I’m thinking of getting a cat or cats for my apartment, and was wondering if anyone on here had experience of living with Bengal cat(s) and keeping them indoors ?

Do they take a lot of looking after – some of what I’ve seen of them suggests that they are rather on the energetic side, and they can experience problems with boredom. I work in an office for 4 days a week – would a single cat be OK to be left alone during the day or would 2 cats be better for keeping each other from getting bored?

They like lots of stimulation but great animals

I wouldn’t keep any cat indoors, they become misearble neurotic things.

Some people would say cats are like that all the time.

ours goes outside. I couldn’t possibly keep a cat locked up, it’s just not right. Yes they’re energetic and need lots of stimulus, they like climbing they like water, they’re a bit mental. Two would be a handful.

for balance – we’ve had numerous indoor cats, no problems whatsoever. bengal are supposed to be quite ‘energetic’ though

I wouldn’t keep any cat indoors, they become misearble neurotic things

I know two very happy fun indoor cats. Even with the door left open they don’t try to go out any more.

If our Maine coon/Bengal thing was kept indoors one of us would be dead by the end of the week.

Cats are fine to leave on their own during the day. But all the time? Not a chance!

Our cats prevent each other getting bored by chasing each other round the house like Roadrunner and Wile E coyote, and scrapping like a pair of feral teenagers from rival sink estates. Trashing the house in the process. So when we’ve had enough of their carry on, and they’re being too anarchic (frequently), out they go. Keep them in the house all the time? Depends if you want all your furniture and curtains shredded, I suppose

The indoor issue, apart from what type of cat(s), is one that has been in the forefront of my mind, and is a reason that I haven’t wandered down to the local cat shelter with a carry case already.

My folks cats have possibly the best location possible – think the kitty equivalent of a country estate, with woods, paddocks, no road, a greenhouse for sunny days, a garage for rainy days and at least one member of staff on duty at all times to take care of door opening/stroking/feeding. For this reason I have always worried about having a cat in an apartment, even though I know people who have them and their cats seem totally content – not missing what they have never had. In the last year or so I’ve started to think about getting a cat for myself rationalising that a life in an apartment has to be better for a cat than an uncertain future in a rescue centre. From that I’ve been wondering recently about a model from the the Ti/bling end of the cat market.

2 indoor cats here … Not bengal but Brilliant pets.
I think you’ll find indoor cats are not that uncommon.

I’m always glad we got 2, mind you – they now share the house with 2 Labradors as well so they never get lonely!

We had a cat who had to go out at night he would pace the floor, jump up curtains and walls knock plants and stuff over.

In his old age he settled down a bit, my daughter went to uni and after the first year took him over to manc with her. He then adapted well to the student life style, became an indoor cat, in a house with an indoor rabbit – but I guess that kept life exciting.

I’d look for a rescue cat that is already a house cat. We had a kitten that was attacked by another cat and barely survived. The original owners got her back to good health but she just refused to go outside and would sit at the backdoor all day crying to get back in. So they put her into a shelter and we took her on.

Quite happily spent the rest of her life milling about the house. Might be worth looking into…

Why on earth do you think that getting an animal and locking it up alone for 4 days a week to be a good idea? I assume you’ll not then spend the other 3 days a week focused on that animal, so for the mild amusement it will give you for what is a few hours that might be seen as very selfish.

Here’s a random bit of information for you. In the US they have a bit of a problem with the number of birds that domestic cats kill (billions) so some people there actively encourage people to keep their cats indoors! We have an indoor cat she seems pretty happy, only goes outside into the yard area thing when I’m out there.

EDIT: oh yeah, we’re usually in during the evenings and I work from home 2 or 3 days a week too so she isn’t left alone for any extended period that often.

My 2 are variously terrified and completely uninterested in the outside world. We got them as a pair but they hate each other and spend their time at opposite ends of the flat. Other than that they’re utterly content, don’t seem to care much if we’re around or not either. They’re not Bengals though.

I generally think cats are independant little things that will happily make the most of / take avantage of whatever situation they find themselves in. If there’s someone in for food / door opening / cuddles, then great – if not they’ll find something else to do amuse them (possibly destructive!).

I have personally always had outdoor cats, but I certainly know of folk with indoor cats who seem perfectly content and happy. As someone said, some cats are better suited to this lifestyle! All mine have been crazies who simply need to burn off steam outside or I would have no house left…

Our cats prevent each other getting bored by chasing each other round the house like Roadrunner and Wile E coyote, and scrapping like a pair of feral teenagers from rival sink estates. Trashing the house in the process. So when we’ve had enough of their carry on, and they’re being too anarchic (frequently), out they go. Keep them in the house all the time? Depends if you want all your furniture and curtains shredded, I suppose

Yep our two do that. Add in some projectile vomiting as well….

Why on earth do you think that getting an animal and locking it up alone for 4 days a week to be a good idea

I think he intends to go home on an evening?? … Not live in the office for 4 solid days

We have a half tabby half Egyptian Mau cat who lives indoors. She’s only small and if she spies the door open runs upstairs to hide under the bed . We wanted an indoor cat and she fit the bill perfectly .

