The Bengal cat is an exotic cat breed which is the result of a cross between an Asian Leopard cat and an ordinary cat (domestic cat). The Bengal cat is famous for its beautiful coat pattern which is inherited from its ancestor, the Asian Leopard cat. However, the beauty of its fur is not the only thing that attracts this cat with a tend to be large and unique characters, such as his obsession with water and climbing activities.
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Method 1 of 3: Providing for Cats' Basic Needs
Step 1. Feed him well and regularly
As with any cat breed, give your Bengal cat a high-quality cat food, either wet (eg canned or bagged) or dry (pellets). Follow the feeding instructions on the back of the package to find out the initial amount you need to give.
Make sure your cat is not overweight. Once a week, find out if you can feel the ribs and see if the waist circumference is obvious. If you're having trouble feeling every rib, your cat may be overweight and you may need to reduce his or her food rations by 10% of the usual portion. After the portion of food is reduced, recheck his weight in one week
Step 2. Give the cat water to drink
You can give him water in a container or bowl, or provide him with a running water line so he can drink from the stream. Usually, you can buy a water diversion kit for cats at pet stores. If the device is not available, search for and order the device from the internet.
- If you didn't buy a diverter, provide him with drinking water in a bowl. Also, try turning the faucet in the bathroom every now and then and letting your cat jump on the faucet and drink the water straight from the faucet.
- Bengal cats have an affinity (or rather, an obsession) with water. He likes to play in water. What's more, for the Bengal cat running water has its own specialties. He could sit beside running water and beat the stream with his feet for hours. This is certainly nice to see, except when the floor or carpet around the sink gets wet. Therefore, it's a good idea to place the water bowls on a floor that has been covered by plastic or on a surface that can be wiped completely dry.
- Also, don't forget to close the toilet. The toilet hole can be a play pool for the Bengal cat so he will love to dip his paw in the hole and splash water around the toilet,
Step 3. Provide a drain box that has a roof or cover
The lid or roof on the box can provide privacy for your cat. In addition, make sure you provide a litter box with high walls. Bengal cats can jump three times their height so feel free to provide a litter box with slightly higher walls.
- The high wall is useful so that the urine does not splash out of the box. If your cat only needs to step into the box (with short walls or edges), she will probably pee along the walls of the box, allowing her urine to splash out and contaminate the area around the box.
- If you want to teach your cat to defecate in the toilet, the process will be much easier when you teach a Bengal cat. Look for information on such training programs and start when your cat is a child.
Step 4. Do not brush too much or too often
Bengal cats have a very soft coat (like satin) so they don't need to get too much grooming. However, as with any cat breed, if you start brushing his fur from a young age, he will develop into a cat who loves attention (especially physical attention).
Use special rubber gloves to remove the fallen hair and make the hair more shiny and smooth
Method 2 of 3: Keeping Cats Healthy
Step 1. Take your cat to the vet periodically
Like any cat breed, in order for it to live a long and healthy life, the Bengal cat needs regular health care. When he was young, he needed vaccinations, deworming, neutralization, and microchipping (in Indonesia, microchipping is very rare).
- Microchipping allows you to prove ownership of the cat if it is recovered from the thief's hands or found when it is lost.
- Make sure the vet you visit is able to treat your cat as not all vets can handle Bengal cats.
Step 2. Start vaccinating him at six weeks of age to give him temporary protection
Repeat vaccination when he is 10 weeks old, with the last injection at this early stage given when he is 14 weeks old. For the initial stage, the veterinarian will provide distemper and rabies vaccines. After that, he will discuss with you the vaccine for leukemia and chlamydia (a sexually transmitted disease in cats).
- Bengal cat breeders often refuse leukemia vaccinations for their domesticated cats. The reason is not clear, but it is believed to be related to the ancestors of the Asian Leopard cat. However, there is no evidence to show that Bengal cats are sensitive to the leukemia vaccine, and there are no specific complications caused by the vaccination in this breed.
- The ancestor of the Bengal cat also did not degrade its natural immunity, as breeders suggest, so not being vaccinated could put your cat at risk of infection. However, if your cat is being kept indoors, you may not want to vaccinate it, as cats that are kept entirely indoors are less likely to develop feline leukemia.
Step 3. Neutralize your cat
Neutralization is usually done when the cat reaches 5-6 months of age. However, it is common practice for some breeders to neutralize the kittens before placing them in a large cage (at 12 weeks of age) so that the kittens are not used as parents with other cats.
Step 4. Get rid of worms in your cat
This treatment should be done when your cat reaches 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 months of age. Treatment can be done by giving oral products, such as Panacur. Other quality products, such as Stronghold (sold in the United Kingdom) or Revolution (sold in the United States), have a lasting effect for a month so they should be given monthly from the time your cat reaches 6 weeks of age.
