Zazen Bengals
Please see our kittens page to view our available babies
We also know of two adult bengals who are seeking loving homes
Updated May 12th 2012
Zazen Bengals is a small in home cattery
located in Highlands Ranch, Colorado
We specialize in Exquisite Leopard Rosetted Bengal Cats
About Zazen Bengals
Zazen Bengals is a small in home boutique cattery located in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. We breed bengals in the hopes of developing specific breed traits and we usually produce only 2-3 small litters each year. Our litters are small, usually 2-4 kittens. We are careful to avoid inbreeding and retire our breeding cats usually when they are about 3 years old. We breed to futher certain traits and when we keep a kitten from a litter, we often retire the parents. We have lived with Bengals since 1998 but did not decide to begin breeding until the Fall of 2004. Our bengal lines originated from Centerwall ALC's and Baghara Segura Khan of Kent lines. We are adding the Sancho Dos line by bringing in Nikita
Imperial Tabu is one of our Queens and was named Denver's Best Cat at the State Fair
Our cats have their own private space in the basement. There is a special large cattery room we call "Alcat-traz" which is full of exercise equipment, climbing areas, and toys. Our two studs are contained in smaller enclosures that are part of the larger cattery space. They have to be kept in a separate enclosure to prevent unplanned pregnancy and because intact studs usually spray and fight for dominance. Maintained in this way, the boys have the opportunity to socialize with each other and with everyone else - but are not allowed "conjugal" visits that are not authorized.
Tarzan has a lions face
We have a separate room we use as a nursery & maternity area in which the pregnant queens are placed approximately two weeks prior to birthing. The Queen's and their kittens are kept in this separate area until the kittens are at least 12 weeks old and have had two sets of vaccinations. Although we have many large and covered kennels available with doors open for the cats to use as warm dens to snuggle in, we do not cage our cats under normal circumstances - only if we have to isolate them for health purposes.
We have always loved cats, yet bengals have a very special place in our hearts. Their personality and 'catitude' make them absolutely joyful and loving companions and it is our hope to share that joy with others. The cats we have in our breeding program have all been chosen not only for their exceptional beauty and future potential, but mostly because they have social, loving and sweet personalities to enhance our lives and which they will pass on to their kittens.
Ming Po became a champion and was our first stud
He is retired and lives in Northglenn with Amanda and John
Bengals are incredible cats with very intelligent and lively personalities. They are very active, very smart, very stubborn and very loving - however, very few of them can be classified as lap kitties. It has been our experience that although Bengals are very loving and affectionate cats, they can also be very independent and are only very rarely the kind of cat who sits quietly on your lap. It has been our experience that in general, male bengals are far more likely to become lap cats than the independent female bengals.
Bengals have incredible coloration ranging from warm red golds to sharply contrasted golds and blacks and to beautiful silvers and ivory snows. They can be spotted, rosetted, marbled or sparbled (a combination of spots and marbling).
Bengals have incredible pelts which are very different from other cats. Their coats feel like shaved beaver fur or rabbit and once you begin to pet one, you simply don't want to stop. The texture of their coat is a very special part of being a bengal cat. In addition, because the texture and structure of the coat is different from domestic cats, Bengal's don't usually shed as much as other breeds of cats. They will 'blow' out their coats twice a year as the seasons change, but we have known alot of people who are normally allergic to cats who seem to do fine with purebred bengals. It may be that the genetic inheritance of the Asian Leopard Cat somehow changes the components in their saliva as well as the hair of their pelted coat. Either way, people who are normally allergic to cats seem to do well with bengals. Actually I am allergic to long haired cats - but I have never had a reaction to our bengals.
Ch Kashmira was our first Queen and mate to Ming Po
As much as we love cats - we also love our dogs, and our cats have the benefit of growing up around them once they reach 12 weeks of age and have completed all their vaccination series (Baby kittens are kept in a nursery room with their moms until they have completed at least 2 series of vaccinations and then are only allowed supervised visitation with the dogs until they are 16 weeks of age)
TBone is a hybrid Malamute/Husky & Zazhi is our Ancient Great Dane (born in 1998 - she has recently suffered a stroke but seems to have mostly recovered)
In Memorium
Trey came to me from a rescue when he was 2 years old. He was a Mexican Timber Wolf and he shared our lives for 10 years until he passed in June 2007 from hemmoragic cancer of the spleen. Trey was an incredible companion, the most intelligent lupine I have ever known, was loyal and protective of all of us and had a heart so full of love ...
We miss you old man, and we know you still watch over us