Where to start
Being a responsible breeder I wanted to dedicate a page to this so that people who are looking to find a good breeder can do just that - find a GOOD breeder that cares about their animals and where they're going.
You as a potential client should have the right to ask questions about a breeders cats/kittens. DO YOUR RESEARCH, it is important to research what kind of breeder you're dealing with so that you end up with a quality kitten that is free of disease and health defects; it is YOUR money that you're spending and you have the right to educate yourself as much as possible where ever you can. So here are a few topics to talk about with the breeders you're interested in purchasing from, good questions to ask and WHY they're good questions to ask.
TICA registration and pedigrees
It is always good to ask if the breeders cat/kittens are TICA registered - here's why. Bengal breeders need to be members of TICA to register their cats and kittens; by becoming a member with TICA breeders are asked to follow a code of ethics when it comes to their breeding practices and husbandry - if they do not follow this code of ethics they are not allowed to be TICA members and are not allowed to register cats/kittens with the TICA registry to get pedigrees for their cat/kittens. TICA holds standards for responsible breeders to follow; this is one of the reasons it is always good to purchase a Bengal kitten from a TICA registered cattery. Pedigrees are IMPORTANT - it is important to be able to get registration paper work for your cat/kitten and pedigrees for pure bred animals - here's why. Pedigrees help people to research genetics on their animals; for a pet owner that wants to get involved this will help you to see what lines your cat heirs from and research those lines as well as any possible genetic illness that could effect those lines. If you're a breeder it is important to breeders also to research genetic health but also to look at common ancestors in your animals to avoid inbreeding. So we have learned that you should look for a TICA registered cattery and that you should buy from a breeder that has pedigree animals and offers registration/pedigrees on the animals they produce at their facility - what next?
Infectious and genetic diseases
Infectious diseases
FIV or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is a type of virus called a retrovirus. It is in the same family as Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, the virus that causes AIDS). It attacks the immune system and as a result, the cat is unable to fight off various infections and cancers. Approximately 2.5% of cats in the United States are infected with FIV. FIV is NOT transmitted by prolonged close contact, as is the case for FeLV. FIV is shed in the saliva and is usually transmitted by bite wounds.
FIV transmission in utero or through the mother's milk is very rare. It could possibly occur if the queen is infected during pregnancy or while nursing the kittens. Queens infected with FIV prior to the pregnancy usually have non-infected kittens. But this in NO WAY makes it okay to breed cats that are knowingly infected with this disease! Always make sure to ask a breeder if they screen for FIV in their cattery.
FeLV or Feline Leukemia Virus
permits them to insert copies of their own genetic material into that of the cells they have infected. In the United States, approximately 2 to 3% of all cats are infected with FeLV. Rates rise significantly—13% or more—in cats that are ill, very young, or otherwise at high risk of infection. Cats persistently infected with FeLV serve as sources of infection. Virus is shed in very high quantities in saliva and nasal secretions, but also in urine, feces, and milk from infected cats. Cat-to-cat transfer of virus may occur from a bite wound, during mutual grooming, and (though rarely) through the shared use of litter boxes and feeding dishes. Transmission can also take place from an infected mother cat to her kittens, either before they are born or while they are nursing. I can not express enough how important it is to have any cats entering your home to be checked for FeLV; all good breeders screen for this disease! I am not going to get into how these diseases effect your cats and or symptoms of the diseases themselves because that is research you can do now that you know about these infectious retrovirus' but make sure that who ever you're purchasing from screens for these diseases!
FIP or Feline Infectious Peritonitis is a viral disease of cats caused by certain strains of a virus called the feline coronavirus. Most strains of feline coronavirus are avirulent, which means that they do not cause disease, and are referred to as feline enteric coronavirus. Cats infected with a feline coronavirus generally do not show any symptoms during the initial viral infection, and an immune response occurs with the development of antiviral antibodies. In a small percent of infected cats (5 to 10 percent), either by a mutation of the virus or by an aberration of the immune response, the infection progresses into clinical FIP. The virus is then referred to as feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV). With the assistance of the antibodies that are supposed to protect the cat, white blood cells are infected with virus, and these cells then transport the virus throughout the cat's body. An intense inflammatory reaction occurs around vessels in the tissues where these infected cells locate, often in the abdomen, kidney, or brain. It is this interaction between the body's own immune system and the virus that is responsible for the disease. Once a cat develops clinical FIP involving
one or many systems of the cat's body, the disease is progressive and is almost always fatal. The way clinical FIP develops as an immune-mediated disease is unique, unlike any other viral disease of animals or humans.
Any cat that carries any coronavirus is potentially at risk for developing FIP. However, cats with weak immune systems are most likely to develop the disease, including kittens, cats already infected with feline leukemia virus (FeLV), and geriatric cats. Most cats that develop FIP are under two years of age, but cats of any age may develop the disease. FIP is not a highly contagious disease, since by the time the cat develops clinical disease only a small amount of virus is being shed. Feline coronavirus can be found in large quantities in the saliva and feces of cats during the acute infection, and to a lesser extent in recovered or carrier cats, so it can
be transmitted through cat-to-cat contact and exposure to feces. The virus can also live in the environment for several weeks. The most common transmission of feline coronavirus occurs when infected female cats pass along the virus to their kittens, usually when the kittens are between five and eight weeks of age.
FIP is relatively uncommon in the general cat population. However, the disease rate is much higher in multiple-cat populations, such as some shelters and catteries. FIP has also been shown to be more common in certain breeds, but it is still unclear as to whether these breeds are more susceptible because of their genetics or whether they are exposed to feline coronavirus more often because many of them come from catteries.
