Hello,
Just looking for some advice on whether or not a Bengal should go outside?
***Not trying to start a debate on the pros and cons of letting your cat outside** Just would like to hear from people who have/had outdoor bengals. I have had outdoor cats my whole life, but the breeder I got my bengals from said that if you let them outside they will just take off. Any truth to this?

I guess it depends on where you live. I'm in Australia where we have a bit of a feral cat problem (my boys are neutered) but it's very common for domestic cats to have free rein outside at night. I'd be worried about them fighting and we live on a busy road, so would worry about them being hit or stolen. I never let my boys outside.
From reading a bit on this forum I'm guessing UK slaves let their kitties out a bit more than the US slaves

Congratulations on your baby and welcome to the forum. To take outside or not to take outside. That is a real issue and a personal one. Members here disagree!

Your location is a huge factor. A busy street will yield traffic. Lots of kids will lead to the possibility of their wanting to hurt your cat. Traffic also means people can SEE your cat and STEAL your cat. Do you have coyotes, large dogs, other tom cats running around? They can injure and even kill your cat. Will your cat take off? If a cat has not set up their "territory," they may run off (and then a neighbor will feed your cat and take him away from you -- that's how I got my bengal. Actually, the neighbor gave him to me).

There are many other safe options. You can train a cat to walk on a harness and leash and go for walks. Know that once a cat breathes that outside air, it becomes addictive and your kitty will want walk after walk after walk. There are portable enclosures you can buy and place out in your yard that will allow your kitty to enjoy the outdoors. Or build a permanent enclosure that will allow your baby to enter through a cat door.

Yes, many of our members allow their bengals to go outside. We have had them "lost" and returned. It's just a scary situation when you let a cat out and then it does not return. Members pay good money for a bengal -- it's an investment that you should not want to lose.

Just know that bengals will yowl to go out and it can get on your nerves. I go through this every morning and afternoon when Raiden wants his walk and he wants it NOW!!!

For what it's worth -- I'd rather keep my bengal safe. I already have an outdoor cat that tends to get locked away in garages since he has to inspect every single one of them and the door closes on him. Thankfully, we've found him every time .... but we are just waiting for him to not come back.

There is roads with cars near by, coyotes, foxes, other cats & dogs all over. Those dangers don't really bother me, if they get attacked by something or hit by a car that would be very sad but thats chalked up to the price of freedom. I myself have been hit by cars, broken lots of bones and had many injuries growing up as a youngin, I'm sure none of those dangers would of happened to me if I was locked up in the house 24/7 but everything wants to be free regardless of the dangers....My main concern is theft & if they actually do just "take off" if allowed outside. Do they act like other cats and roam around all day then return when they are tired and hungry or as soon as you open the door the first time they bolt out and never return...? The whole theft thing is a tricky one too, still thinking about that one. One option I'm thinking about is maybe just letting them out in the evening or very early in the mornings when its darker, that way they won't be seen as such by people.

There is really no difference between a cat disappearing due to a coyote or someone taking your cat. The cat is GONE!!! We have members here who allow their bengals free access to the outdoors and bring them inside at night. If you let your cat out and it doesn't return, you'll just chalk this up to the price of freedom. Gosh, d you have children? Would you handle it the same way? Let a toddler outside on its own and just see if it shows back up at your door? Toddlers love to be outside and roaming around, just like a cat. I don't understand why it would be so different for a cat. But, every time someone comes on here posting a missing bengal or their bengal was attacked by a dog and killed, or kicked by a horse and killed, or taken by a coyote, or stolen out of their yard, I find it hard to give a whole lot of sympathy for something that could have been avoided. I know accidents happen .... but the vast majority of bengal owners have paid a lot of money for their cats. If you are prepared to lose that, then it's fine. Everyone has a personal preference. I do know that my bengal would not be around today if he stayed with his previous owner who let him roam all over the neighborhood and kept his garage door open a crack for shelter and that's where he was fed. He wasn't an indoor cat and he has the scars and vet bills from all the cat fights he was in prior to my getting him. When you have a pet, you are making a commitment to keep them SAFE. They don't understand the dangers that lurk in the outside world.

I also take care of a sweet outdoor cat whose owners lived three blocks away and he ran away from home due to all their other outdoor cats that would attack him. He won't stay inside the house for more than 15 minutes and he wants back out. I told them I would take care of him. My bengal barely tolerates him. Many evenings I go walk the streets of my neighborhood calling for this other cat and always worry when I can't find him. He's been locked in garages for up to 4 days. He was in the enclosed crawl space under our house for several hours one time. He's used up just about all his lives and I will be devastated when one day he stops returning home. It's not what I want, but he is not officially my cat and he's been an all outdoor cat for his entire life.

Maybe "Tabitha" will post here about the pros of the Pod Tracker that can tell you exactly where your cat is anywhere in the world! Your cat would have to wear a collar for it to attach to. But, Tabitha swears by the product and both of her cats wear them. Her cats go out during the day but are inside at night (and she's charging the batteries -- you get an extra with it). You can track your kitty's adventure as well. I have one for the outdoor cat, but he refuses to wear a collar. I've tried three on him, including an elastic one, and he shows back up with it gone!

Kaniff wrote:
My main concern is theft

If your main concern is theft, then your answer is pretty simple - don't let him outside.


