Here I will attempt to explain why full pedigree registered kittens from good progressive breeders are more expensive than many you will see advertised at much cheaper prices.
 Why should you pay more for a Bengal kitten from some breeders when you have seen them advertised in the paper or on the internet for much less?
 During your search for a kitten, there are many questions you may want to ask yourself along the way.  This article should help to give you some pointers.

 What is it that makes you want a pedigree cat rather than a regular crossbreed (moggy, domestic shorthair / longhair) in the first place?
 If it is because you are after a certain look or a certain characteristic that can only be defined by a particular breed, then ask yourself if you are going to get what you hope for by buying a cheap version.
 How do you know what defines a pedigree Bengal? Firstly, a pedigree Bengal must have at least 4 generations of previous registered ancestors to be able to be defined as a pedigree or purebred.
 Secondly, pedigree kittens in this country must be registered with either TICA, the GCCF or both. Each of these governing bodies has their own interpretation of the breed standard, which is a description of the requirements of the breed...what they should look like, what is acceptable & what isn't, what physical characteristics make up the look of the Bengal. It is these guidelines that breeders work by & gradually try to improve on & define the details of, to determine their cats as good recognisable examples of the breed.

 A good breeder should be passionate about their breed, they should be happy to talk at length about their cats, the lines that their cats are from & what they hope to acheive in their breeding programme. They should hope to have each generation be an improvement on it's parents. If the parents are lacking in any area, matings should be chosen carefully with the aim of improving on that feature with the offspring. The goal should always be to achieve a good example of the breed standard & to aim to improve on it. The cats in their breeding programme should each have qualities that are valuable for continued improvement.
 This is why kittens are assessed for pet quality or for breeding quality.

 
 Not all kittens born will be perfect examples as hoped. The ones that don't match up to expectations & therefore aren't improving in any way should only be pets. They should not be allowed to produce kittens of their own which could be of even less quality.
 Kittens may also have some kind of minor health defect or undesirable trait themselves or in the line which would be best to not pass on. A knowledgeable breeder may carefully select one from the litter with full knowledge of the implications & choose it's mate wisely in an attempt at erradicating the problem but should certainly not sell them on for breeding, passing those risks onto other people & hence spreading problems around the gene pool.
 Pet quality kittens should be registered as non-active (GCCF) or not for breeding (TICA). This means if anybody goes against the judgement of the breeder & produces kittens from them, that those kittens will not be able to be registered as pedigrees.

 A breeding quality kitten should be a good example of the breed standard & should have something it can offer to improve the gene pool of the breed as a whole. Pattern, type, temperament & health need to all be taken into account.
 The majority of these kittens will also be good enough quality to compete at cat shows, but there may be some who for one reason or another are not good enough to show but still have some qualities that would be valuable in improving a breeding programme.
 By being assessed as breeding quality & actually going into a breeding programme, it does not mean that they shouldn't also be pets. They should live the life of a much loved pet whilst also being a valued member of a breeding programme & contributing to the betterment of the breed.
 Even though a kitten may be assessed as breeder quality, it doesn't neccessarily mean it will only be homed to a breeder. It could also go as a pet but would then be registered as non-active as explained above.
 Breeder quality kittens that are going into a breeding programme will be registered as active / suitable for breeding & their offspring can therefore be registered as pedigrees.

 Now with all this in mind, do you think that somebody who is producing kittens from pet quality cats that were deemed unfit for breeding, is striving to aim for the best in their offspring? Do you think that generations of breedings from pet quality cats will continue to acheive that certain look or characteristic that drew your interest to the Bengal breed in the first place?
 Also, would these people be taking care to rid their lines of any health concerns they came across?
 When you see continuous whole litters of kittens that are all advertised with breeding rights, do you think this is beneficial to the improvement of the breed in the long term?
 Ask yourself what you are getting for your money & what your breeder is contributing to the breed as a whole. You should be prepared to pay for quality.
 A good breeder who has a registered prefix (cattery name) with one of the governing bodies will be bound by a code of ethics that they have agreed to adhere to.

 Take the time to read these & understand the commitment that a breeder makes to their cats, kittens & future kitten owners.
 The breeder should also provide you with a contract which is like a guarantee that ensures that the cat, the breeder & the buyer are all protected in any eventuality. They can't guarantee that a kitten will not get poorly but they can guarantee that they will do right by you should anything unexpected happen.
 See an example of a pet kitten contract by clicking the button below.

