Why Buy from Quality Bengal Kittens

Bengal Cat Commitment

When looking around for a breeder, you want to find someone who puts breed before self. How do you find this person? Look to see what the person does that benefits the breed, not just themselves. We are here to better the world of Bengals. Evidence of that is our website. We work to educate pet owners on how to provide for a Bengal cat, and we work to inform breeders on how to breed better Bengals. We have been breeding Bengal for over 20 years, and with that experience comes the knowledge that we pass on to others. We are constantly learning and constantly sharing as we learn. 

We also serve the Bengal cat in several capacities. We are both members of the CFA Bengal Breed Council. To be a member, you have to show in CFA and actively participate in refining the standard.  

We are both founding members of LCWW - a brand-new cat association created in 2022. LCWW's founding principle is to advocate for pedigree cats through education. This could not be a better fit for who we are as breeders. We are grateful that LCWW has invited us to speak about Bengal cats and their shows. 

Robyn is an elected member of the TICA Bengal Breed Committee. TICA comprises Bengal breeders from all over the world, and there are only seven seats on the Bengal Breed Committee. Bengal breeders elected Robyn to represent them on the committee. In addition, Robyn has created and delivered well-received Bengal presentations to TICA judges.
 

Jon was asked to serve as the Health Liason for The Internationals Bengal Cat Society (TIBCS). While not professionally trained, Jon can speak with veterinary professionals at their level. In turn, he can translate that information and share the information in laymen's terms with breeders. Other breeders often seek him out to help them problem-solve with their veterinarians. 

Bottom line: We are here to serve the Bengal breed.  

Bengal Cat Appearance

Most people are attracted to Bengals due to their appearance. Quality Bengal Kittens consistently produces a distinct appearance. We have specific breed goals and prioritized physical characteristics that distinguish our cats from other Bengals. Our priority is to maintain as many attributes of a southern subspecies of Leopard cat as possible with a focus on the structure of the cat. In short, if you were to imagine our cats in an all-black coat, they would still look wild due to their physical traits. For more explanation of this, please read the article on Bengal Type.

You may be asking yourself - what is the flip side? The flip side is that our priority is not large rosettes on a glittery, clear coat, which drives many Bengal breeding programs. The proportionately oversized spots on the clear glittered coat look like a cartoon version of a wildcat.   DNA descends in blocks. For an unexplainable reason, the structure of a wildcat does not often align with Bengals with oversized markings. In short, if you imagine these cats in an all-black coat, they would not have any traits that identify them as a Bengal. You will find many Bengal catteries that prioritize rosette size, glitter, and coat clarity over the natural look, and if this is what is important to you, we are not the right breeder for you. 

Bottom line:  Our focus is specific; therefore, we consistently produce kittens that meet our goal.  

Bengal Cat Health
Buying a live animal has no guarantees. No one can guarantee any animal will not become sick or develop a disease. Therefore, allowing any pet into your heart is a risk. We don't want to see our cats sick, so we take good care of them. We don't want people who buy kittens from us to suffer untimely loss, so we do what we can to ensure that we sell healthy kittens.

The two genetic tests available that are specific to Bengal cats are PK-Def (PK - Deficiency) and PRA-B Bengal Progressive Retinal Atrophy. Our cats have either been tested or are from parents who have been genetically tested not to have these diseases. We can guarantee your kitten will not get either of these two diseases. Furthermore, within the last few years, we started testing our cats on the Wisdom Health panel. This panel not only tests for over 40 genetic diseases but also for over 20 coat and morphology traits and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, genetic diversity.

When it comes down to it, genetic diversity is key to disease defense. When people purchase a cat of unknown origins, the genetic diversity is entirely unknown. A feral cat may result from a brother-sister mating. However, genetic diversity is known when buying from a breeder - more so now than ever. The genetic diversity tool offered by Wisdom is the most advanced tool to determine genetic diversity. At Quality Bengal Kittens, we work to increase genetic diversity by bringing in new genetics through early-generation cats bred to Leopard cats that are unrelated to the Leopard cats used to create the breed and to domestic cats that are outside of the Bengal's breed family. You can read more about our efforts to maintain genetic diversity here. 

The most common disease in cats is heart disease. For this reason, our cats visit Board Certified Cardiologist Dr. Lori Siemens for an echocardiogram of their hearts each 12 to 18 months. Dr. Siemens has been scanning Robyn's cats' hearts since 2004; Jon started scanning his cats' hearts in the UK when he began breeding in 2007. Scanning cats to older ages provides more security. Since we have been testing for heart disease for nearly 20 years, we have cats in our pedigrees who continue to test negative for over ten years. All heart testing is NOT equal. The older a cat is tested and having multiple tests done provides much more reliable results than testing a cat once or twice while under eight years old. We've tested more cats to over age five than any other breeder; check out our list of cats tested over age five here.  You can learn more about the importance of heart testing to older ages here. 

Bottom line: You will not find breeders more dedicated than us to maintaining and improving the Bengal's health.

Bengal Kitten Temperament

Like health, temperament is not guaranteed, but after years of experience, we have figured out the secret ingredients to creating confident, friendly cats. Temperament is a combination of nature and nurture. Our experience has taught us that the sire plays a more genetically powerful part in determining disposition. Therefore, we remove any shy and or reactive males from our breeding program and only use confident, friendly boys.  

But it doesn't end there. Kittens must be raised in a home and have regular interaction with people. While we give the moms peace, they prefer for the first 6 weeks. After that, we move the moms and kittens to the main living area of our house. The kittens are centered in the hustle and bustle of our home, which includes teenage children and the family dogs, Chinook and Dixie. Chinook, Dixie, and the kids make sure the kittens are accustomed to loud noise and fast movement.

A comment we frequently hear from people is, "Your cats are all happy."  Breeders who don't genuinely have a passion for the cats will raise their kittens in outbuildings:  sheds, barns, and garages. While spacious outbuildings may be necessary for spraying adult breeding cats, they should not be used for kittens. Even the most beautiful outbuilding is not the same as a home. Kittens should be raised as members of a family. 

Bottom line:  Our kittens live in our home as family members. There is no other acceptable way to raise kittens.