The title to the video is "Curious Cat Examines Glass of Water". It is slightly misleading. It seems clear to me that the Bengal kitten does not understand that this is water. He knows water but when it is in a glass, he is unsure about it. This is because he is young and learning. He prods, pokes and sniffs it to test it. It is quite cute. It does tell us too that sometimes the reason why cats prod water is to test it.
Bengal cat checks out water in a glass as he is unsure. Screenshot.
Some people think that cats drink better from clear bowls. Cats are poor drinkers because of their wild cat inheritance which is why dry cat food is problematic. Cats get a lot of their water from prey animals. The mouse is 70% water. Dry cat food does not replicate normal prey. Cats don't compensate sufficiently by drinking more water and become dehydrated.
Note: This is a video from another website. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.
Bengal cats are not dangerous but it does depend on how you interact with them and whether we are referring to F1 or F5 Bengal cats and finally whether we are referring to Bengal cats being a danger to other cats or people.
Bengal cat
Fifth filial (F5) Bengal cats are pretty well like any other standard domestic cat. Treat them nicely and they will be nice back to you. There is nothing more to say particularly about this breed of cat except perhaps that they are liable to be more athletic than your standard random read cat. I say "liable" because that does not apply in every instance. And because they're more athletic they are more inclined perhaps to get into trouble or break out of cat confinement fences if you've taken the trouble and time to build an enclosure in your back garden.
If you adopt a first filial (F1) cat it is a different proposition (note: license required in the UK and elsewhere probably). The father of these cats is an Asiatic leopard cat and there is a lot of wild cat DNA in them which makes them more difficult to handle and live with. They may be dangerous if you mishandle them and mishandling them is more likely because they are more demanding. This applies to all first filial wild cat hybrids by the way.
I would not advise the average person to adopt a first filial wild cat hybrid for this reason. They require more time, money, patience and commitment than standard cats. Most people want a cat companion to be placid, somewhat docile and friendly all the time. They don't want to be challenged and have demands placed upon them. That's why I would go for a well socialised random bred cat from a rescue centre compared to a glamorous and highly expensive F1 Bengal cat or Savannah cat.
It may be argued that F5 Bengal cats are more territorial than your standard domestic cat companion. This means that if they go outside to wander freely they may be more aggressive towards other cats doing the same thing. There is, however, an argument that people should not let the Bengal cats go outside because they are too expensive, too glamorous and more liable to be stolen. Keep them inside and they would not be in a position to attack a neighbour's cat.
That said, there are complications in keeping an active F5 Bengal cat inside a home because I think they demand more space and challenges than that. Therefore an F5 Bengal cat owner has a dilemma. If you let them out there may get stolen and if you keep them in they may be bored and they place more demands upon the owner.
I may be unfair because as mentioned the Bengal cat is ultimately very similar to any other domestic cat. But that said again domestic cats need challenges and entertaining and being confined to the home that does place automatic extra obligations upon the owner in order to stimulate them mentally and physically.
So back to the question in the title. The answer has to be a no, they are not more dangerous than any other but they are possibly more challenging and more demanding even at the F5 level which means that you have to interact with them in the right way. I suppose it is fair to say that a Bengal cat might be more dangerous in one sense and that you might be more liable to be scratched than if you live with a very placid female Ragdoll cat for example.
There is a Daily Mail article about the aggressiveness of the Bengal cat. It is highly misleading in my view. It is exaggerated. They paint a picture of a cat which is diabolical to live with, attacking other cats willy-nilly. They say that cat breeders have bred a cat which is deliberately aggressive and with heightened hunting skills. Wrong!
Bengal cat
In my view, cat breeders have tried to breed Bengal cats which are the opposite. They want to create cat companions which are suitable for living in the home in which are friendly and gentle towards their owners. It is entirely inappropriate to claim that breeders are selectively breeding Bengal cats which are highly aggressive. This may be out of ignorance but it does tend to put people off this breed which is unfair in my view.
That said, the Bengal cat is probably more territorial than your standard domestic cat and therefore if it is outside they may attack other cats for territorial reasons more commonly than other cats.
