Getting a New Bengal Kitten - Advice, please? :)

Good morning, everbody! I have been on a quest to find a new Bengal
kitten to "entertain" my resident 4 year old [spayed] Bengal girl and
I have a male silver spotted Bengal
coming my way on March 13th. The breeder is very sweet and she
seems to take VERY good care of her cats (she lives 12 hours away so
I can't visit), and isn't releasing him to me until he is 13 weeks
old. (I got my girl, Tina, 4 years ago when she was 9 or 10 weeks,
though..)

Anyway, Tina doesn't like to be held, although she is very
affectionate and likes attention. When I was handling her as a
kitten, I would always put her down when she started to squirm so
that she wouldn't think I was a mean monster. I realize that her
squirmyness is probably her personality, but since I have a "clean
slate" arriving in a couple weeks, I wanted to get some advice from
the experts!

Should I continue to hold him, even if he squirms, to get him used
to the idea? Is there anything "special" I can do to help him
embrace a cuddly side (to the extent that his Bengal personality will
allow)?

The breeder says that he likes to be held and that he's very cuddly,
but I doubt she'd tell me if this wasn't the case.

Any advice would be appreciated!!!!!!!!

Leslie

wrote in message
oups.com...
Good morning, everbody! I have been on a quest to find a new Bengal
kitten to "entertain" my resident 4 year old [spayed] Bengal girl and
I have a male silver spotted Bengal
coming my way on March 13th. The breeder is very sweet and she
seems to take VERY good care of her cats (she lives 12 hours away so
I can't visit), and isn't releasing him to me until he is 13 weeks
old. (I got my girl, Tina, 4 years ago when she was 9 or 10 weeks,
though..)

Anyway, Tina doesn't like to be held, although she is very
affectionate and likes attention. When I was handling her as a
kitten, I would always put her down when she started to squirm so
that she wouldn't think I was a mean monster. I realize that her
squirmyness is probably her personality, but since I have a "clean
slate" arriving in a couple weeks, I wanted to get some advice from
the experts!

Should I continue to hold him, even if he squirms, to get him used
to the idea? Is there anything "special" I can do to help him
embrace a cuddly side (to the extent that his Bengal personality will
allow)?

The breeder says that he likes to be held and that he's very cuddly,
but I doubt she'd tell me if this wasn't the case.

Any advice would be appreciated!!!!!!!!


Don't buy from breeders when there are lovely affectionate cats dying all
over the place in huge numbers for lack of homes.

On 3 Mar, 20:07, "cybercat" wrote:
wrote in message

oups.com...





Good morning, everbody! I have been on a quest to find a new Bengal
kitten to "entertain" my resident 4 year old [spayed] Bengal girl and
I have a male silver spotted Bengal
coming my way on March 13th. The breeder is very sweet and she
seems to take VERY good care of her cats (she lives 12 hours away so
I can't visit), and isn't releasing him to me until he is 13 weeks
old. (I got my girl, Tina, 4 years ago when she was 9 or 10 weeks,
though..)

Anyway, Tina doesn't like to be held, although she is very
affectionate and likes attention. When I was handling her as a
kitten, I would always put her down when she started to squirm so
that she wouldn't think I was a mean monster. I realize that her
squirmyness is probably her personality, but since I have a "clean
slate" arriving in a couple weeks, I wanted to get some advice from
the experts!

Should I continue to hold him, even if he squirms, to get him used
to the idea? Is there anything "special" I can do to help him
embrace a cuddly side (to the extent that his Bengal personality will
allow)?

The breeder says that he likes to be held and that he's very cuddly,
but I doubt she'd tell me if this wasn't the case.

Any advice would be appreciated!!!!!!!!

Don't buy from breeders when there are lovely affectionate cats dying all
over the place in huge numbers for lack of homes.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I want you to know that the breeder that you have been talking to has
nothing more on his or her mind than telling you exactly what they
think that you want to hear....

& how do I know this...? I am a recent ex breeder..! It shames me to
know that every single year, hundreds of thousands of cats die each
year to make space for these branded cats.

