Hi folks, Im new to this site but I have 2 cats, a silver bengal 2 years old and a BSH 15 months old. Yesterday I saw an advert for bengal kittens for sale £80. I rang up and the lady said she couldnt afford to keep them anymore. I went to her house and there were 5 27 week old kittens running absolutely wild (like ferals) around her living room. She showed me mum and dad (a silver marble boy and brown spotted girl). They were very calm. I couldnt see the kittens for more than a second as they hid under the sofa. There was one mackeral coloured marble boy who was really small for his age. She told me he had a hernia. I rang the vet there and then and he said that it would be fine and he could repair it when i had him neutered. I offered the lady £60 for him and brought him home. Hes gorgeous, but the problem is that I dont know what to do with him. Hes petrified of everyone and everything! I dont think these kittens have ever been handled by humans at all. Hes like a feral cat (literally!) He cowers under the sofa. My other two cats were great with him. Actually my BSH wanted to kiss him and my Bengal boy rolled over and submitted himself to him. I feel soooo sorry for Ernie (this is what hes called because of his hernia)! Can you give me some advice on how to tame this beautiful boy! x

Hi

This is the problem with buying kittens from a source other than a reputable breeder. For a ridiculously small price for a Bengal, you have bought a six month old kitten who as you say yourself is probably, a feral by nature.

He has probably not been handled by humans in the critical socialisation period. If not, he will probably never be properly social. You may be able to tame him to a degree but he may always cower and hide from people.

My cat who unfortunately died a few years ago was a feral kitten when I got her at about 10 weeks. I fostered her for the Cats Protection for a few weeks, until she received an offer of a home. At that point I had invested so much into her that I couldn't let her go. She was scared of everything and managed to get under and behind anything including the washing machine and under the floorboards as we were doing some renovation at the time and she escaped through this tiny hole in the skirting board. We trapped her underneath the house with a Cats Protection trap. She did however purr like crazy when I did manage to stroke her which gave me some hope in the early days. She did tame to an extent in that she was great with us, but never to the extent a fully socialised cat is. She was petrified of strangers and would race away to her bolt hole as if her life depended on it if she heard any strange noise.

I think though with your cat it is early days. Some of his behaviour may be deep rooted as he is now 6 months old but some of what you describe is the same reaction any half grown/adullt cat would exhibit placed in the same situation.

1. I would remove him immediately from your other cats, he is probably terrified of them.
Put him in a small quiet room on his own so that he can find his feet and explore without anyone or anything else being there.

2. Get a basket with a cover so that he has somewhere safe to hide and his own litter tray. Go and sit with him in there but don't grab him, wait till he comes to you. Eventually get a fishing rod toy or a small ball and gently encourage him to play, getting him closer and closer to you.

3. After he is more used to you and your family then it is time to slowly introduce him to your cats. They are in their own territory and seem perfectly relaxed but he has been removed from all he knows with strange people and big strange cats!! Try a dog cage or something similar so that they can sniff each other through the bars but he can retreat and hide away should they become too threatening.

With a lot of patience and time he may be fine.

ALSO

Is he healthy? I would definitelly get him checked by your vet. If this so-called breeder could not afford to keep kittens then they may not be vaccinated, wormed or vet checked at all.
He may be a danger to your other cats.

Is he registered with TICA? Are this woman's cats on the Active register? Do you have a bona fide pedigree certificate? Is this woman a reputable breeder fallen on hard times or is she the dreaded back yard breeder.

I would like to post a warning to others wishing to procure a Bengal kitten

Please, please if you want a Bengal then go to a reputable breeder who really looks after their kittens and has a great deal of knowledge regarding the breed.
Be very wary of cheap Bengals, they are usually of inferior quality and may have other problems, as you have found out.

Back yard breeders have no interest in developing the breed in fact they actively/passively damage it. They are in it for the money by cutting corners that no reputable breeder would even contemplate.

I feel very sorry for Ernie and the like.

I hope you can give him the attention he deserves.

Good luck

Elsa

Thanks for the advice. I didnt, however buy him because he was cheap. I wasnt even looking for another bengal. I was browsing the pets for sale websites as I always do and saw the advertisement. I was curious as to how they were so cheap for such a quality breed and decided to go and look at them. The girl who was selling them was only young and inexperienced with no knowledge or time for them. She had bought two bengals and decided to see if she could make a cheap dollar. Obviously she hadnt a clue. I felt very sad for all these kittens and wanted them all. He has now been vet checked (hes fine) and booked in for neutering and vaccinations. I have, however read on this forum of people who have paid good money from reputable breeders and have had the same problem. If theyre not loved they become withdrawn and no nothing of a cuddle or affection.

Anyway, I have great news! He has done a dramatic turnaround. He chatters away (loudly) runs to me and get on my knee craving affection and within 48 hours he is absolutely a different boy. Hes soooo vocal and loves our other cats. My male bengal loves him and has taken him under his wing and our BSH girl mothers him.

