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Do Bengal Cats get along with dogs?
Bengal cats love to socialize. Most people believe that cats would rather be alone with their humans, but that is simply untrue. At least for Bengal cats, it is incorrect.
Bengals much prefer to have a family. To rule over, or so they think. Bengals don’t like being left alone. When humans leave the house, Bengals can get lonely; they need the companionship of other animals in the house.
Usually, the only time that you will find out that a Bengal cat has destroyed anything is when they have been left by themselves. They are the only animal in the house.
Most cats would rather have other cats to socialize with, and then most of the time, they only tolerate this if they have grown up with the other cat. Otherwise, the cat that has been the sole animal in the house usually will not take too kindly to have another animal brought in. Although not all cats are this way.
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So, Do Bengal Cats Get Along With Dogs?
With Bengal cats, you do not necessarily have to have another cat for its companion. If you would like a dog, get one. Just make sure that it is a cat-friendly dog.
When choosing a dog, keep in mind that Bengal cats are highly active and love to play. Dogs make wonderful “friends” for Bengal cats as long as they are willing to play with the cat.
A Bengal cat is like a dog in some ways… They actually enjoy being around you and being sociable. They are highly intelligent and can even be taught to play games like dogs and go for walks too. These domestic cats just want love and interaction with anyone in the family.
Bengals are extremely curious, just like any other cat. They love playing with the dog, but they are also trying to figure your dog out, which helps keep their mind stimulated.
Now, of course, the cat has to assert its dominance, but it has to try to figure out how to get the dog to recognize that it holds the higher position. Even when the dog is there first, the cat will still be dominant.
All a dog usually cares about is having another furry friend to play with. To them, the more, the merrier since dogs are pack animals.
In all actuality, if your Bengal has a strong, dominant characteristic, then it is probably better that you have a dog for its companion. A cat who has a strong dominant personality is usually difficult for another cat to get along with. The dominant cat will bully any other cats in the house.
Since the dog is not of the same species, the dominant cat doesn’t see it as a threat or a territorial competition.
Keep in mind that even a confident kitten will possibly have trouble with the drastic change of moving to a new home. Give your kitten time to get adapted and adjusted to the change before allowing the dog and kitten to meet.
To aid in this transition, give something to your kitten that has your dog’s scent on it and provide something to your dog that has the kitten’s scent on it. This way, when the two of them finally do meet, their scents will be familiar to each other.
If you can find a Bengal cat breeder who raises their kittens with dogs, then the cat will already see your dog as a play buddy when it transitions to your home.
Which Dog Breeds Get Along Best With Bengal Cats?
When you already have your beautiful Bengal cat, but you are wanting to get a dog, there are many breeds to choose from that would be perfect to pair with your cat.
Different breeds have different personalities, cats and dogs both. There are going to be some dogs that won’t get along with your Bengal cat. Then you have your breeds like the toy dog group, whose breeds are so loving and affectionate. They are bred to be lap dogs and for companionship.
Also, the group that is known as the “sports group” is sociable and friendly. These sports dogs want to make friends with everyone! Cats included!
Below we have created a list of dogs with the help from AKC that are the best breeds for getting along with your Bengal fur baby.
- Beagles
- Collies
- Papillons
- Labrador Retrievers
- Golden Retrievers
- Basset Hounds
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
- Bulldogs
- Pugs
Why Is It Important Knowing Which Dog Breeds Are Best Suited For Bengals?
There are friendly breeds of dogs, just as there are unfriendly breeds of dogs. Some dogs are taught to hunt, and some are bred to kill. These are not the breeds of dogs that you want to bring home as a companion for your Bengal cat.
Do Bengal cats get along with dogs? Yes, the friendly dogs they get along fine with. But with unfriendly dogs like the terrier breed, dogs that have a lot of speed and have strong, predatory instincts. The same thing goes for the herding group and for the hound group. These breeds were bred to herd and chase.
For your Bengal cat to believe it is the most dominant animal in your home, it can’t be herded or chased around. This causes stress and does not help to minimize the risk of trouble or the consequences of what can happen because of that stress.
Not all hounds or terriers, or herding dogs fall into that category. Each animal’s personality is different; this is just stereotyping the breeds. If your dog has been taught to follow commands from you, this can greatly reduce the risk of a problem arising.
You have to do your research about this. Make sure you pair your fur babies up by judging the personality of each one. For example, if you have an older dog, that dog will probably not want a hyper kitten around who wants to play all of the time.
You need to remember, do not leave the two animals alone until you know for a fact that there won’t be problems. Just because they get along fine the first few days doesn’t mean that your cat won’t scratch your dog if the dog gets into the cat’s food. How will your dog react to being scratched?
How To Introduce Your Bengal Cat To Your Dogs At Home?
Introducing your dog and your cat should be no different than introducing two cats together.
Do Not Rush It
You’ve seen your Mom’s cat and dog fall in love with each other from the start. That does not mean that you will have the same luck with your animals. Have patience with them. This is the only way to make sure that your animals will not end up hurting each other.
So, the best way to introduce the two of them is to put whichever one is new coming into your home, in a room with the door closed and no other animal in there.
For your cat, that would mean that you need to include a little box and litter, a cat bed, water and food, and a scratching post.
Doing this gives the animal a chance to get used to the noises in your home and the smells. After a day or two, take the cat out of the room and put your dog in there for a little while so he can get familiar with the cat’s scent.
Once you see that both of the animals are curious about who that scent belongs to, this can be both of them sniffing under the door on opposite sides of it. It is time to move a little further towards introducing them.
Briefly Allow Your Cat & Dog To See Each Other
After you give them some time to get to know each other’s scents, then you can open the room door just a little to allow them to see one another.
If there is no aggression shown, then you can move forward. Once you know that neither will harm the other and they seem calmer, put the first pet up in a different room and allow the new pet to wander the house, especially in the area where your old pet spends more of its time.
This activity will let the new pet get used to the old pet’s scent. This will also help the new animal know the area much better before you finally take it out of the room.
First Meeting!
Do you have an animal pen? If so, put the animal that is the most hyper into the pen, then let the other animal come into the room and get close to the pen. If there seems to be any aggression whatsoever, take the animals away from each other.
If both animals remain calm, give them a treat. This way, they can associate the experiment with positivity.
As long as there is no anger or aggression, take the hyper one out of the pen. Just keep an eye on them.
Are Bengal Cats Really Hypoallergenic?
These cats are definitely one of the number one cats that are hypoallergenic. It is believed that it is due to their coat. They have an extremely fine coat, and it doesn’t need a lot of grooming.
The protein which triggers an allergic reaction is produced in a cat’s saliva. Since the cat doesn’t have to groom near as much, its saliva doesn’t get spread on its coat as much as a normal cat. This is what makes a Bengal cat hypoallergenic. To find out more, why not give our article ‘Are Bengal Cats Really Hypoallergenic?‘ a read?
Summary:
In conclusion, to answer the question, “Do Bengal cats get along with dogs?” the answer is a definitive yes! They are loving, friendly, and want companionship. Just take it slowly, introducing them to their new furry friends, be patient with both the old and new animal, and enjoy adding another fur baby to your family!
About the Author
Hey there! I'm Jeremy and I’m the brains behind Pet Care Project, a website chock-full of pet-care know-how. I've got the experience and knowledge to help you keep your furry friends happy and healthy. And let's not forget about my own little fluffball, Lunar, my Ragdoll cat who keeps me on my toes.
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