Hello!

Im looking for some advice.
My bengal kitten is 4months old, we have had him home for 2 weeks now and he has settled in fine, he has no problem using his litter tray and is eating and drinking perfect, also he plays and runs about all over the house....but he wont let me touch him, anytime i reach out to pet him he runs away from me and he also runs if i get to close to him.
He will come close and sniff me on his own but if i get too close he bolts.
Is there anything i can do to let him know its ok? Or will he just take time?

Try using a wand toy and playing with it. Find different rhythms and patterns that you can swing and move the tip of the wand to make it look interesting to your kitten. I always try to imitate different animals or insects in my head (I might also be guilty of doing sound effects )

And once you've got him engaged in some good play, try and sit down if you aren't already and keep playing with the toy and slowly get it closer and closer to you. Then once he's close enough and he's caught the toy and busy killing it, you could slowly pet him once or twice. I got some success doing this with Miko, both in the safe room at first, and later on when he was afraid of everything in the big house. Your little guy will come around :)

Miko still bolts away FULL speed sometimes if I get up from the kitchen table or the sofa too quickly for his tastes lol, and at first, he used to just leave and go somewhere else and presumably hide. But he's gotten more comfortable now so he'll usually come back and check out where I'm headed.

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Matt

Emma, welcome to the forum! Two weeks is not much time at all for a new kitten to adjust to a new environment. Just imagine how scared the little one must be having been taken away from mom and siblings and the only home and smells it has ever known. This creates stress for the kitten and many new owners can't wait to get their hands on the kitten and the kitten is antsy about it. So ..... STOP. Take a step back and let your baby get used to the new surroundings. Sit on the floor near the kitten and talk softly or read to him. Try to get him to come to you if you offer treats. Engage him in play time. It takes time to bond .... and that will come in time. Don't try to rush it! Be patient and give him time to feel more confident and comfortable with you. Give it another couple of weeks. I'm sure you'll see a huge difference.

Know that many bengals do not like being picked up and are not snuggly lap cats. Many bengals are. You'll have one or the other, but do not be dismayed. A bengal will show his love in many other ways.

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The little monsters 3

Some Bengals just want to "cuddle" on their own terms. If you go up to our stud Shinobi and try to pet him or pick him up - he's gone, not interested. When he's interested in cuddles or attention he'll come to us and we've had him cuddle with us for hours. Just the personality of the cat.

We've also had cats that completely mellow out as they get older and who hated it before and are happy with it now. So patience, time, bonding and age will all count.

Mine used to often keep their distance from me, they liked being close and of course they liked to play with me but touching was a big no-no. Lily would sometimes (but very rarely) come for pets when she was about 8 or 9 months old. These days though (they're 16 months old), they're quite cuddly, Lily loves to be petted unless she's in full research/trouble-seeking mode and often comes to me when I'm on the sofa and stays at my side. Even Noha started to look for attention, especially first thing in the morning or when I'm back from work. So don't worry, 4 months old and 2 weeks with you is really not much time.

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Thomas

Lily & Noha - Oct 7th 2015

Sounds like your boy was having a wonderful time and great sensation in dealing with the toy and then realizes "oops, somebody is watching me, and I must not let them see me like this." Happy to hear the boys are settling in. Just takes time and more patience than one seems to have.

Rob - that behaviour is strange - any chance of a video of it ?

Got a video from my iPhone

Photo bucket seems a pain to connect to from my phone/ in the UK. Saved to Dropbox so will try later maybe

Any easier was to upload photos or videos than photobucket?

I've always uploaded videos to Youtube.

From there just take the address of the page and change https:// to http:// and you are good to go.

http://youtu.be/uob-T-Eks4I

My first YouTube upload!

I hope to have better videos in future

Aww, what a cutie pie. You were able to touch this little one just fine!!! Still a tiny kitty.

Thanks for the video - I think, that initially that is a *gentle* play/defensive reaction - cats will go on their back as a defence because it gives them a mouth and all 4 paws to fight with. But it is a gentle reaction that very quickly moves into "while I am down here, a good stroke would be quite acceptable". He seems nicely relaxed and happy with you.

Enjoyed your video, Fen! He looks like he's settling in well

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Matt