Adopting a Bengal cat in London: rescues, rules and costs

The count under the short answer is live: it shows every Bengal and Bengal cross listed with us in London and within about 35 miles, and each profile links to the rescue. Bengals rarely reach the general cat rescues around London, so a low count, or none, is the honest picture. The GCCF, the UK pedigree cat registry, says each of its affiliated cat clubs has a welfare officer who keeps lists of older or rescued cats that need homes, and of people willing to offer them one.

Through the breed club route, owners rehome their own cats rather than handing them to a rescue centre. The Bengal Cat Association exists to match those owners with new homes directly, and the GCCF says breed club welfare officers keep lists of older or rescued cats needing homes. Neither publishes a breakdown of why owners give Bengals up, so ask the owner about the cat's history and why it needs a new home.

Through The Bengal Cat Association you agree to donate the cat's adoption fee to the club, usually between £75 and £200, and the club says part of what it receives goes to its chosen annual charity. Ask the owner what vet work has already been done, such as neutering, vaccinations and a microchip.

With a bought kitten, ask the breeder the same; Cats Protection gives £200 to well over £1,000 for a registered pedigree. Running costs are the same either way: PDSA puts the minimum at £79 a month.

The GCCF calls the Bengal generally a healthy cat, with no diseases specific to the breed, but lists hereditary conditions to be aware of. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a thickening of the heart muscle, occurs in some Bengal lines and has no commercial DNA test in the breed. Pyruvate kinase deficiency, which causes anaemia, and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), an eye disease, both have DNA tests. Ask what the owner's or rescue's vet has checked.

• Stomach upsets. The GCCF says a cat with diarrhoea that doesn't respond to simple treatment should be tested for the parasites Giardia and Tritrichomonas foetus.
• Joints and FIP. PDSA lists hip dysplasia, patellar luxation (a slipping kneecap) and feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), an infection that is usually fatal, and says Bengals are more likely than non-pedigree cats to develop FIP.

Bengals need a lot to do. The GCCF describes the breed as confident, active, curious, athletic and energetic, needing toys and activity centres such as boxes, tunnels and high shelves, and says many like cat exercise wheels. It says it is not a good idea to let a Bengal roam free, though one can be trained, with time, to walk on a harness and lead.

PDSA says Bengals need plenty of mental stimulation and exercise, can be quite vocal, and like a high vantage point such as a cat tree. The coat is easy: a light brush once a week. The GCCF adds that Bengals get on well with children and cat-friendly dogs.

Bengals rehomed through the breed club are adopted, not sold: you apply for a particular cat, the club passes your details to its owner, and you donate the adoption fee to the club. These are owners rehoming their own pets, so expect an adult rather than a kitten.

If you decide to buy, Cats Protection suggests a breeder registered with a breed association such as the GCCF, and seeing the kitten with its mother at home rather than buying from a video or social media advert. The GCCF warns that gut parasite infections are not uncommon in cats from larger breeding establishments where hygiene isn't ideal. Report a suspected scam advert to Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud.