Oh yes - bitter apple spray will be your friend.


So the shopping list:

Germolene/savalon/equivalent
Some new da bird tips
Bitter apple spray
band aids
A t-shirt that says "It is not self harm- I have a bengal kitten"


:-)

I am so happy I don't have to respond to your long post. The advice you have been given by Brian, Cranberry, and Clare is spot on! You are worrying so much! You need to have some toys beside you, so if Miko starts to play rough with you, you can distract with toys. Have you gotten a kicker toy for him? That's what you need to have next to you on the couch. Miko is a behaving like a typical bengal.

He is super curious about all the rooms and nooks and crannies in your home and will have to inspect each and every one. Your home may seem like a huge world to him and he is frightened as he has no idea what lurks behind the next wall. The confidence will come.

Most cat toy manufacturers will make toys that aren't easily taken apart by cats, but many have discovered a way and have eaten feathers, etc. Not great for the cat. He should only be playing with those type of toys when you are on the other end of the toy and can watch him.

Don't know how I missed your video before, but Miko is behaving like a confident bengal. He is so gorgeous, Matt. Those rosettes are incredibly beautiful.

Brian, again, cant thank you enough :) Don't know how you all put up with me being so neurotic

Cranberry - About what I did wrong. I totally understand what you are saying and I am in agreement, but we're still only in the safe room right now so I couldn't have put her outside but I will keep that advice in mind in the future! And Im so glad to hear you had to deal with crazy banzai cat behaviour too lol, means Miko is just a normal bengal kitten :)

Also, I am purchasing a whole bunch of new attachments for my Da Bird, and also getting a Flying Frenzy. I opted for the ones like Brian was talking about (the mouse, da bee), hopefully those ones are a bit more durable as they're $8 a pop. Also got a few feather ones too.

Its funny the price difference between Amazon.com and Amazon.ca. You can buy a Da Bee attachment x 1 for ~$8 on the american site, and on the canadian site, its $73. LOL. So Im buying everything from the american site for the most part.

Tabitha - Great tip with the apple spray! That is on my next to-buy list. And the space you are describing under the dishwasher sounds really scary lol. And yeah, Ive put away most of the "fragiles" in the house but Im sure he'll manage to break something or another lol.

Sherry - I know Im worrying too much lol, Im sorry T_T. Everything has been so much better today now that I have my gameplan straightened out. As for having toys nearby, I do have some. But the kicker I bought was a bit too big, so Im getting him a smaller one that I think he'll like much better. For now, I've tied two mice together at the tails and he bites on one end and scratches the other with his back legs. And thank you so much for your compliment, Sherry ! I love the little bugger :)

Heres a few pics from yesterday:

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Matt

A great thing about this thread is bringing back memories and reminding me of how my 2 were 2 1/2 years ago.

I have a dishwasher that pulls out as a drawer - Ada would get underneath it, once she got behind it and I had no idea she was down there - closed the drawer and and got a squeal when it squashed her up against the back of the cupboard. We both learned something - she never went back there and I closed the drawer very gently afterwards.

Bengal kittens will get into all sorts of trouble, but they are also designed to take a few knocks and bumps.

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Matt

Matt, we love having you as a member of our family and I so enjoy reading your posts. We are here to support new bengal owners and then we want you to contribute to other members' posts as well.

Miko is so handsome, I want to just pull his picture off my computer screen and hold him in my arms! Know that you are truly in for the adventure of your life -- and we hope you will share it with all of us.

Gee, no "heart" emojis'

Matt - it is great to see you going through the start of being owned by a bengal and being determined to do everything that you possibly can to be a good bengal servant.

Two years ago I was where you are now - my family had previously had cats for many a year, but I chose two bengals and found myself totally responsible for two beautiful, hyper kittens. It was a steep learning curve at times, but I got a lot of good advice and reassurance from the people on here. In two years time you will, undoubtedly, be sat with a bengal laid out over your legs with a faint smell of Germolene in the air*, helping new owners - offering advice and reassurance that zooming around the house for 4 hours at a time is normal. So I am happy to give what experience and advice/opinions that I can to help you continue to be that great bengal servant.




* ( Ada accidentally sliced my finger open earlier today )

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Matt

I so love reading your posts, Matt. Poor Miko! One thing is to make sure the washer and dryer doors are closed at all times and inspect closely before you add any clothes. I saw a video of a cat using the dryer drum as a cat wheel. It was hysterical -- BUT can be dangerous if you aren't aware the cat is actually there when you turn the dryer on.

A week in the safe room is usually long enough. Miko is going to have to get used to the rest of the house at some point and it seems he has settled in really well. So, putting him outside the room for a few hours daily is a good thing. Are you prepared to have him sleep with you?

I bet you were stoked to see him on the cat tree. You can also use wand toys to entice him to climb up the tree.

Now, you're back to work?? Bet you miss him terribly.

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Matt