OUR KITTEN CONTRACT:

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                                                                        AK Alphabengals Cattery

          Anchorage, AK            BananimalR@aol.com               907-952-8828 (text only please)

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This agreement is entered into with AK Alphabengals (Crystal Hutchens-seller) and _______________________________________________(purchaser). 

*This Kitten(s) (heretofore referred to as cat) will not be let outdoors unsupervised. Harnesses and catios are encouraged.

*Under no circumstances will this cat be sold, leased or given away to any petshop, research lab or similar facility. If for any reason the purchaser is unable to keep the cat, it will be returned to AK Alphabengals (C.H.), no exceptions.

*Buyer agrees to spay/neuter by the 7 month mark. Additional time of up to one year can be taken if buyer shows a reason they are or must wait to take care of the alter. At this time, when proof of alter is shown, purchaser will receive their deposit back as well as Tica registration papers. The cat cannot be sold, traded or given away unless altered. If purchased with breeding/show cat rights, buyer agrees to have the cat altered at the end of it's "career." If purchased as a pet and not altered as agreed upon herein, the buyer agrees to pay an additional sum of not less than $1000 or the difference in pet to breeder payment, whichever is greater. This difference will become due and owed after the one year birthday and will be demanded at such a time. If health issues are in the equation please let us know right away. We always want to be kept up to date on any problems as well as your joys and landmarks. Remember we are here for you for the life of the kitten. If your situation has changed or you're experiencing hardship, please let us know. Don't let your family member suffer quietly. We are here for you for the life of our, oops, I mean your baby ;)

*If this cat is found to be neglected or mistreated in anyway, it is to be surrendered to AK Alphabengals (C.H.) unconditionally.

*No cash refunds except under health guarantee

HEALTH GUARANTEE

This cat has been found to be of sound health by a reputable local veterinarian. As vaccines are a personal matter (and hot button issue) we leave that to the purchaser, however, due to injection site sarcoma and other cancers caused by administration of feLV vaccine and the FIP vaccine, these vacs are discouraged by AK Alphabengals and will void the health guarantee if given. Something to consider: if your cats are kept indoors, they should never encounter illnesses spread cat to cat. We highly recommend that if you do take them outside, use harnesses, or catios, or fencing around your yard that not only keeps them in, but keeps other cats out.

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*Rabies vaccines are required by law but are given after the 12 month mark so that should be given at your first vet visit. Your kitten has received a full deworming starting at 6 weeks (given to us at the wellness check as a precautionary measure) every 2 weeks until 12 weeks of age.

*Buyer should have the cat examined by a licenced vet as soon as possible (preferably within two weeks, but up to 1 month due to vet clinic backlogging at this time).  The cat is guaranteed to be in good health and not to have any congenital defects. As a courtesy we will extend the guarantee to 60 days due to vets being booked up all over the state. If your cat has not been seen and declared unsound within this 60 days the guarantee is fullfilled and void. The cat should be quarantined from other pets for at least one to two weeks and preferably until it can be seen by a vet. AK Alphabengals is not responsible for the wellness of any other pets in the home. If the cat is returned for health reasons verified by a vet, it will be replaced from the next available litter with a cat of equal value, or the full purchase price refunded. If the buyer chooses to wait, they will have first pick from the next available litter.

*It is the responsibility of the buyer to provide immediate vet care if the cat shows signs of illness or injury. Failure to do so renders any health guarantee void. If the cat dies within the guarantee, despite medical treatment, and a veterinarian certifies the cause to be a heredity defect, the full purchase price will be returned within 180 days...or a kitten from an upcoming litter will be offered.
*Declawing is strongly discouraged and voids any previously stated guarantee. Please educate yourself on why this practice is strongly discouraged by pet lovers and vets alike. Bengals are very smart and love to learn and refocusing them onto a cat tree or other scratch friendly toys is the best means for training them away from your nice things, but that being said, you now own a bengal(s) and like most bengal owners you will find yourself muttering stuff like, "this is why we can't have nice things."

Chosen kitten(s):_____________________________________________________________________
Date of birth:_____________________________________________
Purchase price:___________________________________________
Deposit amount:__________________________________________
Amount due at pick up:____________________________________
Pick up date:_____________________________________________
Buyers signature below states that they have read and agree to this legal and binding contract; all conditions herein are in writing and agreed upon. No other agreements, verbal or otherwise, apply. 
Buyers printed name:______________________________________________________________
Buyers signature:__________________________________________________________________
Address:__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
phone:____________________________________________________________________________
email:____________________________________________________________________________
Sellers signature:___________________________________________________________________
Date:_____________________________________________________________________________

