Airashii’s home videos.

 

We try to make as much pictures and videos as possible, and we keep them all. They are all happy memories after all, although some videos are a failure. Some are too dark and some are like a rollercoaster ride because I am moving my camera.J   Sometimes the video shows Rotterdam in the midst of hurricane. That is impossible; it can be very stormy in the Netherlands but a hurricane? Never   J. A hurricane video mostly means that a kitten is threatening to fall and my instinct tells me to catch it. Up to today, the kitten’s acrobatic tricks prevent them from falling .Mostly our visitors enthusiastically express their admiration on the top of their voice. Often just household noise is disturbing enjoying the video.

In this blog I will show you videos with a little flaw. Enjoy.

A daily kitten’s workout

 

When they are approximately four weeks old they are getting more interested in each other and they play around. Straight away, after their birth, they started looking for their own teat and they start pushing each other.  After a few days, each kitten has found his or her favourite teat, and everything’s back to normal. All kittens are peacefully drinking and mummy is purring.

 

Good fun in the snow.

We haven’t had much winter yet we just had  one winter’s day.  The temperatures were seldom below freezingpoint, instead we had a lot of rainy days. Most Bengals don’t like rainy days but they love snow. Looking out of the windows they see that their territory has dramatically changed. Storm is about to be bold and briljant when he goes into the garden. As soon as the kitchen door opened he sprinted into the garden but he immediatly came to a standstill. What’s is happening?
 

Toys….toys….toys… Everywhere there is something to play with.

I don’t need a pair of helping hands, I’ll just do as the others did and climb out. It’s very slippery and climbing out is not an option, so I'll jump on top of the fence. I can use those shiny things sticking out and reach out for the grey rim, than I am almost there.

 

Merry Christmas.

‘Tally-ho here we come’.

We observe the development of the kittens’ and adapt their environment to her needs. The older they get the more room they need, their coordination is almost perfect now so they like to run high speed after each other. They need to play around, to play with their toys or to play hide and seek. So we build our playful group a larger playground. Ivan build a Perspex enclosure so the kittens are able to see the living room and they are able to interact with us and the other cats. This transparent fencing will encourage their socialization, that’s what we thought. Who would have thought that it was the start of a complete misunderstanding and a very concerned Wasilla………….

 

Wasilla is raising eight kittens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She is an outspoken Bengal, but never impertinent. She loves her leisure activities, although in our opinion they can be strenuous. She spent hours in her garden running free from care, she is a free spirit. We are privileged to spent time with her in her territory; a wild cat in our mini jungle. Wasilla is a perfect mother also, completely following her instincts. 

Eight wonderous wonders

Wasilla’s babies are two weeks old and their eyes have opened. They cannot see very well but their hearing is excellent. Wasilla is purring constantly and the kittens sleep and drink at their hearts content. Each of them have their own favourite teat, but sometime one there is a short brawl. Serenity returns because Wasilla is purring and her kittens are drinking or sleeping.

Daydreaming……………….

Daydreaming……………….

Deshima went to a resort for a short romantic holiday with Jesse. Deshima is slightly spoiled so she inspected her resort and when she met Jesse she inspected him as well very thorough. She took her time and she hissed at Jesse when he tried to introduce himself. She looked at him and she undoubtedly liked what she saw, Jesse is a sturdy beautiful Snow Bengal. She took her time to get aquatinted with his smell and the atmosphere of his resort; after all she is a lady.

Jesse is an experience Bengal and withdrew so he could observe Deshima. He purrrrred at her in his silkiest  " purrrrrrrrssssss……."

 

Our Bengal babies in their snug den.

Yesterday evening I was walking home and I saw the first tiny snowflakes dancing around the streetlights. Winter is coming and the air felt crisp and clean but rather cold.

Coming home I was busy with cups of tea, and candles and later more candles and a glasses of wine. It’s cold and dark outside, but warm and cosy inside and everything is to our liking.

 

And soon Xmas is coming.J

 

Bengal cats don’t have to make an effort to have a snug den, just their presence is enough.

 

Bengal babies having a ball with balls.

The first three weeks the kittens stay close to their mother. Most of the day they spent drinking and sleeping. Bengal babies are active and the like to wrestle for the best place at mummy's milkbar.
They take short walks in the den and they have a look outside often.It takes a few days before one of them ventures outside the den, to explore the play pen.

Bengal cats on the prowl

Our cats take part in most of the things we do. They are interested in what we do and always willing to lend a hand. They will preferentially help us when we are in the garden. The moment we open de kitchen door they are alert, and when we are walking an inspecting the garden their interset grows. Some like walking with us  and they join us  as soon as the kitchendoors opens . Our cats have a free and easy live and when the are relaxing they  listen attentivly and when the door of our shed opens………

 

It is autumn and the trees in our garden loose their leaves. Autum means working in the garden, it needs a bit more doning to it in november.  The Bengals  are waiting  in suspence what is coming and  they are getting ready for this unforseen occurrence: hunting  with our help. The big leaves of the Catalpa are covering the whole garden and make the garden a difficult terrain for the Bengals.

