As some of you may know we recently had to rehome my sweet Jasper. Since rehoming him we have all felt lost, including BB. It just doesn't seem right with only one Bengal and over the last week we have really considered the idea of adding a new kitten. The breeder that we have chosen is a 7 hour drive one way BUT I am not going to settle for any breeder because they are closer. Finding a breeder in our area that scans for HCM is next to impossible other than one breeder and she only breeds marbles. I can't bring myself to get another marble, I don't think I will ever look at them the same now. So anyways the breeder we are going with will have a couple of litters ready the beginning of next year, one litter of SBT kittens and a litter of F1 kittens. My husband is 100% convinced a F1 would be a good fit for our home, me not so much. I have read what can happen with eg cats so I am a little cautious, especially having small children in the home. I have emailed the breeder for her opinion and I am waiting to hear back. She has been the most professional breeder I have dealt with and I trust her judgment 100% . With that being said I value the opinions here on BCF as well. I know a lot of you have your opinions on eg ' s as pets and that is perfectly fine, I am asking for opinions here because of the knowledge and experience that all of you have to offer. If any of you have experience with an EG cat please let me know what it's like to live with these animals. I will not go through with this unless I am 99.9% sure we can do it. We were planning on placing our deposit on the SBT litter this weekend or the F1 litter in a couple of weeks. The deposit amount is 3 times that of a SBT kitten.

Also is it too early to add another kitten? It has been a few weeks since Jasper went to his new home and quite frankly it's still a sensitive subject.

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Anyone?

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I think an F1 would bring back all of your old problems, times 10. They tend to be more wild and can have behavioral problems as adults, which may put you in the same situation again.

If it were me, I wouldn't add another cat for a while. A new kitten may completely upset BB again and my guess would be that she still isn't resettled from Jasper being gone.

I am thinking the same with the EG but my husband is convinced otherwise. I have talked to a couple of breeders just for some advice and all of them have suggested getting another kitten. Not just for BB but for us as well. I honestly think she would benefit from us getting a kitten, I wouldn't do it if I didn't think she would not settle into the idea of having a new friend. She took to Jasper rather quickly and they were both adults. I am hoping it will be easier with a kitten. Also the queens have just now been breed so it will be late February or early March before we would bring a kitten home. All of the breeders have also suggested f2 or later.

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Get an SBT - will be the best for everyone involved. How old is BB?

I think I have finally talked my husband in to an SBT. Or actually the price tag of an F1 did ;). BB will be 3 in January.

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At 3 you still have a good chance of BB accepting a new kitten. Just realize it may or may not ever be the same kind of bond she had with Jasper. But, you could get lucky.

I hope so. She was 2 when we got Jasper and I was honestly worried then. She is such a confident cat I don't think there is much she couldn't tolerate. It will be tricky and nerve wracking foe the first few weeks but I think it will be worth it in the end. After all she and Jasper eventually got along and I was more worried about that than I am now. I think it will all work out in the end. I am hoping she will be more herself before we get the kitten, I think that will make it easier.

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If Jasper didn't manage to fit into your household, an F1 definitely won't.
They are a specialist pets for people who know about exotic animals, and some end up in zoos anyway, because frankly that is the best place for them.
DO NOT under any circumstances GET AN F1, long term breeders of F1's keep them in outdoor runs, they are NOT a pet for a family situation - it is a definite NO NO.
They make great kittens if socialised well, but once they grow up the issues tend to start.
Even F2s and F3's can be very difficult to handle. Many EGs bond with only one person in the household and some are aggressive to anyone else.
With children that would be dangerous.
They also tend to have bad litter box habits and are often timid too, so I would guess as neonyellowclover says Jasper x10 at least.

