considered suitable for the amateur cat owner, with family and children in the household, and these are the ones I am meeting today. “They need a lot of exercise
though as they have a lot of energy,” says Saskia. Her cats have their own maze of tunnels for them to explore daily, specially built for them of metal mesh, resembling a giant version of the hamster tunnels you can buy pick-and-mix style from the pet store.
So are Bengals good feng shui? Just as the Shih Tzu (whose name means lion) was bred for the Imperial Palace of China for its resemblance to the lion, the Bengals today are bred for those looking to bring the magnifi cent tiger into the home. In the Manchu Dynasty of China,
the Shih Tzu became the temple dogs of the Palace while the favoured ones became the personal pets of the Royal family as lap dogs or bed warmers, and because of their resemblance to the mighty lion and the belief that these dogs brought good fortune and good feng shui, the Dowager Empress Tzu-Hsi forbade anyone outside the palace to own one. Anyone in that period caught owning a lion dog was sentenced to death. After her death in 1911, the Shih Tzu breed became more widespread, and even exported to Western countries such as England and the Netherlands. Today, the Bengal is enjoying the same kind of craze, fi lling the same kind of void for cat lovers that the Shih Tzu did for luck-hunting dog lovers. T e Asian Leopard Cat and their hybrid Bengal variety have been nicknamed the “Money Cat” because their spots resemble the ancient Chinese coin, round with a hole in the middle. T e stripes down their legs and the mascara markings near their eyes give them a resemblance to the mighty Tiger, which in feng shui symbolism represents courage, power and daring. T e Tiger to the Chinese are revered as the creature that wards off evil and prevents disasters from befalling a household. A Tiger painting is often hung on the
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Ophelia, the active one.
demonstrate some wildness in temperament. But Saskia explains that, “No, as long as you get a fourth generation one, they are friendlier than house cats!”
certainly expect a hybrid with a wild variety to So are they wild at all? You would
wall facing the entrance to scare away demons that happen to stray near the home or building. T e Tiger is also often associated with the popular God of Wealth, Tsai Shen Yeh, depicted in art pieces riding a Tiger. In the coming year of the Dragon,
the Tiger features again in the year’s Paht Chee chart, as it has done so for the past two years since the 2010 Tiger Year. Some practitioners believe that having your own pet Tiger in the home brings the Tiger onto your side, thus turning any danger brought by this fearsome creature into opportunity for the inhabitants. Indeed, many powerful Asian amulets and charms feature the Tiger, especially amulets for protection or amulets to help you capture your heart’s desire. From the more “New Age” modern
approach to feng shui, having lively pets in the home is believed to balance out energies that are overly yin, giving the home an infusion of yang chi. Pets are therefore encouraged, especially for families who spend a lot of time
outside the home – for instance when both husband and wife are at work all day. Having a dog or a cat patrol the house while you are out prevents energies in the home from becoming stale, and are thus encouraged from a feng shui viewpoint. T e Bengal makes a fabulous option
if you are looking for a companion pet that will interact with you like a dog, but is independent enough to look after itself when you don’t have the time to play. T ey bound and pounce, but their agility and litheness also make them less of a damage risk in households with expensive porcelain and decoratives that wouldn’t withstand the boisterousness of the golden retriever for example. Oscar, Ophelia and Olaf certainly endeared themselves to me and I am oh so tempted to go invest in one of these fabulously beautiful hybrids. But am unsure they would survive my household already fi lled with canines. Wild as they may look, they really are pussycats.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 | F ENGSHUIWORLD 39
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