The moral to my story is, perserverence and patience and offering love to any animal usually pays off. He may have been cheap and unloved but he is quality in my book and i just love any cat and I would love to have an animal rescue if I could afford to house them and look after them all.

Thanks for your advice and I hope that this helps others. Ps I will post some photos!

Hi

In am so glad he is fine.

What I mean by a reputable breeder is not a well known name or a large breeder or someone who has a great website offering beautiful cats. I mean a good caring breeder who looks after their cats whether they be a big or small breeder.

If you didn't want a Bengal then why did you go and see a breeder who was almost certainly a back yard breeder selling cheap kittens. Not only did you go and see them but you then managed to procure an even cheaper one by choosing the runt and haggling the price even further down. Well done you.

You are no better than the rest of the people who buy from back yard breeders.

Kittens keep being produced and who really suffers they do of course.

I have worked for the Cats Protection for a long time and have seen loads of unwanted cats and kittens. Every area has its share of unwanted moggies sitting in pens waiting for this wonderful home that rarely comes. Cats are bred indiscriminately. There is now a "trade" in pet kittens from moggies. Kittens sell for £40 each. Money is the only motivation.

I feel pedigree cat breeding is a different thing if done with care and attention. Care for the kittens, their long term survival and care for the breed being bred. Attention to all the details and responsibilities of being a "good" breeder.

Your "breeder" obviously did not fall into this category and by buying her kitten you have thus condoned her actions. Her sob story may be the same next year as she offloads her next litter and pockets the proceeds, having done nothing for the good of the breed, her kittens or the breeder who she has betrayed by breeding non-active cats.

Good luck with little Ernie it is not his fault that he is the product of greed.

Regards

Elsa

Hello again,

Have you ever though that it is not the cats fault that is has been bred from a back yard breeder? If people like myself were to turn their nose up at kittens/cats because (Its a cheap cat and not a quality pedigree) there would be many more homeless kittens in shelters awaiting homes. Some people think that if you havent paid in excess of £400 for a quality bengal then they mustnt be worth spending your time or money on them. All of my cats have been rescued and offered a wonderful home by myself and my family. I am very proud of the fact that I am not at all snobberish about the fact that I offered my home to this poor bengal cat (the runt as you call it!) He's my beautiful boy and I feel no shame at all in rescuing him from a more terrible fate of staying there with this ignorant woman. You remind me of a lady who works at my local Cats Protection shelter who puts most people off adopting these poor cats before they even get through the gate to look at them. People feel bullied into provided useless information when all they want to do is offer a home to these babies. If they are willing to pay £30, £40, or even £50 then they are obviously interested in helping to give them a good home. Obviously I made a HUGE mistake coming onto this website looking for advice as it is only for people with PROPER bengals who have been born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Its a shame that you dont offer thanks and respect to anyone who is offering a home to ANY cat of ANY breed. just as long as it has been offered a LOVING home.

I think your comments were unjustified and I will find another website to express my concerns and show off my beautiful babies on.

Please try and not put anyone else off asking for help when they need it without making them feel like they are not worthy of owning a Bengal.

_________________
www.supernova-bengals.co.uk

Thank you to all of the people on this forum who have supported my decision in bringing Ernie home to give him the love and attention he deserves. I did feel that although Elsa was quite right in a lot of what she was saying I did, feel like I had committed some terrible crime in purchasing this wonderful kitten. I didnt care that he was a bit wild, or unloved because I knew I could bring him into my family home and give him everything he hadnt had in his first few months of life. He never stops chattering away now. I cant believe he was so timid and scared on Thursday and today (sunday) he is confident, beautiful and has so much personality which was hiding away somewhere deep inside his broken esteem. I love all animals. They dont ask to be brought into this world by these people who are trying to make money from breeding (back yard style). I wished I could have taken them all and I know they would have been sooo happy at my house. Thanks again for all your comments and I will definately be keeping in touch on this forum. I realise it makes people angry to see these cats exploited in this way. I, however only want to make their life easier, not mine.

Ps A picture of Ernie is on its way! x

Here is Ernie! http://i9.tinypic.com/3z8qma0.jpg[/IMG]
Hope this works!

Awww - he is absolutely tiny. Are you sure he is 27 weeks. Thats the same age as Lubo (my eldest boy) and he is an absolute brute!!! Anyway he is gorgeous. Lots of love and kisses to Ernie - hope he feels better soon x

_________________
www.supernova-bengals.co.uk

Actually, we thought the same. She said that because of his hernia he wouldnt grow as big. I dont know how true that is. Maybe he is younger. The vet will check him out properly this week. I will keep you posted. Thanks for your comments.. Anj xx

Hi Anj, Great to see you back, i can see why you brought him home, he's
gorgeous....... lots of love and hugs to the little fella, and i look forward
to seeing more pic's as he grows

all the best
Nikki