Ok so for a while now I have been on the search for the right at breed for me, I currently do not have any cats however I foster kittens quite often (either single/duo's that need socilization or full litters that are to young yet to be adopted.) so I have plenty of kitten experiance. However the more & more I foster, the more I realize I want my own cat, and same for my dog who gets sooo attatched to the kittens loves cuddling & playing with them then gets super sad when they have to leave.

So I have been researching breeds and bengals have came up a lot!

However I do worry if there energy levels would be too much for me.

To start I live in a somewhat smaller space however I do work in the same building I live so I am able to stop by as much as I want, my dog also comes up to my office area with me for work and the cat could as well vs spending the day mostly alone.

I have lots of toys, cat trees, enrichment items ect already for when I foster. I also am considering getting a cat wheel & I want to add wall shelves for climbing.

I do hike pretty frequently with my dog and love the idea of teaching the cat how to go on hikes, but I do live in an area with long cold winters where that wouldn't be an option for months at a time possibly.

With these options, me spendning plenty of time every day playing with them & of course a dog to play with would that be enough?

Also I think I am leaning towards only getting one right now, can a dog be a decent enough friend for one vs another cat?

Shedding:

I read so much that bengals are very low shedders, wondering if that seems true for most?

Male VS Female

I am still also not sure if I decide to get one which would be the best choice, or if it matters.