The introduction of a Bengal kitten or cat to a new home is usually easily accomplished. Bengals adapt to new situations very readily, and soon make themselves right at home. Gogees Bengals are well-socialized, so they thrive on human companionship and attention. There are some common questions that are frequently asked about introducing a kitten to a new household, so we are offering a few suggestions to make the transition easier. Remember though, each kitten is an individual, and care depends upon his special needs.

In many instances, Bengal kittens must be shipped by air to their new homes. This can be very frightening to the baby, with all the noises and smells from the jet engines. He probably will be missing his mother and littermates. Be patient with him, and give him lots of love and reassurance on arrival. Hold him close, and comfort him, he will be very grateful to you for "rescuing" him from the airport.

At home, isolate the Bengal baby from active children and other animals for a short while. Let him feel comfortable in his new surroundings first. We recommend that young kittens be confined to a small area, such as a bathroom or bedroom, with his food and litterbox at first. This gives him an opportunity to familiarize himself with that area, eat and use the litterbox undisturbed, without feeling threatened by other resident pets. If you have cats already, they may not want the newcomer to use their litterbox and eat from their bowls, so the new kitten will need one of his own. Also, if you bring him home and turn him loose in a large home or apartment, he may not be able to find his way to his litterbox. So keep him close to his box, taking him on excursions through the house, until gradually he learns how to find his way around. Your new Bengal may play "footsies" with your other cats, under the door, and this is an excellent way to introduce him to your other pets.

Another method of introducing him to the other pets, is to put him back in his pet taxi and place that in the room with the other pets. Let them sniff and get acquainted gradually. There will be some hissing and spitting, usually from the older pet, as this newcomer invades his territory, but that shouldn't last more than a few days. Bengals are not easily intimidated, and adapt very easily.

Caution small children about chasing the kitten, yelling, and the proper way to hold it. Bengals are wonderful with children, and make great playmates.

Bengals have the same requirements for immunizations as other domestic cats. If the mother is immunized, her kittens will be protected by her antibodies until after weaning.

We advise you to have your new Bengal vet-checked immediately by your veterinarian. This is for your protection, as well as ours and the kitten's. His kitten vaccinations will have been started, and are listed on the contract. We normally recommend three boosters, 3 weeks apart. We use the 4-way, killed vaccine, against Feline Rhino, Calici, Panleukopenia, and Chlamydia. Sometimes, this vaccine can make a kitten feel lethargic or feverish for a day or so after inoculation. Your vet will set up a schedule for boosters, and also immunize against Rabies. FeLV and FIP immunizations are controversial, and we feel that if your cat is kept indoors, and never exposed to other cats, these vaccinations may not be necessary. If however, you have cats that roam freely outdoors, you should consider vaccinating your Bengal kitten against these serious diseases.

Our kittens are routinely wormed, but your vet will probably also want to do a stool examination for parasites. Worms, such as roundworms and tapeworms, are common in animals, but easily treated. An examination will also include a check for external parasites such as fleas and ear mites.

Contact your vet immediately if your kitten should develop any of the following: diarrhea or bloody stools, vomiting, loss of appetite, fever, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, weepy or swollen eyes, patches of hair loss, rash, itching ears, or listlessness.

Bengals eat the same food as other breeds of cats. It is best that the kitten remain on a high-quality dry kitten food, such as Iams or Science Diet, having meat as the main ingredient. Dry food as the main diet is best to help keep kitty's teeth clean. Do not give your kitten table scraps or milk, no matter how tempting. This can cause stomach upset, and make the kitten finicky so that he will not eat his cat food. He can remain on kitten chow for a year, unless you find that he is gaining too much weight. If your adolescent cat is getting plump, switch him to cat (Instead of kitten) food. Cheaper cat foods have more filler, and therefore the cat has to eat more to fill his nutritional needs. This, in turn, makes for more litter-box deposits. If you stay with the premium cat feed, your kitten will have firmer stools and less waste.

Bengals do seem to crave more meat than other domestic cats. Some breeders feed a daily ration of very lean red beef in addition to their regular diet. Ordinary hamburger contains too much fat and can cause stomach upset. Ground round, ground sirloin, or beef hearts is well-tolerated and very much enjoyed by Bengals.

