The Bengal Cat
My next cat is going to be a Bengal. I came across them by accident one day when surfing the net looking at Abysinians. Further investigation sent my long awaited plan for a Siamese cat right down the tubes! I absolutely fell in love with the breed. Even have my eye on a local breeder:
spotacularbengals.comWith any luck, he'll be sired by the lovely male you see here.
| About the breedLike the Shiba Inu dog, these cats are NOT for everyone. They are highly intelligent, devilishly playful (what they consider fun you might consider both maddening and destructive) and sometimes somewhat feral felines. If you are even remotely tempted, do a lot of research into their history and quirks before you make a decision.
Hasty decisions lead to cats in rescues:
http://www.petfinder.com/
I'm tempted to adopt one myself, which may lead to me giving up my kitten days, but I've had several rescue dogs, so I'm not adverse to a rescue cat. |
Bengal Tails....
A year and a half, or so, after I made my decision that the Bengal was the cat for me, I found out at a family gathering that one of Scott's best friends had just gotten a new kitten. Always fur crazy, I asked what he'd gotten, figuring he'd hit the shelter for a kitten. Imagine my delight when he said he'd gotten a Bengal! He chose
Aluren as his breeder. Some of Spotacular's cats have Aluren in their background, as well.
Cleo.....She's hell on wheels, is sweet Cleo! She loves to play in water! This means Mike will find her splashing around in the toilet bowl, or she'll "help" him wash the dishes.
Around Christmas time 2005, Scott told me that if I asked Mike nicely, he might just hand over the kitten, since she was driving him crazy. She found a lovely new way to entertain herself. She would take the balls off the Christmas tree and bounce them around on the floor. But that just wasn't enough fun, so she carried one over to the fireplace and dropped it. It made the greatest noise ever! So Cleo fetched another ball and broke it...then fetched another ball and broke it...you can see where this is going, can't you? She just loooovvveess that tinkling sound!
I don't think Mike would ever part with her. He's considering a second as a playmate to help take keep her entertained!
As I hear more Cleo stories I'll try to add them here.
I suppose I should be having second thoughts...but honestly, it's just made me want my own Bengal even more! I've always liked a smart cat with lots of personality, and the Bengals have it in spades.