I honestly already knew all of this and the behaviors that come along with an EG. Most breeders I have talked to swear their F1 cats aren't like that but I have had a few be honest. I doubt I could handle PICA and that is a real concern with an EG cat. We have actually decided we will be getting an SBT bengal from a breeder in Ohio. We have decided that an F1 would not fit into our family at this time and would be too much for either of us to handle. I have had several days to talk this over with my husband and it finally hit him today when a breeder I know that has been breeding for some time told us her F1 is a hand full and this is her 3rd EG cat. If she can't handle it we can't handle it. We will be placing our deposit on a kitten this weekend. I hope this is the right move, I am extremely anxious about it. It took me a year after getting BB to convince myself it would be ok to get another bengal. Then another year to actually get Jasper. This all just feels a little fast.

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I know this isn't news to you, but I'll say it anyway... it seems to me like the #1 criteria in a new bengal for your household would have to be a really social cat that is ok with a lot of hustle and bustle and the craziness that comes with multiple young kids, and it just seems way way less likely to find that in an early generation bengal. Timid, nervous, and reclusive isn't going to work for you from what you've said. I would almost put that as a higher priority than hcm screening to be honest. Because a cat that hasn't been screened still has a pretty good chance of being healthy, but a cat that is unable to handle that environment is going to fail 100% of the time. You should probably take the kids to meet prospective kittens, and let that be the deciding criteria above anything else (including coat colors and patterns and all that). If the kitten is anything but extremely bold and sociable, then you should probably pass. First question to breeder: "how are the kittens with young kids?".

That's my $0.02.

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The little monsters 3

Thanks Brian! I have already talked to the breeder and the deposit will not be on a particular kitten but rather a way to hold my place to get a kitten from any litter. We will be able to visit when the kittens are old enough to determine which kitten will compliment our family, rather the kids and BB. It kind of worries me that the breeder doesn't have kids to socialize the kittens with so it will be a new experience for the kids and the kitten. Which is worrisome! I have two choices, either drive the long distance to get a bengal from screened lines and from a knowledgeable breeder that doesn't have kids or drive 3 hours to a breeder that doesn't screen but does have kids and socializes them with children from day one. The other breeder did screen for HCM but now states that it is pointless because she gives a lifetime guarantee against HCM. It's so confusing, even for me, I have had this drilled in my head and KNOW what I am doing and what to look for in a breeder but yet finding the one that fits best is difficult if not impossible.

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The little monsters 3

I think I agree with you. I have put health screening at the top of my list and in reality that might get me in trouble AGAIN! I haven't even talked to the other breeder but I think I am going to give her a call tomorrow and see if we can set up a time to meet her and her cats. My situation is a little more difficult than most but my kids really aren't bad kids but they are after all kids. They do get loud and run around at times, actually they are a lot like bengals now that I think about it. BB loves them dearly and takes turns sleeping with one of them through out the night. She plays with them and yells at them for attention. She did come from a breeder that had kids at her house all the time and she was used to that. Maybe I should concentrate on the socialization and personality before all else. Thanks for the advice Brian!

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I know you've already made your choice, but I wanted to tell you how very right you are to go with a SBT cat :) A VERY wise decision! The little doubts you had before your husband saw the pricetag were SPOT ON, and you should praise yourself for having good gut feelings!

My rescue kitty Maia, while not likely an F1, is presumed to be eg - a "poorly bred" F2, most likely. I am SUPER lucky that her weirdnesses are "mild" for what she is; most households - most bengal households - would have not been willing to house her even still. It took a year and a half, but she's finally using a litterbox more often than a sink now :P If she were to be housed by an average person with average expectations of a cat, she really would be better off in a zoo. I think SHE has been pretty lucky to have landed with me, in that respect! It was a household with other pets and also kids who dumped her in a shelter, where she was going to be put down but for a shelter worker who worked to get her into a rescue. And as difficult as Maia is, an F1 would be even "worse".... I cannot fathom an F1 fitting into your situation. Heck, if Maia weren't in my life, even as prepared as she's made me, I don't think an F1 would fit in my life, either!

So rest well, knowing you've made the right choices (both in finding a better situation for Jasper AND in seeking a kitten with the best chance of fitting into your home).