Personality Overview | Love for Water | Playfulness | Sweet & Loyal

The Bengal cat can be a very loving and intelligent member of your family. Bengals have an insatiable curiosity which includes a serious love for water and a fascination for all things crinkling and crackling.

Of course, it must first be considered that all housecat personalities are formed by many factors. This includes not only their genetic makeup, but also the socialisation and conditions in which they grow up and live. Further, cat personalities vary quite a bit based on individual quirks, the way they were raised and thing things they were taught by Mum and humans alike as they developed, along with random individuality. There are, of course, many characteristics that bond a breed together.

The rigorous breeding programmes and unique genetic heritage of the Bengal have produced many amazing cats with distinct personalities and unusual behavior patterns. While many families welcome their first Bengal due to their beautiful appearance, they will often bring home their second and more Bengals due to their lovable demeanor.

Personality Overview

More then just curious, the Bengal seems to simply want to be constantly aware of and involved with what is going on in it's environment. "When you bring in the groceries, they want to see what's in the sack." (Jean Mill - original breeder of the Bengal Cat)

Love for Water

While some Bengals have even been known to go for a swim in the tub or bathe with their owners, all Bengals will generally share a deep enjoyment in playing with water. It is common for Bengals to jump up to a sink of running water, both drinking the water and batting it around. Bengals find great joy in this activity! Their love of water is quite fascinating, as some Bengal books suggest that Bengals can be toilet trained just like humans. However, there could be a flip side. At Owlsdene, I send each new owner home with a sign that warns, "PLEASE LEAVE THE LOO LID DOWN!" Better safe than sorry, as there is a small risk of a Bengal drowning in toilet water. One should also note that leaving bath water unattended brings the same risk. (Or if the Bengal can go outdoors, swimming pools and ponds can be potential dangers as well.)

Playfulness

The Bengal cat must truly spend a third of its life in PLAY mode. During this time, the cat will constantly run and chase and leap and climb. But not only are these lovely animals characterized by a love for high levels of action, these cats are quite skilled to the degree in which they exercise their capabilities. They will leap to amazing heights and climb places you never might have expected. Kittens will sometimes seem to be a pretty constant expression of tumbling spotty or marbled fluffiness.

Sweet & Loyal

Bengals love to be loved. When not playing, they can often be found where their people are, giving lots of cuddles to their masters.

Overall, I think we can all agree the Bengal is an amazing animal that incorporates the awe-inspiring beauty, bemusing behaviours and intelligence of the exotic wild cat, with the cuddly, loving nature of the domestic cat along with the never-ending curiousity and independant outlook on life that all cats seem to share.