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Q: Why a DiCaprio Bengal?

A: DiCaprio Bengal Cattery has evolved over the years with the underlying goal that we want to produce some of the finest Bengal cats and kittens in the market today. Our ultimate goal is to create a brand of Bengal kittens that will be used as the cornerstones of cutting edge catteries and as family pets, as well. We adhere to the Bengal Standard which states that "The goal of the Bengal breeding program is to create a domestic cat which has physical features distinctive to the small forest-dwelling wildcats, and with the loving, dependable temperament of the domestic cat. " With this philosophy in mind, we occasionally purchase and integrate outside quality breeding stock (with known strong pedigrees) with our own home grown companion Bengals to continually strengthen and diversify our breeding lines. We are committed to providing you with the finest quality kitten no matter what your specific need might be (Pet/Breeder/Show).


Q: Is DiCaprio Cattery affiliated with any Associations?

A: Yes. DiCaprio Cattery is a member in good standing with The International Cat Association. We are members of the Rocky Top Cat Club and past membets of the Vol Cat Club. We are a past member in good standing with both The International Bengal Breeders Association and The International Bengal Cat Society. DiCaprio also supports the TICA Southeast Region by actively exhibiting our Bengal cats at many of the various show locations.


Q: Are Bengals Expensive?

A: As we have noted elsewhere on our site, purchasing a Bengal kitten can be a costly endeavor. Depending on your specific needs in obtaining a kitten, you may pay anywhere from $500 to $2,500 for a DiCaprio Bengal kitten. Although you may find Bengal kittens cheaper elsewhere, there is an old saying that states "you get what you pay for." DiCaprio Cattery has spent considerable time and expense to obtain quality breeding stock from some of the best Bengal lines available today. By only using quality Bengal cats from known lineages in our breeding efforts, you have the peace of mind that the kitten that you purchase from DiCaprio Cattery is born of quality! If cost is the major factor in your decision to purchase a Bengal, a DiCaprio Bengal kitten might not be an option for you. Our philosophy is that we will produce a limited number of litters each year of high quality kittens born from great blood lines. We take care to not overbreed our females in order to give them sufficient time to recover from each pregnancy and to just be a loved companion pet. At most, our females will only be allowed to carry litters twice a year while many will be bred once a year. For those looking for an inexpensive Bengal but don't want to go to what are considered breeder mills or backyard breeders, may we suggest two alternative options. The first is to take in an adult Bengal from a local Bengal Rescue program. A simple Google search should provide you the contact information of such a program. Secondly, most catteries offer adult Bengals retired from their breeding programs for the price of neutering and shipping. Of course, you do not get the fun of raising a Bengal from a kitten to adult but these are good alternatives to find an inexpensive Bengal companion.

 

Q: Do Bengals get along well with children or other family pets?

A: Yes. At DiCaprio Cattery, we spend countless hours interacting with and socializing all of our kittens to be well rounded family members. Our kittens interact with their litter mates, other adult Bengal cats, the trilogy of Pomeranian dogs we have and with our various family friends. Of course, their will always be some pairings of nature that don't work well such as cats and birds, cats and mice, etc. Our Bengals get along extremely well with other cats and dogs ...children, too!

 

Q: What kind of food do Bengals eat?

A: In our cattery, we use Iams kitten food/kibble on all kittens up to two years of age. In addition to the Iams, we supplement our feedings with a variety of raw meats. By nature, cats are carnivores. We have found that our cats do extremely well with a kibble diet supplemented with raw meats. We have taken this approach to dietary needs after lengthy study and on the advice of our Veterinarian. There are many catteries that share this approach to meeting the nutritional needs of their Bengals.


Q: Can I make a lot of money selling Bengals?

A: We like to say that Bengals are our hobby and not our retirement program. Most legitimate breeding programs do not have the ultimate goal of making money selling kittens. If they do happen to turn a profit, good for them. However, many new breeders find that their expenses will far outweigh any money they make by selling their kittens. Our experience has taught us that people will jump into and out of breeding with the idea that they can make lots and lots of unreported cash. Sorry to say but this is just not reality for most people. Breeding Bengals is an act of passion and not of profit.


Q: What health guarantees do I get with a DiCaprio Kitten?

A: Reputable breeders will have all kittens submit to a Veterinarian health check and have first shots given. At DiCaprio Cattery, we DO NOT give our own vaccinations. There are some catteries that do give their own vaccinations in order to save money. We will not criticize them for doing so but there is always a chance that they do not have strong practices in place to insure that vaccines are current and uncontaminated. We feel that it is important to spare no expense when considering the health of our kittens so we choose to let the professionals (licensed Veterinarian) handle all of the health care needs of our kittens (and adult cats). Depending on the age of the kitten when it is ready to go to its new home, it will have received 1st (and sometimes 2nd) sets of FVRCPC, Feline Leukemia Vaccination and Strongid wormer. We will give a conditional guarantee for health and will offer a replacement kitten for any kitten found to have a congenital defect that affects the life of the cat. Of course, all of this is guaranteed in writing.

**Note: Although we guarantee our kittens are FEL/FIV and FIP free upon arrival to your home, we strongly suggest that you satisfy any question you may have by having your new kitten tested by your Veterinarian for such. We test all kittens for FEL/FIV prior to shipping from our location.

 

Q: Is it important for a cattery to be involved in showing?

***DiCaprio Preacher Man finished the 2008-2009 Show Season as the #4 Bengal in the World earning the titles of International Winner, Regional Winner and Supreme Grand Champion!

A: Each cattery is unique and will have a different thought on this subject. At DiCaprio Cattery, we are involved with showing our kittens and adult cats in The International Cat Association cat shows. We primarily show in the TICA Southeast Region but we have shown in other regions as well (ie South Central, Great Lakes, North East, Mid Atlantic States regions, as well as, Canada and Germany). We feel that one of the best gauges of how well our breeding efforts are working is to put our felines in the hands of twelve different judges on any given weekend to see if they pass the test of being legitimate show quality felines. Kittens and cats that pass this challenge are strongly considered for use in our breeding program. Ones that do not pass this test are neutered or spayed and sold strictly as pets. By doing so, we are strengthening the bloodlines of our Bengals and doing our part to advance the breed instead of diluting the breed with lesser quality felines to be used or offered as potential breeders. Showing cats costs a lot of money. Breeder mills will never be involved in showing as it certainly takes away from the bottom line profit potential. We strongly feel that a history of showing legitimizes a breeding program. If there is any doubt about this philosophy, just take a look below :-)

 

Vol Cat Club TICA Show

Pigeon Forge, TN June 21-22, 2008

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