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Zero instances of backyard breeding will be tolerated and these may include (but are certainly not limited to) some or any of the following: overbreeding, not properly feeding or otherwise providing enough nutrients for a queen to recover from pregnancy, birth and nursing, any form of neglect, mistreatment or cruel caging to the Queen or her offspring (to be differentiated from a properly sized catio or birthing kennel), back to back litters with no recovery time, not getting proper medical care and/or regular veterinary checkups…ect ad infinitum, any situation mentioned previously or that causes ANY undue stress or discomfort to your forever family member will result in the purchaser relinquishing the cat to AK AlphaBengals, to be no warning; immediately and without refund or effect, no questions asked. Animal abuse of our hand raised babies that we raised from day one, (from attending the birth, to cutting cords when momma is too exhausted to finish, to providing the proper after care and vet checks for mom and kittens, weening, litter box training, daily love and cuddles so babies know humans aren’t scary, and on and on)…will not be tolerated in any way, shape or form. We will love them for life and on that note, we will be here for you to consult for the duration of our lifetime or that of your kitties, whichever is longer lol. We promise to never ghost you or give up on you…if we can help with any guidance please always feel free to ask us anything and don’t ever feel embarrassed about any questions or problems you may be having. Things happen, life happens. We will always work to keep the pet in the home no matter what the concern or issue as long as no abuse, neglect etc is found to be occurring. Retraining, refocusing and redirecting are your best tools with bengals being naughty. They also love to learn and are highly praise (and usually food) motivated so they can be as easy to train as puppies. Speaking of which, they love to catch and fetch and otherwise retrieve toys; they are excellent at harness and leash training (ask us for advice!), they have an adventurous nature and a NEED for interactive and stimulating play (stick toys because they love to leap, pounce and sneak attack lol, small plush toys you can throw for them to retrieve)…they love wall hammocks and window seats, the higher up the better because they love to lounge while surveying their domain. When it fits into your budget, they love to run on the oversize wheels like one fast cat (not a sponsor, just a solid product). Oh, and pick your battles because you can’t and won’t win them all. In many cases you won’t realize you were the one being trained until the deed is done lol. And I always always always love and appreciate updates and pictures of your babies as they grow into their adult bodies and patterns and all the cute stuff they do. You can not send me too many pictures just go ahead and try lol.

**You are receiving a kitten(s) from Cybele’s and Blaze's purebred litter. They are Tica registered and wellness checked. If you ever have any questions about our breeding pratices or protocols, please feel free to drop us a line, for the entire life of the cat. 

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Kitten FAQ

 

1. How do I get on the kitten waitlist and how long will I be waiting?   

 

First thing you must understand is we are not even close to a full time cattery. Rather we are what is termed a hobby breeder in the industry, which means we only breed once per year and don't own multiple Queens. We are owned by one Queen, which means only one litter per year coming out of our household. Add to that the coordination of momma’s heat with having a male companion in house and Mother Nature and you can see how limited the supply is. Cybele is our forever baby in addition to her duties as queen; she’s a spoiled house cat when she’s not caring for a litter. And when she’s caring for a litter or pregnant or recovering, she’s even more spoiled. 

To get on the waitlist simply send us a message (you can use the contact form on the site or email me directly @  BananimalR@aol.com)…this is important: in your message please tell us about your family and home where your kitten will live, who will take care of him/her, (scoop the litter box daily, bengals are notoriously picky about having a clean box to do their business. If you don’t keep it clean they may let you know in some unappealing ways like going next to the box instead of inside! It’s easy to avoid by scooping daily and changing it out when it’s smelly) keeping your kitten well fed, safe and happy with lots of play time and cuddles, what’s your schedule away from home (ie. how much time during the day will your kitten be alone without companionship?) Ages of children and other animals in the home. What has brought you to wanting a Bengal, often called a “designer” cat by those who would intend to shame you for spending a lot of money on a family pet, but those of us who love the bengal breed know that having a unique hybrid cat is worth every penny for the beauty and joy they bring to your life. And please tell us anything else you think is important or interesting about your home life.

When we receive your “resume” (so to speak)…about your intention to provide a wonderful forever home to one of AK AlphaBengals precious kittens, we will respond with where we are at in current process. This information will include whether or not there are any kittens currently looking for homes, or if we are in pregnancy or between seasons. As we are not a full time cattery we don’t have any retired older cats, we are strictly offering the best in healthy, happy, well loved bengal kittens.