Bengal cat looking like a wild Asian leopard cat - photo by roberto shabs
This is not just another picture of a Bengal cat of which there are hundreds of thousands on the internet. I say that because this cat is a fine example of this cat breed and it evokes the lifestyle of this cat's wild ancestor the Asian leopard cat (normally called "leopard cat").
The whole feel of the picture is in tune with the leopard cat. The leopard cat likes to live near water courses where there is more prey. This is a hunting ground for the leopard cat. It is not the only habitat for hunting but their dislike of arid areas indicates a dependency on cover from forests and water where there is likely to be suitable prey such as rats.
The leopard cat kills like the domestic cat with a nape bite and what is really interesting is that the leopard cat uses eyesight and whiskers to capture prey. Whiskers are an eyesight substitute at close range for killing prey as they can feel. The whisker is far more sensitive than you could perhaps imagine. Whiskers should not be trimmed! I guess you know that but some don't.
For people unfamiliar with the Bengal cat it is the foremost wild cat hybrid domestic cat with the Savannah cat. On its creation in the 1960s and 70s, the Bengal cat was a new idea, and no doubt it caused lots of discussion and dissent. Even today (2012) the premier cat association, the Cat Fanciers' Association refuse to recognize this cat as a cat breed. In the UK technically, it seems that you will need a license but in reality you probably don't. This page deals with keeping wildcat hybrids in the UK.
This is a photograph of the cross-section of a cat's heart diseased by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The cat's human companion wanted to find out the cause of death. The photograph was taken by the staff at the Cuyahoga Falls Veterinary Clinic.
This photo has been used with permission for teaching/educational purposes at www.pictures-of-cats.org (PoC). I want to thank Ryan G. Gates, DVM of the clinic for granting permission.
If people want to use the picture please ask the clinic first.
HCM is the most common cause of heart disease in cats. It is also the common cause of spontaneous death in full-time indoor adult cats1.
The walls of the ventricles thicken and the muscle fibers are replaced by scar tissue. The heart is weakened because the heart wall becomes less elastic and the chamber smaller.
Increased heart rate, heart murmur, loss of appetite, increased respiratory rate can be signs. In purebred cats the Bengal cat is known to be predisposed - HCM in Bengal cats. Other breeds are also predisposed including the ever popular Maine Coon - see MC health problems. Other purebred cats that can inherit this disease are Ragdolls, British SHs, American SHs and Devon Rexes. The disease usually affects cats from 1-5 yrs of age
Note (1) Cat Owner's Veterinary Handbook ISBN 978-0-470-09530-0
The Serengeti cat is a Bengal cat to Oriental Shorthair hybrid that looks like a wildcat. The coat is a beautiful spotted tabby and the ears are large with rounded tips, inherited from the Oriental Shorthair. The ears should be like those of the serval wildcat; high on the head. The body should be heavy and the eyes should be rounded. The legs and neck should be long. The picture above has been provided by Karen Sausman and shows the desired appearance. The Serengeti is a relatively new and rare purebred cat. This is an elegant and statuesque cat breed that is recognized by The International Cat Association under Preliminary New Breed (2011). Read and see more....
This is a rare California Spangled cat picture because it is a scanned copy of the 1989 calendar that promoted this now rare cat. This cat breed was first publicized in the 1986 Neiman-Marcus Christmas Book. Many orders came out of that but it is very rare to sell a purebred cat through a shop.
Neiman-Marcus is a well known luxury retailer. Clearly the California Spangled was a luxury and rare cat. The only other time I have seen this happen is currently (2010) in relation to the selling of the Savannah cat at the Savannah Cat Shoppe.
The Savannah is a wild cat hybrid while the California Spangled has the wild spotted cat look but is a domestic cat hybrid bringing together breeds such the American and British Shorthairs and the Abyssinian. The idea behind this breed was the same as the Bengal cat; to give cat caretakers a bit of wild cat in the home to allow people to make a connection with the wild and the wild cats and thereby think of conservation. Paul Casey, a true polymath created the breed. He was a talented person and a rare sort himself. Read the full history of the California Spangled.
