One of the most common questions we get asked on this site from prospective Bengal owner is “do Bengal cats need a special diet”.
You may have heard through the grapevine (side note: Bengals don’t like grapes) that Bengal cats are a bit tricky to care for and require a certain diet.
But is this true?
Do Bengal cats actually need a special diet?
After all, special diet usually implies “expensive diet” – and in the current climate, many of us may be wanting to minimise unnecessary pet-related costs.
Bengal Cats Don’t Need Any Special Food
The truth is that Bengal cats do not need any special food.
There is no biological/scientific reason why a Bengal cat needs a particularly different diet to any other type of domestic cat.
Wet cat food or dry cat food (or a combination of both, ideally) will be sufficient for your cat.
There is a common misconception that Bengal cats require raw meat in order to be able to live and thrive.
Once again, this is just an urban legend.
Bengal cats are amazing creatures, but they are – at the end of the day – domestic cats.
While they can have a reputation for being fussy with regards to what types of food they like to eat, this doesn’t mean they require a super specific diet.
So – for example – if you’ve already got another cat in your house, then you don’t need to buy your Bengal any other type of food … you are probably fine to feed them the same as your other cat (although obviously you will want to use kitten specific food until your Bengal reaches adulthood).
Diet Is Important
When we say that Bengals do not need a special diet, we mean that there is nothing particularly complex about their nutritional requirements (I.e. they don’t need to live on nothing but fillet Mignon and beluga caviar, as some people seem to think).
However, diet is still important for your Bengal cat.
Feeding a balanced, complete diet is critical for health and longevity.
We definitely think it is worth investing more into quality pet food, rather than feeding your Bengal inferior or lower quality food.
Cheap cat food brands often contain high quantities of fillers, which have little nutritional value but “bulk out” the food to make it less expensive by weight.
Many owners report improvements in coat, energy and weight when they move to better quality food for their Bengals.
Furthermore, cheap cat foods can often result in making your Bengal cat’s “business” smell worse in the litter tray!
Therefore, we recommend you invest in premium, well-rated food for your Bengal cat.
Check out our guide here to the best food for Bengal cats, where you will find a run-down of our recommended options.
Conclusion
Do Bengal cats need special food? Do you really need to invest in certain foods for your cat?
No, you can basically feed them like you would feed any other breed of cat.
However, it is 100% worth investing in quality food for your Bengal cat. Don’t mistake thinking that your Bengal doesn’t need special food means the same as not needing quality food.
Your cat will enjoy better health, and will thank you for it.
Check out our guide here to the best food for Bengal cats.
