Why Do Bengal Cats Howl? - Bengal Cat Club
why do bengal cats howl

Why Do Bengal Cats Howl?

If you own a Bengal cat, you might have noticed that they seem to like to make a lot of different noises from chirping to howling and often you might think they howl more that most cats. Whether or not they do howl more than domestic cats, really isn’t known, it is known however, that all cats do howl for one reason or another. In this article we’ll cover these topics:

  • Figure Out Why They are Howling
  • Is Howling Due to Old Age?
  • Many Reasons for Howling
  • How to Stop a Bengal Cat From Howling

Figure Out Why They are Howling

One of the most important things you can try to do for your Bengal cat if you think they’re howling or even meowing too much is to try and figure out why they are howling. For some cats, it is often simply because they actually like hearing the sound of their own voice and for others, it is their way of trying to carry on a good conversation with their pet parents. But, if you do think that they might be doing too much of it, you need to figure out what the cause is. After you think you’ve found the reason then you can try to work on getting them to do so less.

Here is a video example of a Bengal cat howling:


Is Howling Due to Old Age?

It’s important to consider the age of your Bengal cat. If they are an older cat and they are starting to develop an annoying howling habit, this could be a good indicator that they might be developing dementia. This is known as cognitive dysfunction syndrome and sadly it’s a gradual decline of the brain function and it unfortunately impacts about 50% of all cats over the age of 15 years old.

If your Bengal cat is a senior cat and does develop CDS then they might howl because they are confused or they are suffering from anxiety. This syndrome unfortunately cannot be cured, but you might be able to help reduce the symptoms by seeing your vet and getting medicines, dietary supplements or try changing your cat’s environment. This can be a sad thing for pet parents to witness, especially since they’ve grown so accustomed to the intelligence of their Bengal cat over the years.

Many Reasons for Howling

Since cats can’t really talk, they need a way to communicate with their pet parents and quite often one of those ways is through howling. However, these howls can be for a variety of different things that they are trying to communicate. Here are a few reasons they might be trying to communicate with you:

  1. Some sort of illness. If you think that your Bengal is howling too much, the first thing you might want to do is to take them for a checkup with your vet. There are a variety of illnesses that can make your cat feel hungry, thirsty or feel pain that can lead to them howling.
  2. Trying to get attention is another one you might consider. Even though Bengal cats tend to be more independent than most other domestic cats, they still don’t like being alone or ignored. Your Bengal be trying to get your attention and stop what you are doing by howling. They might feel like you are ignoring them and you shouldn’t do this. You really need to try to make sure that you spend quality time every day with your Bengal by playing with them, talking to them, and even grooming them. You might be surprised how much quieter they end up being.
  3. Is hungry and wants some food. Many times any cat will get very vocal when it is getting close to their feeding time. If your cat does this when it’s time to eat and you don’t like this behavior, then you can change it. The best thing to do is to wait till they stop howling before you give them their food. Another thing to do is never feed them a treat when they are howling or meowing.
  4. Howling sometimes can be a way of greeting you when you get home. You’ve been gone all day and this is their exciting showing through when you get home. If this is the reason why they’re howling, this could be a very difficult habit to break because you don’t want them to be afraid of showing you how much you’ve been missed by them.
  5. Howling can be a sign that your Bengal is lonely. If your Bengal spends too many long hours during the day alone, you might want to consider hiring a pet sitter to stop in during the hours you’re gone. You also might want to make sure that there are plenty of toys that they can play with during the day, especially one that offers intrigue to keep their interest. You might also consider getting them a companion.
  6. Being overly stressed can also be a legitimate reason why they are howling. When cats get stressed out, they often become a lot more vocal than normal. Often this can be caused by changes in the home, the loss of someone they love and so own. It’s important to try and find out what is causing the stress for your cat.
  7. If your Bengal cat isn’t spayed or neutered, then the howling could because they want to breed. Remember, when in heat, your female is definitely going to howl a lot more and if you have a male and he knows there is a female around in heat, he’s going to do a lot of howling. Unless you plan on breeding them, it’s best to get your Bengal fixed.

Whatever you do when it comes to their howling, don’t ignore it, make sure to figure out the why for it. You also never want to punish them for howling. Never hit, shout, or spray them with water. These things may get them to quiet down, but these actions are also going to make them trust you less and maybe even end up disliking you.

How to Stop a Bengal Cat From Howling

Stopping a Bengal cat from howling is no easy task, but it is possible if you train them correctly.  It all comes down to rewarding their quiet behavior and we think the video below is a great example of exactly what you should do.

As you’ll see in the video, the owner uses a clicker (You can purchase a clicker here) to let the cat know that they are doing something good and also gives the cat treats (Find the best Bengal cat treats here).  It’s an interesting strategy and though the cat in the video is only meowing, howling is similar and you can use the exact same approach.

So, did that help you with your question about Bengal cats howling? Please let us know what you think by leaving a comment below:

Leave a Comment:

Add Your Reply