ABOUT BENGALS

Bengals are extremely intelligent, curious to learn, loyal, very affectionate, friendly and love children. Typically, they are outgoing, curious, playful cats. They get along great with dogs, our Bengals sleep with our dog.  Bengals love to play fetch and roll over. Our Bengals have joined us in the bath tub!!!

Bengals enjoy sitting on your shoulders or being at the tallest height possible. They love to be around people. Bengals shed very little as their coat is more like a pelt then like fur.

Bengals are relatively large-boned, shorthaired cats. The males range from 14-18 pounds and females 8-12 pounds.

To learn more about Bengal cats visit:

The International Bengal Cat Society

We produce some of the best kittens in the world. We ship them to approved homes only. Using a shipping company that takes the best care of our Bengal kittens. We also hand deliver some of our kittens if asked. We are a small cattery and we are breeding brown rosetted and Silver Rosetted Bengals. First comes health, temperament, pattern and then type.  

The Bengal cat is a medium to a relatively large shorthaired exotic cat. Bengals vary in size with the male between 14 to 16 pounds and females slightly smaller at ten to 12 pounds. Bengals are very muscular cats with long bodies, thus appearing larger. They are also sturdy and substantial in appearance. The face should have a wild  expression with small rounded ears, intense facial markings, and pronounced whisker pads. Careful selection of breeding ensures that the Bengal remains loving and friendly with a sweet temperament, while retaining a strong physical resemblance to its wild ancestor.
 

The domestic Bengal cat is highly intelligent and affectionate cat. With their captivating and strikingly beautiful wild appearance. They are really like having a small leopard in your home, while still being so dependably sweet natured and delightfully loving. The Bengal can be very mischievous and boisterous. They are active cats always ready to play. You can easily harness train them and teach them to fetch and most anything you can teach a dog. You will find that they are very "dog-like" in personality, following you from room to room in your home and always greeting you with a loving welcome.  They are also very vocal cats, always eager for human companionship and approval. The Bengal is great with children and other animals. With their silk like, soft coat, this is more like a pelt than ordinary cat fur. They have rabbit like back legs and can jump very high, I have seen them just up on top of a open door. The Bengal is also unique in that these cats actually love and enjoy water. Some will join you in the bath tub or the shower. The Bengal cat will be a loyal life companion. They live the life span of 15-18 years, some live longer. It may be worth considering obtaining two Bengals for company if you are likely to be out of the home all day. They do get lonely by themselves. I have heard people say that Bengal cats are Hypoallergenic. This is not true. What is true is that some people who are allergic to cats may not be allergic to Bengals. Whether male or female, this exotic, unique cat will hold a place in your heart forever like no cat as ever done before. Once you have had one Bengal you usually come back for a second one.

The main credit for this breed is given to Jean Sudgen (Jean Mills) of the USA. The Bengal Cat originated in Yuma Arizona in 1963 with the first documented crossing between an Asian Leopard Cat (ALC) and a shorthaired black domestic tomcat. The result of this union was Kin Kin, who was then mated back to her father, resulting in the birth of a second generation (F2) litter.
 

Later in 1975, Jean Sudgen, now Mrs. Jean Mill, acquired eight female hybrids from a geneticist called Dr. Willard Centerwall, who had been involved in a breeding program where Asian Leopard Cats were crossed with domestic cats as part of a study for research into their apparent immunity to Feline Leukaemia that is evident in the ALC's. These eight cats, along with a rosetted bright orange feral cat from a zoo in Delhi, became the springboard from which were produced the foundation cats of the Bengal breed that we know today.
It was found that the males from the first generation (F1's) were always sterile as is common in inter-species matings but on the plus side it was found that some females were fertile and these were then crossed with affectionate domestic tomcats. The resulting kittens (F2’s) were far less aloof and more sociable with humans and some of the F2 males were found to be fertile. 
As time went on, more bloodlines were being established by other breeders, notably Dr. Gregg Kent, whose hybridizations with an ALC was with an Egyptian Mau female. So the breed gathered momentum, and in 1985 the International Cat Association (TICA) allowed the breed to go on exhibition at their shows in the USA. This caused a tremendous amount of interest and people came from far and wide to view this first hybrid breed of cat. Then in 1992 TICA admitted the F4’s onwards (from this stage they were considered to be domestic cats), Championship status. 
The breed has however, not been welcomed so openly by the GCCF, the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy in the UK which is the feline equivalent of the Kennel Club. It was only in April of 2006 after years of pushing the breed forward that the Brown Spotted Bengals were eligible to compete at Championship level.
 

