Bengal Cats!

[UK KEN]

Hello All!

Well, I do not think I have ever been as far OT as this, but here goes.

My family have had cats and dogs as far back as I can remember. Our last cat died at the ripe old age of 18 about three weeks ago. My wife and kids have been pestering me to find a replacement ever since. :eek:

They have decided that they particularly like the looks of the Bengal cat.

My question is, do any of you ladies or gentlemen have any experience with this particular breed? I just looked at a UK site and you can pay anything from £350.00 for a "pet" to £850.00 for a "queen or stud" :eek: That equates to $1589.00 :eek: FOR A CAT!

I might have to rethink this one!


Ken

[i.v]

uhhh... what's wrong with a regular cat? :confused:

[Simon G]

Holy cow Ken!

850 quid...........for a CAT!!! Cats are aloof and snotty enough as it is. Imagine how snotty a £850 cat will be!

Find a local sheep farm and get a Border Collie from working parents. I'd like to see a bloody cat swim a river to bring back a tennis ball!!

[death-bringah]

In canada we can get 'em (regular "mutt" cats) free at the Humane Society.

[vampyrewolf]

if I ever get a cat, I'm getting a maine coon... big enough to play with.

if you just looking for a pet though, get a border collie. intelligent(almost more than it's owners at times :rolleyes: ), very loyal and protective.

[zackerty]

Send me the money and I will send you 10 cats of your choice! :D

[chinook]

Which Bengal are you wanting?
$1589.00 is cheap for the big one. :)

[zackerty]

Oh Honey, do you know where the kids are, haven't seen them for days?

[Fisher of Men]

I also would say hit up something like the Humane Society. I know some people who work at the local one close to where I live and that's just the best way. We have 2 cats. I just love animals man. Too many without a home to pay for one.

On a side note, I just get so mad at people who abuse animals. Let me in a room with someone like that.

[Andyjd]

Maine Coon or Norwegian Forest if i was to get another cat, got three normal cats at the moment and one was stray(or been dumped) that adopted us.

[Tank]

We paid quite a bit for our dog but I dont think I would for a cat. I would adopt.

[Mariner]

You might want to consider a good dog instead Ken because, as I understand it, the UK is soon to be overrun with foxes :eek: . Come to think of it, you could likely get a very good deal on a foxhound right now :D . Then, remembering Ted's pictures from Amsterdam, all those quid that you saved could be allocated to your :spyder: acquistion fund.

[Yojimbo]

Hi UK ken, i would like to add my 2 cents in this conversation. Although they might look nice, they are are breed that where bred first in 1963, by crossing wild ferral cats with domestic cats. This gives these cats a "wild" look, but hey are supposed to be more domestic! The problem is of course that breeders to preserve the origional look of a wild cat, they might not really care about these cats beeing domesticated.

I have a plain Jane ( European Shorthair) cat, male, and because he lives on a farm i call him "the slaughterer". I find stockpiles of half eaten carcasses on my backdoor (that i have to get rid off :rolleyes: ).

I don't know if it is a good decision to take a Bengal in a family with children, if suddenly it primitive responses kick in, you might have a little clawed wirlwind in your house tearing up the family! Remember that they have a wild cat "genepool" that is from 30 years ago.

If you look at a special cat look at these species

-Maine Coon
-Ragdoll

Or you could go for the Scottisch Fold Cat breed, but they have a weird look, You either like em or dislike em.

These 3 breeds tend to be very nice with people, and have a exotic look!

[Yojimbo]

Oh btw, you should indeed look into a dog more then a cat. Cats are independent and might just see you as a "food supplier", while dogs tend to LOVE you. Best breed for kids are IMO "Boxer's". Funny l guys, high pain tolerance ( they won't bite if they get accidently get hurt), high stress tolerance ( kids pulling on their ears) and they will really become part of the family.

They are the perfect breed for a family, and they will stand their ground when needed against intruders!

[chinook]

A couple of extremes in the ear department.

[Mr Blonde]

I'm very fond of my cats, and admittedly very prejudiced when it comes to animals, I love 'em! I would like to recommend your get your next cat from an animal shelter. The 'mutt' race cats are generally stronger and healthier than these thoroughbred breeds. After all, you wouldn't want to have to get a new cat in 6 years?



Attached are my two 'kids'.

Wouter

[Jimd]

Geez, can you imagine if it's the "big" Bengal he chooses?
Normal cats bring home a dead mouse or a bird when they kill it. The "big" Bengal would bring home a...cow or buffalo. :)

[UK KEN]

Hello All!

SWMBO eventually got her own way! :eek:

We ended up re-housing a Bengal (Blue) a three year old female who the owner had to part with. It came in at a fraction of the price we would have had to pay for a kitten from a breeder and is every bit as nice looking!

Her name is Anise and she has a great temperament even though she is still settling in. :)

Thank you for the words of advise. ;)

Regards, Ken

[Mariner]

Beautiful cat Ken, very majestic looking. Clearly, something on the other side of that window had her completely captivated :D .

[fret]

The grey and white striped cat looks like the one that I had many years ago. I miss him yet today. He would follow me and walk with me thru the woods summer and winter. Just acted much more like a dog than a cat. I knew he was getting old when I had to start carrying him home from our walks especially in the really deep snow. He passed away from uremic poisoning. I will never forget him nor can I ever replace him. I had a female adult cat with arthritis and broken leg that healed crooked and she was a super nice cat. She just moved in one day to stay. I was the only one that could pet her due to her arthritis. She was never mean to anyone and always very friendly. I like our furry friends. Very nice photos. I wish I'd taken a few photos of my kitties.

[mikewww]

The grey one was from a farm, the other we picked up in the street when it was about 6 weeks old. The grey died at 17 years old, the other is now 8 years old, and will eat ONLY Iams cat pellets and drinks ONLY water. The grey one would eat anything, even some cooked vegetables. They are sleeping in a beer tray that will bring waves of nostalgia to most South Africans !

Regards

Mike

http://spyderco.com/forums/images/statusicon/boxcats1.jpg

[fret]

Could it be that :spyder: co lovers are also feline lovers too? :) My grey striped cat would also eat anything including veggies. He even ate dog food, the hard crunchy kind. He would go nuts when I gave him a treat. His favorite treat was a can of tuna fish. I wish I had given him more treats.

[Hannibal Lecter]

Could it be that :spyder: co lovers are also feline lovers too?

I consider cats to be God's most perfect predators. I adore them, but do not currently share my life with one for numerous reasons, most of these having to do with a six-year old daughter and a wife both suffering from allergies.

I must content myself with my snakes for the time being. :p

---
Ta,

Hannibal

[zackerty]

Mikewww,
That Castle Lager Box!!!! The cats have good taste!! :)

[Fozzy]

Maine Coon or Norwegian Forest if i was to get another cat, got three normal cats at the moment and one was stray(or been dumped) that adopted us.

My mom has a forest cat and my sister has a Maine coon. They are both sweet, even-tempered affectionate cats with the caveat that the coon doesn't like to be held much. From what I understand that's atypical for the breed.

Dogs have owners. Cats have staff. :)