Last month was the hardest month of my life. My sweet Bengal, Jasper was hit by a car outside my house.
He would have been four years old on the 26th. He had a sweet, spunky personality and loved prancing around, catching lizards, birds and even a rabbit once! He always hung out with me while I was outside, whether it was sitting by the pool, sitting on my lap while I read a book, or sitting on my homework. I miss him so much. We are beginning to talk about getting a new Bengal. I'm not sure how soon I should get a new kitty. I've talked to local breeders and visited one with kittens that are 3 weeks old. I have a few weeks to decide and put a deposit down.
Before Jasper became an almost entirely outdoor cat, he was inside most of the time. I brought him for walks, clicker trained him and tried to keep him occupied. Despite my efforts, his high energy came to be a huge stress in our household. I was really busy with school at times and could only give him limited attention. He began to open doors to escape from my room, turn on lights at night, and get into trouble. We realized that he needed a consistent outlet for his boundless energy. So we made him into an outdoor cat. As much as he loved it, it obviously wasn't what we had planned for and wasn't as safe as being an indoor cat.
Now that I'm finished with school, I have so much time in my hands. So I'm considering adding another spotted friend to the gang.
With all that said, I'd like to hear your feedback. Have you ever lost your Bengal and when is a good time to get a new one? With my passed experience with having a high-strung kitty, what are your suggestions for keeping a Bengal's busy mind occupied?