New from Ontario

Ksur76 · **Joined:** Fri Feb 05, 2016 2:12 am **Posts:** 2

Hi there,

I have been researching the Bengal breed and and certain this is the breed for my family. I am at a standstill with deciding on breeder vs Kijiji and if breeder than which one? There is quite a range in the cost between them all and it's a bit overwhelming!! I can't go and visit the all (especially the ones over 2 hrs away!) so I'm looking for advise and any recommendations!

Thanks

DeputyMP24 · **Joined:** Fri Sep 18, 2015 1:31 pm **Posts:** 212

This is just MY 2 cents...many other peoples opinions on how to find a breeder vary.

The first thing you should do is try to look up any breeder reviews from previous kitten purchasers. If you can find reviews, that will help you weed out any breeders with unhappy families.

Looking for a breeder on sites such as Kijiji is FINE. Others will say no reputable breeder advertises on sites like that, but hey...every breeder has to advertise SOMEWHERE if they are a smaller hobby breeder or just getting started. Dont feel bad for looking through classifieds ads. I found my Suri girl that way and I ADORE her.

TALK to the breeders that have kittens that you like best. Ask them TONS of questions through email, text, or over the phone. Information such as filial generation, how old the kittens are, when they will be ready to leave, what they are fed, where they are raised, shots, will the kitten already be altered or come with on a spay/neuter contract, are they registered, is there a health guarantee, etc. is all excellent information that any good breeder will be happy to answer. You may find you just feel really comfortable with one particular breeder and go that route.

Of course, if there is a particular kitten that just makes you go "oh my gosh!" contact the breeder!!

brianj12 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 05, 2016 7:37 pm

Sherry · **Joined:** Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm **Posts:** 9217

The price of the kitten does not necessarily determine the best breeder. Top breeders have websites that show their studs, queens and kittens. They usually allow you to preview their contract. Google the breeder by cattery and personal name and see if there are any complaints that previous buyers have had. This still doesn't ensure a quality or bad breeder. That can really only be determined if you take the time to visit the breeder in person and see for yourself what your money is buying. Many times that is not possible, so you roll the dice and take your chance. Know there are scammers out there that will take your money and never provide you with a cat! The internet can provide you with quite a bit of data -- so start there and narrow down your options.

stephanie1278 · **Joined:** Tue Oct 06, 2015 8:20 pm **Posts:** 56

When I decided I was going to add a Bengal into my family, I was overwhelmed at first as well. However, I did A LOT (and I mean days and weeks and hours and months) of research into everything Bengal. I knew they would be nothing like a "moggie" and that my life would be altered when I finally chose one.

Next came the arduous task of finding the one for me. I started off on hoobly (same as kijiji I believe), but there was little info about the breeders on there, and most didn't provide much info on the kittens either. Honestly, I wasn't comfortable spending the amount of money I did on a kitten who could be irresponsibly bred.

I took my search to the TICA website for reputable breeders. I looked up their registered breeders and visited all the sites until I settled on the breeder where I chose my Crow from. She was 4-1/2 hours from me, but was willing to send bi weekly pics and videos of Crow until he was ready to be picked up. She answered every question I had and was nice about it. She never once made me feel like I was "annoying" her or anything. (Trust me, there are plenty of breeders out there who are only interested in $$.) In fact, she wouldn't even take the money from me until I played at least 1/2 hour at her home with Crow and his litter mates to make sure I was comfortable choosing him, which I was impressed with.

I was very comfortable with her, and when I picked Crow up from her home, I was actually surprised at how clean her home was. She had all the kittens and moms available to see, and I got to see Crows dad, but he was not allowed around unaltered queens for obvious reasons. She sent me home with all of his records, microchipped and she even has her kittens altered prior to being picked up. I also had his TICA papers, which I filled out right away.

Moral of my long story is, you should go with what your instinct tells you, but definitely do all of your research before you decide to pay for a Bengal and get your heartbroken from an unsocialized, sick Bengal of unknown origins.

Sherry · **Joined:** Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm **Posts:** 9217

Great advice, Stephanie -- there are many members here who have had wonderful experiences with their breeder. You'll find a few posts where they did not! Forums are a great source of pros and cons when it comes to the breeders. There are a ton of cat forums online. This particular one deals with bengals mainly.

Kyenta1 · **Posted:** Sat Feb 06, 2016 11:24 pm

There are lots of breeders in south central Ontario. Are you anywhere near a large city center?

Ksur76 · **Joined:** Fri Feb 05, 2016 2:12 am **Posts:** 2

So I did lots of research and decided on going with a TICA registered breeder in south western Ontario. We picked up our little girl, Ivy 2 weeks ago and she is an absolute gem! She is well socialized, loves the kids and is accepting our black lab as part of her new family as well. We have not had any problems with litter habits, appetite or health issues so far and have had a vet check up with no concerns.

brianj12 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 11, 2016 2:47 am

New from Ontario

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