Bengal Kitten & Cat Prices
Professional Bred. Endearingly Raised.
BENGAL KITTEN & CAT PRICES
Professional Bred. Endearingly Raised.
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PRICING
PRICES
PROFESSIONAL BENGAL CAT BREEDER.
My name is Lars Hindsley. I bred Bengal cats for twelve years (1995-2007) under the T.I.C.A. registered cattery name, Defiant. I returned to breeding in 2019 under the registered T.I.C.A.. cattery name, Iconic.
The prices below are based on the exceptional level to which my cats meet the Bengal standard, along with the personal attention dedicated to kittens with friendly disposition. They are also in keeping with the value to which the Bengal breeding industry dictates.
15+ YEARS EXP
I learned a lot as a pet owner before becoming a breeder. Breeders just didn’t seem to get it. From large mills to uptight elitist.
It seemed few understood we were not buying a cat, we were looking for a new family member to love.
It left me wanting to be that breeder buyers related to. I believe they do because they see the pet lover in me.
Real time is spent nurturing kittens to become adult bengal cats your family can’t help but love.
MY PRICING GUIDE
BENGAL KITTEN
PET OWNERSHIP
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T.I.C.A. Registry
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Health Record
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Health Certified
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Vaccinated
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Microchip
TICA registered litter. Individual registration provided upon alter.
Health record is detailed.
First round administered. If you're local, we'll administer all three free of charge.
Completely paid for. Lifetime registration. Included.
BENGAL KITTEN
SHOW QUALITY & RIGHTS
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T.I.C.A. Registry
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Health Record
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Health Certified
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Vaccinated
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Microchip
TICA registered litter. Individual registration provided upon alter.
First round administered. If you're local, we'll administer all three free of charge.
Completely paid for. Lifetime registration. Included.
BENGAL KITTEN
BREEDING RIGHTS
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T.I.C.A. Registry
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Health Record
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Health Certified
This is a tooltip
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Vaccinated
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Microchip
TICA registered litter. Individual registration provided upon alter.
First round administered. If you're local, we'll administer all three free of charge.
Completely paid for. Lifetime registration. Included.
RETIRING BREEDER
PET OWNERSHIP
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T.I.C.A. Registry
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Health Record
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Health Certified
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Vaccinated
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Microchip
TICA registered litter. Individual registration provided upon alter.
First round administered. If you're local, we'll administer all three free of charge.
Completely paid for. Lifetime registration. Included.
* Some pet kittens are of superior show quality and may be priced higher.
Pet Owners Receive This Exclusive Guide
So You Want a $300 Bengal cat
Consider these costs for a Bengal cat breeder. Start with a possible stud fee to another breeder alone is more than $300.00 for a Bengal cat. Then there is the food and medicine provided to a queen during gestation. Now factor in a microchip, vaccinations, and other medications such as deworming, along with what is often over $100 per kitten for their vet visit and health certificate.
There are other hidden costs to consider but these alone should give you a good understanding that a $300.00 Bengal cat is producing a kitten at a loss.
What does it take to produce a bengal cat?
It’s hard to have this conversation without first establishing a basic understanding of how Bengal cat’s came about in the first place. But let’s not go down the typical history route with Gene Mill. Instead, let’s talk about their technical history.
WHAT IS A BENGAL CAT?
Bengals are a man-made breed. Most people considering owning a Bengal already know a great deal about the Bengal cat’s background. Let’s cover some history as a courtesy to anyone new to the breed.
As noted, Bengals are not native to any ancestorial region or phylogenetic tree. Bengals are designated as a hybrid, however, that classification no longer holds much water as Bengal cats are no longer bred back to their filial Asian Leopard cat hybrids.
For one it’s not necessary, and second, it would more clearly define Bengals as hybrids to any legal authority with intent to outlaw them. Bengal cats are by every modern definition, man-made (actually by a woman), but they should no longer be referred to as a hybrid.
Instead, Bengals are bred, Bengal to Bengal. As they are all beyond the third generation f hybrid, they are Stud Book Tradition, aka SBTs.
Assembling Breeding Stock
If we are being candid, this is not a simple task. You don’t simply search out an attractive male and female and consider that a simple win. In truth, there are areas of impact in breeding that established breeders keep as secrets they don’t share. Learning them for yourself takes time. You must establish relationships with fellow breeders that foster trust and only over time do they ever (if at all) reveal things that help you perfect the breed.
Some come into this industry with backgrounds in genetics, others are keen to innately understand patterns and nuance on their own. For instance, many breeders may be unaware that the male is most responsible for throwing markings. Is that true, or is this an unfounded theory? Selection is enough to write a book on.
I hope you will agree this is a tough process for any breeder. A new Bengal breeder needs resources to buy stock. They will need enough to make mistakes and pay for new stock. They need time to fine-tune the breed. This in itself factors highly into the premium price of any Bengal cat let alone the best of the best
Bengal breeder costs
Let’s get real. A breeder has more than simple investment costs. We Bengal cat breeders have scores of ongoing costs. We build facilities and they have ongoing maintenance costs. Sometimes it’s infinitesimal. Other times it’s a big outlay for repairs.
Food isn’t a big deal when it’s one pet. At three, four, and sometimes as I’m bringing in new blood and retiring a Bengal stud or queen I have more cats than I care to manage. I’ve had as many as seven, but that’s rare. I’ve tried to keep it to five or fewer. I’m happy at three. Many pet owners know, feeding three pets daily is a loving sacrifice.
costs you could cut— and don't.
