Tushar is our unofficial cultural ambassador and probably the most well known of the Bow Tie Panther team. Many people have seen him walking around Lake Merritt and fallen in love. His name means snow or ice in Bengali, as he is a Snow Bengal breed mix, but that doesn’t seem to matter as most people hear Tushar and think his name is “Too$hort” instead. We’ve tested it, he’ll technically answer to both!

He was rehomed by a Bengal breeder for being too rough with other cats, and he was as is typical with a breed that is a mix of a wild species and domestic cats, but he’s calmed down a lot with time and training. There’s also just a reason why Bengals are banned in many places and increasingly so, plus why they are increasingly being rehomed nowadays.

We love Tushar, but he is quite the handful and we hate seeing him sad when he can’t play with the other kitties because they’re scared of his strength or if he can’t get the stimulation he needs. He’s an excellent trainer for our program and for organizational outreach, but if you are thinking about getting a Bengal and live in apartment, there are a number of factors to seriously consider first.

Tushar enjoys runs in apartment hallways with you, easy walks, and stroller jogs. He has a One Fast Cat Wheel and some toys that he loves to play with. He loves belly rubs and you can pick him up and carry him like a child and he’s heavy like one too. He’s very patient and always let’s us handle him effortlessly, so you’ll see him wearing sweaters and such a lot.

He is good with kids and dogs and loves cats but has a bit of a prey drive that is from that wild cat DNA that causes him play too rough at times. He also needs his litter box to be extra clean because of this, or he will find other places to go. He has a great sense of smell and will try to eat things he should not sometimes.