I got my fur baby a week ago from a 'back street' breeder. I met both parents & cat is not registered as his mother was a rescued cat. Dad is registered & kitten has come with 4 weeks petplan insurance. I have taken cat to vet to enquire how I would know for sure he is not a cross when he was getting his 1st injection/microchip. I was advised the only way to know for sure is with documentation but that my kitten certainly looked like one & definitely has the Bengal traits. he is feisty & very vocal even compared to my half Siamese model. As he is to be a pet only so doesn't matter too much (just that I have paid a lot for him). He constantly shouts at us!

Before people are too critical things you should know.
I have waited 3 years for a Bengal & felt if I didn't get one soon I would never have one. It is not a decision I made over night. My Moggies are getting older & I don't think it would be too fair to introduce a kitten to a cat over 10 years old (my eldest is 9 next birthday) & as a cat can live 20 years I have to consider my own health as I would hate for an elderly cat of mine to need re-homing because I was no longer able to manage/ still be alive.

I have tried local catteries. I found a perfect one locally but after much consideration they would not let me have him. I have one of their moggies & had passed a recent home-check. The reason because the cat has already been re homed 5 times (they can get his history from his microchip) and although I live on the edge of town with outside space & a cul du sac with only 4 other houses they want him to go to a farm, very rural due to his tendency to stray. He came from South London. I know the local administrator would have let me try but branch he came from was adamant farm only.


I finally found 'the perfect cat' right age, TICA registered. The breeder took a deposit & we drove 40 miles to collect. When we got there breeder was out. I asked her daughter to contact her to find out when she was due to be back & what was going on. Her daughter came back (having left us on the doorstep cage in hand) & said if her Mum has decided we are not having a cat we are not f***ing having one? Charmed I am sure. Turns out the reason she won't let me have one is because she wants them kept as indoor cats (mine are allowed out once vaccinated) & I don't raw feed. (I could learn). This couldn't have been explained in a phone call??? What makes me most angry about this is I have 27 years experience of being a cat owner myself & I was brought up in a cat household including strays that adopted us so have lived with cats for over 50 years. The breeder doesn't like the idea of cats going out but where I live is very different from her. She lives in the centre of a town (below railway arches) in a Victorian house, her family smokes like troopers but they keep the animals indoors. Very healthy. She has the cheek to criticise us & our life choice for allowing my cats out. There are very few cats in the area (the road we live off is also a no-through road - the whole development is like this). My neighbour has a house cat but cats choice as she was re-homed from an indoor only home & prefers it that way. Apart from that there are 2 British Blues who live up the road.


Putting these restrictions of course has forced me to go elsewhere. Behaving like this encourages people to rake matters into their own hands to be honest. My cat will not be joining the realms of back street breeding (my cats are always neutered as soon as possible).

The elderly couple I have my pet from were so different. The breeder said that although her cats are indoor cats she would trust me as I was paying a lot of money for a pet to make responsible decisions regarding animals care. If I felt the area I lived in was as safe as it could be I wouldn't be deliberately be letting animal out to be snatched or run over. There is no 'just passing traffic' here. I have never had a cat stray. I have never had a cat run over in our current accommodation (been here for 18 years) & never seen an animal run over on my estate. The British Blues have been here at least 8 years with no problem with my cats as they all have space for territory. 2 of my cats mostly sit in the back garden (in the trees) watching birds. Sometimes we get gifts. They do their own raw feeding.
Sometimes People need to get over themselves.

The way I look at it is every kitten needs a home, regardless of how they came into this world. So I don't judge if how someone gets their kitty! It's a personal decision for you. I doubt that most people go through what you went through in trying to get a purebred kitty. The contract with Raiden's breeder stated that the cat would not be allowed outdoors unsupervised. Raiden's previous owner let him roam free for 6 years. I don't really understand how someone can pay top dollar for a kitty and then allow it to roam outdoors. A gal on Facebook posted a picture taken of her bengal one hour before he was hit by a car and killed! It's a decision and risk only you can make and if you're comfortable losing your kitty to the big wild world, then let the cat roam. I've had 11 cats in my lifetime. 9 of them vanished without a trace. Two were euthanized due to old age and health issues.

But, you have your kitty now and, as the owner, you decide what's best for your kitty! I do hope you have many, many years with your kitty! There are DNA tests that can be done to see if your cat carries the bengal DNA. It may not tell you it's a purebred, but you can get a lot of information from a test.

*shrug* both of the breeders that I dealt with have the same stipulation about keeping the cats indoors, as does the shelter here. So that certainly doesn't surprise me. I mean I can only imagine what it would be like to be a breeder and hear about kitten after kitten be lost to cars and wildlife or having them just run off from their new homes. What doesn't quite add up though is the business about the insistence of raw food, and the way this all went down (springing this on you when you show up to pick up the cat). I'm thinking there is something else going on there, like perhaps the breeder already sold the kitten for more money or something, and was too cowardly to tell you that to your face.