There’s one corner I do cut. I cut out the unmanageable task factor. In other words, by keeping the number of Bengal cats on the staff down, there’s no risk of taking on more than can be handled. No corner is cut when it comes to food. Wet food is served twice daily. Dry food is on hand for snack time, but my Bengals are fed high-quality wet food for health and a beautiful coat. Again. That’s no less than twice a day.
Beyond food are health-related expenses. Vaccinations to flea control, the list is long. If one cat gets sick, you can end up with five cats all needing some pricy medication. Breeders don’t take a timid approach to medications in general. Our costs are simply not as low as those of pet owners. When things go wrong during birthing, we once again find ourselves with large costs.
surviving the droughts
Ultimately, breeders often find it difficult to navigate a budget in relation to what is spendable profit and how much is held for expenses until the next litter is due. The best breeders take this seriously. In doing so, they separate themselves from others and frankly, continue breeding. I only stopped breeding my first time out due to a divorce.
My facilities at that time were stunning. I had two indoor infirmaries, outdoor yards for the cats to enjoy, and amazing stock. It took all of the first five years to perfect. Even now, I’m fine-tuning once again. I can say my breeding stock may be small, but they are exceptional. My costs are my problem as they say. It may however have been interesting reading if you are curious about how the sausage is made.
why breed bengals?
This one is easy. I was a pet owner first. When I decided I would become a Bengal breeder I was honestly a bit pissed at the nonsense I saw in the cat breeding industry in general. I attended cat shows and it was insulting to feel the condescension most breeders had for anyone who wasn’t a better breeder than they were.
They were more involved with their own self-promotion than the cats. They didn’t show any interest or respect for pet owners. Pet buyers were just a means to an end. It’s why my first cattery was named Defiant. I loved the breed and I wanted to make Bengal cats accessible. I wanted to demystify them. I wanted to piss off the establishment by doing it right. I had fun. I earned a fair profit and yes, I learned a lot. I grew to understand the headaches a breeder had to cope with but I remain faithful to what I originally cared about, the pet owner.
People just want a friendly family member to love. I could create a large cattery. For me, that would ruin it. In order to do what I want to do right, I remain small.
For what it is worth, the cat industry has changed. It’s full of great breeders now, especially in the Bengal class.
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PET BENGAL CAT QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
PET BENGAL CAT QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Registered T.I.C.A. Bengal Cat Breeders
Iconic SINCE 2019
If a Bengal cat or kitten breeder sells a Bengal at $300.00, they're selling you that Bengal cat at a loss. The following cost a Bengal cat breeder over $300.00 alone: Vaccinations, Medications, food for the mother during gestation, litter, microchip, vet visit and health certificate — and that's if everything goes smoothly. What is a breeder's time to attend to the sire, dam and kittens throughout the pregnancy and whelping?
One may argue that historically they are, but technically they are no longer a hybrid. The answer should be, 'no.'
They once were. The Bengal standard (which defines what a Bengal is) states that current breeding of Bengals only allows for Bengal to Bengal breeding. All Bengals are many generations removed from hybrid status and thus known as Stud Book Tradition (SBT). Therefore Bengals are now purebred and no longer a hybrid.
For instance, all cats regardless of breed will instinctively bite and claw from from their hind legs if you rub on their belly vigorously. One place to avoid petting any cat is the belly.
Bengal cat prices should be respected. Again, the prices are not arbitrarily made. With that said, unusual circumstances can take place in rare situations. At that time a breeder will announce such cats at such prices. Otherwise it's in bad taste to ask a breeder if they have a cheap Bengal.
To more specifically answer the question of can you buy a Bengal for less? Certainly if a breeder doesn't know their worth.
Actually yes. You can take a pet Bengal without show rights, to show in a pet show. You show them in the division for 'pets'. The show division is for cats designated 'show quality' with 'show rights.'
Can you let your Bengal out? Yes. Should you? Evaluate your risks. Do you live near traffic? Do you distrust or have a bad relationship with any neighbors? Are their predators nearby? Is there dangerous elements from machinery to poisonous plants nearby? If the answer is yes to ANY of the preceding questions, then common sense would answer, "Don't let your Bengal cat outside."
It takes repetitive effort and patience to train a Bengal to accept a leash. The best odds of success are in training when a Bengal is still a kitten. However. Kittens rarely fit any harnesses on the market. Adults can be trained too. It takes longer. Use a full body harness that allows you to pick your pet up and suspend it in the air without any part of their body suffering specific pressure. Test it out rigorously inside your home before attempting to take your Bengal outside on a leash. Let them walk freely in the home for long periods of time with the harness and observe their efforts to escape it. If they can pull a leg through the two front leg openings, they risk hurting themselves if not immediately set free of the harness. In addition they've also shown you they can ultimately escape the harness. It would be unsafe, and unwise to use that harness with your Bengal outside of your home. Only after successfully testing a harness should you begin any outside training. Train for short periods near home first. Be stationary or seated while allowing your Bengal to learn be outside and the limitations of the leash. This acclimation training should not be taken lightly and done so numerous times before any trips to a local park etc.... Practice safety for others as well as your Bengal. If any of the preceding cannot be done without fail, do not attempt to leash your Bengal.
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T.I.C.A.
T.I.C.A.
REGISTERED BENGAL BREEDERS
Iconic SINCE 2019
CATTERY VISITING HOURS
These are general cattery visiting hours. We can of course accept visitors by appointment to accomodate special needs. Simply call first to establish if we can see you during unscheduled visiting hours. Our number is NOT a cell phone, so don’t attempt to text. Call (302) 832-9700 and please be respectful of what time of day you call. Calling up until midnight and after 7:00 AM is acceptable.