In this article, we are going to look at whether or not you can keep a Bengal cat in a flat.
Many people all over the world live in flats (often called apartments in other countries).
Is it safe and humane to keep a Bengal cat in a flat, or do they need to live in a proper house with a garden/outdoor space?
The truth is that you can keep a Bengal cat in a flat or an apartment (in fact, we’ve already looked at apartment living for Bengals in this article).
Many cats of various breeds live out long, happy, and healthy lives as indoors-only cats. There are probably millions of cats all around the world who live inside every day of their lives, and the vast majority of those will live very nice lives indeed.
Although we can probably all agree that it is preferable that a cat gets the ability and opportunity to go outdoors, there is no truly prohibitive reason as to why your Bengal cat cannot live indoors in a flat, apartment, or other ‘inside only’ space.
In fact, you could even argue there are some advantages to a cat staying permanently indoors, namely:
- Reduced risk of injury from getting run over, getting into an accident etc
- Reduced risk of fighting with other cats (unless you decide to have a whole load of cats in your flat or apartment!)
So inside-only living is not necessarily a problem, and you definitely can keep a Bengal cat happy, healthy, and safe in a flat.
However, there are some considerations you need to make the experience as positive as possible for both your cat and yourself:
- You’ll need to provide your Bengal cat with plenty of opportunity for stimulation and activity. This means ensuring you have a selection of quality toys for your Bengal cat. If your cat is going to spend all (or at least the vast majority) of his/her life inside, then it is critical you furnish them with sufficient toys of sufficient variety to keep them entertained. You can check out our guide here to the best toys for Bengal cats – there are plenty of effective, affordable options that are going to keep your cat happy, engaged and healthy.
- Be wary of weight gain. Excess weight gain is one of the worst things that can happen for the health of your Bengal cat, and the risk of this goes up when your cat is living inside all of the time due to reduced opportunities for exercise. It is critical to manage your Bengal’s weight and ensure it stays in a healthy range, especially as your cat ages. This is probably going to involve a combination of factors, including regular visits to the vet, the right food for your Bengal (check out our guide here to the best food for Bengal cats) as well as providing lots of opportunity for indoor exercise via the toys we mentioned above. This part is really important to get right – don’t overlook it!
- Provide a scratching post. It is also very important that you provide your Bengal cat with a good scratching post to use. This is an important thing to provide your cat whether not not he/she is able to go outside, but it is doubly important when your cat lives indoors all the time in a flat. Without being able to go outside, your cat won’t have as many opportunities to sharpen his/her claws and enjoy the stress and tension relief that comes from this. Therefore, a good scratching post is essential. Check out our guide here to the best scratching posts for Bengal cats.
- Play with your cat when you are home. Because your cat is probably going to have fewer opportunities to socialise than if he/she is able to go ‘out and about’, it’s important to make sure that you dedicate time each day to playing with and entertaining your cat when you are home.
The most important thing overall is to do everything you can to keep your Bengal cat entertained, mentally engaged, and content when living indoors.
Can you keep a Bengal cat in a flat? You sure can BUT you need to take steps to make life as comfortable and enjoyable as possible for your cat.
