Hi everybody . I am soon to be the proud slave to two bengal boys . We have put a deposit on them and collect them in two weeks time , after they have been neutered and vaccinated . We live in the UK and the kittens are from a breeder in Lancashire . She assures us the cats are all tested for disease and are pedigree . We have visited them and they are well socialised and we met the mother and uncles who are very friendly and beautiful cats . Please can you tell me what papers etc I should be collecting along with my kittens . We are paying £900 for the two . Not sure how to add photos will ask hubby when he comes home . Thanks

Usually the breeder will have on their website, in their contract, or verbally tell you what comes with the cats when you pick them up. The main things are the health certificate (showing your kittens have been vaccinated and tested negative for certain things and you'll want to make sure your vet has a copy for their records on your kitties). The registration papers so you can register your kittens -- as you'll need to pick pedigreed names for them (not necessarily what you plan to name them, but can be the same). Many breeders send you home with food the kittens have been eating, the type of litter the kittens have been using, and/or toys, You should already have a copy of your contract with the breeder.

At home, you will need at least 3 litter boxes, tall cat trees or shelves on the wall strictly for the cats. They love to climb. Scratching posts (sisal) which may come with the cat trees, multiple beds as they pick and choose where they want to sleep. lots of toys. Confine them to a safe room, which can be a bathroom -- or preferably a bedroom you aren't using. Place a litter box there and food and water along with a couple of beds and some toys. These boys will be going through a tremendous change leaving their mom and environment at the breeder and coming into your home. Spend time with them, play with them. Some new arrivals are ready to explore all of their new surroundings. You'll pretty much know what will work for them, however, a couple of nights in a smaller area should benefit them and if you find that they are up and about all night, they may need to be there during the night.

Congratulations on the new boys ... your life is about to become a true adventure. Hopefully, you have read up on the bengal breed and know what to expect from these two wild fires. Lots of energy, lots of vocalizing, lots of wanting attention and being around you. There is never a dull moment in my house with just ONE bengal. I can imagine all the fun you're going to have with two.

To post pictures, there are instructions in the "gallery" section of this forum. All pictures need to be stored in a photo library somewhere online. You can post a link to the pictures (if it is a "public" library) or to place the picture in the post, add [img]to%20the%20beginning%20of%20the%20link%20and[/img] after the end of the link.

I think mainly when you leave the breeder's with your bengals you'll want to have:

* signed copy of contract, preferably stating any health guarantee, and what is expected of you (how soon you have to schedule their first vet appointment, whether there are any conditions about whether you are expected to keep them indoor or outdoor etc), and when you will receive the kitten's registration papers
* preferably some of the litter the kittens were using and the food they were eating. The breeder may or may not give you a small supply of these, but you should at least have it written down what they are so you can buy your own supply for the first few months.
* medical records, in particular stating when and what shots they have been given. Your vet will need this.
* When I brought home Neytiri (my Oriental) the breeder gave me a small blanket that she slept on at the breeders, to help her acclimate to the new home. That was a really nice touch.
* Some breeders also offer pet insurance for the first few months or so, giving you time to get your own insurance or continue the insurance that they had. This is also a really nice thing if they do it. If they don't, consider getting your own.

I think that's it. Like Sherry said, there is a lot to do on your end in preparation for them arriving, but in terms of what you need from the breeder, I think it's the things above.

_________________
The little monsters 3

Thanks guys for your replies . We are so excited to get our new fur babies . Yes I have read every post on this forum and know it will be like having a toddler again ! We already have a cat who adopted us . She is 12 and very gentle natured. She is happy to be around our rabbit and even the hamster . Any Tips for introducing our new boys to her ? Thanks

Oh dear ... an older cat. Introducing a 12-year old cat to two very energetic kittens! You going to have to hope the kittens play with each other and entertain each other and leave your senior kitty alone. She is not going to want to chase them around and they may pester the daylights out of her. Expect some hissing and even some aggressive behavior out of your girl. After all, her territory is being invaded by two little monsters! You will have to keep the kittens in their safe room for a couple of weeks now that I discover you have other animals in the house.

The first thing you may want to do is swap scents. Find something your girl lays on and swap it out in the room with something your babies lay on. See how your girl reacts to the item. Once the kittens are out of their safe room, I'd advise to feed them all together in the same area. Not next to each other -- but perhaps on opposite sides of the kitchen. The kittens can be fed next to each other, but keep your older kitty several feet away and observe!

Not sure how active your older gal is -- does she still enjoy playing? Chasing wand toys? You can try to engage all three in play time together (with humans dangling the toys). That way you're redirecting the attention to the toys and not the cats.

Know, too, that your female may simply go over to the kittens and sniff and walk away. I worry more about the kittens trying to engage her in extreme play she does not want. You will definitely have to supervise them for a while. In the end, they may all sleep together and your gal will groom the kittens.

As for rabbits, there is a post on here about that. Hamsters should stay in their cage unless being handled away from the cats. Once it gets away, it could be a goner, especially with the bengals.

Keep us posted.

Thank you that is sound advise . Yes she does like to play still, she is very active. I guess like a lot of things it's mostly common sense . We get the kittens in ten days now so I will post how we get on. On the plus side we live in a large house (15) rooms so plenty of room to escape and have some me time for our older cat ...and me too I fear !