How Much Are Bengal Cats?

How much does a Bengal cat cost? Why are they so expensive? What should you know before adopting or buying a Bengal kitten? 

We’re answering all of these questions and more in today’s post, so keep on reading!

How much do Bengal kittens cost?

There are three factors that influence the end price of a Bengal cat, and they are the following:

• The breeder 
• The genetics (the kitten’s parents)
• The parent health
• The exact type of coat and general appearance of the Bengal cat

The average cost of a Bengal kitten is anything between $1,500 and $5,000. 

But why do they cost so much? Well, not all cats are equal, at least in terms of how breeders see them. 

If you’re simply interested in getting a Bengal kitten to keep as a pet, you might pay $1,500 to $2,000 for it, but if you’re also interested in using him or her for shows or breeding, you’ll pay something around $4,500 to $5,000. 

Adopting vs. buying a Bengal cat

First of all, adoption is something that we warmly recommend since all cats need homes, even those that are in their senior years. 

Getting a cat from a shelter means that you are going to pay a lot less than if you were to buy your pet from an actual breeder. 

However, it also means that the Bengal you’re going to get is not necessarily going to look like the typical standards for the breed — since pure Bengals don’t really get abandoned or are given away for free. 

You also have the option of going on Craigslist or whatever site that resembles it and looking for someone whose Bengal cat has just given birth and they are looking to place the kittens to other homes. 

What we do have to note about this is that these people don’t usually ask for a lot of money for the kitten — somewhere around $100 to $300 is the typical price. 

Bengals are quite rare, so you might not have a lot of success with adopting or finding one at a cat shelter. 

So the next option you have at your disposal is getting your Bengal kitten from a breeder. 

This will cost you much more — and expect to pay over $1,000 for any Bengal from a breeder — anything lower than that should look suspicious to you. 

Cats you can get from breeders are usually well taken care of and might even sometimes come with vaccinations. They are also dewormed and some might have even been already spayed or neutered. 

Adopting an adult is much cheaper compared to getting a Bengal kitten — most adults cost less than $1,000. 

How to choose the right Bengal cat breeder

You can find information about the best Bengal breeders online — there are people who go on Facebook groups, talk about breeders on Reddit and various forums, so you can choose a good one by doing this research work.

But perhaps the most important detail that we have to add with regard to breeding Bengal cats is that they have genetically transmitted health problems.

All Bengal cats are predisposed to developing eye health issues (out of which the most common ones are progressive retinal atrophy and cataracts) and heart problems (with the most common one being hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). 

It’s actually not uncommon for some cats to go blind just several weeks after being born — and sometimes they do after they were adopted or bought from a breeder. 

For this reason, we always recommend asking your breeder for a certificate of health of the kitten’s parents — from a veterinarian who has cleared them of progressive retinal atrophy and heart health issues. 

Good breeders make sure to avoid using sick cats for reproduction purposes, and that’s because these diseases can be transmitted to the kittens — not only would this affect their health, but it would also ruin their reputation. 

What other costs can you expect?

Being a cat parent comes with several costs, whether monthly ones involved in food, cat litter, and anything else that your pet might use, and yearly ones such as going to the veterinary clinic for a check-up. 

If your kitten is not vaccinated, you can expect to pay about $100-$150 for the entire vaccination plan (or less, depending on the area you live in). 

Whether you intend to travel abroad with your cat or not, we thoroughly recommend microchipping him or her — this is extremely useful in case your cat escapes or gets lost while you take your feline friend out for a walk, for example. 

While microchipping cats is not a legal requirement, it definitely makes it possible for any vet that has a scanner to tell who the Bengal cat belongs to. 

Microchipping can cost anything from $15 to $30 depending on the clinic or area you live in. 

Other costs you can expect are for neutering (which is slightly more expensive in female kittens, so for spaying — about $50), and neutering your male Bengal can set you back around $30 or $40. 

What about monthly costs? Well, it depends on what you feed your cat, whether you get her new toys or accessories every month, if you also pay for cat insurance (which we advise you to get if you do not want to go in debt if an emergency happens), and other such details.

Deworming and de-fleaing your cat regularly is also recommended, but it depends on your cat’s lifestyle. If you leave your Bengal to go in the yard, too, you will have to ensure these two every month — if she lives indoor only, maybe once every 2 or even 3 months is OK. 

Products for fleas and ticks are usually administered once a month in the warm season as that’s when these insects are particularly active and can even be brought by you in the house (on your clothes). 

Final thoughts

Bengal cats aren’t for everyone. They require a lot of attention and they tend to thrive in a home where other cats live, too.

They are also full of energy and will try to get in all the places in your house. If you work from home, you might get distracted by your Bengal kitten all the time. 

Besides all this, they are not the cheapest breed in the world right now, and they are also genetically predisposed to some diseases. 

Read more: What health problems do Ragdoll cats have?

If you have no specific breed preference, we urge you to consider adopting a stray cat. You wouldn’t believe how many are in need of a home, your care, and your attention. 

Even seniors can be extremely grateful for being adopted, so they will shower you with their love. Kittens are awesome and cute, but they have the best chances of being adopted, so please do consider adults and seniors, too.