Step 5. Understand the specific health problems that Bengal cats have
This type of cat has a greater risk of contracting inflammation of the lining of the abdomen and chest (feline infectious peritonitis). This fairly common disease is most likely to be spread in places that house or have more than five cats, as well as places with litter boxes that are shared by existing cats. Unfortunately, this means that the Bengal cat breeder has the potential to become a breeding ground for the Corona virus that can mutate and cause the inflammation.
- There is no preventive treatment for the disease. If you buy a kitten that has already contracted the infection, giving her the right kind of food will not necessarily prevent her from contracting the disease in the future, although the right kind of food can strengthen her immune system. Therefore, the best option that can be taken is not to buy the cat.
- If you already have a cat and want to keep a cat from a breeder who has a history of the inflammatory disease, make sure your cats don't use the same litter box. The Corona virus that causes the disease is spread through feces. Therefore, the closer the contact that other cats show to their feces, the greater the risk of contracting pleurisy infections in the abdomen and chest cavity in these cats.
- This inflammation usually affects cats between the ages of 12-18 months and causes fever, lack of appetite, and a leak of fluid from the bloodstream that accumulates as fluid in the abdomen. Currently, there is no cure or treatment for this heartbreaking condition.
- Before bringing the kitten home, ask the breeder if the breeder has a history of inflammation of the lining of the abdominal and chest cavities. If the breeder is honest and tells you that the breeder has a history of the disease (or gets reports that the kittens purchased from the breeder have the inflammatory condition), you will unfortunately have to leave the breeder and get another breeder's kittens.
- Other common health problems in Bengal cats are HCM (liver disease), chronic anemia (PkDef) and early symptoms of an autosomal recessive disorder that can lead to blindness within the first year of a cat's life. However, many cultivators can prevent and reduce the possibility of these health problems.
- In Sweden, found cats with nasal dermatitis. The scientists concluded that the specific skin conditions found in Bengal cats signify hereditary or hereditary factors.
Step 6. Try buying insurance for your Bengal cat
Every year you will indeed be charged a fairly large fee. However, insurance like this is very helpful if at any time your cat has an emergency medical condition. Depending on the exact policy in force, insurance can cover most of the examination and treatment costs, and ensure you don't have to decide which treatment to provide based on cost alone.
Method 3 of 3: Physical Activity and Playing With Cats
Step 1. Give your cat a chance to climb
Bengal cats love to climb. The higher he can climb, the happier he will be. If you don't provide an object suitable for climbing, it will find its own object to climb (eg window blinds).
A cat activity set (almost ceiling height) with multiple floors and nest boxes can be ideal climbing objects. In fact, it would be better if you set up one device in each space. Place a device next to the window so he can climb while watching the birds through the window (which he really enjoys)
Step 2. Give him a mental boost so he doesn't get into trouble
Provide him with lots of toys and make sure there are (at least) two play sessions a day, with a minimum duration of 10 minutes (or until he is exhausted). The Bengal cat is a smart animal and is very energetic so you need to provide an "escape" for his hunting behavior. If you leave him alone without giving him a mental boost, chances are he will seek his own pleasure by destroying your favorite furniture.
Bengal cats have high intelligence and are adept at solving problems. This means, he can find a way to open the cupboard, or even the refrigerator. Be prepared to put locks on the doors of rooms that have objects that can harm them (eg cleaning products) or rooms where food is stored
Step 3. Have fun with it
Playing with cats can provide hours of entertainment for both you and the cat. Bengal cats love attention so the more attention you give them, the happier the atmosphere will be. Bengal cats also like to sleep with their “parents” so let them sleep with you at night. On average, a Bengal cat only lives for 12-18 years so make the most of every day that comes with it.
It's important that you play with the kittens! Cats love moving objects. Get a feather tied to a string, and move it slowly across the floor. The movement makes your cat think the fur is alive. Move it slowly and shake the fur until your cat grabs it
Step 4. Help your cat get along well with all the members of your family
The Bengal cat has a tendency to be "just one" cat and ignore those around him. To prevent this, when you bring a Bengal kitten home, make sure that all family members spend a balanced amount of time playing, feeding and combing them. This way, he will get to know all the members of your family, without feeling any particular inclination towards anyone.
Try giving him a friend to play with. Bengal cats often play in the middle of the night so if you don't want him to bother you all night, it's a good idea to get another cat. You don't have to keep a Bengal cat as a second cat; You can get a stray cat, a cat from an animal shelter, or a cat you've had for a long time
Tips
- Bengal cats like to drink water from the tap because they were raised in the wild and, usually, will drink directly from rivers or streams. Therefore, always turn on the tap if he needs a drink. Make him feel comfortable in your home.
- Neutralize your cat. Don't forget to neutralize them, unless you're a breeder and want to keep more than 50 kittens.