 Here are a few points to help guide you when searching for a good quality kitten from a responsible breeder.

-Research before you start to look for your kitten, learn what a good quality Bengal should be like & what you should expect from a breeder. Know your breed standard & perhaps even visit a cat show or two to see some of the best examples & see what differentiates them from other breeds.

-Talk to & visit different breeders/catteries to compare but do not compromise the health of breeders' cats. It is advised not to visit more than one per day.

-Be honest if you intend to visit other catteries, a breeder should not be offended by this but rather be pleased that you are researching.

-Do not be afraid to ask as many questions as you can think of about the breeder, the cats in their programme, the environment they live in & the kittens that you are interested in. Make a list of questions to ask if it helps you (there are some suggestions further down the page).

-Be prepared for the breeder to also ask many questions of you, they are interviewing you as a potential lifelong carer for one of their babies after all. They will want to know what makes you a suitable person for this responsibility.

-The kittens & cats should all be in good health & be comfortable with their breeder. Their environment should be clean. Their eyes & noses should not be runny, their ears & bottoms should be clean, their coats soft, glossy & vibrant. They should be inquisitive & although some may be wary at first, should eventually want to investigate you. Be gentle & patient & let them come to you of their own accord.

 Now you have a clearer idea of what defines a good quality example of a pedigree kitten, you may be wondering just why they are so expeniseive. You may appreciate the answer to this if you understand everything that is involved with rearing them.
 Breeders do not expect to get a return on their spendings, breeding is not a business but a hobby, a passion, a lifestyle choice. The money earnt from the sale of the kittens is usually absorbed straight back into the breeding programme in one way or another & the hobby may just about fund itself if the breeder is incredibly lucky.

 There is also the time & energy involved which doesn't get compensated for & is a labour of love. The adult cats need love & attention continuously. When queens are giving birth they need the breeder to be with them throughout the process to assist if needed or just for reassurance to keep them calm.  Hand-rearing poorly or weak kittens is emotionally & physically draining, syringe feeding & toileting each kitten every couple of hours at first doesn't leave much time for sleep imbetween. As they grow they need to be litter trained & socialised so they learn not to play too rough, bite, climb legs etc.
 It is essential to spend a lot of time with all the cats & kittens to ensure they are all well socialised & stimulated. A bored & frustrated Bengal is a destructive Bengal! They are an intelligent breed that need to be kept occupied. If kittens aren't well socialised they have a potential for behavioural problems at a later age.

 No matter how much time & care goes into the breeding, sometimes nature has other ideas & kittens might not survive. This is completely heart breaking & soul destroying yet the breeder can't take time out to grieve, they have to stay focused to care for the rest of their cats.
 Holidays become a rarity if not a thing of the past & days / nights out have to be well planned so as not to coincide with any births & able to cancel at short notice in case of any emergencies.
 After putting their heart & soul into each kitten the breeder then has to entrust that little piece of their soul to a new owner, with the worry & love for that kitten never ceasing throughout it's life.

 Do you think so much time, dedication, passion & expense also go into the kittens that you see advertised at cheap prices?

 When you are searching through adverts, ask yourself some questions...By all means also ask them of the advertiser. The answers may differ between breeders but not neccessarily be wrong, for example not everybody can get to cat shows but in talking to them you should feel comfortable with their reasons for any of their breeding practises. You should feel confident that any explanations are genuine & don't ring any warning bells.

Are these kittens bred from breeder quality cats that are registered with breeding rights? Ask to see the parents' registration slips.
 If the parents are not registered for breeding, they are going against the contract from the breeder they bought their cats from & risk potentially breeding with health defects & undesirable traits. The kittens won't be able to be registered & the seller will therefore not be bound by a code of ethics.

 Has the person spent time researching bloodlines & pedigrees of the cats to aim for improving the breed?
 If they are just mating cats together without having an idea of the lines, they risk health problems & poor quality.  A breeder should be able to tell you what they are hoping to aim for & improve on with any planned mating.

 What are their aims for contributing to the breed via their breeding programme?
 They should be happy to elaborate. If they cannot answer this, are they really breeding for the right reasons, to improve the standard?  Most breeders have goals that they are gradually working towards.

