Filial 1s (F1s) are the direct hybrid offspring of the wild leopard cat and a domestic cat, and they are undisputedly the most magnificent generation of the Bengal cat. But they are also the most challenging to breed; so great are the genetic, anatomical and the financial constraints involved in such hybridisations, that only a few people in the world have ever succeeded in breeding them.

Some may be surprised at the prices that my fiancée, Sarah, and I ask for our rarest cats such as Sarez Zeus, and indeed, his £100,000 price was a significant amount of money. But in Britain, F1s have always been costly – anything that’s very rare and beautiful always is. In the early to mid 1990s, we bought three of just four F1 Bengals that were in the country, and we paid very high prices for them; we did so because we wanted them, and that meant we had to pay whatever their owner deemed fit. Sarah and I have no set prices for any of our kittens – a few we give away to deserving homes, whilst the prices of others are governed by the quality and rarity of particular kittens (colour and generation). And of course, our own huge expenses have to be factored in, including buying exemplary breeding cats, veterinary care, building luxury enclosures, and other running costs of our estate. We work tirelessly to breed the best and the most unique… felines whose beauty and characteristics are awe-inspiring – and we are immensely proud of our accomplishments.