So you want to go travel somewhere but the problem is you have a Bengal cat. How well would a Bengal cat take to traveling exactly? Cats have a reputation for not liking car rides because they do not like change at all and Bengals are not an exception to this rule.
Luckily because Bengal cats are much more dog like compared to other cat breeds they would be the type of cat to take traveling quite well if you were to train them to enjoy traveling with you. It would also be more likely for them to not have to be trained at all. This also depends on your particular cats personality and age.
The younger your cat is the more likely it is that they will enjoy traveling with you especially if they are a kitten since they are still learning around this time. Some may have to be trained and others you might not have to do anything at all even if they are older.
There is also a Bengal Cat named “Suki” from Canada that is very popular on Instagram with over 1 million followers that is known quite well for traveling. She does canoeing and many other things a typical cat wouldn’t do so it’s definitely possible to travel with a Bengal.
Why You Might Want To Travel With A Bengal Cat
Here are some of the benefits of traveling with a Bengal cat:
Social
Bengals are very social cats so they would be a good choice to travel with since they enjoy being around other people.
Intelligent
Bengals are a very intelligent type of cat so if you need to walk them on a harness for whatever reason while you are traveling or you need to get them into a cat carrier they will be much easier to train to do this.
They Like To Explore A Lot
Bengals are the type of cat that really likes to explore. They will get into everything if you have one in your house especially cabinets and sliding drawers so if you want to do something beyond a car rides such as camping, hiking, boating etc. this would be a really good cat breed to do this with.
Minimal Shedding
These cats would also be a good choice to go with because they don’t really shed that much. If you are someone who doesn’t want hair all over their car, or RV this would also be another reason to go with a Bengal.
Friendly Towards Children And Dogs
Bengals are actually very friendly cats for the most part. They get along with children quite well and they also get along with dogs as well.
They Like Water
If you are going on a boating trip and wondering if this cat would take well to that type of thing then you are in luck. Just like their ancestors Bengal cats tend to like playing in water. They will play with faucets, bother their owner when showering and they even been known to drink water with their paws rather than drinking it out of the bowl like a typical cat would.
Why You Might Not Want To Travel With A Bengal Cat
These cats are good with traveling but there are also downsides to traveling with them:
They Like Climbing
These cats are a result of breeding Asian Leopards and domestic cats together (Prionailurus bengalensis and domestic tabby or Siamese mix if of the “snow” variety) so naturally they like climbing especially if its in a higher area.
If you are at something like a hotel this can be a bad thing. I say this because they can knock over things such as lamps as a result. If they aren’t declawed they could also scratch things up in the process of doing this. This can be really bad if you decided to sneak them into a hotel that doesn’t allow cats so don’t sneak in a Bengal.
If you are traveling in an RV they can get into cupboards, climb onto counters and jump onto things so keep any type of glass objects such as plates or cups or even pottery away from them. It would also be a good idea to get them a cat tree if possible so they stay out of trouble.
Scratching
Bengals tend to like scratching a lot so if you are traveling with a Bengal it would probably be a bad idea to get a soft sided carrier if you are traveling by car because they will most likely scratch holes in it and possibly escape.
I also do not recommend getting them declawed if you want to avoid this problem. Not only is it illegal in many places but as a result this can cause your Bengal cat permanent pain and discomfort in their paws.
They Are Territorial
Bengal cats are known to be very territorial so if you are bringing along another cat that they aren’t too familiar with especially if its another Bengal cat there is a very likely chance they will attack each other.
It would be very unwise to put a Bengal cat and another cat in the same carrier so I wouldn’t recommend doing this unless you know they are friendly with each other. This can be a really bad thing if you are on a flight somewhere or even in the car.
They Are Vocal
Bengal cats have the tenancy to be very vocal. If you are traveling with one of these cats you should get this under control. This is also a way that they show affection toward their owners so if you have a very affectionate Bengal they will probably meow and make noise a lot more.
To make this even worse they have a much higher range of noises that they can make compared to other domestic cats which can be growls, screams or grunts. You especially want to control their meowing if you are going on a flight or going to a pet friendly hotel with one because it can potentially really annoy people.
They Don’t Like Change
Like any other cat Bengals can have the tendency to not really like it when there is a change in environment. This isn’t always the case but if your Bengal tends to not like traveling with you then you might have a hard time getting them around to where you need them and would not take adventuring quite well at all.
Conclusion
Bengals are great cats to travel with but they are definitely not for everyone and can be a real problem in some travel situations. But Bengal cats are really active adventurous cats so they would be a great cat to go camping with, taking a hike, going on a boat trip with or any other outdoor activity you can think of.
They might not take flying really well as they can be potentially noisy especially if they are in the same carrier as another cat. They might also be the type of cat that would try to break out of their carrier as they like getting into mischief. If they seem like the cat for you and you can handle how curious they get then I would definitely say go for it.
