If you are interested in adopting a Bengal kitten or cat, we strongly recommend you research this breed first. We often say a Bengal kitten is like a regular kitten on a case of Red Bull! They are extremely energetic and thrive best with a lot of attention! Ignore a Bengal or leave it alone for long periods of time and they WILL let you (and your neighbours) know they are unhappy.

These highly intelligent cats are like having a combination dog/cat  and a  couple of toddlers in one. Many do enjoy playing in water (especially in toilets when people leave the seat up), running around like little Water Buffalo, jumping to high places (like the tops of kitchen cabinets), learning tricks (like fetch, sit, lay, down), and how to open some doors, drawers, and cupboards!  If you need motivation to clear off countertops, bookshelves, and various knicknacks, then a Bengal will definitely motivate you. Anything not put away is fair game for the Bengal to swat onto the floor, play with, or break.

And....Yes, you can even train them to wear a harness and leash and take you for a walk!  Many of our kitten families take their Bengals for regular walks. Some go hiking in the forests with their owners on their leashes. A couple have even gone canoeing and kayaking!

Each Bengal is unique...but most are very independent, so they are not your laid-back lap cats. We work hard, here at Magikal Moments, to train our kittens to be loving and sociable. Bengals do get very attached to you and some, like Mystik, follow you around everywhere. TiAmo is the most loving Bengal we have; she absolutely loves her time cuddling on your lap and purrs non-stop. 

Bengals can be a handful and aren't for the novice or nervous cat owner! This intelligent cat will find ways to do what he wants. I've found ours balancing on top of doors (including the thin shower door). They love to be up high and will often jump to the top of our cabinets. They can be very vocal and loud and will tell you when they aren't happy. Ours are very loud if they want a clean litter box NOW! Our boys  are well known for plopping down in the middle of the house and howling at the top of their lungs for someone...anyone...to come cater to them. Several have learned how to open doors as well; Komet could even open rounded doorknobs. Treats in a cupboard may as well have been left on the counter; they open those quicker than a toddler! Bengals aren't for the faint of heart...but, if you are up for the challenge...they will keep you busy and well entertained!

Bengals are very social. They LOVE interacting with their family members and often will initiate play with you (even if you want to do something else like chores, read a book, watch tv, sleep). They aren't scared to let everyone know what they want either. Bengals are very vocal with an enormous range of vocalizations! And they can be VERY loud too!  Once you get to know your Bengal, you will even be able to recognize some of their meows. Mystik is very clear when she wants to play or when she was telling Komet to "get lost". Our previous lines from Mystik, Spark, Kami, and Skeena were GREAT talkers; those kittens loved to hold entire one-sided conversations. TiAmo's babies with Bailey have been way quieter. 

Our cats exhibit all of the above traits to differing extents. Each of our cats has learned different tricks. We have cats that fetch balls and collars. Some open doors to rooms and kitchen cabinets. Some sit...some know "down". We have trained a couple with commands while walking on their harness/leashes. They are a delight every day...even when I am sweeping some broken treasure up.....

Bengals come in different colours and patterns. Our Bengals are brown or white (snow) with rosettes. Most have a glitter to their pelts in direct sunlight. On the browns, they look like they have been sprinkled with gold glitter; the snows have a pearl-like glitter to them.  Bailey is a Snow Bengal and his glitter is a shiny white pearl colour. 

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Snow Bengals are usually born almost all white. They can take up to 1-1.5 years for their full colouration to come out. In our kitten photos, you will see their spots slowly change each week. But, it isn't until they have gone to their new homes that they will fully transform and have colouration like their daddy, Bailey.

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Almost every Bengal kitten we have had goes through the Bengal Fuzzy stage. At about 3 weeks old, they grow a guard hair that makes their spots and gorgeous colours look muted/plain. This is part of their genetics from their wild ancestors. In the wild, the babies would just be starting to move around then and, if they leave the den while Mama is away hunting, the muted colours help them blend in so they don't become prey. They slowly start to grow out of the Fuzzies, but, again, it is usually when they are in their new homes that their full colours show up. We always love getting photos as the babies grow so we can see how they change...and share on our social media so everyone can see too!

Bengals generally have a short coat, called a pelt, and shed considerably less than a regular household cat. We have a LOT less cat hair in our house with up to 15 Bengals at a time than we did with just one regular domestic shorthair! Bengals can be considered close to hypo-allergenic IF your allergy is to cat hair. If it is to cat dander or cat saliva, you may still react to a Bengal.

A Bengal is a very athletic looking cat! They have a muscular form with their hind legs longer than their front...so when they walk, they look like a wild cat stalking their prey. They have bigger feet than normal household cats! As well, a Bengal is longer than other cats; this is due to them having an extra set of vertebrae! 

Ideally they will have a smaller sized head with small, rounded ears, and huge oval eyes (like Mystik!) Their whisker pads should be quite noticeable and their tails have black tips. Their bellies will be lighter coloured and hopefully spotted! They should have a "mascara" look around their eyes, dark lines drawn away from the eyes; some have a glasses look (like Luna). 

Before purchasing your Bengal, you may want to look over the Bengal Standards. This is what good Bengal Breeders strive to achieve.  While we don't have varying prices (we prefer happy, loving pet homes), many breeders offered their kittens for sale in three different categories:

1. Show Quality: will very closely represent almost all of the traits listed on the Bengal Standard. Breeders prefer to sell these kittens to people who are interested in showing them in cat shows. If they are offered as pets, their price is generally higher than regular pet prices as they are highly sought after. Just a note that Show Quality does not necessarily mean it has the best markings....in the show ring, markings are considered "paint" and the structure of the cat is often given a LOT more emphasis. These are the most expensive kittens.

2. Breeder Quality: has enough of the traits on the standard that would make this a good breeding cat for a cattery to work towards its breeding goals. These kittens will still be priced significantly higher than pet quality.

3. Pet Quality: is a wide ranging category. The kitten may have some faults that good breeders don't want to pass on (like lockets, tail faults, or color) or it may just not have enough of the Standard to make it worthwhile as a Breeder. These are still beautiful cats with all the Bengal traits and personality. These kittens are generally the less expensive Bengals that make amazing pets! Sometimes breeders offer Breeder or Show quality kittens as pets, however, the price is generally higher than a normal "pet quality" Bengal.

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 The Bengal Breed Standard that Bengals are judged by at Cat Shows can be accessed at:  TICA Bengal Standards

The Bengal Cat Connections provides some of this information in a graphic that can be accessed at: Bengal Standard