What constitutes good value in a pedigree kitten?
Health, longevity and the pursuit of happiness, the pet owners happiness that is, are most important when considering paying $200, $400, $600, or more for a pet cat. Kittens all too quickly become cats, and pedigree cats like Bengals, which have not been extensively interbred, or line bred for centuries or even thousands of years should live for17-20 years, with proper diet and weight control. Persian, Siamese and other breeds for the reason above may only live 10-12 years with good care. Good health and the absence of vet bills or special medications, therefore, would also represents excellent value- especially if amortized over 18 years or so. And an extra $400 spent on the original investment in a kitten, if you could even avoid 2 or 3 $100 diagnostic blood tests would look like a great value! The problem is, you really cannot predict good health in an animal bought at 8-10 weeks old. There are precautions, however, one can take beyond an initial vet check-up shortly after purchase.