Unfortunately there isn't really any way to test for FIP because it mutates into a fatal disease from a very common virus that most cats do carry or have been exposed to (coronavirus) there is a titer test you can do to see if your cat has been exposed to a coronavirus but that only tells you that your cat has been exposed and is in no way indicative in telling if your cat will develop this deadly disease. However; I thought I would bring up FIP even though there isn't any way to really test for it in seemingly healthy cats - it is a good virus to do a bit of research on if you are a cat owner. And if you ever have any cats/kittens that end up with symptoms of FIP it may be possible to diagnose the disease by process of elimination, titer testing to see if cat/kitten has been exposed to a coronavirus etc.
Genetic or hereditary diseases are those that are passed on from the mother or father to the offspring.
HCM or Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is a hereditary disease that causes a thickening of the heart muscle resulting in poor relaxing and filling ability. As the heart’s pumping chamber (ventricle) becomes progressively thicker, less blood can enter the chamber;
thus, less blood is ejected out to the body. The cause of HCM is unknown, although certain breeds of cats appear to be
predisposed. Middle-aged male cats may be more commonly affected and it seems to be that cats who test positive for HCM also tend to have kittens which develop the disease later in life.
A physical examination performed by your veterinarian may reveal a heart murmur, abnormal heart sounds, abnormal lung sounds, or irregularities in heart rhythm. Chest radiographs (x-rays), an electrocardiogram (ECG..sometimes called an EKG), and an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) are tests often utilized to confirm a suspected diagnosis and to determine severity. A routine physical exam and one or more of these tests may be recommended every six months to one year to look for any progression of disease in cats without clinical signs. Testing in breeding cats is usually recommended beginning at a year to a year and a half old and performed again 6 months later to confirm that your breeding animals do not show symptoms of this hereditary disease. Most catteries do screen for this illness; but because it tends to onset later on in life it could develop in cats which were tested early on then later develop the disease. It is important for catteries to test for this disease in cats 1-3yrs of age; typically if a cat has had testing done between these ages they are clear of the disease and their kittens should not develop it either.
PK-def or Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency is a recessive inherited enzyme deficiency that causes anemia in some affected
cats. PK-def is genetic and can’t be passed in any other way than by breeding an affected or carrier animal. There is a DNA test performed which can detect the gene. This DNA test can be easily done by cheek swab or blood test. The test will reveal results as 'normal', 'carrier' or 'affected'.
Affected cats posses two PK Def. genes and will have had both parents who are either affected or are carriers - inheriting one faulty gene from each parent. It would seem that some affected cats do not show any symptoms for many years whilst others develop anemia that proves fatal. It is unsafe to breed from an affected female as it will most likely kill her and could well also mean an aborted pregnancy too.
Normal means that the PK Def. gene has not been detected by the test. All kittens from a set of PK Def. Normal parents will be clear from this genetic deficiency and are therefore clear to breed as long as they are otherwise fit, healthy and of good type for the breed.
Okay now you know to ask about different types of diseases that should be checked for in catteries - lets move onto something a little less boring shall we?
Animal husbandry & socialization
It is important when you are purchasing a kitten that you talk to your breeder about what kind of animal husbandry they practice and how they socialize their kittens. Most breeders will raise their babies inside with them for maximum socialization through constant interaction and handling (this is what you want to look for!) All of our kittens are handled from birth (we are usually present while our queens birth their kittens to make sure there are no complications) you want to make sure that what ever breeder you purchase from handles their kittens frequently from a young age so they are properly socialized, I can not stress this enough especially with exotic cats because they tend to be a little aloof anyway! You don't want to spend a bunch of money on an animal that is absolutely terrified of you because it wasn't handled or socialized properly. Make good judgment based on the amount of cats the breeder has vs. the amount of hands a breeder has to handle all litters that are present. I am not saying larger scale breeders can not properly socialize their kittens because there are some great breeders out there that have help handling all of the babies they're producing but what you don't want is to buy from someone who has far too many cats to be able to socialize them and are working without any type of help to maintain good handling and husbandry with their animals (mill breeders!)
If you have to purchase your animal out of state and have it shipped in - get to know the breeder. Most breeders who are doing good with their animals are proud of the way their animals are kept and are not offended if you ask for pictures of their set up - a lot of breeders even have pictures of their catteries on their websites! Don't be scared to ask to see the conditions in which the animals are kept. If it's at all possible to pick your kitten up in person that is always best so you can see first hand if the breeders are practicing good animal husbandry and their cats have spacious places to live, clean litter, clean water and full food bowls.
Ask the breeder how they keep their breeding animals, are the animals caged - if so how big are their cages and do they get time to free roam or are they always kept caged? Are the animals free roaming indoors? If so - how do they deal with separating studs and queens for selective breeding and if more than one stud is present how do they make sure which stud is breeding which queen etc. Typically most Bengal breeders keep their studs in large outdoor enclosures (and sometimes their queens as well, because un-altered bengals tend to spray) - ideally you want to work with a breeder that gives their cats optimal space so the cats are physically and mentally healthy; and by optimal space I mean in the way of having their own enclosures or being indoors with their people - NOT free roaming outside where they can come in contact with any other feral cats or infectious diseases.
When you purchase a kitten, you want to make sure you're purchasing from a reputable breeder who understands the breed, that treats their animals with respect and offers them comfortable living and practices good animal husbandry. You want to find a breeder who is passionate about what they are doing; who is in it for the love of the breed and not just financial gain. Use common sense - if it doesn't feel right then it's probably not right; move on! Find someone you trust, get to know them, get to know their cats and eventually adopt one of their kittens. Buying an animal should never be done on impulse - take the time to find just the right breeder, be picky - you have the right to be!