But they enthusiastically help us gathering the leaves at least in the beginning. Cats have a short attention span and soon they are not helping anymore because the rustling sounds of the leaves trigger their hunting instincts. This make working difficult so we decide to have an espresso and enjoy our cats hunting.

The rest of the day we work in the part of the garden the Bengals are not interested in. We can work there until one of the Bengals gets interested  our activities. We love them dearly but when you want to get work done they sometimes are a bit of a nuisance. Well what do they do?
Sammy and Wasilla are attracted by the rustling sounds and want to investigate. That should not be a problem, but their investigation tactics means enthusiastically digging in the heap of leaves we have gathered. Nothing can stop them until they are convinced that there is nothing hidden there.
Ginger and Baby are just enjoying the shambles and are running high speed through our heaps of leaves. Sitka joins them and they have a ball, running and scattering the leaves. Sammy an Wasilla are not amused, but after a while they join them.
At last we have a taste of success, we have cleared away the leaves and the buck weed in the pond. The cats can enjoy their garden and they do indeed.

 

Baby is checking the water fauna, now the buck weed is cleared she likes to watch the fish. She can sit focussing on the fish for a long time. Baby has had a very busy and active day, so after all that running and chasing she goes to her favourite place in the sun to take care of herself to the last detail. She is a happy purring cat taking a nap in the sun.

Sammy wanted to help cleaning the pond and perhaps is not completely satisfied, because there is still some buck weed left. He pays special attention to the pond his favourite place to observe his prey. Wasilla joins him, while Baby is overseeing Sammy and Wasilla overseeing our work.

 

 

 

 

 

After a long working day everybody is satisfied, so it is time for R and R and a glass of wine for us workers while the Bengals celebrate their hunting grounds. Enjoy the video.

 

 

 

Have a happy Bengal day today.

 

Love,

 

Conny

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bengal toddlers are going where they have never gone before.

It is amazing to see a Bengal baby develop in an agile toddler in a just 13 weeks.  Bengals are highly intelligent and their physical, mental and social development is impressive. By the time you realize what's happening, a Bengal baby child is a toddler.

"Mummy look at me, I have climbed the top!"

 

 

 

Happiness

There have been several studies about happyness, and a dutch scientist resaersched “happyness” for several years There are allso severeal researches done in Harvard and publised,when you want to read more.

Yesterday evening this subject attract my attention while watching TV: beautiful autumnsceenes.It was the start of a intervieuw with Leo Boormann a scientisst who investigated happiness for years and had interviewd people all over the world about  happyness. He has written sveral books about this subject and gave world leaders one of his books about happyness.There are also severeal researches done in Harvard and published. 

I am happy when I watch my cats…

 

Meaeeeow, do you want to play with me?

Kittens talk to their mother immediately after they are born. Mostly they make soft sounds, but they also can squeak loudly. When everything is going well you can only hear soft sounds of satisfied kittens drinking and their mother purring in the den.After a few weeks the kittens have learned that they can get our attention by calling us or using body language.And it works, when a kitten looks at you with his big shiny blue eyes; he immediately has a taste of success. You immediately pick him up, hug and kiss him, or play with him.Our Bengals talk a lot with us, but talking with their eyes is always successful and they know it.

 

 

 

1 We can stay in the playpen, but we also can play in the great outdoors. Yesterday we discovered a lot of interesting toys to play with. Yes, yes let us get out of the playpen and run and run and jump and have a ball.

2 We had a ball indeed, after playing we like to have a nap but we do not want to go back in the playpen. We found an excellent hiding place; it is a soft and warm cave. We like to stay there…..sssshhh….be quiet…we will see what comes of our idea. There is a problem, where does mummy has her nap, she does not fit in here……sssshhh…sssshhh,  go to sleep.

 

3. Do I hear mummy coming? I can hear the others walking toward the kitchen, what is the reason for their actions? This smell communicates:” there is delicious fish for lunch”. I have to draw attention: “meaeeeow…meaeeeow….I would like to have some fish…meaeeeow “. Now I  do want to get out the playpen.

4 Where is everybody? I am bored. I want to get out. Is there someone to get me out? I also want some hugging and kissing, where is everybody?

 

 

Wasilla has grown up now but she still is able to achieve her wishes and desires with a blink of her spectacular eyes. Yes I can conclude that we spoil our Bengals, but I don’t think that is wrong, it is my interpretation of their cat language.

 

 

 

 

Say, " cheese”.

 

 

When Shadee is in the garden she mostly plays or relaxes, but she also has the instinct of a predator. After inspecting her territory she chooses an observation point and sits there watching. All cats love a sunny place and laze in the sunshine, but Shadee is not lazy at all. She sits between the flowers because there are always a lot of insects visiting the flowers. She only has to wait to catch one, an easy catch indeed. Shadee uses a centuries-old hunting technique that wild cats still use. A group of lions can relax under a tree for hours, before they go hunting. Shadee’s summer observation point is also very photogenic

 

 

Wanata is a hunter, as a kitten he hunted everything: a toy, boxes or shoes .

In the garden he always takes his time to inspect his territory, taking changes in into account. He seldom sits and waits under a tree or another hiding place. He is confident to catch his prey through his velocity. With huge leaps he crosses the distance to his prey and in a few seconds he climbs a tree. All the time he is focussing on his prey.