If you are serving meat raw, you must take precautions. Do not let it set at room temperature for very long, and remove whatever the cat doesn't eat after 20 minutes. Never feed raw poultry or pork.

Bengal kittens are taught by their mothers to use the litterbox, so your kitten will be trained when he arrives. Keep in mind, however, in a new environment, the kitten may not be able to find the litterbox alone. Imagine your home from the kitten's viewpoint, especially if your home has many rooms and several levels. This little creature will be lost, surrounded by a maze of doors, halls, and stairways. Therefore, it is recommended that the kitten be restricted to one area at first, where his food and litterbox are easily accessible. It won't be long before he learns his way round as he follows his new friend--you. If you have several stories to your home, you might find it beneficial to keep a litterbox on each floor.

We recommend just the flat uncovered box at first, as some kittens are afraid to go into the hooded type box. After he is used to using the open box, you can try adding the hood. We do not advise the use of clumping litter. There have been many cases of cats ingesting this sand, as they step from the litterbox and lick their paws, and this sand clumps in their intestines. This can cause obstruction of the bowel, which can be fatal if left untreated.

If he doesn't use the litterbox readily, don't punish him. He will only become hostile and avoid coming around you. Instead, try to understand the reason why he's having this problem, and correct the cause. Have him vet-checked to see if there is a urinary tract infection. Make sure the litterbox is in a secluded, low-traffic area where he won't be startled.

Some breeders may use shredded newspapers in their litterboxes. This can confuse any cat who might find a stray sheet of newspaper lying around and assume it's acceptable to use. Perfumed litter may be appealing to the human sense of smell, but not always to a cat or kitten. Some litters have heavy scents to mask cat odor, but the cat might not want to get close to it. Try using the plainest, cheapest, non-scented type, and you might have better results in training the kitten.

Remember too, a cat is a naturally clean animal. He can be highly offended by a litterbox that isn't changed frequently enough, or that has been used by another cat. If you have several cats in one area, you'll probably need to put down a couple of litterboxes. Scoop the solid waste at least daily, and replace the used litter frequently. Good habits on your part will insure proper litterbox use by your cat. One little warning, any cat may be tempted to use the dirt or sand around potted plants. It will help if you cover the soil with decorative stone or ceramics.

Some Bengal owners have reported finding their cat's feces just outside the litterbox. In this case, you may observe that because of the length of the Bengal's body, a larger litter box is needed. He may be in the litterbox using it, not realizing that he's not entirely in. A large covered litterbox is the solution to that problem.

Kittens are like children, they need love and attention, and discipline. They are active and playful, but should not be allowed to be destructive. Provide them with toys, simple things like paper bags, cardboard boxes, and wadded up newspaper are great. Any toy is great, providing it doesn't have small parts that can be swallowed. Our cats LOVE the little fake fur mice, and ping pong balls.

Keep a water pistol handy, as a discipline tool. Do not encourage the kitten to play rough or to bite--this may be cute as a kitten, but it is not appreciated from a big cat. Do not turn the kitten on his back and tickle or rub his tummy, this action gets him excited and encourages biting. Any behavior which gets the kitten overly excited should be avoided. Do not use your fingers as toys for the kitten to nibble on or wrestle with, he must learn that fingers are not for biting. If he continues to try to chew on your fingers, have a toy handy to substitute and let him release his energy on that. Teach your children not to play rough or tease the kitten, because when he is grown, he will play too rough.

Bengals, because they are highly intelligent, are easily trained. Be consistent in your training, and firm. Be aware that as a cat, the Bengal is self-centered, and will attempt to have things go his way.

Bengals aren't spiteful, and won't misbehave just for the sake of upsetting you. Often, a cat will develop a bad habit, but he might feel that what he is doing is natural or logical. Before you become unhinged, you need to analyze his behavior. Why is he behaving in this manner? Then you must find a constructive way to change his behavior.

