Looking for a Bengal

Destined

The search for Karmen and her partner Tadej was not very difficult; they quickly knew what they were looking for. "We saw some videos online and fell in love with the breed. We were really lucky because shortly after discovering this breed, one of the Slovenian breeders had a litter. I immediately knew from the photos that Shiva belonged with us," says Karmen.

"I was very sick when we brought our first kitten, Shiva, into the house," Karmen says. "Covid-19 had just started then, and we were both very afraid to go outside," she continues. The only thing that kept her going was Shiva's arrival. "My world completely changed when she came here. She crawled out of the box and started purring like crazy!" Isn't that what we all love to hear, the purring of a cat?

Hindu gods

Their first cat is named Shiva, which might sound familiar to you? It makes many people think of a god from Hinduism, known as "The Destroyer." Fortunately, that was not the reason they chose that name. Karmen and Tadej found their inspiration elsewhere. "I'm a fan of the series The Walking Dead," Karmen says, "there was a majestic tiger featured. Its name was Shiva. Upon hearing that name, I immediately knew it was the perfect name for our beautiful cat."

On paper, Shiva's real name is actually Sabini, but they thought Shiva sounded much nicer. So, two names!

A second God?

After Shiva, they didn't want to stop. "We have always wanted a boyfriend for our girl," Karmen says. After contacting a breeder from Croatia, they came across the perfect boy, who also deserved a majestic name. He was named Odin, coincidentally also a God, namely the God of wisdom, poetry, death, divination, and magic. "Odin loves cuddles. He likes to be carried around like a baby."

Cat mother

Karmen and Tadej care enormously about their cats. "I never thought I would be that cat mom who never stops talking about cats." Her Instagram account certainly proves that. "Just ask my friends, they would tell you how crazy I am about my cats. I can't even talk to a stranger without mentioning that I have cats at home!"

Let's be honest, who can? We don't judge at all.

As if two cats were not enough, Shiva gave birth to four little kittens at four o'clock in the morning in April 2021. Tadej slept next to Shiva because it was clear she could give birth any day. The kittens were named Alpha, Alia, Amelia, and Axa. They decided to keep one. "We fell in love with Amelia's personality and cuteness," so she stayed with them. The other kittens found a good, warm home elsewhere.

You can view the litter here!

Majestic tree for majestic cats

It is clear that Shiva, Odin, and Amelia needed an impressive cat tree, they are all quite large cats. Bengals differ quite a bit from other house cat breeds. The Bengal is much larger than the standard house cat. They have a large, streamlined, and muscular appearance. So it goes without saying that they needed a large cat tree to fully enjoy themselves.

Karmen and Tadej bought our Kilimandjaro de Luxe Light Grey which they placed next to their balcony doors. "We have placed extra shelves everywhere so they can also climb via those wall shelves. But to be honest, they hardly use those shelves. The cats love the cat tree, they are always playing with the rope and each has their own sleeping spot."

Shiva has chosen the hiding spot in the middle as a permanent sleeping place, Odin prefers to sleep in the hammock, and Amelia usually has the best view because she often sleeps on top of the cat tree.

My personal comedy show

It seems that these three cats have found a good home with Karmen and Tadej. After our conversation, I am sure that Karmen would never want to live without her three cats again. When I asked Karmen if there are any downsides to having a cat, she was very clear about what the biggest downside is: "There are none! They put a smile on my face every day. I feel like watching them is the same as watching a comedy show."

"They're all so different, which makes it so much fun. You can't compare their personalities. For example, Amelia loves water. She usually stands under running water and tries to play with it. Shiva also likes playing in water. She even knows some commands, like 'sit', 'high-five', and 'paw'. Odin, on the other hand, can even fetch; he brings toys back." That sounds like a perfect mix of a cat and a dog!

With all those different personalities in one household, I wondered if there are any similarities. "Oh, no, the cats are much cuter than us! But I do think I'm just as clumsy as Odin, cheeky like Shiva, and lazy like Amelia," says Karmen.