Bengal cats are a hybrid breed created from exotic Asian Leopard cat. They are extremely active (my friends two kitties look like squirrels on caffeine), playful and very friendly cats. They will demand your attention, but in return they’ll give you all their love and hours of laughter and play. Compared to a domestic cat they are pretty big and like their wild ancestors they have muscular bodies.

It’s a relatively new breed of pet cats. The first Bengal Cat was registered with the International Cat Association in 1983. Their coat is either spotted or has marbled patterns. There are several colors and patterns recognized and eligible for competition: Brown Spotted Tabby, Seal Mink Spotted Tabby, Brown Marbled Tabby, Seal Sepia Marbled Tabby, Seal Sepia Spotted Tabby, Seal Mink Marbled Tabby, Seal Spotted Lynx Point and Seal Marbled Lynx Point. Silver was recently accepted as a color variation eligible for championship status. Blue and Melanistic (black) are additional colors that occur, but are not yet recognized by most associations that accept the Bengal breed.”

“The cat is a wild animal that inhabits the homes of humans.” ~ Konrad Lorenz

Stray cats. We’ve all seen them, petted them, fed them or even took one home. I even have a bunch of photos with stray cats that i’ve found years ago when looking for some pictures of cats on the internet.

But what do we actually know about stray cats?
People are more likely to abandon their pet cats because they think cats can take care of themselves. According to a recent research, cats are one of the “things” most people forget or leave behind when moving. Actually i think they made it to top ten on this list. NO# 8 or something like that.

Stray cats are previously owned, pet cats who need human help for food and shelter. You can see them on the street running after you pet them, or they find you in the park hoping for something to eat or a friendly face.

Stray cats usually roam around hoping that some nice person will feed them or maybe even provide them home. Feral cats on the other hand are usually scared of humans. They are the descendants of stray cats, and usually were never handled by or associated with humans. It’s possible to tame feral kittens but the older they are the longer it will take to tame them. As for the older cats I wont say it’s impossible, because I actually took one home several years ago, but examples of them being successfully socialized with humans are very rare.

“I love how independent and self-contained they are. I always feel it’s an honor when one decides to let you into their world with a rub against the leg or a quick jump into your lap.” ~ Tina Lifford

I can’t remember the last time I laughed that hard. She kept on asking “Why are they doing that? Why are they doing that?” and sounded so freaked out that I had to go over and prove to her there is nothing wrong with her two tabby cats.

Some experts say that this is pure and simple frustration because they see the prey they can’t get to. On the other hand some think that the “chatter” simulates the cat’s behavior at the time of attack. All I know is those funny cat sounds are not a sign of a seizure or a sign that your pet cats have gone crazy like my friend thought.

“The reason cats climb is so that they can look down on almost every other animal – it’s also the reason they hate birds.” ~ K. C. Buffington

This is probably my favorite one of all pictures of cats. I’ve always loved Bengal cats. Especially the way they play with water. This one always reminds me of my tabby cats who adored water. As soon as they hear the water running, two of them would come straight to the bathroom. I don’t really have to mention water bawl tipping, paw dipping, splashing and kicking the water around, right?

I personally love cats who like water, but the rest of the house is not to keen on wet floors and little puddles in the kitchen. The funniest thing for me was seeing their little paw prints all over the floor after they are all done “drinking” the water. I love the way my funny cats would dip their little paws into the bawl and then suck them dry. I was so determined to figure out how come my pet cats love water so much, that I spent whole summer bugging our vet to tell me everything he knows about this, and of course dried the Internet in search for answers.

Cat health is very important to all cat owners and, as we know, a clean, fresh source of drinking water is vital to cats’ health and well-being. Moving water is always more appealing than still water. It smells more fresh and tastes’s better than still water. Water in the bawl can feel stale to you cats. That’s why they prefer to drink running water from faucets in the kitchen or bathroom.

Despite the common belief, cat are natural swimmers. In the wild, a cat will swim to cross a stream or lake. Some wild cats in Asia even enjoy fishing. Start with yourself. Being sprayed or squirted with water isn’t fun at all. Neither is being forced into a bath. Cats just like to meet new situations on their own terms.

“Cats hate water only when it is dumped on them, as who wouldn’t? Given the opportunity, they will fish diligently in the neighborhood fish ponds.” ~ Eric Temple Bell

It’s normal for a cat to feel insecure or frightened at times. Visitors, noise, other animals, children or even a visit to a vet can cause such a behavior in cats. Often out pet cats flee, hide, or freeze like this little fellow. Some cats become so frightened that they lose control of their bladder or bowels. Each cat has a it’s own way of dealing with a crisis. One way of reacting is aggression which includes a lot of hostile cat sounds, spitting, puffing fur and tail along with back arching, flattening ears and tail switching, but can also include biting and scratching.

Most people react to this by punishing their cat which usually brings to more fearfull behavior. If you know what’s your cat afraid of, do not force it to face her fears. You should just allow your pet to do it on it’s own terms. Of course what’s most important is that you handle your cat very carefully when it’s frightened because it may accidentally direct it’s aggression to you.

If this is something new you might consider taking your cat for an examination. Cat’s don’t always act sick, even when they are. Bites and scratches are serious because they can be infected easily, and you are at risk of getting a cat scratch disease. It’s in your cat’s and yours best interest to consult a specialist and make sure you’re cat’s health is not in jeopardy.

“Cats are like music. It’s foolish to try to explain their worth to those who don’t appreciate them.”