BTW, I hardly think that the fact that a back yard breeder gladly provided you with a cat without regard for the cat's would-be living situation is exactly a ringing endorsement for the BYB though...

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The little monsters 3

I'm not sure why meeting one unhinged breeder meant you needed to then buy from a BYB. Bizarre behaviour of this lady aside, not all breeders require you to keep your cat as an indoor cat, and it is most unusual to insist a buyer feeds raw.

You say you paid a lot of money- normally for your money you receive a pedigree cat with papers that comes from parents who are screened for health problems in the breed. I'm not sure why you would still pay a lot of money when you weren't getting these things. This elderly couple are breeding a rescue cat, which on the face of it sounds a bit horrible. There are limits on how many litters a registered queen can have, but there wont be on a "rescue" female with no papers...do this couple know how many times she has been bred before ?

I would never buy from a BYB. I've heard too many nightmare stories of very sick kittens being sold by greedy breeders who care nothing for the welfare of their animals just the money. Some of them come from absolutely dreadful conditions and I would never want to encourage that in any way.

I can understand breeders being very picky who they trust their kittens too and rightly so. In fact I would be very wary of any breeder who did not interrogate me and just handed over a kitten with no questions asked. That would ring huge alarm bells with me.

Even so I think you have been extremely unlucky and it is unprofessional of the breeder to treat you the way she did.

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Oscar and Jasper (or one ear and two ears as dh calls them) black rescue mogges

RIP my sweet baby Dexter, Snow Bengal 19/5/14 to 5/3/15 and my lovely dear old friend Muskey, Brown Burmese put to rest aged 15 on 14/11/15.

Debbie

The back street breeder did google my address to look at the area the cat would be moving to but although her cats are indoor cats she was satisfied that as an adult I could decide what is best for my animal. The local rescue centre said they would 'find me a cat' but as I have said I have already been looking/waiting for 3 years. They do get Bengals in but most are required to go as a single cats due to the reasons they have ended up in the rescue centre in the 1st place. I had one cat killed at my previous address in an RTA which meant when we moved we were even more particular in choosing a home that was suitable for our cats. Been here 18 years. Never had a cat stray. Never seen an animal injured on this estate. I don't know that her rescued Queen came from a rescue centre just said that they had rescued the cat. Here most cats will be neutered or an agreement to neuter if animal too young. Clearly there are a lot of animals not being placed successfully.

As for the nightmare stories, the animal was in the family home not a kitten farm. I met both parents & was offered to see Dad's papers. I met sibling, the other one had already gone.

My Dog is a pedigree Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He has papers & also met his parents & Grandfather (Dad & Grandad come down to stay for their holidays just as my dog goes back to Breeder if we go away). My dog has sired puppies but although he is KC registered the mother was not. She is a pedigree BUT when my breeders daughter bought her the breeder of the bitch had put a restriction on that any of her puppies could not be registered. My Dog's breeder allowed a maximum of 1 breeding per year for her bitches, we also used to take dogs for heart & eye test (specialist). With all that my dog still ended up with a neck & back problem which resulted in an operation with the bionic vet (Esher) to stop my dog being paralysed.

My personal view is if I am buying a family member it is my decision what is best for my animals. Why should a breeder put a restriction on whether or not my animal can go outside or not? I have been to zoos, I have been to game reserves. Guess which animals look happiest?

It is totally your decision as to whether you allow your kitty to go outdoors. There is always that first time for the kitty to not return home safely. As long as you're prepared for that, fine. I see this every single day as I'm a member of many Facebook pages on lost pets. My heart breaks for the pet, not the owner. They were willing to take that chance by allowing their pet outdoors. Most cats aren't prepared to deal with the perils that are out there. Most breeders are looking out for the animal. I have a couple of neighbors who keep cats outdoors and when one goes missing, it's no big deal to them. They'll find another stray. Unfortunately, coyotes come into one of the back yards and are killing her cats. She was down to one cat last time I heard from her after having 9 there total. I really hope the area you live in is completely safe for your kitty.

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Guardian of Zelda - Brown Spotted Bengal

I found an Amazon forum from 2010 where the whole thing was outdoor vs indoor cats. It went on for like 132 pages. People are not on the fence about this. There are strong opinions both ways. Until I got Raiden, we always had indoor/outdoor cats. They all vanished at some point -- we were sad until another stray cat showed up and we adopted it and the whole thing started over again. I did have one kitty who did not particularly care to go outside, which was great and she lived 17 years until kidney failure set in and we had to put her to sleep. I've always fed strays that come around my yard and never had one last more than 18 months. Raiden had used up many of his 9 lives already fighting other neighborhood cats, so that when the neighbor gave him to me, I said he was not going outside. That didn't sit well with Raiden and after no sleep in days, I bought a harness and leash and we built a large outdoor enclosure for him. He's happy about 60% of the time as he gets two walks a day and has access to his enclosure 24/7.

