Author – Joanna De Klerk
Your Bengal cat is sure to become part of the family very quickly, and so losing him will bring great upset to your household. In this guide we will look at how to safe-guard your Bengal against loss, ill-health, injury and unwanted attention.
Protecting Your Bengal from Loss
Naturally, losing your cat is devastating. And therefore, prevention is very important. Some people, for this reason, will choose to keep their Bengal indoors at all times. Whilst this will certainly prevent loss and potential injury from road traffic accidents or cat fights, Bengals have a very active and inquisitive nature. Therefore, if you decide to keep him indoors, you must provide plenty other opportunities for exercise and play.
As Bengals are extremely inquisitive, if your Bengal does not know about the outdoors, it is a good idea to keep windows closed or netted. That way, he will not find himself outside and unsure how to get back.
If you do decide to allow your Bengal outside, ensure he has identification on him. A microchip is the best form of identification, as he cannot lose it. This is a small chip, which is about the size of a grain of rice, which is inserted under the skin. A microchip is only useful if you keep the details up to date with the microchip database though.
A collar with an identity tag is also a useful form of identification, however many cats will lose their collars if they explore outside. This is not an issue, as it is better to lose a collar rather than get it caught and not be able to escape, or worse, become strangled.
What to do if Your Bengal Becomes Lost
Some cats will become lost at some point in their lives. This might be for a few hours, days or unfortunately permanently. When you first notice your cat has gone missing, start by calling out his name and shaking a packet of food outside. He may be in the local neighbourhood and simply has got distracted exploring.
If he does not return home for a few hours, search your local vicinity to make sure he hasn’t become trapped somewhere. Common places cats may get trapped include small spaces, such as behind wheelie bins, inside garages, and up on rooves. Listen out for feint meowing sounds as your cat may have become exhausted.
If, in your efforts, you have still not found him, the next place to look is your neighbours’ houses. Cats love to explore their surroundings, and if your Bengal is particularly food driven, he may help himself to food left out by your neighbours, or neighbouring cats. Knock on their doors and provide them with a picture of your Bengal, just in case he visits them in the coming days. Also ask them to look in their garages, as it is easy to accidentally shut a cat in one. After this, it is best to go home and wait. He may come home in the night.
If, by the next morning, he still hasn’t appeared, making some posters to put up on lamp posts and in local shop windows may be helpful. You can also ring around veterinary practices, rescue centres and the police. They will take a description of your cat, and so it is a good idea to describe him as a ‘pedigree breed with spots’. Not everyone will know what a Bengal looks like. It is unlikely that someone will have picked him up or reported him though, as an uninjured wandering cat is not considered a lost cat. These places are likely to have only come into contact with your cat if he has been injured and a member of the public has brought him in.
If weeks have gone by, you could advertise in the local papers about your missing Bengal. It is also worth visiting local rescue centres to see if your cat is being held there. Just because he has gone missing for a long time, does not necessarily mean harm has come to him. If someone else has been feeding him, he may have adopted them as his new owners.
It is always possible that he may return home after an extended period of time, since Bengals can go on lengthy adventures. Therefore, always leave some food and water outside, just in case he comes back.
Preventing Your Bengal from Theft
Having your Bengal stolen is a horrific scenario. You may not know whether your Bengal has been stolen or lost though. If you are confident your Bengal has been stolen, start by informing the police. Have his microchip number on hand so that they can easily recognise any cat which may be handed in. Also, inform your local vet practice and rescue centre.
Thieves are likely to steal Bengals because of their perceived high value; however, they will soon come to realise that this is not the case. They will not be able to show your Bengal, as the Bengal world is small, and someone in the GCCF is likely to recognise your cat. He also will not be able to breed pedigree kittens if your cat is entire, as he will not be able to register them with the GCCF since he does not have your cat’s papers.
Once coming to realise these things, he might decide to let your Bengal go. This may also be encouraged by your Bengal’s incessant noise, as he will surely be missing home and will tell everyone about it.
Preventing Your Bengal from Poisoning
There are several ways that a poison may affect your cat. The most common way is through directly eating the poison. It is most commonly poisonous plants which will entice your inquisitive Bengal. But your cat may not have deliberately eaten something poisonous. He may have eaten a rat or snail which have recently eaten bait or poison, or been enticed by the sweet smell of antifreeze.
The list of plants which you should avoid keeping in your home, to ensure your Bengal doesn’t take a nibble, is extensive. However, the most common ones to remember are lilies (of any form), azalea, oleader, holly, ferns, mistletoe, ivy and chrysanthemum.
