Bengie is a male Bengal cat who came to The Wildcat Sanctuary in 2018. He was two years old at the time.
Why are we always trying to educate the public about hybrids and why you shouldn’t buy them from breeders? Because we’re constantly getting phone calls and emails about so many in need of rescue. It’s truly heartbreaking.
Buyers often have no idea what they’re getting into when they buy a hybrid. They just love the look of these “lap leopards.”
When they begin having behavioral or medical problems, owners try to surrender them. Domestic shelters often can’t take them. And we’re one of the few sanctuaries in the country that try to.
These cats are caught between two worlds. Though they’re wild cats bred with domestic cats, breeders claim they’re “domestic.” Yet they boast about their wild ancestry when they sell them – sometimes for thousands of dollars.
Life at the Sanctuary
Bengie was picked up as a stray and sent to a local impound. From there, a rescue group took him into their program. But after displaying some aggressive behavior, they reached out to see if The Wildcat Sanctuary could possibly provide a home for him.
We were happy to give Bengie a second chance at life. Here, he’s shown no acts of aggression. In fact, he’s living very happily with other hybrids in the Hybrid Haven section of our sanctuary.
When you give these hybrids the chance to live wild at heart, so often, that’s all they needed to be happy. And we love happy endings!
How You Can Help
Caring for a wild cat for life – even a small hybrid like Bengie – can be quite expensive. Hybrids usually come to us with genetic and/or medical issues due to their breeding.
Our sponsorship program helps support the cats’ care costs and allows you to form a special bond with them. Would you consider becoming Bengie’s sponsor parent?
Or even a one time donation toward his care would be so appreciated. It’s easy to do using the buttons at the top of this page.
Thank you for caring about the little wild ones, too!
