I just wrote out a huge long post that has now disappeared somehow lol
ANYWAY i will shorten it and get to the point......
My boyfriend and I wanted to get some cats as we are both cat people. So we went to the local shelter to see what gorgeous little cats wanted a new home.
we noticed this very unusual and very LOUD cat called "Starburst" that we later found out to be a Bengal - we had never heard of or seen one of these before.
We couldn't get her out of our minds so we rang up the shelter and arranged a home visit. We couldn't figure out why such a gorgeous looking pedigree cat would end up in a shelter......until we got her home.
NOISY, GREEDY, PERSISTENT are just a few things to consider! Anyway the point is, she is a handful! Luckily we love everything that would make her a nuissance to other people, but it just made us think - people need to really research and find out about a breed before just buying one as an expensive toy or show thing. We got our little bengal from a rescue centre - otherwise we would have never gone to a breeder.
We renamed her Phoebe, and Phoebe is seriously unlike any other domestic cat I have known - she was like a whole new animal. She swings off the washing hanging on the line, opens every door in the house to get to you, won't let you have a lie in EVER, swipes food out of your hands, wails at you at the back door to be let out, SCREAMS at flies that happen to be in the house, terrorizes the neighbours cats and dogs etc etc
We did eventually get her a playmate as we thought it was a bit cruel just leaving such a hyperactive cat to herself when we went to work, so we got her a little bengal kitten.
Now this might seem a bit hypocritical on the surface but not if you consider this:
we decided we needed to get her a playmate of the same breed considering how mad she was - she needed a cat of equal enegry and madness to get on with.
Our new kitten was bought from a breeder yes, but in the end we are going to give him the life a cat deserves - the chance to go outside whereas someone else spending all that money on him might have kept him locked indoors which I don't personally agree with.
Anyway now they are inseperable and very happy. The shelter said that Phoebe should be homed without any other cats - they didn't give a reason for this and I'm glad we ignored it cos they obviouslly didn't have a clue what was best for her - she just loves her new playmate!
Thanks for reading - and if you were considering a Bengal breed just consider that they are hard HARD work! :-D
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