Are you wondering why Bengal cats can’t go outside?
Maybe you’ve heard through the grapevine that Bengal cats are “inside only” animals.
In this short article we are going to dispel a few myths about whether or not Bengal cats can actually go outside (and if it is a good idea for them to do so).
Bengal Cats Can Go Outside
There is no reason why Bengal cats cannot go outside.
Spending time outside is good for your Bengal.
Although they can be indoors-only cats (read our article on this here) it is not particularly fair to confine your Bengal to the indoors if they do have the ability to go outside.
The myth that Bengals cannot go outside stems from a few areas:
1. Bengal cats tend to like roaming and exploring. This poses two risks. Firstly, there is a higher chance your cat will wander off somewhere and get lost. Secondly, there is a higher chance they will wander in to traffic and be run over. You can mitigate this by having a clearly marked fence/boundary and discouraging your Bengal from leaving the area … but there is only so much you can to do curb the naturally curious and explorative nature of your Bengal.
2. Bengals are excellent hunters, and this isn’t ideal for the local wildlife. Depending on where you live this may or may not be such an issue. If your local area is inhabited by “pest” creatures (e.g. rats or mice) then there’s no real problem. However, if you live in proximity to protected or native wildlife, then there are real concerns about your Bengal going out and catching and eating things they shouldn’t.
Despite those points above, this doesn’t mean your Bengal can’t go outside.
Ultimately, most Bengals love to go outside and explore, and it is good for their mental and physical health to do so.
The biggest challenge is in mitigating the risk of injury to your Bengal by going outside, as well as the risk to local wildlife thanks to their excellent hunting skills.\
There is only so much you can do in this regard as well.
Conclusion
If you’re wondering “why can’t Bengal cats go outside”, then wonder no more!
The truth is that your Bengal CAN go outside, and it is actually good for them.
Although Bengals can safely and happily live indoors (read our article on whether Bengal cats can live in apartments for more information on this) it is actually good for your cat to go outside from time to time.
Some Bengals will naturally be more inclined to the outdoors than others. It is impossible to predict how your Bengal will take to the outdoors, but certainly there is no reason for them not to do so (unless you live in an area with very busy traffic and no secure/safe space for them to play outside.
Perhaps write an article from the perspective of an urban neighbours need to defend their car from an aggressive unmanaged bengal that visciously attacks existing elderly domestic cats. The bengals owner thinks it’s perfect !!