If you think he loved me before....you should see how much he loves me with glittery ears! Happy Halloween from me and Auggie....xox

As a veterinarian, I have the opportunity to see many cats of every breed. Though I had never before owned a purebred cat, about 5 years ago I found myself irresistibly drawn to Bengals for their beauty, but also for their excellent personalities. As the breed has matured, the true Bengal personality has emerged, and they are now confident, affectionate, and outgoing--maybe I should say VERY outgoing cats. I have had 3 bengal kittens, and have found them all to be exceptionally personable...no one is a stranger to a Bengal for long! However, my Auggie (who is laying on my lap purring and patting my face as I type--gazing adoringly at me) is the first I've gotten from XMarxZSpot. He is the sweetest natured, most loving, yet most playful kitten I've ever had. Even my 2 other cats adore him!

The care and affection Carol and her family lavishes on each litter (I actually have two friends who got theirs before I got mine, so I know three of her kittens personally) make them sweet, playful, and ultra-affectionate. As a home breeder, she is able to raise each litter in her house with kids, other cats, and a dog, so they are relaxed, confident, and used to household activity. Though my other 2 bengals were acquired from very good quality breeders, there's just no substitute for a warm and loving home environment from Day 1. I consider Carol a good friend, but I have visited her cattery in New York with a professional eye as well and assure you it is bright, clean, and full of toys and comfy spots to relax. No wonder she has happy cats! She is also very knowledgeable about health issues and is strict about observing appropriate parasite control, diet, and immunizations for every cat in her care.

Honestly, a Bengal may not be the cat for everyone....if you want a cat that keeps to itself, lets you read the paper undisturbed, and is merely decorative, maybe you should find another breed. But if you like a cat that's brimming with humor and personality, wants to go where you go, loves you without reservation and isn't afraid to show it, AND is absolutely gorgeous, well, then you're a Bengal Person.

If there are questions you feel I can answer about Carol, her facility, or her cats, I will be happy to hear from you. I have given Carol permission to give out my email address as she sees fit. And I'm sure you'd love to see a couple of Auggie pictures, right?

Beth Steward, DVM

Marco Island, FL

This shows how he sleeps with his hind leg over his head , isn't it weird the way he does this?!?

From the first day I picked up my tiny "X Marx the Spot" baby boy, I knew he would be different from all the other cats I had ever had....and I wasn't wrong on that point!

Leo, as he came to be known, was the hit of everyone he came in contact with and believe me, once the word got out, there were people, young and old, lined up to see this new kitten I had just gotten. He was wild looking with amazing turquoise eyes (they're now a beautiful green), the softest fur anyone had ever felt and his markings were not to be believed...black and brown swirls tipped in gold, which just glistened in the sun, spots of black, those tiger stripped legs and a dark orange belly with black racing stripes down his back! AWESOME was the familiar cry!! No one had ever seen anything like it. But the most wonderful thing about him was his personality, which continues to amaze everyone to this day.

Leo is now a year and a half old, his best friend (aside from his two orange brothers) is Bronte', a Jack Russell terrier that lives next door! He initiated the friendship by hoping up on the porch and touching the dog...he's very tactile, touching everything! Now he and Bronte' chase each other around the yard! I've never seen anything like it and my neighbors and I just watch in amazement and laugh at their antics...it's a game of hide and seek...I've never seen a cat be so at ease with a dog, especially a Jack Russell! >

Although he's still my "wild child", curious about everything and everyone, (no one's a stranger with Leo!), he's fearless, chasing a flock of wild turkey's into the air, "helping" men build my deck with all the sawing and pounding going on never phasing him, always wanting to be in the middle of whatever is going on, he's also a big snuggle baby jumping into my lap for some loving, flopping on his side every time he comes in the house for a quick petting before he goes on to something else, following me around when I'm outside, always touching me with some part of his body, just to let me know he's there....he's just the sweetest thing ever!

From the minute he came to live with us, he marched right up to my other cats, Toto, an 18 lb. orange male and Bunny, a smaller version of Toto and said.."here I am, who are you?" It didn't take very long before the tiny kitten was being groomed and played with by the big boys! I attribute that to Carol and the way she raises her kittens, one litter at a time, in her home, rather than in a caged environment. They are handled, loved and made a part of her family so that they receive all the nurturing it takes for them to be at ease in all situations when they go to their new homes.

Do I love this boy? You bet!

Does he make me laugh every day? You bet!

Can I walk by him and not pick him up and give him a kiss? No Way!

Do I thank Carol and "X Marx the Spot" for the amazing job she did in breeding and caring for Leo until he came to live with me? You bet I do!

He continues to be my joy!

Leo may be my first "X Marx the Spot" Bengal, but I know in my heart, he won't be my last!

Marge McMullen

Fluff 'n Fold

You're NOT going without me!

La, La, La, La, Laaaaaaaa

Sly Molly!