- Facts
Professional Affiliations:
International Bengal Cat Society, Healthy Pet Net and The International Cat Association are excellent resources for this cat breed.Why Use a Breeder:
Bengal Cats are a hybrid breed produced by selectively breeding domestic cats with Asian Leopard Cats. Often the male breeds are infertile and only the female can carry forward the breed by further careful crossbreeding. This complicated process of careful selection and breeding can be undertaken by a certified breeder only.How to Find:
The Texas Bengal Cat Co Op has excellent resources for prospective breeders.What to Expect:
Expect a lot of input from people who still mistake Bengal cats as wild. This breed is not recognized by CFA.Breeder's Surroundings:
Since the Bengal Cat is a hybrid between the Asian leopard cat and a domestic breed, breeding should be handled with care.
- Newborn Facts
Average Number of Newborns Delivered at Birth:
This hybrid breed has 3 to 4 newborns per litter.Age To Be Sold:
They need to be a few months old and partially trained before being adopted.What to Look For in a Newborn:
The cat's pedigree should be four generations away from its wild ancestors. Also a kitten has slightly longer hair than the typical short coat of the adult cat.Registry:
TICA, ACFA and GCCF all recognize the cat breed, but it is not recognized by CFA.AKC Recognized Characteristics:
The ACK only recognizes dog breeds. Since this breed is not recognized by CFA, there are no current breed standards. The Bengal cat is large and robust, with well-defined muscle tone. The head is broad with high cheek bones and prominent whiskers. They have the look of the wild animal with a glittering coat and a disposition of a domestic pet.Expense to Purchase Newborn:
Quality Bengle kittens can cost somewhere around $500; show-quality kittens that are expected to reach championship status in the show ring can cost up to $900; and cutting-edge kittens that are excellent breed specimens and often reserved by breeders for further breeding can cost up to $1200.Dam and Sire Information of your Newborn:
Since this is hybrid breed, pedigree information is extremely important because Bengal cats are bred from one wild ancestor so the kitten you want to buy should be at least four generations away from its wild parent.
- Breeder Concerns
Breeder Reputation:
You can assess the breeder's reputation by the number of show champions they have produced, how they allow prospective owners to interact with kittens and whether they are recognized by professional organizations.Pet Health:
The whole purpose of breeding a hybrid is the sturdiness of health.Assurances:
Registrations, pedigree information are extremely important.