So i have a 1 year old Bengal and he always starts meowing really loud at 6 am in the morning. His litter is clean and has food. What might the problem be. He does go outside regularly and I play with a lot.

I would guess it isn't a problem from his perspective. It is morning and time for humans to entertain him and lavish attention upon him.

Bengals talk loud even if all they are saying is "Hello" and "Pay attention to me." or perhaps " What are we going to do today?"

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The little monsters 3

Welcome to the forum. It is common for any cat to cry in the morning, regardless of food. Mine has food, yet makes sure I get up to walk him to the food bowl in the kitchen. If your bengal has slept through the night, it is time to get up. The fact that your cat's alarm clock is set at a different time than yours is irrelevant. Cats have their own internal clocks. Mine would always make sure I was up when it got light outside, regardless of the time. There is a way to get your kitty on your schedule, but it takes time and patience, but it can be done. Crating a cat is not a good idea. Your kitty wants to be with YOU, not shut away. As much as I would love to lock mine up so I can get uninterrupted sleep, I don't have the heart to do that. Thus I am up with my bengal three times during the night as he is a grazer and eats about every 2 to 3 hours.

Bengals are vocal period, so this is probably something you will have to get used to. However, when you take on a pet, you take on everything they are -- and your bengal probably would prefer to sleep with you than in the crate.

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The little monsters 3

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The little monsters 3

Ok other than the meowing in the morning. i will try leaving my door open and not lock him in my cage. But even right now he is meowing. He has food,water, and clean litter box. i play a lot with him and at least he goes outside for 40 minutes.

I'm afraid bengals are very vocal, period! Mine cries -- no YOWLS -- most of the time. Unless he is eating, sleeping or grooming. And there is nothing you can do about it. I also have a domestic short haired cat who rarely cries. I have to keep telling myself that Raiden is a bengal and they are not your ordinary cat. They come with challenges and a totally different personality than a regular cat. It's something you have to accept because you are not going to change the behavior. All bengals have wild blood in them. And 99% of bengals are loud.

I was walking my bengal this morning, thinking about your post and the crating and I thought, "it's against the law to crate children but it's okay to crate pets when they are just as much family as children." The only time I plan to "crate" my cat is when we relocate 900 miles. I want something large that would give Raiden plenty of room and not be confined to a carrier the entire trip. I would probably need two -- one for each cat as putting them together in one would not work.

I know people use crates for dogs -- but I'm not in favor of that either. I don't think I'd like to be put in a crate for several hours either. But I know owners do what they feel is best in their situation -- so I'm not judging you. Trust me -- I love my sleep, but getting up three times during the night these days is the norm for me!

You could put out some toys for self-entertainment. Turbo track balls with scratching pads. Dangling toys on door knobs. If you get up in the middle of the night, toss out a few random mice and ball toys. Plain old cardboard boxes.

Maybe program a TV in another room to turn on at 6am with a "cat tv" video (chirping birds, etc). Parents with small children put on cartoons so they can catch some extra sleep. Instead of cartoons, play some "cattoons". Then change the start time by 5 minutes until it comes on around 7:30 am.

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[/quote]Thanks. I guess it's just the risk I took buying a bengal.[/quote]

I don't think it was a "risk" you took buying a bengal.....more like a guarantee!

For however long you’re asleep, your cat has no interaction, unless you have other animals that are on his sleep schedule. That means your cat moseys throughout your house all night without getting petted, picked up or talked to. Come morning, he’s bored and probably has had enough of the silent treatment. Cats who want attention rather than food will usually stick to your side if you’re awake, rub against your leg and show little interest in their food bowl.