Firstly, we have found our cat.
We didn’t find her in the sense of “oh look there’s a Bengal cat” behind a tree or moderately sized bush.
I meant we bought her with an appropriate currency.
She’s only been with us a few days so it’s all very new, but that’s for another post.
We’ve called her ‘Hazel’ which was after a rabbit from the book (and subsequent film) ‘Watership Down’.
I remembered Hazel as being a particularly bright and strong character.
What I failed to remember, however, was that in Watership Down, Hazel is actually a male rabbit.
Perhaps then her name would have been more appropriate if had we actually found her wandering in the woods…
But never mind, we stuck with the name, although to be honest, she’s referred to as ‘Kitty’ more than she is ‘Hazel.’
So back to the background (if you will).
I can’t remember exactly when the decision was made to get a Bengal cat.
It was some months ago, certainly pre-Pandemic although most things we’ve done now fall into this category.
Yes- there was some guilt at the fact that we hadn’t just rehomed a rescue cat.
We did look on numerous occasions, and although it probably is the noble thing to do, we couldn’t find a cat we felt would be suitable, as we wanted a kitten so we could share in its experience of growing and learning about the world.
Rehoming may be something we look at again in future however.
Why a Bengal cat?
The obvious reason was because of the breed’s striking appearance- a domesticated cat with more than a hint of the wild about it.
Some brief research suggested they were intelligent, displayed dog-like loyalty, and could even be leash trained.
Intelligence is something I admire and even though I knew there was potential for an intelligent, cunning cat to be mischievous, this actually added to the appeal as it almost tests elements of your own personality.
And no doubt, it would generate some laughs and stories along the way.
We knew any Bengal was going to have to be a house cat due which in all honesty I was reluctant about.
The thought of a cat being kept indoors didn’t seem right- particularly for an animal very close to its wild origins.
However, house cats can still be happy, healthy and actually have longer life expectancies.
We made plans for a ‘Catio,’ would give it supervised access to the garden, and in time, would take it for walks.
Essentially, it would have a similar life to a dog’s.
So with the decision made, it was then about researching in more depth and going about finding/paying for ‘That Bengal Cat…’
Further Reading:
