About Us

I fell in love with the Bengal breed in 2011 when I began volunteering at an exotic cat rescue. I loved that Bengals were smaller cats, similar in size to a house cat, yet had a stunning wild look. They way they would play, hunt, and stalk their toys was reminiscent of their Asian Leopard Ancestors, and was absolutely captivating to watch. Sadly, there were so many in the rescue, and surprisingly calls came each week from more people wanting to surrender. We would get calls occasionally from backyard breeders wanting to surrender partial or even entire litters and catteries, including pregnant or nursing female cats. Although raising beautiful Bengals, Servals, ALC, Savannahs, and Caracals was amazing, it was heartbreaking at times.

Through rescue I got to see the dark side of Bengals and exotic cats in general. The behavioral challenges, litterbox struggles, anti-social temperaments in early generation hybrid cats. Cats that came in from people expecting a cuddly lap cat, and received an independent and skittish animal that absolutely wouldn't cuddle. Many people may have given up on the breed after seeing all of that, but it sparked a passion within me to become a good breeder. A breeder that would educate my potential pet parents on the characteristics of Bengal cats to ensure a good fit with a forever family. 

A breeder that would make sure that none of the cats I produce would ever end up in a rescue.

Although I went almost a decade without owning a Bengal, I never lost my passion. I began researching the breed and breeders in depth in 2021. I fell in love with phenotyping, evaluating physical traits, and began searching for breeders that matched the phenotype and temperament I had in mind. I slowly searched for the right opportunity to begin breeding. During this time I reached out to many breeders that fit in with what I was looking for, but most wouldn't give me the time of day once they learned that I gained my experience with Bengals by working in exotic cat rescue for so long. It was incredibly frustrating and confusing.

In 2023 I found a breeder looking to get out of Bengal breeding and they offered their entire cattery to me. They didn't know of anyone else who had extensive experience with bringing home multiple cats at once, and I happened to have plenty of space and was ready to start my own cattery. Stacy, pictured above, was one of those cats and I instantly fell in love with her glittery heart shaped rosettes. As soon as I met her and the others I fell head over heels in love. Glittered Hearts Cattery is named in honor of Stacy, she produced our first litter and is one of the most amazingly sweet cats you could ask for!