Another common way which your cat may become poisoned, is through grooming their fur. Cleaning and hygiene products, as well as decorating products, can be highly poisonous and easily splashed on your cat. If this happens, make sure to immediately give him a bath, regardless of how much or little he has come into contact with.
If your cat has come into contact with any poison, or is showing symptoms such as vomiting, shaking, seizures or simply being unwell, you should immediately take him to the vet.
Keeping Your Bengal Safe Inside
Since Bengals are great explorers, there’s a high chance at some point he will injury himself at some point in his lifetime. Whilst you may think he is safer inside, than outside, a house still contains many hazards. There are some things you can do to prevent injury or ill-health inside the home though.
Firstly, before using your washing machine, check that your Bengal kitten has not curled up in there for a nap. Bengals love to explore small spaces, and your washing machine is a perfect little cubby hole for naps. By keeping your washing machine door closed when it is not in use, this can be prevented.
The bathroom can contain many hazards. Bengals love
With that being said, a conscious effort should be made to stop your cat from coming into contact with any hazardous chemical. These include cleaning liquids, creosote, slug pellets, rate bait and medicines. Bear in mind, your cat can absorb cleaning materials through their paws, so ensure everything you use in your house is cat-friendly.
If your cat is still young, and exploring everything with his mouth, ensure all cables are stored tidily away. Chewing through an electrical cable could be fatal to your Bengal. Also, kittens love to play with thread, and so leaving a needle and thread lying around could see your kitten ending up on a veterinary operating table to remove it.
Kitchen tops should also be avoided. Discourage your cat from jumping up. Not only is this important for hygiene reasons, but it will also be disastrous if your cat walks across a hot stove top.
Finally, keep windows shut, especially in rooms where your cat may be able to access your roof or balcony if they climbed out. It is an old wives’ tale that cats will land on their feet, and therefore if your Bengal falls off the roof or balcony, it could be high enough for a fatal fall.
Keeping Your Bengal Safe Outside
Naturally, your Bengal will love to explore outside if you let him. This can be a nerve-wracking time for you initially, while he learns the hazards of the outdoors. Ensure that any collar you put on him has a clip which will easily come apart if he finds himself in a tight spot. This will prevent him from becoming strangled.
Road traffic accidents are unfortunately common problems in residential areas. If you live in an urban area, you may consider keeping your Bengal as an indoor cat. However, if you have a male cat, and decide to let him out, he will wander further if he has not been neutered. This is because he will try to expand his territory as much as possible. If you have a female cat, she will also wander further when she is in oestrous and looking for a mate. The further your cats travel, the higher the chances of them crossing busy roads. Therefore, neutering your cat will decrease the chances of traffic accidents.
Neutering will also decrease the incidence of fighting, as he will have less territorial aggression. Cat bites nearly always require antibiotics, otherwise they are likely to turn into abscesses. They can also cause high fevers and considerable pain, and so avoiding the chances of fighting will reduce the chance of cat bites happening.
If your Bengal is regularly coming into contact with other animals, it is important to have him vaccinated annually. Diseases such as cat flu, feline enteritis and feline leukaemia virus are common, and potentially deadly. But these can all be prevented with diligent vaccination routines. Finally, ensure your cat is dewormed regularly, as he will certainly hunt if he is outside.
Keeping Your Bengal Safe in Adverse Weather
During hot weather, you must ensure your Bengal does not overheat. Most cats will look after themselves fairly well, however you can provide plenty of fresh water and cool areas to lay in. You may find that your cat likes to lie on the hard floor of your kitchen, as tiles are often cooler than carpets. If you need to leave the house, make sure you do not shut your cat in a conservatory accidentally, as these can heat up to extreme temperatures. Likewise, always check your shed or greenhouse for your cat before closing the door.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, your Bengal may struggle with colder weather. If he is allowed outdoors, when he comes home you should wipe his paws with a wet cloth to remove any salt or grit which he may have walked over. This can be toxic in high doses and corrosive to his paws. If it is snowing, then it is best to keep him indoors. He may not be impressed with this, but it is in his best interests.
He will need plenty of enrichment to ensure he does not get bored. If your Bengal is an older cat, the cold weather may make him less mobile. Placing plenty of litter trays around the house, so that he has options of where to go, will greatly improve his welfare. Finally, it is extremely important that your cat does not come into contact with anti-freeze, as this is extremely poisonous to your cat, and can easily cause fatalities.
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