I got the kittens one of those mechanical butterflies, and Chance just about lost his mind.
It’s only happened a couple of times and when it does I just put the kittens in their room and close the door. He usually gets over whatever it is in a day or so and his relationship with the kittens is unfazed. They love each other and have a great time together, and the whole relationship is exactly what I was hoping for. Chance needed friends he could hang out with while I’m at work, which is all the time, and I needed to be confident that friend would be able to “hold it” as long as Chance does. His bladder is super-canine. I’ve never met a big dog like him. The next option was a cat, and I thought it was a good one. He’ a gentle guy, but he’s been an only dog since our Sophie continued her journey about 2 years ago. They were very close, and we were very sad when she left us.
The problem with the cat idea was that my kids are all highly allergic. They’re also all highly grown and either highly married or highly engaged, but nevertheless I don’t want them to be uncomfortable in my home when they visit so I researched hypoallergenic cats. I was surprised to find several but I also needed the cat to like (or at least not hate) dogs, and that narrowed the contestants considerably. That’s when I discovered the Bengal, and the rest is history. The kids haven’t been around since Remy and Sasha came home (we’re spread out) so I can’t yet attest to the hypoallergenic claim. But they absolutely do love Chance. LOVE him. They initiate playtime more than he does, invade his space at will and eat the food out of his bowl, Remy flies at him from out of nowhere and lands right on his face and lives to see another day, and it’s still all one big happy. Mostly.
Two months into this lifelong commitment I’ve made with this motley crew, and never once have I regretted it. It took months before I felt 100% sure I was ready for a Bengal, and then I ended up with two which was the best decision ever. They are SO active, it’s seriously ridiculous. All kittens are playful but Bengal kittens are lunatics. Hilarious lunatics, but still. If you’re reading this and considering a Bengal, seriously consider getting two. If not another Bengal then another kitten at least, because these guys wear each other out and save my sanity.
One Bengal characteristic I read about repeatedly in my research was that they’re not affectionate. This is absolutely not true in Remy and Sasha’s case. They love to be touched and petted, and both will lay in my lap or on my shoulder for just as long and with the same frequency as any other cat I’ve had. Of course I can probably credit my breeder with that one.
This Bengal life so far is pretty good stuff. Good decision me.
