Hello!!
I am very hopeful to be getting a little Bengal kitten to join our family, however am super nervous as well as it costs quite a bit of money and all of my other furrbabies have all been adopted! My area is very limited when it comes to any breeders, or rescues! I did find someone who has the bengals for a very good price, but that alone scares me too. I don't want to be scammed, nor do I want to buy a cat from some horrible breeder that is doing it for all the wrong reasons but I am so new to this! So basically I would love some best practices and advice!

The person I am talking to now is selling their kitten for $600, and that's without TICA papers. They said with papers the little kitten will be $150 more.
I am not intending on breeding or showing this little one, however I would venture to guess that it's good to have papers? They are 4 hours away from where I live so I can't really just stop by and look at him but he looks adorable from pictures. However, I am not sure of I can tell from pictures that he is full bengal. They did mention I could have pictures of both parents and a copy of their pedigree. What scares me most is they don't have any website to go off of...?

I'm going to attach some pictures!

Any help would be great! Thanks!!

Hi there! Welcome to the Forum.

Where are you located? There may be more reputable breeders that you are not aware of. Many breeders also ship.

There is no way you should be spending $600 for a non-registered kitten. It cost me about $12 to register my kitten with TICA, nowhere near $150. The only way to ensure you have a purebred Bengal is to have the registration papers.

Are his parents scanned for HCM or tested for PK def? These are both prevalent in the Bengal population.

Does the purchase price include neutering?

Do not pick up your kitten before 12 weeks. Make sure he has had his first two rounds of vaccines.

Ask for references. Don't be shy or feel intrusive for doing so. This is an expensive and lifetime commitment for you.

The lack of website is not necessarily bad but visit the kitty before purchase and ensure there is a health guarantee/contract for him.

Good luck finding the right kitten for you. I am sure you will receive some great advice from other forum members.

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~ Kyenta

Hey! Thanks for the reply! Sorry I did clear up the TICA paper thing, he is papered but in order for me to have papers he will be $150 more sell price. So he is registered but she would hold the papers. She did send me pictures of the parents and she did say he comes with other paperwork and a contract. I have been contacting her through email and text. We did decide we would just drive to see everything in person, it's just four hours away! Hopefully it's worth it. But from the looks of the kitten is he a true bengal? Also he is not neutered but has had his shots and is dewormed and older than 12 weeks! :] I will also attach pictures of the parents! It does seem like the parents are both smaller which is a fear of mine because I would love for the kitten to become tall and long and bigger! Although of course I would love him all the same!

Oh and I live in Fredericksburg Virginia.

Thanks!

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He certainly looks like a Bengal.

Are his parents screened for HCM or PkDef? If the breeder says, "Yes," ask to see documentation.

You are on the right track going to see him before making any commitment. Look carefully at the environment as well as how he interacts with the other kittens/cats in the home.

$150 for a transfer of ownership is outlandish! I'm still curious as to why such an exorbitant cost.

Is he vaccinated? Will he come to you neutered?

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~ Kyenta

I would not pay that kind of money for an unregistered bengal. An extra $150 is outrageous considering it costs a fraction of that to register. I would offer her the exact amount it costs to register and not the $150. If they refuse ask why!!!!

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Lollo

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Anyone who charges more for papers is down here as a Backyard breeder

Well some of this info made me a bit leery of purchasing through this person. I will ask those specific questions and see what they say, but I guess if they won't be clear with me then I will stay away! Which is a shame because this kitten is so beautiful! :[
Thanks for all of the help!

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They may not have any intention of registering the litter...
worse still there may be a reason why they cannot (such as queen being bred too often which disqualifies the litter).

It is a common BYB tactic to ''put people off'' getting papers by claiming they cost ALOT more.
the actual cost is a fraction of what you have been quoted..

Id be dubious... sorry to say as you're options are limited :(

Well no they said he is registered by TICA she just said she is charging less if he's intended on just being a pet and he's going to cost more if he's going to be shown or bred. She said she already has all of his paperwork and stuff. So he is registered it's just going to cost more if I want to take the papers with me. She did also say there was a contract and he is up to date on everything and she doesn't mind giving me the mom and dads charts either... So I do see some legitimacy, but am still worried and yeah options are horridly limited unless I want to spend thousands, which that I simply just can't. :/

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Ok well I just wrote them a long email asking all of these questions and stating what my expectations were and if I get good answers then possibly it's ok, but if they seem short or annoyed I will just steer clear! :]
I can be fooled by cuteness so I am glad I came to seek advice from you experts! Thanks everyone!

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Sooo we drove the four hours yesterday to meet the little boy, and to my surprise she came with all the papers and lots of answers. She said that she didn't answer a lot at first because she felt perhaps I was another breeder and she generally doesn't like to sell her kittens to a breeder and based off the fact that I was asking for a pedigree and all that info she was worried that something was off. She brought me his TICA registration with her info and his litter info that she registered and checked the pet box and told me to send it off and there are options to view his pedigree as well. She gave me a sample of the vitamins she uses and told me all about the food she feeds him and gave me a contract and some info on what to purchase. I felt a lot better after that and took the little boy home with me.
Now to get him to get used to me. The car ride home he was super snuggly, but once he knew he could jump around in our bedroom and hide behind the toilet and bed he stays away. When I do get a hold of him he purrs and is very nice, but he chooses to be on his own most of the time crying his LOUD cry! I will post some pictures from my cell phone in just a moment. Right now he is jumping on and off our pretty high bed, he just discovered he had that super power If only he didn't run and jump off the bed every time my hand came near that would be nice!
Thanks again for all the guidance!

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I'm happy you had so many of your questions answered. However, I do believe there is a difference in the pet quality and show quality kittens, which is why the show ones cost more. You can't show a pet quality bengal unless he has show quality features.

Once I got mine registered, I went to bengalpedigrees.com and searched back all the way to the Asian Leopard Cat which was so interesting. I know you're busy bonding with your little one, but the bengal is an amazing breed and has an incredible background.

I know you'll enjoy your little boy. The parents are gorgeous. Congratulations.