I used to breed both Ragdolls & Birmans, & I still love them
dearly... however, there is the wider issue which is, there are people
out there that wouldn't consider having a shelter kitty.

I understand your reasons for wanting another Bengal, but by nature,
Bengals are not cuddly cats, rather they are hunters & lithe cats that
prefer not to be cuddled, & if they do, it is only ever on their
terms...
If I were to ask you to also take on a shelter kitty @ the same time
as your new addition, it might help with the bonding process. The
kitten learns from the mother, but if there is no mother present, they
will learnt from litter mates, of other cats around them.

I think that it would solve the wider problem here, which is wanting
your kitties to learn to be better lap cats.

Your answer is to also introduce a Moggie here, then they will emulate
the shelter kitty & learn how to love you from shelter kitty & be the
lap cat you are looking for.

I hope that you don't see this as a reprimand, rather as a bit of
advice from a breeder.
Best of Luck & let us know how it goes,ok?
S;o)

cybercat wrote:

Any advice would be appreciated!!!!!!!!


Don't buy from breeders when there are lovely affectionate cats dying all
over the place in huge numbers for lack of homes.

Ditto what cybercat said. Buying an animal is ridiculous when
thousands are killed daily for lack of homes. (God I hate
breeders...and the people who support them...)

-L.

on Sat, 03 Mar 2007 21:36:32 GMT, "-L." wrote:

Ditto what cybercat said. Buying an animal is ridiculous when
thousands are killed daily for lack of homes. (God I hate
breeders...and the people who support them...)

Breeders in general are not the problem. GOOD breeders who breed very
selectively in order to protect the breed standard, who require that all
kittens are spayed or neutered, and who take responsibility for the entire
life of those kittens are NOT the problem. People who buy from these GOOD
breeders are NOT the problem. Kitten mills and backyard breeders ARE the
problem, and people who buy from them ARE the problem. People who fail to
spay or neuter their cats, like our very own resident dumbass Barry, are an
even larger part of the problem. And certainly people who abandon their
cats are a major part of the problem.

Yes there are a mind numbingly large number of cats in shelters, but that
doesn't mean that someone who wants a well bred, pure bred cat is to blame.
In fact, one has nothing to do with the other.

--
Lynne

On 4 Mar, 01:14, Lynne wrote:
on Sat, 03 Mar 2007 21:36:32 GMT, "-L." wrote:

Ditto what cybercat said. Buying an animal is ridiculous when
thousands are killed daily for lack of homes. (God I hate
breeders...and the people who support them...)

Breeders in general are not the problem. GOOD breeders who breed very
selectively in order to protect the breed standard, who require that all
kittens are spayed or neutered, and who take responsibility for the entire
life of those kittens are NOT the problem. People who buy from these GOOD
breeders are NOT the problem. Kitten mills and backyard breeders ARE the
problem, and people who buy from them ARE the problem. People who fail to
spay or neuter their cats, like our very own resident dumbass Barry, are an
even larger part of the problem. And certainly people who abandon their
cats are a major part of the problem.

Yes there are a mind numbingly large number of cats in shelters, but that
doesn't mean that someone who wants a well bred, pure bred cat is to blame.
In fact, one has nothing to do with the other.

--
Lynne

Quote: Who says Usenet can't change minds?

After a few months of listening to other peoples point of view, & some
of the stories that I have heard on here, I have taken the decision
not to breed our Birmans or Ragdolls



If you ever doubt you made the right decision, click on the link
below.

*************WARNING EXPLICIT IMAGE TO SHARE*******************
--
Don't breed or buy while shelter cats die.
http://maxshouse.com/heartache.JPG

I agree with both of you;both L & Lynne too.
However, there are kitten farms out there, & some breeders do tell
you what they think that you want to hear.....
It is disgusting, but true.....

I had already decided that I was going to give up breeding, & the link
gave you my final reason for giving up. That image will stay @ the
fore of my brain, till the day that I die.

