Before Buying From Ounce:

1.  Ask questions!  (see some suggested questions below)
2.  Review Ounce Cattery Code of Ethics (see below)
3.  Review Purchase Agreement
4.  Review Health Agreement (see below)

Questions You Should Ask:

1. What are the bengal traits I should expect?

2. What is the scope of the purchase agreement? Does it provide a health guarantee? For how long? How much of the deposit is refundable if at all?

3. What are the grooming requirements?

4. How big do bengals get?

5. What do you feed your cats, what would you recommend and why?

6. Are there any genetic problems that affect this breed?

7. How many cats do you currently have in your cattery?  Can I view the cattery and meet the parents? 

8. How often do you (i.e. me, the breeder) produce litters? How do you manage cat socialization?
 
9. Has my cat been exposed to children or animals?  And, if yes, describe how they react/relate.

Questions I Will Ask You:

1.  How familiar are you with the bengal breed?

2.  Are you planning on a pet, pet and show cat or breeding cat?

3. Do you have other cats and how many?

4. Are they altered?

5. Are they kittens or adults? Do the current adult residents acclimate well to other pets?

6. If you are replacing a loved one, was it due to illness or age?

7. If so, what was the illness? FIP? FLV? Accident? etc...

8. What is your living situation. Apartment or home? Near a main road?

9.  Have you reviewed the terms of the purchase agreement?

10.  How did you find Ounce?  Recommendation?  Website?  TICA Breeder List?  Etc....

Code of Ethics
I have voluntarily signed and live to uphold the TIBCS and TICA Cat Breeder Code of Ethics.

To review the TICA Code of Ethics, click here and to review the TIBCS Code of Ethics, click here.

Contracts
Deposit Agreement to hold kitten for purchase,  click here.

Purchase Agreement for kitten purchase, click here.

Prices
All kittens require a $250 deposit

  Pet   -  $1200 and up
  Show  -  $2500 and up

Prices Include:

Spay/Neutering
Your kitten will be spayed or neutered before home placement.

Microchipping
Your kitten will be microchipped.  For more information about the product our vet uses, visit:   www.petlink.net

Kitten Health Package
Vaccinations and Examinations as noted within purchase agreement.

NOTE:  Shipping is not included in purchase price (see contract - purchase agreement for details).

Health Agreement
Ounce Cattery will ensure kittens start off right by following a health routine with age appropriate vaccinations following American Association of Feline Practitioners guidelines and veterinarian checks, but it is up to you to maintain it!

First 8 weeks 

• Full examination of kitten and external check for parasites
• At week 5 1/2 to week 8 de-worm kittens for roundworms.
• At week number 8, administer FVRCP vaccine (to provide protective immunity against feline rhinotracheitis and feline calicivirus).
• FeLV/FIP Test
• Fecal Examination

11-13 weeks

• Full examination
• Administer 2nd FVRCP vaccine
• 2nd deworm for roundworms
• Scheduled spay/neuter

15 - 17 weeks

• Full examination
• Administer 3rd FVRCP vaccine
• PureVAC Feline Rabies vaccination (any earlier and this shot will not be beneficial.)

Ounce Cattery's believes administering any vaccines earlier than 8 weeks may be suppressed by the kittens immune system, since its mother's milk would provide modified live is not recommended.

Ounce Cattery recommends you have a candid conversation with your veterinarian about the FIP and FeLV vaccines as Ounce Cattery does not recommend giving your kitten either vaccination.  In fact, if state law did not mandate it, we would not bypass the rabies vaccine.

Ounce Kitten Release:

• After 12 weeks of age
• Spay or neutered (depending on agreement)
• Healthy with no visible signs of illness (see examine your kitten below)
• Executed Contract/Purchase Agreement
• Payment in Full
• TICA registration paperwork (if spayed/neutered)

Examine Your Kitten:

1.  The rear should be clean.  Lift the tail gently and check for any signs of diarrhea or discharge.

2.  The kitten's ears should be clean and dry.  If there is any dark colored wax or if the kitten is scratching there could be a problem.

3.  Bright eyes, free from discharge, are a sign of a healthy kitten.  Check that the third eyelid isn't showing.

4.  The nose should feel velvety and slightly moist, and the nostrils should be free of any discharge.  Listen to the kitten's breathing.  If it is unsteady, the kitten may have a varal infection.

5.  Gently pry open the kitten's mouth.  A healthy cat will have pale pink, uninflamed gums, white teeth and odor free breath.

6.  The abdomen should be rounded but not pot bellied.  When picked up, the kitten should feel a little heavier than it looks.

7.  The coat should be smooth, soft, and glossy.  Part the coat to check for evidence of parasites (ring worms, etc..) or flea dirt.

Bringing Your Kitten Home
It is essential that your kitten live in an adequate living environment with access to fresh air, food and water.  In addition, necessary veterinarian care, grooming and human attention are tenets for a happy cat!

Feeding
Ounce Cattery feeds our cats and kittens Royal Canin.  Cats/Kittens are free fed. 

Kittens are fed two to three times daily.  It is very important that you keep your kitten on the same food as we have been feeding here, to avoid stomach or intestinal upset.  To assist you, a two week sample will be provided at pick-up.  If you decide to switch to your own brand of cat food, mix the sample with new brand slowly over the course of a week.

Water
Clean fresh water should always be available. 

Environment
Ounce Cattery kittens have never been allowed to free roam outside. 

During the quaranteen period make sure the new kitten has an area of its own where it can feel safe.  This includes access to water, food and his/her litter box.

When the quaranteen perior is over, and you are ready to introduce your new kitten to the other pets in your household, make sure you supervise the introduction as well as the first few meetings.

From the book Cat Care 101, the authors recommend the following:

"Cat meets Dog:  Take control of the first meetngs by keeping the dog on a leash, or by placing the cat in a small play pen.  If dog shows any signs of aggressive, separate immediately.  Once dog and cat are used to each other, they can be safely left alone.

Cat meets Cat:  Allow the cat to sniff the kitten and, if the cat should attack, separate them immediately.  It may take as long as a month for them to settle down.

Cat meets Rabbit or Guinea Pig:  Supervise the kitten in the company of rabbits or guinea pigs:  if a kitten climbs over a small animal, even in play, it may harm it.  Do not let a small animal out of its cage if an adult cat is around."



Each kitten has received nail trimmings.  We do this a few times in order to acclimate them to the process.  We reward them with wet food after the process to make it feel more like a "spa treatment".  Nail clippers work, although clippers are available at PetSmart.  Trim every two weeks when they are young, then every three months when they turn 8 months.  To trim nails, trim the sharp point off and stay away from the red blood area (or the bleeding will begin).

We also recommend multiple scratching posts in your household to protect your furniture.  Cardboard or old carpet remnants work very well.  Cat condos are also available with scratchers built into their design.