Bengals and Savannahs, other pure-breds: What are they like?

[madpiano]

I emailed a breeder about a Savannah Cat here in the UK and they sell for £2000 . Thats pet quality. Breeding or show quality is more. I would love to have one, but I guess I have to win the lottery for that.

I didn't look into Bengals, I was so shocked by that price...

On top of that all the breeders web-sites stated that I would have to keep the cat strictly indoor only, which is not something I fancy trying. Mind you, if you pay 2k for a cat (in either money), you probably wouldn't want to let it out....

 

[solaritybengals]

Originally Posted by madpiano

I didn't look into Bengals, I was so shocked by that price...

On top of that all the breeders web-sites stated that I would have to keep the cat strictly indoor only, which is not something I fancy trying. Mind you, if you pay 2k for a cat (in either money), you probably wouldn't want to let it out....

Bengals are not as expensive as Savannahs as they have been around much longer.

You will find many purebreed breeders will ask that the cat be kept indoors. Bengals and Savannahs in particular as they are so striking that they are a target for someone to steal.

However I know in the UK the attitude towards outdoor cats is different than the US, so it might be breeder specific.

 

[booktigger]

Madpiano - I dont think bengals are that kind of money over here. There are also Bengal rescues, if you wanted an adult. I know there is one in Wiltshire, but no idea whereabouts in the country that is , although they rehome nationally and this one, don't know what area, but the number is 01690 710465

 

[sadie's mom]

Aren't the Ocicats great?! I just purchased my first (have had her for 1 week - she's 3 months old). I've lived with Siamese cats all my life, but from here on in, it's all about Ocicats.

Originally Posted by lightninrod

I d/k about those two breeds except what I've read about them. I think(?) Bengals have very little 'wild' blood whereas, the Savannahs have more requiring 'special' care.

As to other "purebred" cats, I can't recommend the Ocicat too highly. We have our second one now and they both look 'wild' but have no wild blood in them, period. Henry went missing 2 1/2 years ago and I gave no thought to any other breed than an Ocicat. Ginger entered our lives two weeks ago yesterday and she is all anyone could want in a kitty--soon to be a cat. She makes noise only when it's 'dinner time', has only one BM a day, plays with both my wife and I equally, races thru the house burning off energy, and is "modest"

Neither one of us has seen her use the litter box yet but she does

.

My second choice would be either an Abyssinian or a Bengal as I like short-haired, athletic cats

Dan

 

[celestialrags]

Originally Posted by SolarityBengals

Bengals are not as expensive as Savannahs as they have been around much longer.

You will find many purebreed breeders will ask that the cat be kept indoors. Bengals and Savannahs in particular as they are so striking that they are a target for someone to steal.

However I know in the UK the attitude towards outdoor cats is different than the US, so it might be breeder specific.

I know they are beautiful, but stealing would be the last of my worries, diese, cars, and eatten by animals are pretty likely. (i'm sure they are stolen by people though) I had just read some where that the average life span for an out side cat is 5 years. I think that is a pretty drastic drop from a house cats average life span where it can be up to 20 years. I am not willing to allow my cat out and have some thing happen to it (especially if I just paid 2k for it)

 

[fuzzmom]

I know right now that Bengal rescues are really hurting for foster homes. Perhaps you could "test drive" a Bengal by fostering one...or two...to see if they would be right for you. I posted a thread in the SOS section with a contact regarding the need for foster homes.

If you want to take your cat outside, the walking jacket is perfect to use for any cat. Cats take to them rather quickly and I think they are more comfortable than a regular harness. Below is my 20 pounder wearing his...






To get an idea of how big Salem is, here he is sleeping in a medium sized dog crate...

 

[wakko38]

I live with 6 bengals and never had any problems with them. I have had a total of 7 bengals but lost my little girl when she was a year and half. They are very active and love to play. They are very smart, our youngest boy can open doors and is a great little hunter. I have had vets tell me that they require more health care than other cats but have found that not to be true in our case. They love water and love to get in high places and generally run around and have fun.

We have what we call Bengal Wrestling Federation around our home when they get in the mood to rumble. But they are a great breed of cat and I haven't gotten any other type of cat in 7 years since getting our first one.

Chet

 

[godiva]

I don't know if my reply will mean anything to you, since my kitty isn't a full "Savannah" but I though I would tell my story anyway.

We got Ziggy from a "free kittens" sign on the side of the road (actually, hubby came home with him after decided it would be a good anniversary gift).

We get a call from the people that had the kittens, and they said they finally thought to get the father cat scanned for a microchip. It turns out he is/was a stud for a Savannah program. They wanted to find the owner because they knew he looked different.

So, my kitty is part Savannah, which means he likely has Bengal and Serval blood... but we don't know how many generations back the Serval is.
And he's still half moggie, so he doesn't quite look at neat as the Savannahs and Bengals...

He shares some of the same traits as others have mentioned. He is fascinated with water (but won't get in), purrs a lot, is very active, and plays tug of war with his toys. He's very possesive of his toys. He also will eat veggies and such.

Here's a couple pics: