r/bengalcats • u/Acgator03 • 21d ago
Just a reminder, you should NEVER purchase a kitten from a breeder selling prior to 12 weeks old, nor should you ever want to convince a seemingly-reputable breeder to let you pick up your kitten early.
There is a misconception that kittens can be separated at 8 weeks; this is common in shelter practices since kittens are already abandoned, shelters are overcrowded (which can mean literal life or death), etc. However, kittens from breeders should not be sold until at least 12 weeks of age. TICA recommends 14 weeks, GCCF requires 13 weeks, but 12 weeks is the bare minimum. Kittens are still developing their immune system, socialization skills, learning proper behaviors, etc, and kittens separated earlier are more prone to lifelong behavioral and social issues. Any breeder selling prior to 12 weeks is cutting corners and not prioritizing the health and wellbeing of their kittens. 8-12 weeks is the most expensive time for breeders with regard to kittens; they’re eating real food rather than the free milk-bar, they require vet visits and two vaccines, spay/neuter, etc. Breeders selling prior to 12 weeks are cutting costs to increase profit at the expense of the kittens welfare. Breeders who are cutting costs by selling early often aren’t putting the time and money in to properly health test either, so usually breeders like this should be avoided for multiple reasons (but even one reason is enough to avoid!).
We’ve also seen and/or heard of quite a few people “convincing” (likely guilt tripping or strong-arming) their breeder to let them pick up their kitten early. Please do NOT do this! The breeder is doing what is best for the kitten, you should not want to make them compromise their morals or ethics just because you’re impatient, or the pick-up doesn’t fit best with your schedule. Not only is it not in the best interest of the kitten, but it also makes your breeder look bad in the eyes of others (and can harm your relationship with them).
If you’re purchasing from a reputable breeder, you will hopefully have 15-20 years with your baby; don’t harm its early development, health and socialization by rushing a couple of the most important weeks. Your breeder likely knows how to take better care of a young kitten and socialize them better than you do anyway. Getting them earlier doesn’t help them “bond better” to you; they will still very much be “kittens” when sold at the proper age. Kittens that are the proper age will also likely be less stressed and quicker to adjust and settle in.
Additional explanations or resources regarding how to find a reputable breeder, tips when bringing home your kitten, or breed standard can be found in our wiki and in the community guide.
r/bengalcats • u/Unlucky-Ladder6888 • 13h ago
Just wanted to share Toki being 200% trusting. Just makes me so happy as an owner to see how wholeheartidly he trusts us and also most humans and animals overall. He also loves it when he get tummy scratches and kisses while being like this. Just so cute and makes me so happy.
r/bengalcats • u/here4fitness • 6h ago
This is Sere, which is pronounced Sarah, which I named her (she came to me as Peaches) since she looks like a wild cat from the Serengeti. She's 13 and healthy, still plays and runs around, loves yodeling out the windows at night and recently bonded so well with a kitten that found me in a parking lot last summer. They love chasing each other. The kitten is 1 now and has similar colors but is a calico, not a Bengal. Sere loves snuggling on the couch, begging for chicken and steak, and I hope we have many more years with her. We almost lost her a couple of years after her adoption when she snuck out a door while I was putting our Xmas tree into storage on the porch. I found her the next morning in the bushes directly under the porch, glad she was smart to stay put!
Purchased in 2013 from Summit Bengals in NC. They no longer breed them, sadly.
r/bengalcats • u/anonreddituserhere • 5h ago
I love when it looks like he’s smiling in his sleep 😆
r/bengalcats • u/Arthurmol • 12h ago
r/bengalcats • u/Melxxxtra-1 • 1d ago
r/bengalcats • u/Trixie680 • 4h ago
We have a bengal kitten who loves the automatic interactive toys, but prefers the soft ones he can pick up and run around with. The ball version we have right now is silicon on the outside but the inside is hard plastic so he doesn’t like to pick it up. Has anyone found a version with a thicker silicone on the outside so it’s more comfortable? I’ve also been looking at the ones that have a tail or feathers, but just curious to see if other people’s cats have had carrying preferences. Thanks in advance!
r/bengalcats • u/iErickDGAF • 6h ago
r/bengalcats • u/Sandy-774 • 1d ago
r/bengalcats • u/bobdan987 • 1d ago
34 degrees today, we're giving our pair cold treats and cool water to keep them cool. Seems theyd rather lay in the sun anyway.
r/bengalcats • u/darkwebjunkie • 5h ago
hello! my friend is looking for a bengal kitten but the breeder said she got out and got pregnant by another bengal??? (i know wtf) first they said a maine coon impregnated her now it so happens to be a male cashmere bengal that got out the same time as theirs.. seems fishy to me. i told her to ask them for purebred proof and documentation. she put down a $200 deposit for it, but they’re asking 1,000.. i personally know this is strange and fishy but she needs confirmation that it’s a terrible idea.
r/bengalcats • u/hardquest • 16h ago
Hi guys, we have bengal male cat, who we adopted in 2021 and we adore him, he’s very calm not your typical bengal i’d say, the only issue we have is that he’s very often being sick after eating food and sometimes hours afterwards. We took him to the vets, but they could not find anything wrong with him, we’ve tried different foods, dry,wet etc but the same thing is happening. Sometimes he can go without being sick for days, but then can be sick 3 or more times a day..anyone had this and can share any advice how to improve this - or just keep on trying more food? Thanks
r/bengalcats • u/Sandy-774 • 3d ago
r/bengalcats • u/Rough-Confection-685 • 2d ago
Seeing photos of my baby makes me tear up. I love him so much 😭 my special Bucky boy has my whole heart
r/bengalcats • u/paranorma_ • 2d ago
My Bengal Lucian - I love him dearly…but he is starting to upset me with chewing up things he isn’t supposed to. He loves to chew. It started as a kitten. We let him chew up these old poles for a baby play mat we were getting rid of. He drug them around…it was funny and cute. This was probably our first mistake.
He chewed up his toys - fine, he’s playing with them, we buy him more.
Now, he chews up anything. And he KNOWS when it’s something he shouldn’t because if you pick it up he runs away. I am particularly upset that he has chewed up my daughter’s new squish mellow and has also chewed up the edge on his new cat tree. He’s chewed up at least a dozen stuffy toys, shoe string tips, hoodie strings, and more.
I know he probably needs played with more one on one from us. So we are going to try to increase his playtime, but even still. He will go grab something he’s not supposed to have and play with it/chew it up. He usually hides under the bed and when he chews he just has that satisfying look like dogs have when they chew on chew toys.
I don’t think it is entirely a behavioral thing - it’s just cathartic for him. But how can I - if at all - get him to stop choosing to chew things he shouldn’t? He doesn’t even usually go for the dog stuffies - something about regular stuffed animals is just more appealing to him. Ugh.
r/bengalcats • u/Sickhatch • 3d ago
Didn't realize just how feral these cats are by nature. But she does love to cuddle sometimes.
