Bengals "the hooligan of the cat world"

standard of points

We have always loved wild cats and had wanted a Bengal for a long time, after visiting a few shows and talking to breeders, we decided to have our first Bengal and have the odd litter. 

We now have two boys and six girls, we have tried to concentrate on producing large cats with acreage, muscular bodies and wild heads.  Small ears, large nocturnal eyes and wide nose with no nose break.  We are constantly researching different pedigrees and lines to help us reach our aims.

Sabrina F2 our beautiful girl.

Sadly no longer with us but I can see her in all daughters.

Bengals are the result of matings between Dock Cats and the Asian Leopard Cat, they were initally bred as the Asian Leopard Cat is immune to leukemia and it was hoped that a domestic cat could be bred that would also be immuned.  This however did not work, and Bengals do sometimes react very badly to the Leukemia vaccine.

These cats looked so much like the wild leopard, Jean Mills decided to continue to breed these wonderful cats hoping that it would stop people wanting to wear real furs.  People do not want to be seen wearing other

peoples pets.

The Bengal is totally different to any other breed.   They are a cat that is full of energy and love life to the full. 

We call them the "The Hooligan of the Cat World" and some need an ASBO

They have many wild traits and have to be treated with respect and need a firm hand.  A Bengal will take as much as you give them, we always try to explain to our Bengal owners to make sure they know where the boundaries lie while young, otherwise a lovely Bengal kitten can turn into a not so nice adult.   Many Bengals end up in rescue due to behaviour problems.

They are sometimes stated to have "puppy like" tendancies.  As a puppy needs to be taught right from wrong, so does a Bengal.  (See Bengal stories below)  Bengals just love to climb and will find the highest point in the house to hide and then leap on top of the next person to walk past.  Anything is a game, they can make a game from anything.  We no longer have ornaments that are breakable.

Bengals are very territorial with their own breed and sometimes with other breeds of cats.  They however love dogs and adore children and humans.  Bengals make a wonderful family pet but they need lots of activities to keep them occupied and prefer a one to one contact, usually making a special bond with one person.  They are a cat that does not like being constantly picked up, however they love a lap to sit on and will quite often curl around your neck, or sit on your shoulder,  they like to make their own choices,  they play extremely roughly and need to be told what is and is not allowed.  

we always like to explain to our kitten/cat owners exactly what a Bengal is like, they are a wonderful breed, but they do have a few issues, and we feel these should be pointed out before anyone considers owning a Bengal, far to many end up in rescue and this is not fair on them.

If considering a Bengal, think about two, they do much better with a friend.

We love our Bengals, but they are not for everyone,  they will climb your curtains, break ornaments, trash your cupboards, an open cupboard is a game,  they love to make snow storms with kitchen/toilet rolls, they will steal your food, everything to them is a game.  They need a special home and owners who are happy to live with their sometimes unacceptable behaviour. 

Our Bengals and their Stories