A dynamic Bengal cat picture by the celebrated professional cat photographer Helmi Flick. This photograph is excellent because it is dynamic and has movement, which is an attribute of this breed. You can see a bit of the wild cat (leopard cat) in the face and posture. These are the characteristics of the Bengal cat provided (s)he has domestic cat qualities. The idea behind the Bengal cat was to create a bit of wildcat and to have that in the living room. Obviously the wild appearance and active behavior needs to be combined with a loving and dependable domestic cat companion. The Bengal cat is a bit special in that way. It is a cat breed apart from nearly all the rest and the first widely recognized wildcat hybrid domestic cat.
This has to be caused by stress or illness if the cat is litter trained and neutered or spayed, although cats will sometimes mark territory inside a home but that might be triggered by stress.
As to stress this might be caused by separation anxiety - the cat being left alone too long. If a Bengal cat is simply jumping onto your bed while you are out and peeing on it, I think this is a form of exaggerated scent exchange. The cat is making the surroundings more friendly to feel less stressed. Spraying to mark territory involves the cat projecting urine on vertical surfaces.
Bengal cat jumping. Bengals need activity.
Photo by Nacho y Adriana
As to illness, urinary tract infections are pretty commonplace and cystitis, for example, can cause a cat to want to urinate frequently leaving small drops in strange places. The urine may be bloody. You can see this. The difference is that the cat leaves small amounts whereas peeing on the bed due to stress will probably be full blown peeing. The bed might be chosen because it is the one item in the house that most smells of the cat's human caretaker.
The answer is to check for health first and then ask, "what am I doing to stress out my cat?" Bengal cats are intelligent and active. Keeping a Bengal cat in an apartment could cause stress as they are not a suitable cat breed for confined living.
AN ACT REGULATING DANGEROUS WILD ANIMALS, INCLUDING THEIR OWNERSHIP AND POSSESSION, REQUIRING REGISTRATION, PROVIDING FOR FEES AND APPROPRIATIONS, AND PROVIDING PENALTIES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA
You can see an extract of this law under another article on the subject just below this one.
The photograph illustrating this article is by Helmi Flick copyright Helmi Flick
Comment: On the face of it this means a ban on Bengals including SBT Bengals (Stud Book Tradition). SBT Bengals are 4th generation, at least, and have about 12% wild blood in them. They are bred to be non-challenging and are true domestic cats, albeit it more active and more demanding than some other breeds.
This legislation which as far as I am aware is in force seems to have gone too far. Breeders have spent years developing a domesticated socialized Bengal cat. The other cats that fall into this category would be the Chausie and Savannah.
The tame wild cat would the Serval. Keepers can keep their "dangerous" cats (obviously) but need to register and pay a fee. As I understand it existing keepers will need also to microchip, supply a color photo of the cat, get insurance and keep the cat in an enclosure except under specific and authorized conditions.
Breeders can it seems seek exemption under conditions.
USDA licensed owners and breeders ARE NOT EXEMPT unless they are 501(c)3 non-profit as well, or are carrying out wildlife rehabilitation
I don't know what this means, if anything, on wider scale. Will there be a knock on effect and why are Bengals banned? What is the underlying thinking? On the face of it the purpose of the Act is the protections of the public from "dangerous" animals.
Bengal cats banned by Iowa. This ban included all cats with a wild ancestry meaning wild cat/domestic cat hybrids. These cats are the Bengal, Chausie, Savannah and Safaris for example.
Photograph illustrating this article is copyright Helmi Flick
Those with these cats can continue to live with them provided they comply with some fairly strict rules and pay a yearly fee. "USDA licensed owners and breeders ARE NOT EXEMPT unless they are 501(c)3 non-profit as well, or are a wildlife rehabber" (quote from this site: http://fennecfoxes.com) Here's an extract from the legislation:
5. a. "Dangerous wild animal" means any of the following:
(3) A member of the family felidae of the order carnivora, including but not limited to lions, tigers, cougars, leopards, cheetahs, ocelots, and servals. However, a dangerous wild animal does not include a domestic cat.
