So how do you determine who is a good breeder? As a disclaimer, I'd like to say I am speaking specifically to the Bengal community, while a lot of these tips are generic across any breed, necessary health testing may differ.
The very first step will be following your gut, if you get a bad feeling, walk away. If they seem to be dodging questions or making excuses, walk away. Their cats should be registered, and don’t believe them if they say it’s because they want to “save you money”. Registering a cat costs $15, registering an entire litter is
only $13. Look for a breeder who is dedicated to placing the right kitten in your home. They will
help you compare the personality of their kittens, ensuring you get the one that is the right fit, not
just the one that looks the “cutest”. A reputable breeder will be working to improve the health of
their cats, with health history on all of the cats in their program and will be completing basic
health screenings as well. These include but may not be limited to testing annually or bi-annually
for Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a genetic or hereditary disease that causes a
thickening of the heart muscle. Breeders will also be screening for copies of the pyruvate kinase
deficiency (P/K def) which is a rare genetic disorder that affects red blood cells, leading to a
condition known as hemolytic anemia, and Bengal progressive retinal atrophy (PRA-b) a
hereditary eye disorder. Bengals can carry one copy of this, and it will not affect their health, but
cats that carry two copies will be affected, making it important to know whether or not you are
pairing two cats that carry together. A true preservationist breeder will also be striving for correct
structure and appearance. Even if the breeder does not actively show their cats, they should have
a sound knowledge of the breed standard and be actively working towards that goal, selecting
only cats that pass on desired traits for their program. Most importantly, these breeders provide
support and advice long after the kittens leave their care, offering their knowledge and expertise
to set up their families for success, as well as solve any problems that might come up.
The very first step will be following your gut, if you get a bad feeling, walk away. If they seem to be dodging questions or making excuses, walk away. Their cats should be registered, and don’t believe them if they say it’s because they want to “save you money”. Registering a cat costs $15, registering an entire litter is
only $13. Look for a breeder who is dedicated to placing the right kitten in your home. They will
help you compare the personality of their kittens, ensuring you get the one that is the right fit, not
just the one that looks the “cutest”. A reputable breeder will be working to improve the health of
their cats, with health history on all of the cats in their program and will be completing basic
health screenings as well. These include but may not be limited to testing annually or bi-annually
for Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a genetic or hereditary disease that causes a
thickening of the heart muscle. Breeders will also be screening for copies of the pyruvate kinase
deficiency (P/K def) which is a rare genetic disorder that affects red blood cells, leading to a
condition known as hemolytic anemia, and Bengal progressive retinal atrophy (PRA-b) a
hereditary eye disorder. Bengals can carry one copy of this, and it will not affect their health, but
cats that carry two copies will be affected, making it important to know whether or not you are
pairing two cats that carry together. A true preservationist breeder will also be striving for correct
structure and appearance. Even if the breeder does not actively show their cats, they should have
a sound knowledge of the breed standard and be actively working towards that goal, selecting
only cats that pass on desired traits for their program. Most importantly, these breeders provide
support and advice long after the kittens leave their care, offering their knowledge and expertise
to set up their families for success, as well as solve any problems that might come up.