Do Bengal Cats Need a Lot of Attention? | Hey Look At Me!

** . As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, this post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Welcome, Crazy Cat People!

The Bengal cat is well known for its wild tendencies, being a hybrid breed and a mix between an Asian snow leopard and a domestic breed means the Bengal retains some of its wild character traits but do Bengals need a lot of attention?

In this post, I used my knowledge of this super cute breed to answer your question.

As a general rule, Bengal cats do require quite a lot of attention from their owners. Bengal cats have very high energy levels and need regular stimulation through play multiple times a day. By providing enough toys and puzzles, they can, however, keep themselves entertained while you are away from home.

Later in this post, we discover the individual needs of a Bengal, I also answer some of your related questions around the topic so keep reading to find out more!

Do Bengal Cats like attention?

The Bengal cat does like human attention but they also like attention from other animals too. One thing you will see on any blog that writes about the Bengal is that they are energetic and full of life.

Bengal cats are very friendly but generally not lap cats and don’t always like to be held and confined which means they will not want to just sit and be cuddled all day like some breeds, that’s not to say they don’t like the occasional stroke and cuddle but for a Bengal, the attention that they require is through play.

Give your Bengal attention and lots of exercise

What a lot of Bengal owners find is that if they don’t play with their feline friend regularly then they will find something to play with themselves even if it means getting into trouble. So to cut down on any bad behaviour it’s wise to make sure you incorporate interactive play sessions a few times a day with your cat.

My Cats love to play just after they have eaten food, I normally wait half an hour for their food to digest and then I have a 15-minute play session with their wand toy and if I don’t do this they tend to run around like crazy or end up fighting later in the day.

The play energy just builds up and up until they eventually explode!

Bengals also need plenty of places they can jump up to, they are very good climbers and are natural tree-dwellers (Love of vertical space) rather than beach dwellers (Floor cats).

This means it’s a good idea to buy wall mounted cat furniture.

You can design what’s called a Cat superhighway which is a highway that runs around your living room with different shelves, wall-mounted beds and caves and plenty of exit points. Your Bengals will love this and it will help replicate the behaviour their ancestors would have done in the wild!

Check out the video below and see what this woman did to her apartment for her and her cats!

As well as wall-mounted furniture so they can jump it’s also very important to have a wide variety of toys that you can rotate every few days because like us humans your Bengal may get bored of the same toys.

They are a very intelligent breed of cat so they will also gain enjoyment in you teaching them tricks and they can easily learn how to play fetch, to sit and to give a high 5!

They can also get themselves in trouble at times by opening doors and cupboards when they are not supposed to so you may wish to invest in child locks for your doors just in case.

When we think of exercise we always tend to think of physical exercise but did you know a cat gets just as much satisfaction from hunting in its mind?

This is where it comes in handy to have a window bird feeder that can attract wildlife and make sure your cat has access to as many windows as possible so they can watch the world go by and hunt those birds in their minds!

At least it saves the dead remains of the animal ending up on your carpet! Ewww! (Sorry)

Click here to check out this cool window birdfeeder that will get your cats going crazy

Another way to keep their mind sharp is by turning on youtube on your TV and just doing a search for ”Cat TV” you will find hundreds of nature videos with birds, mice and rats crawling around that will keep your Bengals entertained for hours while you sit back and observe while trying not to laugh!

Basic attention needs – Are they different to any other breed?

In terms of general maintenance, Bengals are no different to any other breed of cat in that respect.

One thing in particular with Bengals is that they have a love for water, I mean they are obsessed with it!

This is a good thing because being hydrated is important for a cat to help stop any associated health problems that may come from dehydration.

You can just leave a standard bowl of water out for them but your Bengal will love you more if you provide them with a water fountain.

If you haven’t invested in a water fountain yet check out this one on Amazon!

They love to drink flowing water and you can also just leave a tap running in the kitchen or bathroom if you like. Not only will they drink the water but it will keep them entertained while you sit back and get a little peace.

In terms of their diet like any other cat, you want to either feed good quality dry food and/or wet food to them. I wrote a very informative article that details the best types of food for indoor cats, wet or dry? – Click the link to take a read!

The males especially can grow to be quite large cats so they may require a little bit more food than the females, they can be fussy eaters at times so you may need to experiment to find out which food is best for your cat.

While we are on the subject of Male Vs Female Bengal, check out this post to learn about the subtle differences between them!

When it comes to a Bengals coat it is silky and smooth and they rarely shed compared to some more long-haired breeds so in terms of grooming they can do a good job themselves but it’s a good idea to groom them yourself once or twice a week to get rid of any excess hair, prevent furballs and to build up the bond you have with your cat.

Do Bengal Cats Get Attached to their owners ?

Generally, Bengal Cats do get attached to their owners. Even though they can be mischievous and don’t always want to be sat down on your lap all day, they still build very close bonds with their owners and like most feline breeds, they do tend to get attached to one person in a household.

So as you can see Bengals do get attached and they are a sociable breed of cat, they just love the attention. Like most cat’s they do get attached to one particular person in the home.

I must warn you that it’s not always the person that feeds them and looks after their basic needs.

Nobody knows why cats can sometimes get attached to just one person. Maybe they like your smell, maybe you make them feel secure and happy. That’s not to say that they won’t be as equally friendly with other guests because that’s not the case.

If you frequently play with a Bengal you will eventually start to build up a bond with them, so get that wand toy out and they will love you forever.

Can Bengal Cats Be Left Alone?

As a general rule, Bengals tend to do better when they are not left alone. This is not to say that they can’t be left home alone as long as their environment provides them with all they need, such as plenty of toys to play with but generally they prefer to have a companion to share their time with.

Gone are the days when cats were solitary hunters who spent most of their day alone. The Bengal is now domesticated and even though they retain a lot of their wild personality traits they still require a lot of play and attention.

Some people do choose to have just one Bengal cat and that’s fine as long as there is enough entertainment for them.

If you do have one Bengal it may be better if you can work from home and have regular interactive play sessions throughout the day.

A Bengal left alone for too long is likely to get bored and a bored Bengal can easily turn into a mischievous Bengal.

Not only that they can end up suffering from stress due to separation and may end up misbehaving because of this, take a read of this post by veterinarians.org which goes into much more detail about separation anxiety and its effect on cats.

You may also want to bookmark one of my other posts which will help you decide if a companion is right for your Bengal and which type of companion to choose!

Key Takeaways: Do Bengal Cats Need a Lot of Attention?

They need lots of stimulation and play so may take up more of your time than other breeds
A bored Bengal can be a mischievous Bengal
In my opinion, a Bengal is better with a companion
Invest in some wall mounted cat furniture to keep your cat happy and replicate their instinctive need to be in high places.
Their day to day general care such as feeding and grooming is no different than any other short-haired cat