My family and I are thinking of having a Bengal join us. As I've been researching I've been noticing the need for choosing a breeder carefully.

We live in Maryland and are looking for a breeder in the state of Maryland, South/Central Pennsylvania, Delaware, or the Eastern Shore of Virginia. I've found these two so far in my search, if you know of them can you recommend? Or are there red flags?

http://www.marylandbengalcats.com/index.html
http://www.cocobanabengals.net/

At this point just based on location the second, cocobana, would be our best option. But I'm open to suggestions and other options as well.

Thank you!

I just skimmed both sites and the thing I see missing, which you should definitely ask about is heart screenings for both parents on a yearly basis. HCM is prevalent among Bengals and you definitely want a breeder that can show you test results from both parents. There are quite a few threads on here about it. I would do a quick search and do some reading about the disease. Good luck in your search!

If you could go to NY there are several breeders that I could recommend. One is a good friend that just moved from TN (where I live) to NY and she could give you info on other breeders in the area if you decide not to purchase from her. PM me if you want more info.

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hi i am looking for bengal in the ny area?

i tried to PM you, but i didn't see that function available?


also any tips on what i should consider when choosing a breeder?

The best breeder I know in NY is Darkside Bengals. They are really good with their cats and truly care for them. They screen for HCM as well as Pk Def. Their cats are top notch and have already made a huge impact on the breed IMO. When looking for a breeder you need to make sure they socialize their cats and kittens. Most breeders will have outside enclosures for their breeding cats and this is normal but it should be nice and the cats should have the attention they deserve. The kittens should be out and about and used to everyday life. The breeder should also screen all of their breeding cats for HCM and PK Def.
If I were in driving distance of Darkside I would be getting my next kitten from them. Look them up on facebook and you will get an idea of what they have to offer.

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