Foundation Bengals

The first three generations resulting from crossing the Asian Leopard Cat (ALC) x Bengal are considered "Foundation Bengals". 
F-1 refers to the first generation cross between the ALC and the domestic cat
F-2 is the second generation cross (the offspring of the F-1 and the domestic Bengal)
F-3 is the third generation (the offspring of the F-2 and a Bengal).
The International Cat Association (TICA) considers the fourth generation (F-4) to be a "SBT" (Studbook tradition) Bengal, eligible for competition in the show ring and is a fully accepted domestic cat. F4 Bengals and generations thereafter are fully domesticated and make excellent pets and companions. 
Below please find a information clarifying the early generation terminology used by the Bengal world today (not including domestic out crosses):

• F-1 ALC parent x domestic Bengal parent
• F-2 F1 parent x domestic Bengal parent (has an ALC grandparent)
• F-3 F2 parent x domestic Bengal parent (has an ALC great-grandparent)
• F-4 F3 parent x domestic Bengal parent (has an ALC great-great-grandparent)

The first three 'Foundation' generations generally produce infertile male offspring and only female 'Foundation Bengals' have proven to be fertile.

                                                                                                Our Parasite Protocol

Coccidia

Feline coccidia is a protozoan organism that is common to cats and, in my opinion, especially prevalent in Bengal catteries. Coccidia most often affects kittens rather than older cats and symptoms include: watery diarrhea, depression, dehydration, loss of appetite, vomiting, weight loss, abdominal pain and possibly hemorrhage. Coccidia infection can result in death.

Older cats can shed oocysts in their feces yet remain asymptomatic until stressed. Stools that contain immature protozoa (oocytes) are harmless until allowed to mature in an open environment. The longer cat stool is allowed to decay, the more chance the oocytes have to develop. Sporulated oocysts can 

survive as long as one year in moist, protected environments. Infection is caused when kittens and cats come into contact with infected fecal matter, so it's important to scoop litter boxes often

It's my opinion that when the Bengal first became popular breeders with kitten mill environments spread coccidia within their own catteries and subsequently infected catteries worldwide. Diarrhea in Bengal kittens is a serious concern and buyers should be careful to purchase from breeders who have healthy Bengals and an excellent worming protocol. Through the years many breeders and pet buyers have reached out to me for help. Coccidia is not yet a universally well understood disease in regards to prevention and treatment. Too often Metronidazole is prescribed which, although it sooths an infected gut, cannot kill coccidia.

The first arsenal against this parasite is Baycox. Baycox (toltrazuril) is a fairly new treatment that suppresses oocyst excretion and may actually cure coccidiosis instead of simply suppressing it. It's best used as a preventive and given to kittens before they show signs of infection. Infection is usually between 3 and 4 weeks of age, and a single dose of Baycox can stop the shedding of oocysts. Baycox's active ingredient (toltrazuril) kills all single cell stages of coccidia, but after a kitten has diarrhea with oocysts in their feces, Baycox cannot penetrate the oocysts. Nevertheless, at this stage Baycox will help shorten the length and severity of the diarrhea ending the life cycle of coccidia in the small intestine.

We give Baycox to kittens when they are 28 days old. One treatment kills early stages of the protozoa which prevents clinical disease. Ten days later, repeat.

