with another breed of cat or any other animal as closely as I have my bengals,” Welch said of the cats at Queen City Bengals Cattery.

Beneath the coat and wild appearance that makes them look like miniature leopards, Bengals are a cat that needs time, patience, stimulation, and understanding. As Welch and Altmeyer both discovered, Bengals are not simply pets to admire that are full of charm. They are companions that demand to be understood.

So, if you’ve ever thought about owning a Bengal, you may get a climber, a comedian, a troublemaker, or a tiny little leopard who thinks your house is its own personal playground. Sometimes the most unforgettable companions are the ones who refuse to be ordinary.