Never think that you're going to control a Bengal by force, because the cat will win that battle. Never strike a cat with you hand, or soon you'll find that you cat won't come near you. Forcing a cat into submission will make him distrustful and resentful. He won't forget for a long time.

We advise that cats be kept indoors, because of the dangers of the automobile, and infectious diseases carried by stray cats and other animals. If you start letting your cat outdoors, as a treat, he will begin sitting by the door, ready to dash out every time the door is opened. Then you will have a cat that does not want to stay indoors with you. If you never let them out, they are perfectly content, and don't know what they are missing. Some folks learn that cats that are allowed to roam outdoors, even though they may be neutered, may start spraying. This is a territorial behavior trait, not sexual. When going outdoors, they develop an awareness of the presence of other cats and so they feel the need to mark their territory.

Your Bengal, if he were wild in the jungle, would use a tree trunk for his manicure. Any cat enjoys the stretching and pulling activity associated with sharpening his nails. As he scratches a rough surface, he's removing the outer older sheaths of his claws to expose the sharp new nail beneath. This is a natural function, so you should provide the means for your domesticated house cat to accomplish the grooming procedure. If you don't, he may have to find one for himself, and that might not be the most acceptable to you.

Buy or build a tall scratching post, having the base wide enough so that it won't tip over easily. Posts wrapped with carpet or burlap rope are especially enjoyed, although even an uncovered rough tree limb will suffice. It should be tall enough to allow the adult cat to stretch to his full capacity. There are elaborate scratching post models, ceiling height, with numerous shelves and cubby-holes which allow him to climb and jump as he instinctively loves. As you can imagine, this also affords you with hours of delight as you watch him in his acrobatic antics, enjoying every inch of his "tree".

By providing this for your cat, he will be less inclined to scratch on your furniture.

Sometimes it is necessary to declaw, but if you should decide to do so, definitely do not let your cat outdoors, since he would be defenseless. Declawing should not be done until the kitten is about 6 months old. Early declawing sometimes results in a portion of the root of the claw being left, and regrowing. Neutering is advised at about the same time 6-10 months. Definitely, neuter before your cat reaches sexual maturity, to prevent undesirable sexual activity, such as spraying.

If your kitten was purchased as a pet, he must not be shown or bred. There is an old wives' tale that you should breed a cat at least once, to help them mature. That is nonsense. In fact, often once a cat starts breeding, he or she is not as good as a pet.

Not all Bengals are meant to be bred. Since caution must be taken in only reproducing desirable traits, an ethical breeder will not breed a cat that carries a serious fault. The goal of the reputable breeder should be to produce cats of the highest quality in temperament, health, and conformation. The breeding stock should be the finest possible and matings are carefully planned to enhance their qualities. Having kittens can be fun, but they are also a huge responsibility, and a lot of time, work, and expense.

Young females will begin their heat cycles at about a year. If you intend to breed your female, it is recommended that you not let more than 3 heat cycles go by before breeding. Also, these young queens must be comfortable with being around other cats. If not bred in a timely fashion, cats will develop cystic ovaries and it becomes very difficult to get them bred. You will need to study pedigrees and do some homework to find just the right mate for your Bengal. Try to find a mate that will offset any faults yours may have.

Since we have several boodlines we are working with here at Gogees, we can usually provide very compatible breeding pairs if that is requested. We do find that linebreeding is beneficial, that is staying within close bloodlines.

If you intend to show your kitten, it is necessary to start doing so at an early age. He needs to be used to being around all the other cats and having strangers handle him. Grooming, socialization, exercise, health and proper diet are vital to ensure that a show quality cat perform to his potential.

Besides the regular classes, there are also classes for altered (neutered) cats to be shown, and this can be lots of fun. You'll be able to see all the other beautiful Bengals, and get to meet some of the nicest people in the cat show world. We have found that Bengal exhibitors have always been very friendly and helpful to new exhibitors.

For more TIPS on raising, training, and caring for your new Bengal, you can order our 120 page book, "Getting to Know the Bengal Cat.". This book is a must for the new Bengal owner, as it explains all details of caring for the Bengal kitten. It covers topics such as selection of a kitten, the different colors, diseases and immunizations, plus many many more.