 

2. How much do kittens cost?

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The answer you don’t want is what it is. Bengal prices vary wildly across the planet depending on a multitude of factors. But is this the first question you should be asking because you know the old adage: “If you have to ask…” It’s never a breeders favorite first question to get from a potential buyer and that’s just a top tip from me to you for free :) Why? Because if you are worried about the cost, that’s almost nothing compared to what you will spend during the life of the cat. From providing a high quality diet (we recommend as much raw as possible and fresh treats such as fresh raw tuna, minced steak, ect and a good raw coated kibble like instinct or Stella and Chewies to be always available, plus freeze dried one ingredient snacks like chicken or salmon; my cats like them both crunchy and reconstituted), to fun toys and things to climb. You need to provide plenty of play as well or expect naughtiness or harassment. Bengals are super high energy and they demand attention. Don’t forget vet care, spay/neuter and big expenses can come up. Right now there are people designing something you will have to have like cat wheels, self cleaning litter boxes (don’t forget, it’s two boxes located strategically-bathrooms and utility rooms are usually a good option-per cat and an additional box for each additional cat so if you have 3 cats you should have 4 litter boxes.

 

So how much are you going to spend just to procure your kitten? In the US alone it varies from about $1200-$4500 and higher when you get into breeding rights. For Alaska we have to consider supply & demand, saving you travel costs from flights and hotels and rental car ect to currier shipping and the simple things that add up like the travel cat carrier and the pet fees to fly them home in the cabin, harness and leash for layovers and on and on. Don’t forget all the kitten care from birth to week 12 when they are ready to leave mom and go to their forever homes from weaning and feeding to litter box training and countless hours of cuddling and coddling so they know humans are not scary and can be trusted to keep them safe and secure and happy. They get bored easily and a bored cat can wreak havoc on your life from destroying precious belongings (oh yes, they know what matters to you and what doesn’t through trial and error, instinct and their heightened intelligence and awareness) to crying for attention (bengals are not known for having quiet voices lol) and using whatever wits they have about them to make things difficult for you. The news is it’s easy to cure by giving them lots of attention, play time and not leaving them alone for long periods of time. If you really want a Bengal in your life but also keep a full schedule or travel a lot on trips you can’t take them, consider getting two so they have someone to play with. Siblings are the best because they already get along and play together from day one so keeping that bond together works out really well and they tend to be besties forever, even sticking up for each other in confrontation or taking the blame for something the other did. They also play hard and older or smaller cats may not appreciate the sneak attacks and WWE wrassling they like to engage in. But I also always say if you can’t get two bengals (supply vs demand or costs) consider rescuing from one of the many kitty rescues in town. We have a really good foster system in place called ACAT and you can get on the list for a kitten around the same age as yours. They have a simple application and website with pictures of their current adoptees and you can even ask them to notify you if a specific breed you want comes in. I did that and was able to get a lynx point Balinese around the age of my Bengal at the time (they only had a guestimate as she had come from a hoarding situation…and the poor baby developed a rare disorder that ended her life way too young from a grand mal seizure but I’m blessed to know I gave her the best life possible and she’s now pain free in kitty cat heaven.) But if you can get two bengal siblings, do it! You will never regret it. 

 

Finally, to the point: this breeding season we were absolutely blessed with a rainbow of show-worthy kittens. We got one brown which is the most common color but he’s got gorgeous rosettes and stunning swirls and twirls. He could definitely compete and hold his own in cat shows (oh I wish I had the time but if Tica ever comes to Alaska I’m in lol!). I’ve been calling him monkey because of his cute ears. We got another little boy of momma’s color, a little snow mink who is shy but loves to sleep and eat. If he was a dwarf I’d call him bashful because he goes into a corner to hide and just cries for mom from there. But I’ve been calling him Minky. And then we got a 3rd little boy, the unexpected sepia. Both parents have to carry for this unique color and I didn’t know it was in her genetics. And we don’t know anything about daddy’s lineage so the sepia was a neat surprise. He’s a little spitfire Houdini and escape artist. He leads the charge to escape his area anytime he can and he will soon be impossible to contain learning to climb up the blanket walls. And I gave him my favorite name I’ve ever given a kitty, he is CP3O, because I’m so clever lol. And finally we got one little girl and don’t feel a bit sorry for her, she’s a rough ‘n tumbler just like her mom and might be the boss of the group because she likes to pick on her brothers with no rhyme or reason. She’s a very lovely silver (just like her pops) and she was born with visible rosettes that will darken as she ages and the cutest little pointy eyebrows that I sure hope she keeps. I’ve been calling her Penelope.

Because we got a full litter of show cat/breeder worthy kittens we had to consider that while pricing as well. And the fact that we only have one of each color and 4 total for the year, the price on these stunning little fuzzballs is going to be $3300-3500. Non-refundable deposits to secure your kitten will begin after the wellness check by our local veterinary clinic as well as rabies shots required by law are the only vaccines we give and that is due to the controversial nature of this personal decision. Please read our kitten contracts because there are at least two vaccines we know of that will void your kitten guarantee. The deposit is $500 and will not be returned to you until after the spay/neuter proof is provided around the age of 6 months if you are purchasing the kitten as a pet. This means that at the time of pick up you will provide a cash payment of the full amount of the cat as your “hold” deposit will become the alter deposit. Unless you have purchased breeding rights with your kitten, he or she must be fixed by one year of age. See the kitten contract for more details about the pet agreement.

