My cat Max recently passed and we are looking for a replacement.

I have never purchased a cat. All of my cats have been adopted from the animal shelter.

We have been looking online at different cat pictures and we really like the looks of the Bengal cats. I was hoping someone would know of a reputable breeder in my area (North Central Fl).

I would be willing to drive a couple hundred miles if neeeded to pick one up.

I dont know what to look for to make sure that the litten is standard for the breed.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Google Maine Coon.  IMHO that is best cat bread bar none.  I recently bought one, it's the first cat I ever bought(many rescues) and I think I'm ruined.

Extremely smart with fantastic personalities!

Sometimes called Gentile Giants or Dog of the Feline world.

Oh and they can get big!  Mine is over 7 lbs and only 5 months old.  I hope he makes 20lbs or more.  Going to be awesome having a cat that all the small to medium dogs are intimidated by lol.

my sister inlaw has an adult cat and she is moving out of state and looking for a home for hers
 

Had a Bengal (daughter's cat) we bought from a breeder in WA state.  Beautiful cat - big, sleek, active.  Was too smart for his own good.  Would open doors - our doors had handles versus knobs and I had to change a few just to keep him out of certain areas of the house.  Was toilet trained.  Only issue was that it'd get "mad" if she didn't give him enough attention and his big trick was to pee right in the middle of her pillow!  Got out one day and never returned.  Very sad - but no more pillows to replace.  Good luck.

We did look at those online. Would the heat down here be an issue? The cat would be an inside cat so maybe not an issue at all. Do they shed? The breed has a nice look.

Thanks!

Do you know what breed, age, and health the cat is? Indoor or outdoor cat?

Thanks!!

I could not handle a cat taking a pee on my bed. Hopefully if we do get a Bengal, our Boxer will keep it occupied through out the day. I swear if we end up with another indoor animal, i will have to sleep on the couch.

as im typing its the wife, kid, dog and me in this king size bed.

We've got a Maine Coon.. he's about a year old and not much bigger than his brother from another mother that's a stinky dappled dauchsund. The cat thinks he's a dog, the dog thinnks he's a cat. They've both been raised together.

The cat isn't too big and he doesn't really shed too much either. Sure he sheds a little bit but not a crazy amount. He loves to have his belly rubbed... in the mornings I'll leave for work and he's waiting right outside the bedroom door. He'll walk in front of me for a second then he'll just flop over and wait for me to rub his belly. He does this a few more times until I leave the house. Smart cat... he chases the dog... the dog chases him...

I'm not a cat person but I really like the cat more than that stinky dog.

"Domesticated"* cats descended from desert African wildcats, they can handle any heat you'll find in the states. Obviously make sure there's plenty of cool clean water for it. They don't drink much compared to dogs but they still need water. We see mid-to-upper 90s with 80%+ humidity every summer up here and I hardly ever see mine panting. They tend to stay outside all day while I'm at work, but cats are the animal world's experts at making themselves comfortable.

As far as shedding, when they're losing their winter coat there'll be fur everywhere, but a 5 minute daily brushing will help. Other than that they need very little help with grooming; once weekly mainly to remove any mats or snarls it can't get with its tongue & teeth. Ticks can be a problem, as they tend to attach themselves to the head/neck/shoulders area and that's where a Coon has the thickest fur. If he goes outside you'll want to check him thoroughly every time he comes in. Products like Frontline are harder to apply on Coons because of how dense the fur is - it's difficult to separate the fur all the way down to the skin. You can use the spray bottle type, though.

As a rule they have a very docile personality with people and other cats. You probably can't get a better cat if you have children around, they know their size and strength and are very gentle when playing and extremely slow to anger. They talk a lot, too, and often heave a great sigh when they lay down, just like dogs often do. One of the best things is that the Maine Coon traits tend to breed true even if you don't get a purebred - I have a 3 year old Maine Coon/American Shorthair mix male who's bigger than the typical ASH, has a thicker, more dense coat, smallish tufts on the ears & paws, and is very even-tempered. He's also very goofy or clownish, like most male Maine Coons tend to be. Between him and my tortie - the red-haired, green-eyed women of the cat world, along with calicos - it gets very interesting here!

*cats aren't really domesticated like most other pets are - they're really little wild animals that live in the house with us.

This is where I got my Maine Coon.  http://www.kellyskittens.com/history.html

She still has a female left from the same litter mine is from.  The females don't get as big as the males.

I don't know if the breeder will or not but most will actually ship kittens next day air across the country.  My cat Orion is so cool I have actually thought about going back and getting his sister.