Welcome to our forum and Jinx is just stunning! I was going to recommend you call the animal authorities on this guy -- but you mentioned that you would! It is important for the lives of these cats. You will be doing this backyard breeder a favor. Kittens should never leave their mommy this early. The guy is obviously only in this for the money, and you have the opportunity to stop it. Just know that if these cats have food and water and shelter, there isn't much the can be done unless they are living in their own feces. These poor kittens may not be very healthy. I hope you had Jinx checked out by a vet.

And just because the guy said Jinx is a purebred bengal doesn't make it so. Unless he can provide you with registration papers, you will never know for sure. What I'm seeing is a combination of rosettes and marbling and I'm not sure I've ever seen that with a bengal. Doesn't mean it's not what a bengal may look like. Just enjoy Jinx and give him the best home possible and all the love you can.

We got all of his shot records from the guy finally and he gave us proof that at LEAST the father is a bengal and told us how old the kitten was (Shot record says almost a week ago he was 7 weeks). Apparently I'm really bad at telling age of kittens . We should be going to see a vet soon since he didn't get all his shots from the guy. I think he told us he was only missing one?

So you may have a bengal mix. You want to know exactly the vaccinations your kitten received as you never want to over-vaccinate a kitten. All breeders are supposed to maintain accurate records for their cats and kittens.

He did. He finally sent it to us. He needs his next one in less then a month.

As someone who had a Bengal mix, I know from personal experience that they can be wonderful companions. I adopted one not knowing his background.

But in the eyes of most purebred owners and other breeders, they are a breeding mistake and you will face some discrimination because of that. Just be aware of that. Breeders like this one are considered a stain on the breeds' reputation.

But also a Bengal mix doesn't face any special medical issues like some other mixes and hybrids do, so that is an advantage. High protein quality diet, lots of fresh water, and they seem to thrive. You will learn along the way what Bengal traits and what domestic traits your cat has.

I hope whatever decisions you come to regarding this family of cats that they all find loving homes.

Congrats on the new kitten! Very nice markings! Unfortunately there are folks in both the dog and cat world who are just in it for the money and unfortunately it is the animals who often suffer. Having the animals live in less than desirable conditions like that, well, there just isn't an excuse for treating animals like that. On the upside, there are some fantastic breeders out there who really care about the cats and are looking at breeding more like a labor of love (no pun intended) and not as a money making venture. Our first two Bengals came from Libby Kerr at Akerrs Bengals outside of Columbus, Ohio. She is fantastic in every way and I can't say enough good things about her. I must say that the breeder (Laddhill Bengals, Sherwood, OR) we got our most recent Bengal was almost over the top fantastic. She as a relatively small, cage free, home based breeding program. TICA certified, USFW certified. The mom and her 3 kittens were talking around the house free range like they would be in their forever homes. We got our kitten complete with a binder complete with DNA testing for several conditions and genetic background. Complete family tree for mother and father going back 6 generations, full vet records up to date, microchip information, picture of mom and dad, kitten picture of our little guy. I have better health history/records on this little guy than I do on myself. The purchase contract is also a very good clue when looking at breeders. Ours required a kitten health check with our vet within 3 days of getting the kitten. Since he is a pet and not for breeding we are required to send proof of getting him snipped within the first 4-6 months. Has to be 100% indoor cat or if outside has to be on a leader. Sure it all seems like a lot and some people may think it is a pain in the rear but it also tells me our breeder is truly concerned about her cats and their future well being and not about making money by pumping out kittens/puppies. Final note, sometimes the little guys/girls who start out life in less than ideal conditions make the more loving little buddies. The rescue cat we just lost this winter we had for 17 years. She was the best little lap cat, always wanted to be around us and always more than receptive to a scratch on the head. She was found as a kitten in a paper bag in a dumpster with her brother and sister. She was in horrible shape when we got her but ended up being the best cat ever.