Should I let my Bengal out on the street?

Even though this is an old thread, I wanted to add that I’m in the same boat. My Bengal is now a year old. We’ve recently moved from a flat to a house with a garden. Back in the flat, from about four or five months old, our cat started looking for height and space. He’d hide in the bedroom and try to bolt out onto the landing every morning when I left for work. He managed to escape into the building several times, getting through three doors: the living room, the flat door, and the landing... true stealth mode, Bengals are basically ninja cats. Sometimes we’d take him with us in the car (in a proper carrier) to my mum’s... just so he wouldn’t be left alone, as he really can’t stand being by himself. Because he howls non-stop by the door, demanding to go out on the landing... he gradually got a taste for going out and it became impossible to live in a flat. He’s been able to open doors since he was seven months old. In our new house, we’ve put latches up high (he knows keys open locks; he pushes them with his paw if the handle doesn’t move). We never open the front door without knowing exactly where he is (he hides by the cellar, behind the front door, under coats... or under the armchair, then bolts for the door). They are such practically intelligent cats; he never stops surprising me (I’m almost tempted to hide my credit card in case he decides to order some dry food online!). They’re emotionally intelligent too. Our interactions are so sweet; he loves to play, and it honestly feels like having a little boy in the house. We’re very close to him. He’s even softened my partner’s heart—he wasn’t a big animal lover to begin with, but he bonded with him so easily. It’s impossible to resist a Bengal; they give so much love. Everyone adores my little lad, but he’s a massive adventurer. We have to be constantly vigilant and adapt our environment. He balances on railings about 16 feet up—I’ve put netting underneath and plan to close the space off with a glass partition. He meows to call me and waits for me to come up and get him; it’s his little ritual. He’s tried to follow other cats in the garden several times (he wears a harness), and once he escaped up a tree, over 26 feet high. He wouldn’t come down. It only took a split second. He runs at a staggering speed, like a proper little panther... he leapt onto the trunk and shot straight up from branch to branch. After 20 minutes of us panicking, trying to stop him going higher, he stepped on a branch that was too thin and fell... luckily I was underneath to break his fall from about 20 feet. Anyway, a fence isn’t going to stop a Bengal... and the fire brigade doesn’t come out to rescue cats anymore; you have to call a tree surgeon or just hope they come down without falling. They’re supposed to climb down using their back legs for grip, but my cat was weaned too early and never learned how—he tries to go down head-first and ends up falling. He needs a really well-fitted harness (his old one wasn’t tight enough around the waist, and since their fur is so silky, he’d just back out of it like taking off a jumper... he’s clocked the trick, he’s clever). Now I’ve had to accept that I can NEVER let him roam free. It breaks my heart, but it’s that or let him put himself in danger. Since the tree incident (the escape and the fall), I keep thinking, "What if that had happened in someone else's garden?" I bought him from a breeder who didn't take great care of them; I felt sorry for him and knew he’d be better off with me than there, being sold off cheap to anyone for breeding. He’s been neutered now and I want him to have the best life possible, but that comes with sacrifices for him (he can’t climb 30-foot trees or chase after bikes—which he tries to do when we’re out). I have to dedicate two or three hours a day to him (thankfully I have some help) for his garden time. He can climb the shrubs while we keep a close eye on him on his harness with a 10-foot lead—we’re going to upgrade to a 16-foot one. We’re also going to prune the tree at the bottom of the garden so he can’t get so high and to make sure if he does fall, it’s into our garden (he could have landed on the neighbour’s garden tools...). Basically, if you’re reading this because you want a Bengal, you really have to be prepared to give them as much care as a child. But it’s so worth it if you’ve already fallen for one of these magnificent cats. We’re going to get another cat because it breaks my heart to see him watching the other cats in the garden as they wander off. He’s very sociable and constantly looks for their attention. There are two that come near him and they interact a bit (cat communication, body language), but it doesn’t go further than looking, head-rubbing, grooming, and a bit of chasing, because the other cats move on and he can’t. So he doesn’t have a normal social life; he’s very intrusive sometimes because he’s so desperate for contact with his own kind, and he’s already been swiped at because he rushed at another cat to play. I think living like this is very tough for him. We’re waiting for a good match from the RSPCA or a local rescue centre. Fingers crossed.

