Bringing Your Kitten Home

Preparation will help you have a smooth transition, bringing home your new fur baby.  We will be here, to support you with any and all questions for the entire life of your new Bengal kitten. The support starts here, however, so please read all of these recommendations.  

· Litter box/litter

· Cat carrier/nail trimmers/toys/scratchers

· Food

· Bed & Pet Heating Pad

and other recommendations

We litter box train every kitten we re-home at Exotic Bengals of Hollywood. Your new Bengal kitty will go home used to clay litter (like Tidy Cats), which is inexpensive and easy to maintain. However, you should use a cat attract litter additive or go home with a potty sample in a baggie (to add to your litter box) so that they smell immediately where their new potty area is. 

We use an enclosed litter box, which we encourage because Bengal kittens are likely to play with their litter, which can get everywhere if you don’t have an enclosed litter box. 

If you want to use a different type of litter (pellets, wood chips, etc.) you should very gradually move your new fur baby to the new litter (mix 20% of the new litter in each day until you’ve moved over to the new litter).  Don’t switch litter the first month. Your new Bengal will have enough to get used to, and you don’t want them to start bad behaviors (going potty outside the litter box). 

The type of carrier isn’t that important, since you won’t use it that often. However, a solid carrier (preferably airline qualified) that’s large enough for a grown Bengal cat is what we recommend.  

Cat trimmers or human nail trimmers work well for cats of any kind. The important thing is to keep your new kitten used to the process. Handle their feet constantly, gently pressing to express the nails. Tap the nails with your fingernails and/or the clippers and gently and carefully trim them often so that your kitten grows up used to the process. We find wrapping the kitten in a towel and having a helper is easiest (have one person hold the towel-wrapped cat and have the other person clip the nails).  

After many years of owning and breeding cats, we believe it is healthiest for any cat, not just a Bengal, to be fed a balanced raw diet.  You can mix your own or buy raw from local pet stores. We find, however, that most families simply cannot take the time to feed raw. Since that is the case, the kittens will go home ready for and used to a mixture of quality dry kibble and canned kitten food, supplemented with human grade tuna, salmon & chicken (you can buy this economically at Costco, even canned). Please ensure your new fur baby eats the same type for an easy transition to whatever food you choose. Please be deliberate about your new kitten’s food choices moving forward, and any transition of food should be done very slowly.

Your new Bengal kitten will need a snuggley, safe place. She's used to a bundle of litter mates, so a warm, soft bed is critical.  It is also optimal to get a pet heating pad (which is a heating pad just for pets...it doesn't get overly warm) so they don't loose their body heat at night while sleeping.

As for toys, some of our favorites: feathers on a stick, ping pong balls, and lightweight balls with bells are always favorites. Remember that any toy on a string must be put away when not in use as they are a choking hazard. 

Bengals love cat trees! Height is important because Bengals like to be high up. We have also found that rope on the pole is a good scratcher (and saves furniture). The carpeted types of cat trees (versus fuzzy material) are also better. Cat wheels are also good, though they do take up a lot of room.