San DiegoBengal.com/So Cal Bengal Breeder

15/10/2025

BEWARE BEWARE

I was yet again sent this by a potential customer.

THIS place is not a registered breeder!

They make a lot of claims that look legit ... but NO! Look at the color descriptions 😔

11/10/2025

It is important that customers know how essential it is for the breeding cats be tested annually for HCM.

There is a rise in Bengal cats dying between 1 - 3 years old from HCM. I have sold to 3 people who bought cats from other breeders that had such a loss. SADLY, those breeders DID NOT replace the cat.

If you are not aware of what HCM is: read on ...

HCM (Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy): a genetic heart condition where the walls of the heart thicken and eventually the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body, causing blood clots and eventual death. The only thing we have to make sure our breeding cats do not have it and therefore give the kittens the best chance to never get it is to have an ultrasound of the heart done annually beginning at 1 year of age by a Board Certified Vet Cardio (DACVIM). There are 10-12 mutations that can cause it, so nothing is 100% guaranteed but it is all we have at this time.

Just because a website STATE "HCM testing(ed)", does not mean they are. Must actually SEE test reports. Should be at 1 year old and EVERY year thereafter. See the grandparent cats too if they have them.

It would be very nice if every breeder would put these on their website to make it easy to check. Well, they have their reasons 😔 .. but it could be that they are just not testing.

There are also breeders that say they "test", but have their regular vet do an ultrasound. This is not sufficient. Only a DACVIM (Board Certified Cardio) can take the right measurements to get an accurate assessment. The extra schooling and thousands of scans they do perfects their ability. And if you are in CA/NV/AZ, certainly NOT a human radiologist....

BREEDERS EXCUSES:

By Elaine Ingram on Thursday, May 5, 2011

Here are the TOP TEN Worst Excuses which breeders of the Bengal have actually used to explain why they do not health test their Bengal breeding stock. The excuses are listed in reverse order, from the least offensive to the most outrageous. And, be sure to check out the ultimate breeder's excuse at the bottom of this page.

#10. I refuse to have my Bengals anaesthetised/sedated to have them scanned.
Cardiologists who are competent with scanning can scan unanesthetized/unsedated Bengals without any problems.

#9. Heath tested and scanned negative cats can still have HCM and produce defective kittens, so why bother?
Scanning does not guarantee that Bengal litters will be disease-free, but the odds in favour of producing HCM-free or healthy hearted Bengal kittens are greatly increased when only tested and cleared Bengals are bred, and therefore it is irresponsible to the kittens and the buyers to not scan all Bengal breeding stock.

#8. I can tell whether any of my Bengals have HCM by getting them vet checked.
Wrong! Even veterinary cardiologists cannot accurately diagnose or eliminate the possibility of HCM without an echocardiographic scan.

#7. Whether I health test my Bengals and what the results may be are nobody's business but my own!
Wrong! It is irresponsible to the breed, to other breeders, and to buyers to refuse to disclose scan test results on Bengal breeding stock.

#6. Current health tests are not always accurate, and I won’t scan my Bengals until I know that the results will be totally accurate and definitive!
While there never are absolute guaranties in medical testing, the recommended health testing procedures are the most accurate ones available, and are updated as additional scientific information becomes available. This excuse is the last refuge of the irresponsible breeder who refuses to recognize what harm he is doing to the Bengal breed by breeding only for looks and ignoring severe genetic health defects like HCM.

#5. Health testing is just a marketing tool used by some breeders!
Wrong, again! Another oft-used excuse for not health testing Bengal breeding stock. Claiming to health test, but not actually fully health testing and disclosing the results, is a marketing tool used by many breeders.

#4. If I had to follow the Bengal Breeding Protocol by scanning before breeding and every year thereafter, I wouldn't have any Bengals to breed!
Then, perhaps this breeder should be looking for some other breed of cat to ruin. A sure sign of ignorance about the Bengal Breeding Protocol is designed to eliminate early-onset HCM in Bengals.

#3. Too much health testing will prevent me from producing Bengals of proper type and temperament!
So, what this breeder ends up producing is pretty Bengals which are much more likely to suffer from HCM and die young.

#2. I know where you got those questions, and that person/breeder/organisation just wants to destroy the breed!
When breeders know they are not doing the right thing, they will blame anyone other than themselves. Breeders who do not fully health test their cats and do not follow the breeding protocols are the ones who are damaging the future of the Bengal breed.

And the Number One Worst Excuse Bengal breeders use for not scanning.

#1. There is no HCM in my Bengals ' bloodlines!
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Every Bengal bloodline is potentially at risk, some are at very high risk having HCM positive cats showing up numerous times in the line.

Finally, for extra credit, the ultimate attempt by irresponsible Bengal breeders to "put down" the kitten buyers who ask the tough questions is this one: “I know what I'm talking about and you don't because I'm a breeder and you're not!”

09/10/2025

04/10/2025

What a poser!! Jack ❤️

04/10/2025

Silly cats...

04/10/2025

Rolling in the sun ... always a fav!!!!

15/09/2025

Reminder....

Trim those claws!!! The more regularly you do, the more blunt you can trim. The quick recedes with regularity.

14/09/2025

4.25 hours drive roundtrip.

3 cats HCM scanned normal.

CarolinaWilds Mollie, 4th normal ❤️❤️❤️
BlackMtnBengals Tziva 5th normal❤️❤️❤️
BlackMtnBengals Bindi (Torbie) 1st normal ❤️❤️❤️

Many thanks to Dr. Sarah Miller, DACVIM and staff at Blue Pearl Vet Hospital for making this essential testing available for breeders.

29/08/2025

And this is why I ESN.

I asked all the usual questions ... no replies.

22/08/2025

Love this photo!!!

-Reserved-

13/08/2025

Mr Puppy (now reserved).... and Mollie.

EDIT: Puppy is now sold.