Buying Bengals without papers.

vic73 · **Joined:** Fri Mar 27, 2015 12:56 pm **Posts:** 2

Hello all
I wonder if anyone can give me any advice. I was hoping to buy some cats that have a lower chance of causing an allergic reaction in a family member. I read that Bengals were a good option. I have found a pair of cats that are affordable (I have a very tight budget) however they do not come with papers, the current owner says that she doesnt have the papers as they costs more money (£100's seemingly - is this true?) and she never intended breeding or showing them. Is there any hints and tips for how I can establish whether they are genuine Bengals? I have owned cats all my life but they have always been moggies, is there anything specific I should look out for.
These cats are 2 years old and the boy is a Melanistic Bengal and the girls a spotted bengal - they have grown up together and come from the same breeder but are not brother and sister.

Can anyone give me any advice as to how to identify whether they are pure-breed.

Any advice gratefully received.
Thanks
Vic

neonyellowclover · **Joined:** Mon Apr 01, 2013 11:03 pm **Posts:** 535

Th ONLY way to truly tell if a Bengal is a Bengal is by papers. If you want a purebred cat, you have to do your homework on papers, testing, and breeders, and all of that comes at a price.

If allergies are a major concern, I am sure there are breeders who will let you and the family member come by for a visit to test out the allergy situation and to meet the potential member of a new family. I would suspect if a quality breeder knew that allergies were a concern, they would insist on a visit, not just pass their kittens off and hope for the best.

Eggman · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2014 11:22 pm **Posts:** 730

I know that money is tight but I honestly wouldn't advise getting a 'Bengal' if it is indeed a Bengal without papers.

It is so easy to fall prey to Back Yard Breeders and if you were unfortunate to get a cat who had not been tested, health screened and was in poor health you could be looking at very hefty vet bills.

It would be worth you trying to save the money up so you can buy from a reputable breeder. IMO it's a poor economy not to do so.

vic73 · **Joined:** Fri Mar 27, 2015 12:56 pm **Posts:** 2

Thanks for both answers. I have decided against it, as lovely as these cats are and as much as I'd like to give them a home I don't want to pay 100s of £'s for a couple of very lovely moggies that will create an allergy situation.

many thanks for your answers and wisdom

thanks
v

Sherry · **Joined:** Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm **Posts:** 9217

My Raiden is shedding his winter coat. You pet him and the fur just flies off. I do comb him throughout the day as well. There are people who are allergic to bengals. I just read something from someone who ended her post on on the Animal Rescue site that said, "That's what allergy medicines are for." Bengals do shed less than many other breeds, but they do shed. The only cat that would not would be a hairless breed.

As those before have mentioned, papers prove a bengal is purebred. I'm not sure why a breeder would claim it costs more money to register cats. There may be a membership fee but it should not cost much at all to register a litter of kittens so the individual cats can be registered. This says to me that this is a backyard breeder.

In my opinion, a "bengal" without papers isn't worth a whole lot of money and would not pay much for the cat. You've already decided against this transaction. If you truly want a bengal, try a bengal rescue group. Many rescues are being rehomed and have papers.

CMYKjill · **Joined:** Tue Sep 23, 2014 6:38 pm **Posts:** 1838

I rescued my mix breed SLP kitties, and they are a year old now. They have not started shedding yet at all. There is no hair around my house or on the furniture. I rarely brush them and very little comes out when I do. Water seems to roll off their fur and they dry very quickly.

My last cat was Siamese and she shed a lot but she was old and her health was failing for years. I keep wondering if these two don't shed because they are young and healthy.

Whatever the reason I am happy they don't shed!

Sherry · **Joined:** Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm **Posts:** 9217

The amount of shedding is also determined by your location. Our temps range from single digits in the winter to over 100 degrees in the summer. A bengal in south Florida, for example, would not shed as much as mine here in Tennessee does. And, even though Raiden doesn't shed a lot, there's still hairs floating around when you pet him.

CMYKjill · **Joined:** Tue Sep 23, 2014 6:38 pm **Posts:** 1838

BrookeBQ · **Joined:** Fri Mar 13, 2015 2:21 pm **Posts:** 30

My input on allergies is that I am super allergic to cats, but not my bengal. I do get a little stuffy if I stick my noise right in her fur to cuddle for around 10 minutes, but it's pretty much nothing compared to how allergic I usually am! I would want to ensure your bengal is a purebred through papers though if allergies are a concern.

bkilgore · **Joined:** Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:19 pm **Posts:** 3302

I have cat allergies as well and so does my son. We have went through tons of testing the latest of which was just yesterday. After a few years of trying different meds we have finally decided to start him on allergy shots. While at the children hospital yesterday I talked with the allergy specialist about pet allergies. We have both cats and a dog and he is allergic to both. The doctor told me that exposing yourself to these "allergens" will create a response from you body. Over time the more environmental allergens you expose yourself to the less severe the reaction will be. There is not any breed of cat or dog that is "hypoallergenic" not bengals or poodles or a mix of any breed. The protein that us humans are allergic is produced by all domestic felines. This protein can range in different cats within the same breed. I could have an allergic reaction to one bengal but not another. Or allergic to one Maine Coon but not the other. So getting a bengal doesn't mean you will not have allergies. The best thing you can do is find a breeder and spend some time around their cats and kittens. I have seen many ads of people rehoming cats/kittens due to allergies, so it is still possible to be allergic to bengals. With that being said, the doctor did say that hybrid cats usually produce less of the proteins than "domestics" do. They are currently studying bengals, Savannahs, and another breed I have never heard of because of varying proteins they produce.

neoow · **Joined:** Sat May 07, 2011 12:23 am **Posts:** 728

I don't think that it costs hundred of pounds/dollars/whatever to register cats. I'm sure someone on here would be able to confirm this. I'm pretty sure that's one of the cheaper parts of breeding cats. :/

rseymour88 · **Joined:** Fri Oct 31, 2014 9:23 pm **Posts:** 170

im not sure with TICA but in the uk it costs the following to tegister with GCCF; £75 one off fee to register your prefix and £14 to register a kitten. Therefore when they claim that they have no papers due to cost this is a blatant lie because it would be much more beneficial to register them because they could gain more financially. The fact is they dont register them because they arent supposed to be breeding in the first place.

Buying Bengals without papers.

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