Hi All,

I've been researching bengals and have decided that they are the perfect breed for our family. I am a stay at home mom with a 3 year old so we will have a lot of time to dedicate to our new bengal.

I met a great breeder who just had a litter of 3 kittens last week. She has 1 male marble and 1 female marble and 1 female spotted. We are going to go meet them in a few weeks and I'd love some advice on what to look for in our new pet. I am much more concerned with personality than looks.

Also- What do you find to be a better pet, a male or a female?

Things to look out for when first going to view potential kittens, the important details first off:

Are the Stud and Queen both registered on the active register and is the breeder registered with an approved registering body (usually TICA or GCCF in the UK). Unfortunately there are a large number of what is referred to as back yard breeders in the Bengal breed who breed poor quality Bengals from unregistered parents, do no health testing and let their kittens leave far to early, they are only interested in money and are just out to get as much cash as they can from unsuspecting people, quite often the kittens in question aren't even Bengals but regular tabby cats

Secondly if the kittens are pedigree kittens from active registered parents are the parents tested for HCM yearly and have they been tested for PK-Def, both HCM and PK-Def are health issues in the breed which are fatal for positive cats and both are hereditary conditions so can be passed on to kittens. PK-Def is recessive so can be carried with no ill effects but HCM is dominant and therefore all affected cats will suffer health issues from it. HCM can occur at any time in a cats life so to be properly tested cats should be screened every year.

Kittens should not leave the breeder until they are 12-13 weeks old and have finished their full set of vaccinations. This is not only to ensure they are protected against illnesses but also because they learn a large amount from their mother and siblings about how to behave properly and how to socialise correctly with other animals and leaving too early can cause behavioral problems including inappropriate toileting. Kittens should be raised in the home and handled regularly by the breeder to ensure they are properly socialised and used to soft furnishings, household noises etc. You should receive a contract with your kitten and a health guarantee along with the pedigree, registration papers are usually not sent out until proof of neutering is sent to the breeder (unless the breeder neuters kittens before they leave).

Once you have found a good registered breeder with properly socilaised kittens you really just want to look for the kitten who most appeals to you and your family, every kitten is different although some people think that boys are more cuddly then girls. I have three Bengals here, two girls and a boy, my male thinks he is dog and is a huge softy who loved a fuss and can be carried round like a baby but he's not really into sitting on laps, my snow girl is quite aloof and all fuss is on her terms although she loves to ride around on Dans shoulder, my brown girl just wants to sit on your lap and cuddle, she doesn't care if she has never met the person, withing a minute of anyone sitting down she is happily kneading and purring away on their lap All our kittens were cuddly but usually not until they were tired out, young kittens are usually more interested in playing and exploring than cuddles.