 Has the person taken their cats to shows to get judges' opinions on what may need to be improved & to compare to other good examples of the breed?
 If not, how do they know their quality & where they need to focus for improvement? If they are advertising show quality kittens, can they really be sure if they do not show themselves? There are circumstances where showing is not suitable for everyone but be sure that you are happy with the reasons.

 Are the kittens registered with either the GCCF or TICA or both?
 If not, why not? It is relatively inexpensive to do & ensures the kittens are full pedigree from registered breeding parents. Perhaps the kittens can not be registered because the parents aren't registered, which would indicate they were never meant to be bred from.

 Does the person have a registered cattery name / prefix?
 By being registered with a governing body it ensures that the breeder must abide by the code of ethics. It isn't essential to have a prefix as legitimate kittens may still be registered under an administrative prefix (for example my first two litters have administrative prefixes on their registered names as my Slavess prefix had not yet been approved when they were bred) but by having an individual registered prefix it provides recognition. It doesn't guarantee reputation though, so you still need to do your research with registered breeders.

 At what age are they letting the kittens leave home?
 Both the GCCF & TICA recommend that kittens do not leave until they have completed their course of vaccinations. In the UK, these are done at 9 & 12 / 13 weeks & it is advised to wait a further week before rehoming the kittens to ensure the vaccinations have no adverse effects. If the kittens leave home at 8 weeks, YOU will be responsible for the cost of vaccinations & the risk of them being exposed to different environments when they are at their most vulnerable, as they lose immunity from their mother's milk at around the age that we vaccinate.

 How old is the mum & how many litters has she had? How many kittens were in each litter?
 You don't want the cats to have been used as breeding machines. The recommendation is an average of 3 litters in every 2 years for queens, starting from around a year old to around 4 or 5 years old. They may mate more regularly if they are prolific callers or they may have larger than average litters, in these circumstances they should be retired from breeding earlier but each cat is different & you should feel comfortable with the answers the breeder gives.

 How many cats & how many litters does the person currently have?
 It may be that they have too many kittens & more due, so need to make room for the next ones. Do they have the time to concentrate on each cat & kitten & how would they cope if a health emergency went through the cattery? Are they taking time to thouroughly vet each new potential owner or are they panicking to get those kittens sold? A breeder should be prepared to keep kittens for as long as it takes to find them the right homes, even if it means holding off on matings or reducing the number of breeding cats.

  Have their cats ever had any health issues?
 No cattery that has been breeding for any length of time will be immune from health issues, in fact if they tell you they have never had a problem you should really doubt their honesty. What you want to hear is how well they handled any issues & what practises they have in place to minimise risks & that they will support & advise you if your kitten should become poorly.

 Do they supply a contract?
 A contract should be provided at the time of sale to ensure that you, the breeder & the kitten are all protected should anything happen. It should have a health guarantee & instructions for what to do if you can no longer keep the kitten, as well as instructions on how the kitten should be cared for. It is important to read & agree with every point in the contract before signing to agree. A breeder should supply a copy of the contract for you to read over before you commit to purchase, if you ask.

  When purchasing a breeding quality kitten for the potential of becoming part of your very own breeeding programme, you are buying the quality explained above but with so much more.

You are buying the mentorship of that breeder. You are buying into all the work they have put in up to that point to produce that particular kitten who is likely to be one of their best so far, if they are improving with each generation. You are buying into the bloodlines that they have worked meticulously to establish. You are buying the guidance & knowledge that they should be willing to share with you to help you avoid making the same mistakes that they have learnt from.

 As Bengals are still a relatively new breed, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to establish a set breed standard. The standard is continually being updated as the quality of the breed progresses. The interpretation of the standard is different to each breeder & each judge & until there is a universally accepted set standard, the breed is still classed as being in development. New traits are being established & bloodlines advancing at such a speed that breeders need to keep up with the trends continually & keep updating their lines.

 This is also the case with any other new breeds that are still in their development stages.
 Other breeds have been established for many years, the standards are set & this results in consistency.  This is why older, more established breeds have their breeding prices more in line with their pet prices.  Eventually the price of breeding Bengals will be closer to the price of pet ones, but not until the standard is completely set.