So, about two months ago – while I was in the process of researching Bengal breeders in my area/country and very excited about getting my baby.

There were plenty of breeders around my city, some with current litters and many with upcoming litters. Reputable breeders, all very nice and knowledgeable.

However, silly me fell in love with the photos of a Bengal who happened to be from interstate.

I saw his sweet face and my heart melted. I told the breeder I needed to think about it, so she sent me another cute photo of him and I was sold. I put a deposit on him that same hour without much thought.

The breeder was lovely to begin with, but after I had paid her, seemed more distant and hesistant to answer my questions. She didn’t provide me with any updates or new photos of my boy.

She rarely responsed to my emails and didn’t really answer my questions.

For some time I thought it was all a scam.

I asked her about the boy’s personaility and explained my situation of living in a small apartment with my moggie. She assured me he would suit my apartment and get along with my cat.

The day came when it was time for me to pick him up from the airport – he was so scared, shaking, trembling and hiding under his blanket.

He has taken a long time to trust me and still doesn’t after 6 weeks, although baby steps are making progress.

I just have one tip of advice for those looking into getting a Bengal, or any cat – if you can, and if you have reputable breeders near you, DON’T buy from interstate unless you actually are flying there to see the kittens for yourself.

That is my biggest regret – too quickly falling in love with a cute kitty and not actually taking the time to visit breeders near me to see some kittens for myself. A breeder can tell you all they want about a kitten and its personality – but you can’t know for sure unless you meet them yourself.

It’s my own fault for jumping to decisions so quickly and I only wish I spent more time looking around for my perfect kitten and meeting him/her first. I was just too excited.

I am not saying I regret getting my boy – he is improving every day and makes us laugh. However, given the chance again, I would have spent more time visiting different breeders to actually see how and where their kittens are brought up, as with the breeder of my boy – I just don’t know.

Hope this helps anyone who is looking into getting a kitten :)

You've learned your lesson. Most bengal kittens look alike, so I'm not sure what actually drew you to this one particular kitten. You should always try to visit the breeder and see the environment of the facilities and get to actually see the parent(s) and hold the kittens. That doesn't mean that a kitten who is friendly there won't be once it leaves the facility and is in a new home. Your kitty has settled in -- which is good. I would always try to avoid shipping a kitten. It is a terrifying experience for them. Some owners have great experiences -- many do not.

Well, snow bengals are gorgeous! I'm just happy things worked out for you in the end. A few people are not so lucky.