The worst thing, is that it doesn't matter what you offer to someone
who has decided that they want a pedigree cat, because their mind is
already made up. No amount of talking to them, will stop them from
having that *special Kitty* either.

The best that you can do, is to suggest that sometimes it is also an
option of finding room in your hearts to add another dimension &
person to be a slave to.ie: a shelter kitty that will love her to
bits & show the pedigree's how it's all done.... I find that this does
work & bares good fruit for both slave & slave drivers too. Both pet
cat & owner win; an all win situation.
Another point that we haven't covered here, is that even pedigree's
need saving sometimes too. They need exactly the same safe homes that
we all would prefer our shelter cats to have good homes. Here is one
of them below...

http://www.ukrcc.co.uk/rehome.shtml
I wish that we could all take in just one cat & make the world a
better place. I have 7 of them currently, & 2 of them are really
huffy, puffy, alley cats, & we love them dearly.
I have done what I felt was best for my breeding program, & abandoned
it. It is only a very small gesture, but it will allow another 12ish
kittens a chance from somewhere else.
But as I said earlier.. If someone wants am pedigree cat, then there
is no talking them out of it, only a single chance to appeal for what
is best for the kittens & also a possible shelter role model kitty...
S;o)

Lynne wrote:
on Sat, 03 Mar 2007 21:36:32 GMT, "-L." wrote:

Ditto what cybercat said. Buying an animal is ridiculous when
thousands are killed daily for lack of homes. (God I hate
breeders...and the people who support them...)

Breeders in general are not the problem. GOOD breeders who breed very
selectively in order to protect the breed standard, who require that all
kittens are spayed or neutered, and who take responsibility for the entire
life of those kittens are NOT the problem. People who buy from these GOOD
breeders are NOT the problem.

They are all the problem. Every kitten prioduced is one more kitten
killed. There are only X number of homes for x number of animals. ANY
breeding is bad breeding. If purebreeds weren't available people
would be forced to take the moggies.

-L.

On Mar 3, 4:36 pm, "-L." wrote:
cybercat wrote:

Ditto what cybercat said. Buying an animal is ridiculous when
thousands are killed daily for lack of homes. (God I hate
breeders...and the people who support them...)

You're ignorant

On Mar 3, 4:36 pm, "-L." wrote:
cybercat wrote:

Ditto what cybercat said. Buying an animal is ridiculous when
thousands are killed daily for lack of homes. (God I hate
breeders...and the people who support them...)


You are ignorant to hate someone who does something out of ignorance.

For example, I don't hate you -L. for hating people who breed cats.

You make a vile comment about a human... one who far as they know,
have done nothing wrong; you just hate them.

I do hate your hate, but no you.

I may hate what someone has done, (support a breeder)... but I am
never entitled to hate that person.

You have stooped to an all time low.

on Sun, 04 Mar 2007 07:54:23 GMT, "-L." wrote:

They are all the problem. Every kitten prioduced is one more kitten
killed. There are only X number of homes for x number of animals. ANY
breeding is bad breeding. If purebreeds weren't available people
would be forced to take the moggies.

Ah, well, you and I disagree on this point. I feel very strongly that
the pure breeds need to be protected. That is only going to be done
properly by ethical breeders. These breeders, BTW, generally only have a
couple of litters per year (whereas BYB and Mills pump them out at insane
rates, with no health testing, and they will never stop).

I don't purchase purebred cats--my 2 are both from feral colonies--but
I'd hate to see the well bred purebreeds disappear. I also do not agree
that these selective breeders are contributing to the problem since their
kittens are under spay/neuter contracts. Would you have those people
seeking purebred kittens go instead to the BYBs or Mills (via pet shops)?
If that happens, there will be MORE unwanted kittens, because these
people who want purebreed kittens will get them. If they are not under
spay/neuter contracts, they will probably become BYBs for at least one
litter... and for all the typical dumbass reasons, including accidental
pairings.

Without ethical breeders who educate the people who purchase their
kittens, I just see the problem getting worse.

--
Lynne