Confusing title but I will explain.
So. My name's Shae and I currently live in NY. BUT I'm moving to FL in January so I really don't count myself as living in NY anymore. I'm a college student with a 6 month old/33 lb puppy. Fun stuff. Right. Anywho, I stumbled across this forum in my researching of the Bengal breed. I decided to join to get some more information on them from a firsthand source. Researching is great and all, but it's very generic. I much prefer to learn from everyone else's hands on experience, probably because websites say certain breeds will be this, this, and this and that's isn't exactly true all the time.

I have never owned my own cat because my family isn't fond of them and believe they stink. I've grown up with all my friends having cats and none of their houses reeked of "cat." I'll take my chances now that I'll be out on my own. A lot of what I read has said Bengals aren't for first time cat owners but in my situation, I think I can handle it. I don't want a lap cat or one that happily sits in the window sill for 12 hours a day. I want the active and attention seeking kind! I've seen a lot of things that say Bengals are more like getting a dog than a cat and well, that's fine by me. My dog can tire out my cat and my cat can tire out my dog. It's a win-win really. Especially since I'm leaving a 3 dog house. My poor girl is going to be bored out of her mind being an only pet.

I have contacted a two breeders about being placed on a waiting list for a kitten sometime next summer. I want to make sure I'm settled in and able to provide for a kitten before I make the commitment. I am still considering rescue, too, however being that I have a dog limits which cats I can rescue and where I can rescue from. Also if it's anything like dog rescue, my being under 21, or in some cases 25, limits my ability to adopt as well. I'm also concerned about the health of a rescue. This will be my first cat and I would hate for that experience to be tainted by an ill cat that I might lose at a young age. Callie, my dog, was a rescue case and she's had several medical issues. Not a day goes by where I don't worry about what's going to pop up next and if I'm going to lose my little girl. I don't think I can mentally handle worrying about two pets at once. Of course, I know there's a chance that a kitten from a breeder will also fall ill, but the chances are smaller, especially given that I am the type to demand pedigrees and known medical history of the past few generations.

Well that's a little bit about me. Hopefully you'll all share some wonderful info and stories with me. Anything about owning a Bengal or a cat in general that you'd like to share is very welcome. Until then, I'll be pouring myself into the other threads here.

Thanks so much for your answer! I really appreciate it!

I loveloveloveeee hot weather. I hate it here and NY as it is way too cold. I'll be in the Orlando area. I'm going to school at Full Sail Univ.

It's definitely reassuring to hear someone with a positive opinion on getting a Bengal as a first cat. I haven't made my choice lightly and have done a lot of research so I'm pretty sure I have an idea of what I'm getting into, though I also know it's impossible to know HOW crazy it is until you're under the same roof! Even though I'm a dog person, I'll admit, dogs stink! I just don't mind their smell all that much. I've tried to convince my mom for years now that cats only stink if you're irresponsible but she won't believe it until she comes to visit and sees they don't stink and they're not all mean little things.

My dog is a boxer/lab mix. My family's also got a chocolate lab and a chihuahua. So I know Callie will play gently with a cat if I work with her and let her know when she needs to cool off. I have seen that they're good with dogs, especially when raised together so it gives me a lot of hope. She's also not going to get much bigger than she currently is. The cat might end up being the same size as her, though hopefully not weighing 33 lbs! I think she was the runt but I can't be sure. She'll maybe get to 40lbs since I'm sure she's taking after the Boxer side of her.

I haven't contacted any breeders in Florida. I'm not sure why though... I was having trouble with quite a few links on the TIBCA site but I was on my ancient work computer so that could be why. I contacted Wild Traxx (wildaboutbengals.com) and if I remember correctly, she's in Alabama or Arkansas. All my info is written down at work so I don't know off the top of my head. I also filled out the form for Belrouge in Georgia. Of the two, I have a better feeling about Belrouge, but I'll know more once I receive replies and visit them. Wild Traxx unsettles me because she works with three breeds and other animals. Not even sure why I emailed her now that I think about it... I also want to talk to some of their previous buyers first. If you do suggest anyone in Florida, I'd love to look into them! Much easier car trip if I stay in state.

I will keep an eye on Spots & Stripes, I just can't look now or I'll end up bringing home a cat before I told myself I could!

Thank you for the tips on finding the right breeder. I have checked for most of them but I will definitely be digging specifically for those illnesses now. I wasn't sure what to look for specifically.