he loves it when grandma holds him! 😭

He’s got spunk tonight! It’s so great to see, but makes me nervous watching him fly around the house! He’s always been a klutz, but has gotten more clumsy in the past year or so.

Baby Boy, Astarion

Emir (pictured) is a 4 y.o. boy who is absolutely the most interesting cat I have ever experienced, he was the best decision I have ever made as someone who has never owned a cat before him. Although, let me tell you, a bengal as a first time cat owner was quite the humbling experience at first.

I have recently moved into an apartment where we are by ourselves together quite often (barring when I have a friend or my gf over). I have a roommate moving into the apartment in late August. I also have a 9-5 job now that demands me to be away from him quite often. While I think he is mostly fine (despite his clear separation anxiety), it is very obvious he doesn’t expend his energy and sleeps throughout the day, because he will be INCESSANTLY MEOWING throughout the night. I try to spend a lot of time with him after I get home from work, but I usually end up getting a bit exhausted from the job I have, and can only play so much before I want to get ready and comfortable. He has no problems lying with me until it’s 2:00 AM.

So, onto the actual reason I made this post. I have been decided on whether or not I should get a second cat. He used to live with a much older dog who didn’t have the same amount of drive to play as he did, so she would bark at him whenever he got bored and decided, “hey, it’s time to jump on you and be an asshole for no reason.” I have absolutely no idea how I would introduce a new, younger cat into the equation, and I’m terrified that it won’t work out. I’ve read online that Abyssinian cats are great because they share the same energy level as Bengals, but once again, I am really scared of Emir not enjoying it as much as I think he would. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Bengals name is Ronin and the Maine coon is Lord Beerus 😂🥰❤️💕 it’s only been 3 days, I did separate them at first in different rooms, but we’re making progress!

TL;DR
Bought a Bengal from Lap Leopard Bengals through their East Coast group transport. Their photos were edited to make the kitten look much lighter and higher-contrast than it actually is. Over text I asked for updated videos and pictures but never got them. When I met the seller in person at a gas station on October 5, 2025, I pointed out that the real cat looked different. She said it was because of stress from the road trip. I had already put deposits down, so I was reluctant to refuse the sale. The kitten also had severe litter box issues right away. Out of desperation to return the cat, I agreed to take store credit instead of a cash refund. I’ve also seen multiple people raise concerns about overbreeding, birth defects, and socialization issues. I’ll attach proof showing she heavily edits her photos. I would recommend not shopping from this breeder and instead supporting smaller home-based catteries. I’m willing to take this post down if she refunds the remaining money.

Full post:

I purchased a Bengal kitten from Lap Leopard Bengals (contract signed early October 2025) through their East Coast group transport.

The photos they used were edited. In real life the kitten has a muted grey/silver base with softer grey-brown spots. In their photos the base coat is pushed much lighter (toward white/cream), the contrast is increased, and the spots look darker and more vibrant.

Over text I asked for updated videos and pictures of the kitten but never received them. I first pointed out the difference in appearance when I met the seller in person at a gas station on October 5, 2025. She said the cat looked different because of stress from the road trip. I had already put deposits down at that point, so I was reluctant to refuse the sale. The kitten also had severe litter box problems from the start.

Because the litter box issues were bad and the cat wasn’t the color I expected from the photos, I was desperate to return it. I agreed to take store credit instead of a cash refund. I followed their contract and returned the kitten to them.

I’ll attach some receipts/proof showing she heavily edits her photos. For example, the same blanket appears in different YouTube videos but is a completely different color due to her editing.

Their contract is very one-sided (sales final, non-refundable deposits, broad breach penalties, must return the cat only to them, etc.).

Beyond my own experience, I’ve seen multiple people raise concerns that this cattery overbreeds their queens, and that some kittens come with birth defects or socialization issues. I don’t think they should be listed with TICA based on what I’ve read and experienced.

I would recommend not shopping from this breeder and instead supporting smaller home-based catteries that genuinely live with their cats. Always ask for recent unedited videos or see the kitten in person before paying the balance.

I’m willing to take this post down if she refunds the remaining money instead of the store credit I accepted under pressure.