A Complete Price Guide for Bengal Cats

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Bengal cats are among the most beautiful and sweetest cats in the world. They are among the oldest breed of cats globally. According to Amazon, these cats have been around since 600 A.D, and the Japanese have been keeping them as pets for centuries.

Bengal cats are also referred to as the beckoning cats because they also wave with one paw like the beckoning cats usually depicted in palace walls and temples. Some businessmen even use them in their stores as a lucky charm.

The Bengal cats are awesome long-time companions. Are you looking for a Bengal kitten or trying to learn as much as you can before you buy one? This article is a complete price guide for Bengal cats. According to Bengal Cats, buying any pet and especially cats or dogs from a breeding program is more expensive as compared to adopting or rescuing one.

By getting a pet from a reputable breeder, you can rest assured that the pet you are getting is healthy, well-behaved, and has appropriate traits, hence the high cost. One sign of a responsible pet guardian is one who knows what to expect when buying and maintaining a pet.

Note once you get a Bengal cat, it will be your responsibility to provide it with the necessary care, which needs finances. Knowing the amount of money, you will require in different areas will help you make plans before getting a Bengal. It will also help you avoid being ripped off when paying for one.

Bengal’s Price Range

A Bengal cat from a breeder can be anywhere between 1000 and 3000 dollars. You can get the cat at a lower price if you get it from a shelter. It is important to be keen when buying a Bengal cat. If you find a breeder selling the cat for under 500 dollars, it is likely to be a scam, or else the breeder is not genuine. You should also be cautious if you are getting the pet at 500 to 1000 dollars.

The average price of a Bengal cat is between 1,500 and 2,000 dollars. Some breeders sell these cats for 2000 to 2,500 dollars. Although this is on the higher side, you can rest assured that the pet you are getting is purebred. It is healthy and comes with good traits. You can also get a Bengal kitten with a price of over 2,500 dollars and especially if the cat comes from a champion bloodline.

Factors that influence the price of a Bengal cat

According to Hepper, there are three major factors that affect the amount of money you can pay for a Bengal kitten.

Kitten traits- the kitten’s quality, temperament, demand, and generation, among others.
What the kitten comes with
The breeder’s care level
Let’s look at these traits in detail.
The kitten’s traits

Generation

Bengal cats are a crossbreed of domestic cats and small Asian Leopard cats. Therefore Bengal kittens are normally rated based on their distance from an Asian Leopard cat ancestor. Bengal cats are classified into different generations including F1, F2, F3, and F4. An F1 Bengal cat is gotten when a breeder breeds a Bengal cat with an Asian Leopard cat.

An F2 generation is gotten when a breeder breeds an F1 generation female with a male Bengal cat. Similarly, an F3 generation is gotten when a breeder breeds an F2 generation female with a male Bengal cat.

When an F3 generation female is bred with a male Bengal cat, the result is an F4 generation. For the major cat registries to consider a Bengal kitten as a domestic one, the kitten must be at least an F4 generation.

When saying generation affects the price of a Bengal cat, the number of generations the cat is removed from an Asian Leopard cat ancestry is considered. Therefore, an F1 Bengal kitten is the most expensive, and an F4 is the least costly. You should expect to pay anywhere between 2000 to 10000 dollars for an F1 generation cat.

The price will vary when other factors are considered. It is also important to note that male F1 Bengal cats are born sterile and they are therefore the cheapest of all since they cannot bear offspring. To get F2 and F3 Bengal cats, you can part with 1500 dollars to 5000 dollars when other factors are considered. For an F4 Bengal cat, you can pay between 1500 dollars and 3000 dollars.

You can purchase F4 generation kittens with breeding rights or without. These kittens are also eligible for registration and show. Note that female Bengals are more expensive than males. When looking for a Bengal cat, you are likely to come across the term Stud Book Tradition abbreviated as SBT. SBT Bengals are kittens that are gotten from Bengals that are bred to other Bengals.

Quality

The quality of a Bengal kitten also determines the price. A high-quality Bengal cat should be a healthy, bright-eyed, sleek coat, stunning and energetic. During your search for a Bengal kitten, you will come across different classifications of kittens. Those kittens will be described as show quality, breeder quality, and pet quality. Learning what each of these classifications means is important.

Pet quality- if you are a prospective cat owner, then you should go for a pet quality kitten. The average cost of a pet quality Bengal kitten is 1500 to 3000 dollars. However, the price can increase based on the coat markings and color. These kittens are neutered or spayed and are not meant for show.
Breeder quality- these types of kittens normally possess great temperamental and physical traits that need to be passed down and can improve the entire breed. These kittens can only be sold to breeding programs or registered catteries that preserve and enhance the Bengal breed.
Show quality- these kittens possess all the desired traits that one would be looking for in a Bengal cat. They can do exceptionally well in cat shows and normally have an excellent pedigree. These cats are the most expensive, followed by the breeder quality cats.

