Things to Consider
When purchasing a Bengal kitten you are spending your hard earned money and investing a huge amount of emotional energy on a companion that will be part of your family for many years to come. It is very important that you do your research and only buy a kitten from a registered and responsible breeder. Over the years we have heard so many sad stories from owners that bought kittens from unregistered breeders, or even registered breeders that simply weren't doing everything they should be. We hope this section will help you spot and avoid unethical breeders. By taking your time to choose the right breeder and not rushing to buy a kitten immediately, you can save yourself unforeseen consequences later.
Your kitten should be registered with TICA or the GCCF and, in fact, this is your only proof that you are buying a pedigreed Bengal kitten that is 100% Bengal. Back yard breeders (this is anyone selling kittens that is not registered as a breeder with an official cat registry) do not have breeding rights to breed their cats and therefore can not register kittens. They are saving money by buying cats that often should not be bred from, and are often breeding lower quality Bengals that lack the striking clarity of markings and unique physical structure that make Bengals so breath taking and give the breed it's wildcat look.
A responsible breeder will not allow your kitten to leave before 14 weeks old. This is the TICA recommended guidance on when a kitten should leave it's breeder, mum and siblings. Kittens should always leave having had both primary course vaccinations, at 9 and 12 weeks old, and be microchipped. Responsible breeders will also neuter your kitten before it leaves them. None of the above costs should be borne by the owner.
It is of crucial importance that you verify that your breeder does the necessary genetic testing to screen for diseases that can affect Bengals (PKdef, PRAb, PKD and PRA rdAc), and also annually HCM screens their breeding cats. Breeders that do not do this have no interest in removing unhealthy genetics from their bloodlines and, therefore, the breed itself. Breeders should also be running regular faecal samples on their cats to screen for intestinal bacteria and parasites. Testing is very expensive, but checking that your breeder is not cutting costs in this area will dramatically increase your chances of buying a healthy kitten.
Breeders that cut costs on a rigorous parasite protocol and on diet should also be avoided. This may have a negative impact on your kitten's health and immune system later that you simply may not see right now.
Our advice at Angeldust Bengals is to avoid catteries that keep their breeding cats and kittens in cages to maximise numbers for profit. Kittens will have limited human involvement in these situations, producing unsocialised kittens that are unused to human company, to normal household noises and the activity of an everyday, busy household. These kittens may then find it very hard to form bonds with people.
Since October 2018 it has been a legal requirement for cat breeders to hold a council license to sell their kittens. It is up to you as a customer to check that they hold this Animal Activities License and the breeder should be able to give you their license number and inform you of their star rating (out of 5). You can also check what other accreditations they hold and whether they are veterinary inspected. They should also have readily available testimonials to give you a clear idea of what other customers experiences were.
Since October 2018 it has been a legal requirement for cat breeders to hold a council license to sell their kittens. It is up to you as a customer to check that they hold this Animal Activities License and the breeder should be able to give you their license number and inform you of their star rating (out of 5). You can also check what other accreditations they hold and whether they are veterinary inspected. They should also have readily available testimonials to give you a clear idea of what other customers experiences were.
Of course, it would be wonderful if you were to choose to wait for an Angeldust Bengal kitten. However, our goal here is to arm you with some important information on what to look for when choosing a responsible breeding establishment with an excellent reputation. We hope this page has been of assistance.