This possibly goes against everything I have learned from BCF. I am REALLY considering getting a kitten from a breeder that does not scan for HCM. I am trying to avoid what we went through with Jasper and trying to find a breeder that has children or one that has a way of socializing their kittens with kids ie grandbabies, neighbors, friends. I am having a really hard time finding a breeder that has it all. I either have to choose health or socialization. I have found three breeders that I am really impressed with and only one has regular HCM screening but no kids. The other two have a house full of kids (like me) but do not scan for HCM. I am really confused as to what I should do. The two breeders that don't scan have a 1 year health guarantee and a life time guarantee against HCM. So given my circumstances with 4 small kids all under 10, a almost 3 year old Bengal, and a small dog, what would my best option be? I can PM you the breeders if you would like to check out their sites to see if that would shed some light on the situation. I would post them but I don't want to put any info out there and make any of them look bad, I obviously think they are all good breeder and not BYB or I wouldn't be considering them at all. All of them are within driving distance, although it will be a long drive I think it will be worth the 8-16 hours on the road to make sure our new baby is coming from what I think they are. Thanks in advance!

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With a kitten, you can fix most socialization issues. You cannot fix their genetic health issues.

Practically speaking, I would not pay Bengal prices without knowing the parents were scanned and the breeder was committed to eradicating the devestating health issue that is HCM from the breed. I would not want to reward an unethical breeder with my money.

That being said, if you are willing to take a risk health-wise, I would see if there is a Bengal rescue or one in a shelter you could give a home to. Or even find a cool non-Bengal shelter cat to give a home to.

Just my two cents.

We have thought about adopting a shelter kitty but my oldest son is HIGHLY allergic to most cats. For some reason bengals do not bother him as bad as most cats do. We even went to our local shelter and played with the kittens and before we left his eyes were starting to swell. We have actually found 2 breeders that both scan for HCM and I have spoken with both of them and they think a kitten would do fine in our home. Key word is a kitten, I have had 3 breeders tell me an adult cat would never settle in a home as busy as ours. I really wish I would have been told 2 years ago how hard an adult cat can be. I only thought an issue would arise introducing the two cats, not the cat and kids. Now I just have to brace for the hefty price tag for the kitten and shipping.

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I always remember a heartbroken pet owner whose 3 year old cat had just died from HCM, his breeder didn't scan and his owner had no idea about HCM prior to his disease and subsequent death.
When he died, she decided to investigate the disease in Bengals.
She realised his pedigree had lots of HCM cats in it. She said he was just born to die young and so he was. He had no hope.

We have found a breeder that both socializes with children and scans for HCM. We will have to have the kitten shipped to us but I think it's worth it to have the best of both worlds. We aren't just getting a kitten for BB, we are getting a kitten for our family to enjoy and bond with. It's not about replacing Jasper, or JUST for BB. It's for all of us and something we decided upon as a family. I think if we get a kitten from good healthy lines and one that has been socialized, the kitten will grow up in our home and be used to the hustle and bustle of life.

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The little monsters 3

Thanks Brian!.It does still hurt and we are all sad about Jasper, I feel horrible that we couldn't provide the home he needed. It wasn't my fault and it certainly wasn't his. I don't think it's right to give up the idea of having a happy multiple cat house hold with children. BB adjusted perfectly fine BUT we got her as a kitten. She is the most well rounded cat I have ever been around, not only is she not stressed by the kids but she demands their attention.
It's been awhile sine we have had a kitten and we are nervous but excited. His/her birth is planned around January 11th so we still have some time to plan. It is really not that we are replacing Jasper, no cat ever could, but we feel we are a happier home with two felines running around. We can play with a single cat (BB or any other cat) all day long and they still wouldn't benefit from that as much as they would another cat. I feel very confident with this breeder and I am honestly blown away by his knowledge and the way he treats his cats. The kittens mom is 2 years old, a champion, and scanned for HCM twice. The dad is almost 4 with 4 HCM scans, from one of the top breeders in the states, and he is nothing short of stunning. I will be posting more info once I get the ok with the breeder. I am waiting now on the deposit contract so we can get on the list. Hopefully we will have 2nd pick as I know he already has one deposit on the litter.

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Hello! I just wanted to say, please don't take a chance on un-scanned parents. It's not worth the heart ache to take a chance and have your baby pass away from heart failure.

Please make sure you get references from any breeders who say they will ship to you. If at all possible, arrange to fly and pick the kitten up (it actually costs about the same). Any kitten being shipped should have it's rabies vaccine and should NOT be shipped younger than 12 weeks.

I am very sorry for the loss of your Jasper kitty... but I really hope your new kitty arrives safe and well and happy!!

Purrs & headbutts,
Rachael
Nemera Bengals

Hi Rachel thanks for your advice. We have researched the bengal breed a lot over the last three years and I am 100% confident in our choice of breeder. I will be getting references from his previous families that have purchased a kitten. I have already spoken with 3 breeders that had nothing but awesome things to say about him and his cats. Our kitten will come home at 13 weeks with all of his vaccination and his health certificate. Both parents are HCM negative at this time and PK def negative as well as TF negative (which is a big one for me as well) I really don't want to go through that again! The only reason I had considered getting a kitten from unscreened lines is because I want a kitten that can handle being around kids.i didn't want to have a kitten shipped because the fear of the unknown is a little overwhelming. I have watched tons of YouTube videos to get an idea of what his cattery is like, and every breeder I have spoken with has said that trust him 100% and that is hard to find in breeders now a days. You can all check out his site and give me feedback. He cattery site is paintedbengals.com and the litter is Cover Girl and Cloud Reflection.

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Wow Cover Girl has an amazing coat!

Yes she does, I am hoping our kitten gets his Mom's good looks and personality. She is such a lovely girl!

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Actually we ended up going with a kitten from Jordan at Prismatic bengals! We couldn't be happier with our boy. He fits in PERFECTLY!

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Well I was going to edit to add but I can't edit. The litter we got Mochi from has the same sire as the litter from James. A huge bonus with Prismatic is she was within driving distance and she is the sweetest most down to earth person I have had the pleasure of meeting. Not to mention her cats are all STUNNING and her cattery is her home! She gave us the most well balanced kitten I have met not to mention he is handsome too :)

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