Age

Growing kittens come with several expenses in food, socialization, and cleaning after them. Kittens that are eight weeks or below and inexpensively priced should raise a red flag because the best stage to get a Bengal kitten is after reaching 12 weeks. A kitten that is weaned too early is likely to be subjected to lifelong behavior issues like aggression and fear.

You should expect to pay not less than the average price mentioned above for a kitten between twelve and sixteen weeks old. The high-cost results from the extra expenses used to raise them and the extra time to socialize them. Kittens nearing adulthood may be priced lower since the new family may have felt it missed the kittenhood of the kitty. You can take advantage of such a kitty, but you should be prepared to help it with transitions, which could be much harder than transitioning a younger kitten.

Demand and supply

Like anything else, the higher the demand for anything, the higher the cost, some Bengal cats are more demanded than others. Bengals are available in different coat colors: silver, charcoal melanistic, snow, and brown. They are also available in different varieties, including marbling, spotted, and different kinds of rosettes.

Different colors and types may be treading, resulting in higher demand and higher cost. Some colors are also rare than others making these colors expensive also. According to That Bengal Cat, the marbled Bengals are the most common hence the cheapest, while the silver and snow Bengals are rare therefore the most expensive. The demand and supply within your area could also affect the price of a Bengal cat. Trusted and reputable breeders may also have a long line of individuals waiting for their kittens, meaning that the price from such breeders will also be higher.

2. What the kitten comes with

Most reputable breeders will ensure that you have an easy time and that they provide you with everything you need for your new adventure. However, whatever your kitten comes with will also affect its price. Most Bengal kittens come with the following:

Neuter or spay surgery already complete
All necessary vaccinations updated
Examination by a licensed veterinarian and provided with a clear health bill
A health records booklet
Deworming complete
Health guarantee
TICA blue slip for registration
Advice and support from the breeder
The other things that your Bengal kitten may come with include:
A pet insurance trial
Toys and blankets
A cat wheel
An airline-approved carrier
Microchip with registration

As aforementioned, the more the extras, the higher the price.

3. The Breeder’s care level

You can easily gauge the two factors we have started with. However, gauging the breeder’s care level calls for a little more investigation on your side. Knowing about the breeder you will be working with is important. Here are some of the things that determine the level of breeder care:

Health Testing

All pedigreed cats, the Bengals included, are prone to developing genetic health issues. Breeders who claim that their cats do not have any genetic or health problems are either trying to trick you or lack enough knowledge about the breed.

Like the rest of the cat breeds, Bengal cats are susceptible to hereditary health issues, including PRA, PK-def, and HCM. Reputable breeders are knowledgeable about these issues, and they normally test their cats and kittens for these issues regularly.

To test for HCM breeders part with about 300 to 1000 dollars per cat and this test must be performed each year. Professional breeders also ensure that their Bengal kittens are screened for infectious diseases regularly and address any issue early enough. According to the Bengal Connection, chances are that if the breeder is selling cheap kittens, they do not undergo regular screening.

Breeders who ensure that their kittens and cats are screened regularly will sell their Bengal cats at a higher price to cater for the expenses. Generally, Bengal kittens that are tested regularly will be more expensive than the kittens that do not undergo regular screening. However, the high price tag is worth it because such kittens are unlikely to suffer from genetic health issues.

Bengal kittens that do not undergo regular screening are more likely to get sick and you will end up spending more, in the long run, paying for visits to the veterinary.

Housing

Reputable breeders do not keep cats in their houses. They normally build separate structures with outdoor enclosures. Good Bengal cats’ buildings should be cleanable, and have ample space to keep the cats happy. Whether it is a simple modified building with added cooling/heating and insulation or a custom made insulation, it is expensive either way, according to Authentic Bengal Cat. A breeder whose kittens live in quality housing will charge you more for their kittens.

Quality Diet

Cat’s main diet is protein and most of this protein is gotten from meat. You should expect to pay more if the breeder was feeding the kitten with quality cat food because such food is expensive. A healthy cat’s diet is important because it helps ensure that the cat is healthy and ensures that growing kittens are energetic. It is advisable to pay more and get your cat from a breeder who feeds their cats with high-quality food.

Time

Time will also affect the amount of money you pay for your Bengal cat. You should expect to pay more if the breeder has spent more time with the cat and kitten. Time may be spent in different areas, including socialization, playtime, and cleaning time. It is advisable to get a pet from a breeder who spends ample time with the pet.

Registration

People assume that registered cats are more expensive than non-registrered, and this is the case. Some people do not see the importance of paying more for papers. You should note that most breeders who avoid registering their cats don’t do so because it is expensive but never paid for breeding rights, which should raise a red flag when buying a Bengal cat. Note that possessing a Bengal cat does not mean that all is done; you have just started the journey. You will have to spend more to maintain a happy and healthy cat in the long run, and you should be prepared for it.

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