5. b. "Dangerous wild animal" includes an animal which is the offspring of an animal provided in paragraph "a" (this seems to refer to 5 a above), and another animal provided in that paragraph or any other animal. It also includes animals which are the offspring of each subsequent generation.
For clarification, the basic argument/interpretation is as follows:
Clause 5. a Defines the term "Dangerous wild animal"
clause 5 a contains a numbered list (1) to (10)
Number (3) refers to "a member of the family felidae....including leopards
Clause 5. b refers to "Dangerous wild animal" includes an animal which is the offspring of an animal provided in paragraph "a" (my note: this refers to 5 a above) and another animal provided in that paragraph or any other animal. It also includes animals which are the offspring of each subsequent generation.
This would therefore seem to include the Bengal cat as she is a Leopard/domestic cat hybrid or subsequent generation.
I live in the UK so please investigate further. This law seems to reflect the continued discussion and controversy on the issue of ownership of these breeds. All the evidence and experience seems to point to the fact that these cats are not dangerous so what is the underlying purpose behind this law?
Can F1 - F3 Bengal cats be regular pets? Are they too wild and aggressive? Should people have them as pets?
The Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) considers the Bengal cat a wild cat and won't register this breed. This means it won't register any generation of Bengal Cat. Four generations from the wild Asian Leopard Cat the Bengal is called an SBT (Stud Book Tradition) and is a true domestic cat albeit a pretty active, athletic and demanding cat compared to some other breeds. A lot of people and TICA (which registers the Bengal) disagree with the CFA.
I did a Google search to try and find out why, in detail, the CFA won't register this cat and have thus far failed. It must be to do with underlying issues of breeding from wild cats and creating wild cat/domestic cat hybrids, which could be seen as detrimental to the wild cat. Although some say it is beneficial. The wild cat population continues to decline however due to mankind's activities.
There is a lot of controversy about this. To me living in the UK it seems that most if not nearly all of the market in keeping wild cats as pets takes place in the USA, which is the biggest domestic cat "market" (96 million cats I think at the last count).
America is a relatively rich country and the people there can often buy what they want. Like other Western Societies it is consumer orientated.
All this leads to acquiring wild animals and particularly wild cats as pets. There is more space in the US to keep them too.
In lieu of keeping tame wild cats there are of course the Bengal F1-F3 fillials. Some say these cats are just fine to keep and friendly etc. etc. But the truth is probably that in general these cats are too naturally aggressive to be true pets. A wild cat needs to be aggressive to survive. But as a pet they don't need to be aggressive as they are cared for. The trouble is they don't realise that.
You've probably got to be someone who is "into" wild cats and can spend all the time needed to care for them to adopt a cat of this type. Remember that the females of these cats are breeding cats housed at catteries so they act completely differently to neutered cats. The male fillials are sterile (this is just the outcome of crossing a domestic cat with a wild cat it seems), but they will spray (mark territorially).
A domestic cat needs to integrate into the family and be friendly. Some of the Bengal fillials won't have this character so the relationship becomes not one where the cat is a family member but one where he/she is an animal in a private zoo and the zoo is your home.
Photograph illustrating this article is by Helmi Flick and copyright Helmi Flick
The Bengal cat is a fabulous cat having in abundance all the characteristics of the domestic cat. It is said that about 12.5% of wild Asian Leopard Cat (ALC) remains in a 4th generation (Stud Book Tradition) Bengal cat. So there is some wild in him. That is what you want. In fact some people like their cats to be more "wild" than that and consequently adopt a first or second generation cat.
One characteristic of the ALC is that she likes to defecate and urinate in water to cover her tracks. Sometimes this trait carries forward through the generations to an SBT cat. The Bengal cat has a propensity to go to the loo actually in the loo (or sink or shower for example) rather than the usual litter as a reflection of this characteristic.
It occurs to me that you might use this to advantage and train your Bengal to use the toilet properly like a human (quite a lot of people do this).
However, you can train a Bengal to use the litter. But in the meantime treat it as something that goes with the territory of a hybrid cat with some wild left in him.
