You’ll need to have the following items on hand before bringing your new Bengal kitten home:
1. A litter box that is the right size for the age of the Bengal kitten
A low, open pan style box is best for a young Bengal kitten for ease of climbing in and out.
2. Cat litter
Your kitten has been using pine pellets natural litter. This is the safest litter for a kitten (and cat for that matter). Some kittens prefer the very finely grained litter, and some prefer the coarser types.
Don’t give up if your Bengal kitten does not seem pleased at first…they will definitely let you know when you have hit upon the right mixture.
A product called “Cat Attract” cat litter may be used to help lure a wayward kitten to the litter box by sprinkling a little bit of the product over the top of the pine pellets.
3. Scratching posts and cat trees
Are invaluable in the training your Bengal kitten to avoid harming your furniture. Scratching their claws is a healthy, natural instinct for a kitten and cat, and providing them with the right place to scratch will keep you both happy.
A variety of cat trees and scratching posts can be found in most major pet stores.
4. Grooming tools
Such as a flea comb or special brush for short-haired cats. You’ll also need clippers for their nails. You can find clippers made especially for cats, at most major pet stores.
Trimming the kitten’s nails should be done regularly to avoid unplanned injury to himself or his people during play and climbing. The more often you handle your Bengal kitten and his paws, the easier it will be to trim his nails.
5. Food and water dishes
Believe it or not, there is a difference even in the type of food and water bowls you provide for your kitten!! Certain types of plastic, wood, and even some types of ceramic bowls may contain tiny cracks that can harbor potentially harmful bacteria.
Most professionals recommend using glass and stainless steel food and water bowls and cleaning them regularly in the dishwasher.
Bengal kittens in particular LOVE to splash around in their water bowl, so the bigger the better, and depending on your floor type, you might consider putting a rubber mat beneath the bowl to catch the splashes!
6. Feliway Comfort Zone plug-ins for cats
These plug-ins provide continuous feline pheromones in the air, which are very soothing and comforting to Bengal kittens, and are odorless to people.
If you sense any stress at all in your kitten when you bring him home, get one for every room. These will make a huge difference in keeping your household environment calm for your Bengal kitten.
7. Toys!!
Bengal kittens love to play. It’s their survival instinct and throughout their lives, kittens and cats emulate hunting in their play. Providing them with suitable toys helps to ensure they fulfill this need.
You will need to be very selective in the type of toys you choose as kittens love to chew, and you need to be careful to avoid toys with small strings or beads that can be swallowed and stuck in the kitten’s throat or intestinal tract.
8. Pet carrier
You’ll need to have a carrier for the safety of traveling with your Bengal kitten, and for trips to the vet. The carrier should be large enough for the kitten to stand up in and turn around, and do remember that your Bengal kitten will not be little for long!! Choose a sturdy carrier with plenty of ventilation that will still allow your kitten to stand up and turn around in when he is fully grown.
We like the carriers that allow you to open them from the top as they are very convenient for removal of the Bengal kitten.
9. High-quality food
Changes in diet and water, even litter and environment can cause minor diarrhea and other problems.
Feed your kittens high quality canned kitten food and introduce the kittens to mom’s raw diet as well so that they are eating the most nutritious food possible as they develop.
When feeding a raw diet it’s very important to follow a strict recipe that includes all of the ingredients essential to your kitten’s health – especially in the case of Bengals. They need extra taurine in their diet, for instance.
You will need to purchase a good meat grinder in order to prepare the raw diet. Don’t worry if you’re not prepared to feed your Bengal kitten a raw diet – he has been used to quality canned kitten food as well, so you are fine to feed canned exclusively.
A wet diet rather than dry kibble is the best choice.
10. Cat bed
A nice cozy bed is a great idea for the new member of the family. Your Bengal kitten will soon know that this is his special place. Choose a bed that is well constructed and machine washable.
11. Leash and Harness for outdoor walks
We find the retractable dog leashes work best as they allow more freedom of movement for exploring the outdoors and can be pulled in shorter when more control is needed or for training purposes.
12. Cat Wheel!
Consider purchasing a cat wheel for your Bengal kitten. Bengals have more energy to burn than you can imagine and a wheel in your home will promote proper daily exercise and ensure that behavioral issues resulting from boredom and pend up energy will not develop.
So these are all the basic items that you need to get started with a kitten.
