I placed my deposit & landed the 2nd pick overall on what turned out to be a large litter of 8! (4 boys/4 girls.) I am set on a male which leaves me w/ 3 (first reservation chose a male as well.) I didn't anticipate having to choose so early on so I thought I'd pose the scenario here, for the more seasoned owners out there. Below are the 2 boys, priced equally... Ideally I'd prefer a rosetted light brown over a rust but I know it can change or can be difficult to detect early on. Instinct is w/ #1 but I'm all ears! Thanks.

I think you should visit the kittens when you are able to and see which one chooses you. To me, their character is more important than their markings. I went to choose my cats with ideas of how they should look, but in the end it was the little guy who climbed up my leg to meet me that I fell in love with. xx

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The little monsters 3

They're so adorable!

I agree about seeing their personalities, that was most important to us. We were looking for a more traditional Bengal with rosettes but in the end we got a snow Bengal because his personality was so great.

If I had to go only on pictures I personally like #1 because I like his face. But they are still quite young and they will change quite a bit.

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Dallas, TX USA
Diesel - snow Bengal born 09/01/2013 adopted Feb 2014
Tuck, Chloe, Buddy, Lewis & Tia - rescue kitties
Clyde, Bleu & Coal - Great Danes

Thank you for your responses! I'm hoping to get an opportunity to go and meet the little guys before I have to make a decision. Luckily, the breeder is only a 20-minute drive away and she understands my hesitancy to make such a big decision based on such limited information. I think the pressure to choose is mainly based on the fact that there are 3 or 4 other buyers in line after me who also paid the non-refundable reservation fee. (I jumped in early and was able to snag the 2nd pick.) I kinda feel bad for potentially keeping the others waiting. Either way, it will be another 6 weeks or so before the kittens can be picked up & I know a lot can happen between now and then. Any thoughts... does this kind of thing happen often?

I may be completely wrong here and I have got the wrong breeder, but I have a fair idea of where these kittens are from, does this breeder have a Paypal link for deposits?

If they do, then I would suggest money is a priority for this breeder, and that is probably not the sort of breeder you want.
A good breeder will match up kittens with owners and suss out owners as to their suitability for owning a Bengal.
By selling kittens like online merchandise, they are showing that they do not really care who gets their kittens, just as long as they put the money up front.
Paypal links to sell kittens is a no-no in the proper Bengal breeding world.

All Bengals are beautiful but the personality and disposition are what you are really going to be living with. I would be weary if a breeder wanted me to make a decision before i could meet them.

So why not go and see the kittens and make the decision?

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Proud servant of Ramses and Djoser

One reason the breeder may be wanting a deposit on the kittens is because she wants to insure that her kittens are spoken for and she's not stuck with a handful of unwanted kittens. It can happen. However, wanting the deposit before you've even seen the kittens sounds a little shady to me. It seems like she's more concerned about the money than if her kittens go to good homes.

My breeder friend asks for a deposit in the form of a check. No worries if you change your mind she will give you the check back. She has people changing their minds all the time. Her kittens go fast. We had to hold ours almost from the time he was born but it ended up being a wonderful experience. We visited him each week and bonded with him and his siblings. We went back for another kitten six months later. He had difficulty gaining weight so she kept him with his Mom a few extra weeks. That's the kind of breeder who cares.

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The little monsters 3

They are both really cute. I could go for either of them!! I too am looking at bengals right now, but am undecided if one would be ok with my other cats.

Deposits are part and parcel of the breed and for a breeder they show that the potential new owner is committed, no-one wants to be left with unsold kittens. Nothing essentially wrong with deposits really.
I have a bit of an issue with some breeders who when selling to other breeders, will keep deposits even if the kitten is not up to breeding standard - but generally deposits for pet kittens are fine.
However the problem here is the Paypal button next to the kitten, as if it were a pair of shoes.
Any breeder worth their salt needs to speak to new owners, and match the kitten to the owner, weed out the idiots and make as sure as possible the kitten will have a good home.
The kitten is a living breathing thing, it has a personality, it has needs, it shouldn't be given away to the first person who can click a Paypal button.

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The little monsters 3