About Us
We, that is myself – Ilka – the founder of Katzizi Bengals and my husband Denis. While I run the cattery on a day to day basis, care for the cats and manage breeding matters Denis mostly takes care of the countless maintenance and repair jobs.
What started as a hobby, born from my fascination for Bengal cats, soon turned into a labour of love and a deep rooted passion for this amazing breed.
Our cats enjoy a harmonious life style, not too differently to those of “normal” pet cats. In fact they probably enjoy more freedom than many house cats as we provide them with access to our escape proof gardens and two large enclosures where they can safely play, chill and chase insects to their heart’s content.
Apart from our active Bengals we also have a number of retired pet Bengals, a pet Birman and a moggie, as well as two Border Collies. We tirelessly work on integrating and socialising our furry family which isn’t always straight forward in a multi cat household where entire cats and spayed/neutered pet cats live together under the same roof.
Challenges
Becoming a breeder has many challenges. At times running a breeding program feels like an all-consuming vocation. Acquiring a good quality breeding pair that hold the appropriate registration with a governing body, like TICA or the GCCF, is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg.
To understand what it takes to run a cattery and a breeding program in a professional manner one has to consider all expenses that occur. The sale of kittens just about covers the cost of food for all the cats in the cattery. In addition there are repairs, pet safe cleaning solutions and equipment, cat litter, cat furniture, which needs replacing almost every year, routine veterinary fees and health screening, genetic tests, emergency veterinary treatments, show fees, web hosting, registration fees and countless other unexpected extras.
Setting priorities and preparing well for all eventualities is essential. A single emergency c-section can easily set you back several thousands of pounds!
Ethics
An ethical breeder constantly reviews group dynamics, health and happiness of the group and the individual, monitors development and progress as well as routine health screening and veterinary treatments.
A responsible breeder will have their active cats checked for perfect health and a sound pedigree, backed up by long term health screened lines; and made sure to educate themselves on all relevant health matters that may potentially affect their current cats and future kittens.
Also they will not sell their kittens to just anyone willing to pay the asking price.
Kittens come each with their own unique personality. Some are bold and confident, others are perhaps more timid and like to take their time getting used to changes. We make an effort to talk to any potential new owner about their expectations and home environment and then try to match them with a kitten that suits their life style. If we feel that we don’t have the right kitten, we will say so.
Our kitten’s needs and welfare has to come first. Letting them go to a home that doesn’t “feel” right for them would be unethical. Feedback tells us that this line of thought is well received by like minded people on the lookout for a new cat-shaped family member.
Business or Vocation?
While we go above and beyond for our animals, as outlined further up, we are not a commercial business. We only place our kittens into approved homes.
All income through kitten sales goes straight back into the cattery. If we are lucky this will cover our expenses, but mostly it does not. Still, we do try hard to keep our kitten prices fair and proportional. Finding the right home for one of our babies always takes priority over financial aspects. If it takes a little longer than usual to find the right pet home we will hold our kittens back for as long as it takes.
On the next few pages we have to pleasure to introduce our Bengal cats. We also provide information about Bengal kitten availabilities and adult Bengal cat adoptions. If you consider one or the other please take time to also study our health and nutrition page (work in progress!) and find answers to some commonly asked questions on our FAQ page before contacting us.
We hope that you enjoy your virtual KATZIZI BENGALS visit.