Happy Caturday!

Happy Chatterday, everyone! Today seemed like the perfect day to tell you a little more about the four-legged character who has been traveling through life with Breezie and me for almost 8 years now. Our Silver is a Silver Bengal, he is almost 8 years old, and he was given to us as a gift, and if you’ve followed us for any length of time, you already know that calling him “just a cat” around here probably isn’t going to get you very far. 😂 Bengals have a pretty fascinating history. The modern breed traces back to crosses between domestic cats and the Asian Leopard Cat, a small wildcat native to Asia. The idea was eventually to create a domestic companion with that incredible wild appearance while keeping the loving temperament of a house cat. Silver Bengals have a pale gray to nearly white background with darker markings, which is what gives Silver that beautiful little wildcat look. But here’s the part that makes me laugh. Somewhere along the way, I think Silver forgot to read the part explaining that he was supposed to be a cat. A lot of Bengal people will tell you the same thing. They can be surprisingly dog-like. Bengals are highly intelligent and trainable, and some learn to fetch, like Silver does, do tricks, and walk on a harness and leash. They’re curious, athletic, people-oriented, and usually want to know exactly what their humans are doing. Some even love water like Silver. Sound familiar? Look at the picture. There we are out exploring, Silver on his leash, climbing around like he owns the forest while I apparently came along simply to hold the other end of the rope. 😂 Silver doesn’t just go places with us. He expects to go. He wants to investigate. He wants to climb. He wants to see what’s around the next corner. And most of all, he wants to be wherever Breezie and I are. That closeness is one of the things we love most about him. Silver is an indoor cat with outdoor benefits. 😊 But I also want to say something important because those beautiful Bengal markings can make somebody fall in love with the breed before they understand what they’re signing up for. Please do your homework before bringing a Bengal into your family. They can be a handful. They need interaction, stimulation, places to climb, things to investigate, and people willing to spend time with them. TICA actually describes Bengals as high-energy cats that thrive on climbing, chasing, exploring, interactive play and mental stimulation. They aren’t necessarily the right fit for somebody who simply wants a quiet kitty sleeping on the couch all day. Every Bengal is different, of course, but this is one breed where knowing what you’re getting into really matters. For us, though? Silver fits. Actually, that isn’t quite right. Silver belongs. He’s been beside us for adventures, long drives, quiet mornings, ridiculous moments, hard days and some of the happiest days of our lives. He’s made us laugh when we needed laughter, and he’s reminded us of something animals seem to understand much better than people sometimes do. They don’t care about yesterday. They don’t worry much about tomorrow. They just know that right now, they’re with the people they love. Maybe that’s one of the reasons God puts animals in our lives. Not simply so we can take care of them, but because every once in a while, they’re pretty darn good at teaching us how to take care of our own hearts. So from Breezie, me, and one slightly spoiled Silver Bengal who probably believes this entire website belongs to him… Happy Chatterday, everybody. ❤️🐾 Get outside if you can. Hug somebody you love. Scratch your four-legged best friend behind the ears. And don’t get so busy chasing tomorrow that you miss the beautiful little piece of life standing right in front of you today. Because sometimes happiness isn’t something you have to find. Sometimes it’s already walking beside you on a red leash. ❤️ Finius, Breezie & Silver