Kaniff wrote:
if they get attacked by something or hit by a car that would be very sad but thats chalked up to the price of freedom.

My main concern is the above statement.

I agree, I was horrified to read that.

Diablo only goes outside with a leash and harness. He (escape artist that he is) managed to open the door last year (I was living in a house then) and disappeared over night. I was sick with worry that I would never see my beloved baby again, or that I would find him on the road, hit by a car or attacked by another animal. I was one of the lucky ones, he came back home!

Our pets are our responsibility to keep safe and healthy. Theft would be the least of my worries.

A girl here in Nashville had her bengal out in her front yard and she actually witnessed someone grabbing the cat and running away. By the time she could get outside and look, they were gone! So was her cat. We have a huge problem with people stealing dogs out of yards, including fenced yards. Two puppies were recently taken. The neighbor saw them the car pull up and the guy jump out and grab them. The owner had let them out to go potty and didn't stay with them. Thankfully, with a lot of airing on the local news and social media, the dogs were returned. A pit bull requiring medication to prevent seizures was stolen. Then they tossed it back into the yard once the dog started having a seizure. There are sick, sick, sick people there. They grab children as well. You now have to guard anything of value with your life -- and eyes!

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Clare
Hendrix and Jagger, Brown Marble Boys (born 18 August 2013)
Hampshire, UK

I like that pod tracker thing im going to look into that, thanks for the advice.....For the people who are mortified by the statement of chalked up to freedom. Do you really think your cats are happier being prisoner inside a house for their entire life? What animal from insect to human would want their freedom taken away? Honestly think about that... I do have kids and my daughter actually slipped on some stairs going up a slide and split her chin open last month. That wouldn't have happened if I kept her inside all day but what kind of life is that? Like honestly people, open your eyes and think about things from your cats point of view. Sure they are expensive but if thats the reason why you keep them in that is terrible, your poor cats. Taking away their freedom cause you spent a lot money on them, is a ridiculous reason to strip them of their freedom, your only thinking about yourself. If the cat could talk and have a choice what do you think they would choose, indoors or out? It blows my mind how many people are passionate about never letting your cats outside and think they are happier this way because its safer. Do you people leave your house? Do you drive on dangerous roads? Do you do things that some may consider dangerous? Of course you do, you would be much safer if you stayed inside all day everyday...When society punishes a human for bad behavior what do we do? They are sent to jail and have their freedom taken away. Taking away ones freedom is one of the worst things you can do to someone...But I guess since its just an animal and they cost money its OK they will prefer the indoor life the way nature intended.
"Chalked up to freedom" Yes I guess I am a horrible person because I want to give an animal freedom to choose where it wants to go. The freedom to breath fresh air, chase birds, climb trees do things that come naturally to the cat. I have had plenty of cats go out doors over the years, I have never forced them to go outside or stay inside, I simply give them the choice & guess what they choose to do 100% of the time? They go outside into the free world surrounded by danger, but I guarantee you they are much happier.
Heres another thing I do that will enrage you guys. I also...wait for it..... I walk my dog without a lease, I know I know terrible right. How dare I let him go where he wants, he could get hit by a car or even attacked by a wolf or bear. I should probably just keep him tied up on a chain in my backyard where he is safe because I spent money on him, he will be much happier this way... No living breathing animal was meant to (or wants to) be kept inside for its entire life.

Well, pet owners ARE passionate, that is for sure! It's fine to let any pet outside as long as someone is there to supervise. Pets do not have advanced brains (neither do small children). They don't know how to avoid dangerous situations. You may have the best behaved dog in the world that will not run off, but I read posts every day from dog owners whose dogs have gotten away from them. What you do with your pets is your decision! And you pay the price if something happens to them. Yeah, my bengal is truly unhappy that he has to stay in the house most of the day, only having a 12'x12' large enclosure on our deck and getting two one-hour walks a day through our neighborhood. The rest of the time he is miserable -- or so he thinks! But, I think he is SAFE! My poor bengal would go looking for trouble and find it. And would have been dead or lost a long time ago.

However, nobody is going to change anybody's mind as to indoor or outdoor. So, why debate it. It's just you won't find much sympathy from members here if your bengal (or dog) disappears and you come on here complaining and crying about it.

YOU came on here looking for advice. You started the topic. However, it is obvious you had already made up your mind to let your bengal outside. A few members offered up their opinions. Now maybe this subject can be laid to rest until the next new member asks the exact same thing.

LOL, Kaniff, you really need to work on your trolling buddy. I'd give this only about a 3 out of 10. You're heart doesn't seem to quite be in it. Sticking to cliched arguments and insults. Where is the imagination? The creativity? Hardly even worth the couple of clicks it takes to add you to my ignore list. Takes me back memory lane to some of the more infamous characters who have inhabited this forum though... ah memories....

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The little monsters 3

We are slowly training our girl to go outside in our backyon a halter and leash. She absolutely loves it! Took her a few times to get used to the restrictions of being attached to some foreign weird object.lol
Now she is happy to join us outside and will drag her leash around the yard, while being supervised. She loves and is happy to sit on the side of the pond and watch the water and listen to the birds. When she comes inside she eats a big meal and sleeps like a baby:)) she does meow to go out, but I won't give in to her. I make it on my terms, so when she is finished begging/ demanding to go out I wait 1/2 hr then take her when I say it's time:))