Hybrid Cats - petrol & electric????

I get asked a lot about hybrid cats, in particular, Bengals and so I thought I would note down some food for thought for anyone considering taking on a Bengal.

Firstly, what are hybrid cat breeds? Well, basically they are domestic cats which have been bred with wild cats.  Examples of this include Bengals (Asian Leopard X), Savannahs (Serval X) and Scottish Wild Cats Xs.

Sometimes these cats are much larger than average domestic cats and may behave differently, including being more territorial and aggressive.  This can depend on the amount of genetic material coming from the non-domestic species.

Taking on a hybrid rescue cat, or indeed, buying a hybrid kitten should not be undertaken lightly and we would recommend that you take time to learn and understand the specialist care and attention your new pet will need.  For instance, a Bengal cat may not tolerate being locked indoors, they can be very noisy and generally they like to climb (anything!).  When bored, Bengals can become intolerant and aggressive and when feeling territorial they are likely to spray.  It isn’t all bad though, when trained, handled and managed properly they are funny, interesting cats but let me be clear, they are a lot of work.

At Cats Protection Camberley, we do see a few Bengal cats each year that need rehoming and we are always very careful to ensure the adopter understands how time-consuming Bengals are…. There are many Bengal specialists around the country who are inundated with cats being surrendered due to behavioural problems which is a sad reflection on the breed.  Behavioural problems can be managed with specialist help but it will require patience and perseverance.

I guess the message here is yes, they are super-cute and they really do look like little leopards  - but that’s exactly what they are - and you need to think about that before taking one on.

Contact Cats Protection Camberley and District if you have any questions

 

Is Joseph Undateable? Of course not!

I'd like you all to meet the gorgeous Joseph!

Despite being a wonderful little man, Joseph is being overlooked by adopters and I think the reason is two-fold;

1.  He is a black cat, and they are always harder to rehome
2.  He is around 10 years old and older cats are always harder to rehome

So why am I writing about Joseph?  Well because he is an adorable boy who has been through a tough time and is now looking to spend his life is a comfortable, secure and safe home, and he really deserves it!

Joseph was brought into us, just after Christmas as he had been living rough for many months.  Someone had been kindly feeding him scraps which had kept him going but it was clear to us that he needed some TLC.

Joseph has settled really well into his foster home and is proving to be a very sociable man indeed!  He is always jumping on a lap to get some fuss and attention, and sometimes he prefers to sit with someone, but not on them - well that is a cats perogative, surely!

I'm not going to start ranting about why black cats should not be overlooked (because I get sad, and cross) but I would like to just quickly talk about why you should consider older cats when you're thinking about adopting;

1. The personality of an older cat is already known - making it easier to match you with the right pusscat
2. Older cats are generally less demanding and need less supervision
3. Older cats will be calmer than a youngster
4. If you already have an older cat, introducing another older cat to the household can be less stressful than introducing a kitten
5.  Mature mogs are so grateful to have found a loving home - they will repay you with love ten-fold
6.  Cats regularly live into their late teens these days so most seniors have many years of life left in them

So if you are thinking about adopting, consider making an appointment with us to meet Joseph and if you have the time, please share this post and lets see if we can match this lovely boy with the loving owner he derserves.

To find out more check out our website or contact us on camberleycats2000@yahoo.com