A friend of mine metioned having a good friend that raises Bengal Cats. They look like leopards breed with a house cat... Here's a link to learn more about them and see pics:

http://www.bengalcat.com/

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has ever had one of these in their show or if this is even a possibility?

-Bryan Gilles

Bryan, there has been a lot written about using cats in a magic act. Here is a link to a post regarding a cat used in my show and how to train. http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/searc......=4606207 Checkout the entire post for more information and links to other magicians who use cats. I love the Bengals, too. I really want one someday.

I read all the info regarding cats; however, I wasn't sure if anyone is using a specific breed called "Bengals". Basically, Bengal Cats are a breed of domestic cat that mirrors the beauty of spotted wild-cats and yet makes a great house-pet. In fact, the very first Bengals were created by out-crossing domestic cats with small native spotted-cats, called Asian Leopard Cats. I was wondering if anyone works with these and how similar these are to a regular house cat...

I live in Northern California and would think that many people living here haven't seen these yet! I bet they would be a beautiful addition to my show. They have a very "wild" look to them... I bet people would mistake it as a wild-cat!

I gave the wrong link earlier, check out http://www.bengalcat.net to see these cats...

Any thoughts?

Bryan Gilles

I think you should contact a breeder and ask them pertinent questions regarding temperament. Different breeds of cats do have different temperaments. My cat is a white Turkish angora, but so much had to do with the way he was trained from birth. It is the old nature/nurture thing.

I would think if a person could train huge tigers, then smaller cats (including wild-related cats like the Bengal) could be trained. A house cat is not that far away from a big cat. A sweet lap-cat can get lost and give birth to totally feral kittens if in a wild environment. Those six-week old kittens can eat-you-up if you do not pet them and play with them. Just ask any animal control officer.

If you do find out more about the temperament, let me know. I would certainly be interested.

I'll definitely let you know... I should be meeting up with a local breeder at some point this week to play with some kittens...

I can't wait!!!

-Bryan Gilles

Super, Bryan! Can't wait to hear. I have secretly been wanting one of these beautiful cats since I first saw them. Let us know!! Send photos!!

I have a Bengal. Its a family pet. They act just like a regular house cat, except for a few eccentricities. Many Bengals like water, they tend to walk with their tails down like a larger cat would, and they are very smart. My Bengal loves attention but only when it feels like it. Getting it to hold still in a load chamber is very unlikely. maybe with some sort of intense training regiment. However, most audience members will just think it is a regular cat from stage. Even the biggest and most ferocious looking Bengals pretty much look like house cats. You may want to look into a breed called "Savannah" they are quite a bit larger than a Bengal, and they have the leopard spots, but still can be kept like a house cat. good luck!

I use your animal shelter orange tabies. Our little guy Lionel looks like a Lion. Kinda cool.

Very cool, indeed. Lionel- how appropriate.

The Serval cats and the Savannah cats are amazing!