If there’s someone in for food / door opening / cuddles

Ahh yes the “wrong side of the door” game…

..as in whatever side of the door the cat is on, to the cat it’s the wrong side!

I get home and both cats are waiting for me at the door to be fed (even if the OH has just fed them). It’s quite sweet really……

My brother has 2 bengals – they were kept indoors to begin with but had a tendency to destroy things. They now come and go as they please – but they still destroy things.They climb anything in sight, chase cars and torment the neighbours. Amazing animals but completely bonkers.

Ahh yes the “wrong side of the door” game…

..as in whatever side of the door the cat is on, to the cat it’s the wrong side!

Oh yes… we’re familiar with that one. The problem now is that the fatter one of the two has now sussed out that he has ample body weight to hang off the door handle until the back door opens, unless we lock it. So now just lets himself in and out, leaving the door wide open. The little sod!!!

I think he intends to go home on an evening?? … Not live in the office for 4 solid days

Yes, sorry if not quite clear – I Mon-Fri 8 hours a day with 15 min commute each way, Weds I work from home.

You’ll be reet. Go and get yourself a couple of the little buggers. They’re ace. If a complete PITA, at times

Oh… the working from home thing. Our cats quickly learned that a laptop keyboard makes an ideal toasty warm place to fall asleep. You have been warned

Oh… the working from home thing. Our cats quickly learned that a laptop keyboard makes an ideal toasty warm place to fall asleep. You have been warned

Mine tends to come and jump on my lap making typing really bloody difficult, she’ll also do this even if the laptop is there.

I dare you.

(not a Bengal)

My two little monsters

I used to have them as indoor cats but decided on letting them out but due to the cost of buying them i opted for harnesses from

http://www.mynwoodcatjackets.co.uk/serval.php

Amazing cats but quite a handful !
Following applies:
Strongly believe they own the house you and everything in it
Full range of vocals from cute chirp to make you jump howl dependent on what they want
Destructive
Enjoy terrorizing all local cats and children
Will fetch and carry (when can be bothered)
Brings post from letterbox
Enjoy the sport of human baiting

This is our second a marble house name “Fish” we kept her in at first due to losing our first to a car 🙁 But relented in the end so let her out shes now content with popping out mauling something and coming back in.

But after all above amazing cats just a bit more full on than a mog

The many faces of Fish

I think keeping any cat indoors is just plain wrong. My ethos: No cat hatch, no cat, simples.

Here’s a random bit of information for you. In the US they…

Think creating Frankenstein breeds is OK

Think mutilating kids genitals is OK

Tip, never try supporting any argument with ‘In the US…’

Brings post from letterbox

!!
REally? Or just to mess with you?

Yep if she hears the letterbox runs, up on back feet pulls the mail out and will bring it into the lounge !

HOW MUCH?!?!?!??

For a cat!

I thought only dog owners and parrot fanciers paid stupid money for pets. 🙂
Yes, they are lovely, but you could get a nice bike for that 😀

Besides, aren’t cats supposed to find you, rather than you going out and finding them?

I think keeping any cat indoors is just plain wrong. My ethos: No cat hatch, no cat, simples.

My ethos: I’m not keen on scraping a loved pet off the road so mine stay indoors and they seem perfectly happy

Our neighbours over the road have 2 bengals.
Vicious beasts. Hardly a domestic pet really.
We’ve spent £££ getting our muggy patched up after their attacks. Infected bites, scratches etc, etc.
Can’t leave the patio doors open in summer as they will come in and chase our cat up 2 flights of stairs to attack her. She now enters and leaves via 1st floor balcony they cannot get to.
So yeah. Ideal animal to keep cooped all day long, save the neighbourhood cats from being pulled to bits.
We’ve recently got a dog, they seem to steer clear a bit more now…

Oh, keeping cats indoors all the time is completely out of order.

You don’t want to scrape it off the road?
Get a bloody goldfish then.

Cat’s are not meant to be kept indoors permanently.
It’s cruel.
And one of the most selfish, egotistical things I can think of.

docrobster – Member
Our neighbours over the road have 2 bengals.
Vicious beasts. Hardly a domestic pet really.
We’ve spent £££ getting our muggy patched up after their attacks. Infected bites, scratches etc, etc.
Can’t leave the patio doors open in summer as they will come in and chase our cat up 2 flights of stairs to attack her. She now enters and leaves via 1st floor balcony they cannot get to.
So yeah. Ideal animal to keep cooped all day long, save the neighbourhood cats from being pulled to bits.

So they’re “vicious” because your cat got a whoopin? Cat’s fight, one cat will always be bigger/harder than the next – deal with it.

Enjoy terrorizing all local cats and children

They seem to be an aggressive breed.
Defra seems to agree

docrobster – Member
They seem to be an aggressive breed.
Defra seems to agree

Really? Where does it say that?