Choose a good Bengal breeder.

I recommend you choose a Bengal breeder who is registered with one of the governing bodies such as TICA (The International Cat Association) or TIBCS (The International Bengal Cat Society), and who abides by the Code of Ethics that governs the kittens they sell and how they treat their customers.

We obtained Azaria from Mainstreet Benglas, a small cattery in Escondido California. They supplied a written contract for her, and guaranteed her to be of sound health and free of any contagious disease upon the date of sale. It was expected I take her to my vet within the first 72 hours of bringing her home to ensure this, so immediately after picking her up I took her for her first check-up. She was also guaranteed for up to two years from the date of birth against any congenital defects.

Any reputable breeder should be supportive, honest and happy to give you advice long after their kittens have left their cattery. A good breeder is a responsible breeder, and that’s exactly what we found with Debbie and Rick from Mainstreet.

Little Azaria was in perfect health the day we brought her home, but she started to fall ill the following evening. Although she was playing and by all appearances she seemed fine, she started vomiting and had diarrhea (even through there was no change in her diet). I contacted Debbie who was extremely helpful and supportive, providing lots of valuable advice.

Kittens can dehydrate quickly, and this is what happened to Azaria. She lost her appetite, and although she was drinking water it wasn’t enough. Within a couple of days she had lost almost a pound (and she was only 2 pounds to begin with), so she was back at the vet’s with an IV drip to replenish her fluids and nutrients.

All the vet tests came up clear; she tested negative to diseases or parasites. We have no plants in the home (which can be poisonous to cats), and she had no access to any poisons. It seemed she had caught some kind of virus (perhaps even from her initial trip to the vet the day I picked her up). The stress of the transition to a new, strange environment could also have added to the situation. The vet decided to put her on a course of antibiotics just in case.

Debbie was really concerned, and really involved. She kept in contact with both us and the vet, and upon her release she asked to take Azaria back so she could personally look after her until she finished her meds to ensure she returned to full health. This was such a relief as I was distressed about leaving her home alone while we were at work when she wasn’t well.

We went to visit Azaria at Debbie’s home the next weekend, and she looked SO much better! All symptoms of her illness had gone and she had gained back all the weight, plus some! She was a happy, healthy bundle of energy zooming around Debbie’s home!

Seeing her playing with her little siblings and cousins, we decided we would get another little kitty companion for her (to ease the transition to her new home) and chose another beautiful little girl Bengal whom we have named Kahlia. Kahlia was due to have her 2nd round of immunizations that day, so Debbie wanted to keep her for a few days after that to ensure she had no adverse reactions. She suggested we leave Azaria in her care for another week so the two could be put together to bond, and to make sure both were in 100% health before they came home.

It was so comforting to have the support of such a caring, involved and personally invested breeder, and after this experience I HIGHLY recommend Mainstreet Bengals. Not only do they produce some of the best looking Bengals I have seen with their beautiful distinct rosettes and glittered coats, they genuinely care about their cats.

Each litter has their own separate living quarters away from other cats (in various bedrooms of their house), and we were invited to come and visit when ever we wanted while we were waiting for Azaria to grow old enough to bring home (we went there twice during this time, in addition to the visit we made during her recovery). Their kittens come with 2 courses of vaccinations, and they provided a kitten pack consisting of a samples of food, litter and toys.

Debbie also did her research about us too before she agreed to sell any cats to us. Not only did she have a number of questions, she even went as far as Googling who we were to learn as much about us as possible!

Like I said they REALLY care about their cats, and I would highly recommend Mainstreet Bengals to anyone looking for a truly reputable breeder! Our two baby girls are pet-quality kittens, however Mainstreet have produced many wonderful cats with International and regional show titles.

Top 10 Bengal cat toys (as voted by Azaria, the 12 week-old Bengal kitten).

1) Turbo Cat-Scratcher, by Bergan

I’m rating this the number 1 cat toy because if you want to train your Bengal kitten not to destroy your furniture, this is a MUST!

It’s a corrugated cardboard cat-scratcher set in a plastic disc with a ball that rolls around it. Set the ball in motion and your Bengal kitten will follow it around, then instinctively start scratching at the center. This is a great way to start your kitten off learning good scratching behavior, so I recommend you get this from the very beginning. It comes with cat-nip, although we have not had to use it to entice Azaria, the ball itself was enough (and at 12 weeks of age it would probably not be effective anyway). Refills of the cardboard are also available.

