Few breeds of cat generate as much controversy as the Bengal cat.
Don’t believe us? Go look it up online. Join the forums, read the blogs, or jump into Facebook groups about Bengal cats.
There are some who act like Bengals are the spawn of Satan.
There are others for whom Bengals can simply do no wrong.
But is getting a Bengal cat a bad idea? In this article we are going to cover this important topic.
One way we can look at this is by doing what is known as the “Benjamin Franklin Close”.
According to the history books (or maybe just accordingly to legend) this method was how Benjamin Franklin came to make up his mind on tricky decisions.
The basic premise is you list all of the pros in one columns, all of the cons in another, and whichever is longer is the one to go for.
With that in mind, let’s apply a bullet-point list version of the Benjamin Franklin close to the daunting prospect of Bengal cat ownership.
Pros Of Bengal Cat Ownership
- Bengals are fun, exciting pets – You’ll almost never have a boring day with a Bengal cat in your house (sometimes this can be a bad thing, if you see below).
- Bengals are loyal and loveable – Although it won’t happen overnight, you will be able to form a strong, lifelong bond with your Bengal.
- Your cat will certainly be a conversation-starter
- Bengals are generally a healthy breed of cat with a good life expectancy
Cons Of Bengal Cat Ownership
- Costs are high
- Bengals can drive you crazy with their behaviour
- Not guaranteed to get along well with other pets
- Can be highly vocal
- Require a lot of attention
Conclusion
Is getting a Bengal cat a bad idea?
The answer to this question really does depend on what you are looking for in a pet, and what your ability to look after it is like.
Remember that buying a Bengal cat is a “lifelong” commitment (either for their life, or yours).
As long as you are comfortable with that commitment, then buying a Bengal is likely going be a good idea, and not a bad one.
The only bad idea is bringing a Bengal into your home without properly thinking about it first. Provided you do your homework (start by reading the articles on this site) and