 

3. Why are bengals so expensive? 

 

Well let’s see here…where do I even begin?

-the breeding rights we paid for our cats.

-the labor of love, ie. pregnancy and nursing diet, vet costs, birthing attendance, out of state flights, hotels, travel costs ect., raising our breeding cat to adulthood with proper diet, activity, love and then providing all the same for a healthy start in life to all kittens equally, T.I.C.A. requirements, one litter per year (supply and demand), Queen retires at age 5, until then, intact cats spray during heats which happen in succession of week on week off for a few months out of the year during 2-3 breeding seasons: spring, late summer/fall, winter, we keep our kittens with their moms longer. People who have accidental kittens are usually giving them away at 8 weeks. But we agree with Tica on this front, that kittens strongly benefit from staying with mom a full twelve weeks to be better prepared for life on their own in a new home, and we provide the kitten health guarantee.

 

4. When can I take my kitten home? 

 

As explained in the previous answer, kittens get to go to their new forever homes at the age of 12 weeks. For the current litter pick up will begin October 11th.

 

5. What if I really really want a bengal but I can’t afford one? What if I promise to give it the best life ever?

 

Well, it’s probably not going to be a kitten but check the rescue and foster groups. You can even ask them to notify you first if a bengal comes in. Get on all the lists. Check Bengal rescue groups out of state. Sometimes they may even be able to ship to your state for a nominal adoption and currier fee. Or if you’re able to travel to pick up the cat, even better. You’re also more likely to get a cat sooner than later if you’re able to take a special needs cat or one that needs retraining or one that just needs a massive amount of love and time to trust humans again. Bengals end up in shelters for all the same reasons domestic cats do and then some. The owner may have died unexpectedly or the owner may not have been prepared for the wild nature of this hybrid animal; Research! Research! Research! Backyard breeders dump older cats for younger ones and frankly a lot of people just don’t realize or understand what they are getting into with these energetic, time demanding and incredibly intelligent creatures.

 

 

6. What are breeding rights and should I become a Bengal breeder? Will you help me?   

 

The question you should be asking is how much do you enjoy the smell of cat piss and having your belongings ruined? This is the case with not just males but females alike. My intact female is a sprayer worse than any male I’ve seen, which is the case in a high majority of Bengal females. Fortunately there are now a couple of good hobby breeders in Alaska and soon they won’t be as scarce as they have been in the past. But if you are having thoughts about becoming a breeder please do lots and lots of research and then do tons more and after that keep researching. You should try to learn something about bengals everyday. You should have some previous experience with animal husbandry and previous experience owning cats or being owned by them. And once you feel like you know everything about bengals, then begin your research all over again from a new angle. Unless you’ve bred cats in the past you’ll want some experience raising your own kitten. Maybe you can find some kittens to foster who are either still with mom or lost a mom. Then you can start to get a feel for what it’s like to have tiny little lives depending on you to keep them warm, loved and fed. If you decide to become a breeder or you’re already planning to become a breeder, securing breeding rights is your first course of action and it definitely comes with a price tag. Since our kittens come from Tica grand champion lineage with their gorgeous patterns, rare colors and unique personalities, our base breeding rights start at $5K and go up from there depending on the beauty and color of the cat. Perhaps our most challenging issue as hobby breeders is deciding when to give rights and on which kittens as of course they carry all the lineage and perfect genetics of their parents that we have painstakingly raised and cared for and been through it all with. But absolutely, if you are honored with breeding rights from our lineage, I will be here to support you through the life of your pets breeding career and on. I hope to share in your joys and your milestones and support you through tough times as well as celebrating your successes with you. We will never duck out or leave you on “read”…we will always answer your queries to the best of our ability.

 

7. Why do I have to tell you about my private home and family life? And why do I have to sign a contract for the life of the cat?   

 

Bengals are not regular house cats. Though Tica now recognizes them as a standard breed beyond 4 generations (SBT) they are still a hybrid with a wild cat (the Asian leopard cat). That wild blood still courses their veins and sets up their DNA with particular instincts and (obviously) their looks. The vetting of the home and family unit is to insure the best placing of our kittens in their forever homes. It’s our utmost priority to match the right family with the right personality kitten and to choose the best home for them. Just because you can afford a designer pet does not automatically entitle you to be the caretaker of these special, precious, energy driven, extremely intelligent, demanding, at times precocious and uniquely attachment prone sentient beings. The contract is to protect us both, including the recording of your deposit and health guarantee as well as holding your place on the list and in line for a pick. The kitten contract is available for your perusal just above on this same page. Under no circumstances are you required to sign a contract with us. And under no circumstances will you receive a kitten from us without without doing so.

 

If you still have questions after reading the FAQ, please feel free to message me.