Baycox does not cause sloughing of the intestinal cells, and micrograph studies of sections of the intestine 24 hours after treatment show intact intestinal cells, but the single cell stages of coccidia are dead. If treatment is delayed, and oocysts are in the stool, the damage is done and the protozoa have completed their reproductive cycle. Baycox does not affect a kitten's intestinal flora (good bacteria) and has activity only against protozoa.

Please note that correct Baycox (for kittens and cats) is the 5% piglet formula and not the Baycox 2.5% poultry concentrate.

Baycox Dosage

0.1 of a cc per pound (which is one-tenth of a 1.0 cc syringe). Repeat in 10 days.

Baycox has a long "half-life" of 55 hours – that is, 55 hours after administration, 1/2 of the Baycox is still in the animal's system – so it should not be used in combination with other wormers nor repeated until at least 3 days have lapsed.

Note: Metronidazole is often prescribed by veterinarians for diarrhea, but Albon is more effective to sooth and inflamed intestinal tract. However, it is not effective against Giardia or Tritrichomonas (see below).

Giardia

Giardia is a protozoan parasite. The first life cycle is a fragile, feeding form that lives in the gut of infected cats. The second is a hardy cystic form that is shed in feces. The cystic form can survive several months – especially in moist environments, and is resistant to freezing and water chlorination. Giardia is generally considered the most prevalent parasite in cats.

A cat becomes infected after swallowing the cyst stage of the parasite. It's transferred through contact with infected feces, licking fur after contact with a contaminated surface such as a litter box, or drinking from contaminated water. Cats can be infected with Giardia without developing clinical signs. After exposure, the incubation period is one to two weeks.

Symptoms of Giardia is a foul-smelling diarrhea ranging from soft to watery, often with a greenish tinge, vomiting, and dehydration. Diarrhea can be intermittent, and symptoms can persist for several weeks, with a resulting gradual loss of weight loss. The disease is not usually life threatening, but can be serious in kittens or older cats.

Like Baycox, Panacur is foul-tasting. Besides the method outlined above, you can put Panacur directly into a wet meal. Most kittens/cats will not notice. 

But if you use this method, you need to ensure you feed each kitten/cat individually and that they finish everything.

Panacur Dosage

Adults: 1.0 cc per 5 pounds, once daily, for 5 days. Repeat in 3 weeks.

Kittens: 0.25 cc per pound for 3 days. Repeat in 3 weeks.

Do not use Panacur with other wormers.

Does not require refrigeration.

Note: Metronidazole is often prescribed by veterinarians for Giardia; however, Panacur is more effective because 30% of Giardia is now immune to Metronidazole. If you do choose to use Metronidazole, the dosage: crush a 250mg tablet, mix with 10.00 cc of water, give 0.10 cc per 5 pounds (0.20 per pound).

Panacur Dosage

Tritrichomonas Foetus

Tritrichomonas foetus (TTF) was first recognized in the USA in 1999. This single-celled protozoa lives in the feline colon, and testing is not yet routine at most veterinary clinics. Fecal floats will not detect TTF and it can easily be misdiagnosed as Giardia. A specific TTF test is required to diagnose TTF infection.

Infected cats may or may not have diarrhea. After a cat is infected it could be days or even years before there are symptoms.

Infection is generally spread through shared litter boxes. TTF can live for several days in a moist stool. If untreated, about 90% of infected cats will resolve their diarrhea issues within two years; however, they will remain carriers and can infect other cats. There is a theory that prolonged exposure to TTF will cause inflammatory bowel disease.

Tests for TTF:

1. Direct smear – sensitivity poor, detects only 14% of infected cats and care is needed to not misdiagnose as Giardia.
2. Fecal culture – feces is incubated in a growth medium (see Bio Pouches below). Sensitivity is good with about 50% accuracy.
3. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) molecular biology test with excellent sensitivity. Regarding the PCR test, if a cat has firm stools it's suggested a veterinarian prescribe a laxative. Loosening the stool allows TTF to temporarily increase in numbers, making it easier to find.

Ronidazole is the only drug that has proven successful in eliminating TTF. Unfortunately, there is no toxicity data for this drug for use in cats, and it