One of the most common questions we get asked on this website about litter boxes and Bengal cats is “does my Bengal cat need a litter box?”
In fact, the sometimes difficult relationship between Bengal cats and litter boxes seems to be one of the most popular topics of debate and discussion when it comes to this particular breed.
This generally comes from two perspectives:
1. Someone who has owned cats in the past that never really used a litter box
2. Someone who is new to cat ownership and doesn’t like the idea of a litter box in their house or property (oftentimes this message is accompanied with something like ‘I want to train my cat to go outside’).
So what’s the truth?
Does a Bengal cat really need a litter box? Or could you get away with not having one?
Let’s find out, and look at what you need to know.
Why Your Bengal Needs A Litter Box
Let’s make it clear right from the start – your Bengal cat definitely needs a litter box.Although your cat may eventually come to prefer going outside, a litter box is still essential.
For starters, cats are territorial creatures, and a big part of their “territory management” is done through where they go to the toilet.
A litter box provides a place that becomes their own for your Bengal, in which they can do their business.
This is good for your Bengal from the perspective of allowing them to feel like they have established and secured their own territory.
Bengals are also known to be extremely fastidious animals, and dislike being dirty. It’s not uncommon for Bengals to become quite obsessive about the state of their litter box and the litter within it. Your Bengal wants to be clean and neat about his/her toileting, and a litter box provides the best opportunity for them to do so.
Exception For Outside Cats
The exception to this principle is if you intend for your Bengal to only ever go to the toilet outside. Some owners of Bengals (and other types of cats) like to try and train them to only go outside in the garden or yard to go to relieve themselves.
While this is possible, we aren’t hugely in favour of it because:
- It increases the risk of injury for your cat
- It will be hard to deal with the training and potential for accidents in the early stages
- You may want your Bengal to be an indoor cat (this is important if you live in a busy, built up area, you don’t have a good yard, or you live somewhere with lots of protected or rare wildlife … domestic cats are one of the biggest threats to wildlife
Conclusion
Does your Bengal cat need a litter box?
He/she most certainly does! (the only real exception to this being if you have a cat that is going to be trained to go toilet only in the yard or outside area, which poses a significant challenge in itself).
In fact, it’s probably best practice to have two litter boxes for your Bengal (as per the notion that the number of litter boxes should equal the number of cats in the house plus one). You can read our article here on whether or not your Bengal cat should have more than one litter box for more information on this.
This really is a ‘non-negotiable’ in our opinion.
Go here to check out our guide to the best litter boxes for Bengal cats – we have many great options in there that you can pick from.
You may also wish to consult our guide to the best litter for your Bengal as well, as this is just as crucial a component as having the right litter box.
Finally, if you have more than one Bengal cat (or other breeds of cat) then take a look at our info as to whether or not your cats can share a litter box.
Thank you so much for reading. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions, queries or concerns. We always aim to reply as quickly and with as much information as we can.
