Designer Bengal Singapore: Mini Leopards That You Can Bring Home To Love – At A Price

If you’ve been on the Internet recently, you would have been greeted by the sight of Thor, the Bengal Cat who people just can’t get enough of.

Bengal Cats are considered a premium pedigree of cats as they are afterall crossbred across four generations from their ancestors – the leopards. They are prized for their distinct fur coat, which features the exact same brown spots and black lines as seen on leopards.

Wanting to find out more about this rare breed of cats, we visited Designer Bengal Singapore at their boutique along Jalan Besar to learn more from the owner, Mr Alfred Khan.

The space serves as part boutique, part home for the cats to run and play. Comfortable regal sofas (but of course) ensure ample room for both cats and humans to interact and familiarise themselves with one other.

If you’ve ever wanted to get up close and personal with these cats, Designer Bengal Singapore offers a paid viewing session where you get to play with and learn about the Bengal kittens to see if they will suit your home environment.

Speaking to Alfred, we learnt that Designer Bengal Singapore started from his love for this particular breed of cats. His first encounter with them was in New York City’s Central Park, where he saw someone walking a Bengal Cat.

His interest continued to grow when he bought his first Bengal cat while working in Dubai. Upon returning to Singapore, he went on to buy another three over time. In 2012, he finally quit his full-time job and opened the boutique, breeding and selling Bengal Cats.

Contrary to popular belief, Bengal Cats are not any wilder as compared to other breeds. In fact, they are a smarter breed that is able to pick up behaviours simply by observing humans. We even caught one trying to open the door to its sleeping area.

If you’re thinking of getting one, please note that having sufficient space is important to them, as they tend to be more active. I mean after all, their ancestors were Asian leopards in the wild right?

As mentioned, Bengal Cats are highly intelligent and are able to learn tricks. Some of their favourite games include playing fetch and playing with water. On that note, leaving fish bowls out in the open is definitely not the best of ideas for a home looking to take in a Bengal Cat.

Taking one home doesn’t come cheap though – The royalty of the cat breeds, a 5-month-old kitten with decent markings can be sold for close to S$5,000. WOW!

Apart from being a costly purchase, cat ownership must never be taken lightly. Alfred strongly advocates responsible pet ownership and would never want to see any of his cats being mistreated by their owners.

Ensuring that each of his customers know what they are getting into, he meets up with them at his boutique and allows them to interact with the cat before they make their purchase decision. Even after the sale is done, Alfred continues to stay in touch with his customers and remains available for consultation if needed.

All cats sold by Designer Bengal Singapore are sterilised and given the necessary jabs to stay healthy.

Apart from selling pedigree breeds of Bengal Cats, Designer Bengal Singapore also offers affordable grooming services for all breeds of cats.

If you’re wondering about what will happen to your beloved Bengal Cat after you have decided to move overseas, Designer Bengal Singapore also provides relocation services for your pet and will advise on the best measures to take to reduce the impact of travel on them.

It was a rather educational visit to Designer Bengal Singapore and we certainly learnt a fair bit about what it takes to be a Bengal Cat owner. It’s good to see how more shop owners are taking an active role to ensure responsible home ownership rather than simply being interested in making a profit.

A Bengal Cat is definitely not for everybody, so it’s advisable to come down to interact with the cats before you make this life-changing decision.

Designer Bengal Singapore: 115 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208835 | Opening hours: (Weds – Sun) 12pm to 8pm | Tel: 62911744/96191577 | Email: [email protected] | Website | Facebook