I’ve adopted moggies from Gumtree myself and I’ve still got them today. If you were interested and found a Bengal on Gumtree, then there’s no reason why there wouldn't be other genuine people on there too. Besides, when pedigree cats are stolen, how are they meant to resell them? It's not like they carry a wallet with their papers in it, and selling cats without the right documentation is illegal anyway. Sadly, you’re not the only one to feel a bit out of your depth with this breed; they’re man-made and have a massive need to burn off energy. It’s like keeping a panther in a cage otherwise. As someone said earlier, the best thing is to find someone who really knows Bengals and can give them the time they need for exercise and all their specific requirements.

Is this your first cat? I think this breed and the Toyger are absolutely stunning, but they need so much attention and a specific environment, so I decided against it. Not to mention the risk of theft, which adds a lot of stress if they go outside. Moggies or domestic shorthairs are usually recommended for a novice like me. I really hope you manage to find a solution that works for both him and you.

Hi @Mahaat, thanks for taking the time to write to me. I agree with everything you're saying. We used to live in a flat, so he loved going out on the balcony to look around, and we could keep an eye on him without any issues. We still spend a lot of time playing with him; he really is the centre of our world. Now we live in a house with a garden, and when we first moved, we didn't let him out for six months because we didn't want him to feel lost. We used a harness and lead, of course, and he was so happy. Bit by bit he got a taste for the outdoors and managed to slip his lead once—it scared the life out of us! So now he knows he can go further, and because he’s incredibly stubborn, the situation is becoming unbearable. He used to just want to be in the garden, but now that’s not enough; he wants total freedom. He meows so loudly in the garden it’s actually embarrassing... he meows constantly unless he’s sleeping or out hunting, so I know if I let him out, I’d have some peace and quiet, but I don’t know how long he’d last on the streets. It’s so sad. I totally understand the decision your Bengal’s previous owner made; she must have been going through the same distress as me... I adore this cat, he’s my baby, but he’s making my life so difficult. I’m in tears every single day.

Good evening, I agree with Ulalie: be very careful about who you give him to if you do decide to rehome him. That’s how my Bengal ended up with me. Her previous owner was overwhelmed by the breed and put an ad on a site like Gumtree (a pedigree Bengal, 8 months old and not spayed—as you can imagine, there were plenty of takers). However, I’m not as certain as you are about the situation (it’s easier for me to say since I’m not the one watching him 24/7 🤦). If a chicken-run style enclosure isn't feasible, is there any way you could secure a window with some netting or a fly screen? If that window has a ledge, it’ll let him get some fresh air without him doing a disappearing act. Ours had the urge to go wandering, and this solution really calmed her down; she just sits there and watches the world go by. Bear in mind as well that they’re very clever cats. After a few escapes, she eventually realised that when she was outside, we were watching her and she wasn’t allowed to leave the back garden. Now, during her weekend outings, she doesn't try to bolt anymore. Have you also tried distracting him with play? He’s still young and needs at least a good hour of play a day to burn off his energy (and when he’s asleep, he isn’t meowing!). Sometimes Bengal breeders have those giant exercise wheels (like hamster wheels), and usually these cats love running on them (you’ll find plenty of videos on YouTube showing this. I haven’t tried one yet, but I’m considering it). Finally, they’re a talkative breed... Mine howls her head off for a good hour before her evening wet food. We just leave her to it and she eventually gets bored. All this advice might seem useless, but they really are a breed apart and not easy to understand, even for seasoned cat owners :)

If you’re looking to rehome him so he can be happier, please don't use sites like Gumtree or similar. It’s much better to go through a Facebook group or a specialist Bengal forum where you’ll find people who are passionate about the breed, rather than those who might try to flip him for a profit or not look after him properly. Don't just give him away for free; always ask for a rehoming fee, as that will help deter people with the wrong intentions. We all make mistakes; the important thing is to make things right as best we can and put their quality of life before our own. He’s still young, so he can definitely find someone who knows how to manage a Bengal. But if I have one piece of advice, if you haven’t done it yet, please get him neutered before he goes. It’ll stop him from ending up stuck in a cage with a dodgy breeder.