In this article, we talk about whether or not you should let your cat outside? Especially a Bengal cat? Now if you know anything about the Bengal cat, you know that they are very active and they require a lot of stimulation. There are definitely some things to think about. So I’d like to share some of those with you in hopes that it could help you make a decision on whether not to let your cat outside.
1. Bengal cat thieves!
The first thing to talk about is I hear people do unfortunately steel Bengal cats in any exotic cat for that matter. Bengal cats and hybrid cats can be very valuable and people know this.
So when they see them they tend to have sticky fingers and want to either keep it for themselves or even sell your cat or I’ve even heard of people holding Bengal cat at ransom.
2. Neighborhood kitties
The second thing you’ll need to think about our other cats. Why is this a risk? Well, a couple reasons:
– Cats can get in a lot of fights. And this can obviously be a huge risk to your Bengal cat, not to mention you might have really large but bills.
– With other cats comes the risk of disease.
3. Not the road!
The third thing you want to think about: our roads. While normal cats have a fairly large range that they’ll roam, Bengals will travel even further. So I’ve heard of people knowing that they have a road somewhat nearby their house, but they never thought that Bengal would venture that far and they do.
So this is definitely something that you’ll want to think about is your Bengal cat access to roads and how far that they’ll probably travel.
4. Predators!
The fourth thing you’ll need to think about is predators. There are probably fewer predators aside from humans in more of a city environment such as coyotes. But if you were out in a rural environment this is a real risk. Coyotes, dogs and probably all sorts of other things that are hunting your cat.
Now I’d like to think that cats are fairly agile, pretty quick, and climb trees. And I’ve seen outdoor cats that live a really long time out in the country and they don’t get eaten by coyotes. But this is still something that you’ll want to think about.
Outside is scary!
So with all these risks to your Bengal cat being an outside cat, it seems like a no-brainer to keep them inside right. This is what I thought too and this is still the direction that I’m winning.
Cats at heart really don’t want to be locked up and they want their freedom. Some cats are very happy being indoor cats their entire lives.
So even though I don’t like any of these risks, I still find myself thinking should I let my Bengal cat outside. A certain point you have to think about the quality of the cat’s life. And this is what I’m really struggling with right now.
Even though as a fur baby I want to keep my cats happy, healthy, and safe inside. I know that this isn’t the best for all cats and some cats eventually will ultimately be happier outside despite the risks and you just have to hope for the best.
I’m not saying whether or not you should let your cat outside. And I know a lot of people probably keep Bengal cat indoors.
So this is really a personal decision that you’ll have to make on your own. But hopefully, you have a few new things that you can think about.