2) Da Bird, by Go Cat 

This feathered dangling toy is makes for great hunting fun and lots of exercise! Set on a swivel with 32″ nylon string and a 36″ wand it is definitely Azaria’s favorite toy to chase, she goes crazy for it! And it is just as entertaining for us to watch her in action! Feathered re-fills are available for when the feathers get destroyed (and with how much she loves it I’m sure it won’t take long!) And there are a variety of different attachments available.

We also bought ‘Cat Catcher’, which is the Da Bird wand with a mouse attachment. She loves both, this one perhaps even more than the feathers. I’m definitely going to pick-up a variety seeing she loves them so much!

Be mindful that this is a toy that requires your interaction and supervision, it’s not one that you want to leave out as it could prove to be hazardous if your kitty is left to it’s own devices with it. It’s a wonderful bonding toy though, and as I said makes for great exercise to keep your Bengal healthy.

3) Large Cat Tunnel by Best Pet Supplies 

This leopard-print cat tunnel is a great little hide-away place with 2 peep holes to jump in and out from. Azaria loves zooming through from one end to the other then turning around and zooming back the other way! She also loves it when we drop little toys inside for her to attack, and there is a hanging ball attached inside the roof of the tunnel too for her to bat around.

It’s actually not a bad-looking tunnel comparatively to other leopard-print cat furniture out there (and the fact that she matches it doesn’t hurt!) It’s plush on the outside and the inside makes that crinkly sound cats love. It’s the perfect length at 51 inches.

4) SpringString by CatAction 

This is an awesome cat toy for self-play! Place the SpringString on a door-knob for instant entertainment. It has a little feathered mouse at the end of a piece of elastic string that bounces and catapults around as Azaria grabs and bites at it. The plastic that hangs over the door-knob extends the string the perfect distance from the door itself to maximize free movement of the toy, and it features rubber footing to protect the door surface. This toy gets a big paws-up from Azaria!

5) Peek And Play Toy Box by SmartCat 

This simple toy has Azaria enthralled! It is a wooden box with holes on the top and sides, big enough for her to peep through and bat the toys inside around. If she is able to get one out she even drops it back in through one of the holes and starts batting it again! It’s available on-line for about $20, but I actually picked mine up from CVS Pharmacy for only $9.95! Another great toy for self-play.

6) Play-N-Squeak “Mouse Hunter” Cat Toy by ‘Our Pet’s Company 

This is a little soft-toy mouse that squeaks when touched. The squeak is actually quite cute and realistic and not at all obnoxious. On its own Azaria wasn’t that taken with it, but put behind a door where she can paw at it through the crack she goes crazy batting it around! The squeak only makes her more enthralled!
7) Ping-Pong soccer in the bathtub!

This would have to be one of the cheapest and simplest cat-toys around! Place a couple of ping-pong balls in an empty bathtub and instant ping-pong soccer! Azaria LOVES this sport!

8) Leopard Cat-Sack, by Petco 

We all know how much cats love playing with plastic and paper bags, this is no exception. Azaria is drawn to the crinkly sound it makes and dives in it, jumping around inside. It has a plush leopard-print exterior that matches nicely with our leopard-print cat tunnel (and the cat), with a nylon interior. There is wire in the opening so it stays open, ready for her to dive in head-first!

9) Cheese Chaser, by Petlinks Systems  

This is a plastic disc with one ball that rolls around an exterior track, and another that rolls around the center  which is accessible via 3 holes in the top. Azaria will bat and chase the balls about before attacking the soft mouse-attachment in the center to relieve her frustration from from not being able to get the balls out. Bengals get board easily, particularly when left alone while their owners are at work, so this is another great cat-toy that is interactive.

10) Catit Design Senses Play Circuit by Hagen 

Azaria is still warming to this toy, however given the enjoyment she gets from from the Turbo-Cat scratcher, the Peek-and-Play Toy Box and the Cheese Chase, I’m sure this one will move up in rankings once her agility improves and she works out how to maneuver her paws through the various openings.

We have tried to invest mainly in toys that will keep her entertained when we are not at home; she loves interaction and being left alone is no fun at all for her. If you have any other suggestions of other cat-toys that make for great Bengal entertainment (particularly interactive ones), we’d love to hear from you!