I just know that people would not put their three year old child outside and not supervise it and cats tend to remain 3 years old their entire lives. Many cat owners feel their kitties are more like children and want to protect them and keep them as safe as possible. And there are others who feel the cat needs to roam free and if something happens, no big deal. It was meant to be. There are a million other cats to adopt. I read such sad situations -- just the other day, a dog was found. Someone identified it as their neighbors but the dog had already been taken to Animal Control. The owners had another dog within 24 hours. They keep their dog outside and not in a fenced in area (it's illegal here ... but someone has to complain). Thankfully, their "lost" dog was adopted and has a happy home now. They obviously feel their dogs are disposable. So sad.

People can feel about this however they want, you just need to understand why some breeders and shelters have the policies that they do. I'd imagine that if someone were to adopt a cat, and then a month later they come back to adopt another cat, and the reason they state is that their last one got run over by a car, there are legitimate questions to be asked, and after a while you can understand why there might be a feeling to be proactive about this...

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The little monsters 3

I just don't understand how someone can pay a pretty penny for a purebred cat and then allow it to roam the great outdoors. There are those who make sure their kitties come in for the night -- but that's if you can get the cat to come in for the night. I'd much rather know where Raiden is at all times and that's not even possible. My husband blew out the leaves from Raiden's enclosure while we were on our morning walk. We came back in the house, I took the harness and leash off Raiden, and went onto my chores. Later I wondered where Raiden was. Checked the usual places inside and couldn't find him. Looked out the window to see the enclosure door open. Instantly, I knew he was gone. Rushed outside and closed the door and looked around the backyard for him. It had been at least 10 minutes since we returned and he could be anywhere, including the deep woods in the back of our house. As I came back to the backdoor, I saw Raiden on the deck, just sniffing around. I had towels in my hands, so I threw them inside the house and gathered him up. Of course, I let my husband have it!!! But even with the best of caution, cats can still escape. Raiden is super fast and can get out the door if you aren't careful. I'm just happy he knows where he lives and would return if at all possible.

That must have been scary Sherry. Grace got out one time when a screen ripped. She wanted to come back in so badly she was bouncing against the screen and panting. Every time I went toward her she went in the opposite direction! Blondie has run out the front door and dances in the flower beds. They are both much faster than me. Luring them in with food is my only hope.

I wish that cat shelters would not insist that their cats are let out.

I'd love to get a shelter cat at some stage but many of them insist that they are not kept indoors.

I really don't understand this given the dangers. Where we live there are cars coming and going all day long plus a railway and we live in a semi rural village so it must be much worse in other areas.

My friend who lives closer to the railway line lost her beloved moggy last year that was run down by a train. She was absolutely devastated and now has a kitten which she is keeping indoors only.

The teacher at my son's old school was amazed at the age of my indoor cats as she told me she's never had a cat who lived past 7 years of age. They have either been run over or gone missing.

I guess Shelters would say that outdoor cats have a better quality of life if let outdoors but they don't know what they are missing if they are never let out. I wouldn't want to chance any of my cats getting injured and not being able to get home for help and suffering.

I know everyone feels differently about this subject and this is just my opinion and I do respect others opinions too.

If I could afford (and get dh to agree!) to buy an outdoor pen or create a cat safe garden I would though. Best of both worlds then.

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Oscar and Jasper (or one ear and two ears as dh calls them) black rescue mogges

RIP my sweet baby Dexter, Snow Bengal 19/5/14 to 5/3/15 and my lovely dear old friend Muskey, Brown Burmese put to rest aged 15 on 14/11/15.

Debbie

Debbie, why on earth would a shelter insist that a cat be outside? It's the owner's decision ultimately. Perhaps these shelters need to be more informed! But, of course, an outdoor cat lives a much shorter life, so one is apt to go back to the shelter to get another cat -- thus they get rid of more cats that way. It's a really stupid idea and how on earth are they going to know that you keep your kitty inside? It sounds a little backwards to me!

I think it's totally backward thinking too.

They think that cats should go outdoors and it's cruel to keep them in. The only cats I've ever seen that they don't want to go out are the ones that have FIV (I think it's called) all others including cats that come from owners mostly who have passed away and kept them as indoor only cats they still insist on homing as 'outdoor' only.

"I'm sure she would appreciate a garden to potter in", "Even though he has never been outdoors he would love to feel the sun on his back", etc etc is the usual blurb in these cases.

You're right it's impossible to enforce as well.

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Oscar and Jasper (or one ear and two ears as dh calls them) black rescue mogges

RIP my sweet baby Dexter, Snow Bengal 19/5/14 to 5/3/15 and my lovely dear old friend Muskey, Brown Burmese put to rest aged 15 on 14/11/15.

Debbie