While I was looking for some pictures of cats I found this photo of a cat with a very very very weird toy. Which reminds me. Have you ever found any toys for cats in you’re cat’s food or water bowl? My friend is going crazy over it. Her funny cats are putting everything in the water bowl. I had two tabby cats who used to stash their toys like this, but lucky for me they were putting them in their bed.

Why do our pet cats do it? Well, the way they see it the food area is part of their territory. One that usually doesn’t change very much from day to day, since there’s always water and food waiting for them there. Your pet cats are putting their favorite toys away in a “safe” place. Just like wild cats bring their prey back to a nest to hide it from other predators.

Some cats will put away their toys when they are done playing with them, some just do it when there’s a visitor in the house to “hide” the toy in their safe place. You can try putting your cat’s toys in a small basket near the food area and eventually they will start doing it for them selves. We are training my friends Siamese cats to do this now. Hopefully there’ll be no more wet toys every day over there.

“Anything on the ground is a cat toy. Anything not there yet, will be.”

Have you ever found toys for cats on the floor of your room in the morning or maybe a whole mouse or a bird ( in case you’re cat is allowed to go out )? If you have, I have to congratulate you, now you know your pet cats love you. Yes I know finding a dead animal next to your bed in the morning is disgusting but in your cats eyes there’s no greater present it can give you. My funny cats used to bring little birds, mice, lizards one of them even brought a snake freaking my mom and my grandma out of this world.

It’s in their nature to hunt and just like wild cats they are bringing their prey to their den where it’s safe to eat. Of course domestic cats rarely eat their prey, but just because they don’t have to hunt doesn’t mean they dont have the instinct. One of the reasons your pet cats bring you these little “presents” is that cats consider you their family and want to share with you. Most of the time grown up cats are trying to teach you how to hunt or to make sure you have fresh food. Just like they do with their own kittens.

Don’t shout at your cat or trow it’s present when it can see you. It’s a show of trust and recognition and your action can confuse and disappoint it. Just thank her for a present by petting her once and trow it away when you cat is not looking.

“Okay, cats will never bring you pictures they’ve drawn in school, but they may give you a dead mouse. What parent could resist that gift?” ~ Terri L. Haney

I found this in pictures of cats, and it reminded me of endless discussions about whether cats are capable of love. Well I cant claim all cats are, but of course neither are all humans. All I know is that cats give their love back to people who love them. One of my grandmothers funny cats knew the sound of my car and she would rush back home to greet me no matter where she is. She would climb up my clothes, wrap her little arms around my neck, lick my face while rubbing her head against mine.

A friend of mine calls this “iams cat food syndrome” and keeps on telling me how pet cats only show you affection if you give them food. As someone who adores cats and someone who has been loved by a cat I know that’s not true. Cat’s affection does not depend on treats and iams cat food like my friend said. Clinical evidences show that mere presence and/or touch of a preferred person have been shown to reduce the heart rate of these animals – which is a sign of bonding.

Cats who live with humans since they were born often consider themselves almost human or their humans almost cats. They are known to bring dead animals as proof of their love and care. They follow their “owners” around the house and wait for them when they are gone. My funny cat used to sit on a table next to the window for hours waiting for me to come home. If that is not love I don’t know what it is.

Of course there’s a lot more. From cat kisses, squinting, cute cat sounds, rubbing their had against you, kneading and purring to the ultimate sign of trust – lying on their back. This is probably the greatest sign of love and trust from a cat. With it’s stomach exposed your cat is in it’s most vulnerable position.

“A cat, though independent, has a way of letting you know that without you life just wouldn’t be worthwhile.” ~ Sharon Lundblad

There’s an old English proverb that goes: “The cat has nine lives – three for playing, three for straying, and three for staying.” I always liked it, and it always comes to mind when i see my funny cats playing with boxes. One of my pet cats claimed this new cat litter box as her bed, before i even had a chance to use it what it was ment for.

I tried to find why pet cats do that but no answer yet. I guess they like the cosines, security and privacy something that looks like home they were born in. I love seeing them playing with boxes, scratching, running in and out of it, making all those funny cat sounds while pretending they are hunting anything or anyone walking around their little fortress.

Of course toys for cats are nothing compared to a simple cardboard box with holes to jump through or to track and unsuspecting human from. A box can provide fantastic position to hide in anticipation of surprising attacks.

“Buy a dog a toy, and he’ll play with it forever. Buy a cat a present, and it will play with the wrapper for 10 minutes.”

As I was going through some old pictures of cats I found this. You know, off all Funny cats Fluffy was the funniest and most loveable cat of all.

Fluffy had eight kittens that year. It was probably the biggest cat litter I’ve seen in my life. Of course i wanted to pet the kittens right away, but my grangmother wouldnt let me touch them. Luckily for me, Fluffy thought I’m safe, so I got to hold them anyway. She brought them to me, the very first day she had them. When it comes to cat health and cat care all you need is common sense. Handling kittens shouldn’t be any different.

Since new born kittens are just like babies you can’t expect them to play, at least not before they are several weeks old. You should try to interact with kittens as soon as possible since that way they will become more sociable. Try to hold them gently for about 10-15 minutes at a time.

Make sure the mother is present when you’re picking them up since that way they react better to humans. It’s believed that her presence reassures them. Be careful how you’re handling them and make sure to wash your hands every time since kittens are very sensitive. And most important of all don’t let tons of people handle them.

Never miss an opportunity to hold a kitten. ~ Keeba