The Bengal breed was originally derived from crossing domestic cats with Asian Leopard cats (pictured left), a small (7-12 lbs) wild cat. After years of selective breeding, there are now outrageously rosetted, exotic looking Bengals, with all those wild looks and wonderful, friendly personalities. There are lots of sites with more information on the Bengal breed, you can e-mail me with questions lileopardcat@earthlink.net or surf the web for what you are looking for!

 
You think you are ready for a Bengal? Be warned! They can be very active cats who, for example, may find it good fun to make mad dashes back and forth through your house, perhaps knocking things over! The plus side: It's loads of laughs to watch them do flips after their favorite toy for hours at a time. They have also been known to love water, so don't be surprised if they decided to climb right in the bath tub or shower with you!

How are their personalities? I have met very few Bengals with bad temperaments, and with those cats it was entirely a case of very little handling by the breeder from a young age onward, and nothing to do with their heritage. They are very outgoing cats. They can be very "uncatlike": greeting you at the door when you come home, immediately inspecting the company, even playing tag with the family dog.

Why do they cost so much? Responsible Bengal breeders breed their cats to improve the breed, not to produce kittens and make money. We want to insure that poor quality Bengal kittens don't flood the market, and that the people that purchase them are responsible pet owners. Also, the general cost of raising a kitten until it is old enough to go to it's new home is high. The parents themselves likely cost $1000-3000 because  not only are breeder/show prices more than pet prices, and breeder stock is harder to come by and rarely available. Quality breeders also show there cats insuring you quality offspring, and showing cats is VERY expensive and time consuming.

I am sure every pet lover has met a "backyard"  dog breeder. They let their dogs mate as often as they will, produce puppies that they sell when they are too young to leave their mother, and provide little or no vet care for them. Responsible breeders get regular vaccines and checks-ups from a licensed veterinarian, and screen for health problems and congenital defects regularly! We all know how expensive going to the vet can be! Vaccines from a veterinarian protect against the most modern versions of current viruses. Be wary of vaccines given at home, who wants a flu shot from the flu that was going around 3 years ago? I have done lots of research of the breed, and have looked at website after website almost all pet kittens sell for $500-1000 on average, though higher quality kittens made as pets may be more than that. If you find kittens that are cheaper there is probably a reason!