Articles by Esmond Gay
9 Cat Articles by C. Esmond Gay of Sarez Bengals & Links to 95+ Bengal Press Cuttings & TV Programmes
When Frank and I first entered the Bengal fancy, we realised that if we wanted to achieve great things, then we would have to start with the very best.And so when C. Esmond Gay and his partner, Sarah, of Sarez Bengals retired in 2004, we acquired much of their collection - some of the most magnificent Bengals in existence! We welcomed their leopard cats (including Spot and hybridising male, Sarez Apollo),some beautiful F1 females includingBaby Gem (Nyali Baby Baby), Leopardette (Nyali Jungle Song), Sarez Pow Wow (75% wild blood), Meena and Keesha (Sarez Sanura and Safiya), as well asSarez Satin, a stunning F2 female, and other Bengals from their three leopard cat lines.
And forever devoted to his cats and the breed, Esmond still stays in touch and continues to help and support us, giving us the benefit of his abundance of knowledge on the breed.
And so, this section of our website is dedicated to the groundbreaking work that Esmond and Sarah did for the Bengal cat during their breeding careers…
Esmond was a conscientious writer and documented not just his immense knowledge of the breed, but also much of what he experienced whilst living with Bengals, and Frank and I feel that those interested in our kittens may like to read some of his fascinating articles. Underneath the title links below, there are summaries of what each feature contains; individually, they provide in-depth details on specific areas of the Bengal cat and if all are read, they provide almost everything that one could wish to know about the breed. And throughout the features, Esmond has mixed around 150 of the best photos ever taken of his cats. And we’ve also included an article he wrote about another unusual pedigree breed, the Sphynx cats.
Esmond, Sarah and their lives with their cats have also been heavily documented in the national press and on many TV programmes, and so at the end of the list of articles, we’ve provided a Facebook link to most of the 100 or so press and magazine articles about them.And once on that page, if one clicks “Albums” one will be taken to a number of other public albums, amongst them, photos of the celebrity owners, and another containing 500 photos of Esmond and Sarah’s animals including Bengals, leopard cats, ocelots, servals, African leopards, rescues and many other creatures.
And we’ve included a link to a YouTube channel that has 24 of the 35 TV programmes that Esmond, Sarah and their cats starred in, plus other videos of their home,Sarez cattery, sanctuary and wild cat conservation programme.
We would appreciate it if you would not copy any parts of Esmond’s articles or photos, but feel free to contact us if you’d like to use them.
Sarez Bengals - Our Story… - by C. Esmond Gay
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This 16 page article is a very personal feature about Esmond and Sarah and their lives with their cats. It mentions Esmond’s background, what inspired him and his fiancée to start breeding Bengals, and it delves into the philosophies behind their work and what drove them. It also describes their individual breeding cats, how the couple reared their kittens, what Bengals are like to live with, and the wonders of hybridising. It summarises allthe main events in Esmond and Sarah’s careers - and some of the problems that they encountered as well.
A Guide to the Magnificent Bengal Cat - by C. Esmond Gay
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This is a broad and detailed 11 page article on all aspects of the Bengal cat. In it, Esmond provides the full history of the breed, recounting some myths, theories and a few little-known facts. He also describes (and compares) all the generations of the Bengal, including their personality and physical characteristics, as well as giving a description of the main colours. There is also some advice on breeding and many other tips and information.
The Leopard Mimics - F1 and F2 Bengals - by C. Esmond Gay
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During their careers, Esmond and Sarah were the only people in Britain able to breed F1s, and one of just two people able to breed F2s. Within this 11 page article, Esmond writes in detail about these two filial generations, describing their behaviour, characteristics and appearance. He also recounts how their F1s influenced the couple’s lives, what life was like living with them, and how he and Sarah successfully bred so many F2 babies. And it mentions how they accomplished what no other British breeder could, and hybridised from two of their leopard cats, including producing F1s with far higher than average wild blood.
Sarez Bengals - the Cats That Bewitch the Stars - by C. Esmond Gay
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This is another very personal 16 page article that describes much of the media publicity that surrounded Esmond, Sarah and their cats from 1994 to 2004, and recounts how it all started and where it led. The feature also details the couple’s relationships with the celebrities who bought their Bengals, and Esmond recounts a few amusing stories about meeting some of those people. This article also gives clear examples of how very early generation Bengals can become amazing, puppy-like pets - so bomb proof that they take fashion catwalks and gala parties in their stride!
The Ultimate F1 Bengal - Sarez Zeus, the World’s Most Expensive Cat - by C. Esmond Gay
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Sarez Zeus is one of the world’s most famous cats due to his astonishing 90% wild blood and his £100,000 price tag. In this 6 pagearticle, Esmond describes the arduous, decade-long hybridisation programme that resulted in the birth of this unique F1 Bengal, and their others. It describes the intense publicity surrounding this cat, and there is also a letter from Jean Mill, one of the founders of the breed, praising Esmond and Sarah’s cats.
Buying, Training and Caring for Bengal Cats - by C. Esmond Gay
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This 10 page article contains almost everything one needs to know about buying, training and caring for a Bengal, from finding a good breeder and asking the right questions, to choosing a suitable kitten. It describes how to cope with the first few weeks of kitten ownership and it covers the future care, health and wellbeing of Bengals, into adulthood.
The Leopard Cat - Founder of the Bengal Breed - by C. Esmond Gay
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This 7 page article gives an intriguing insight into all aspects of the leopard cat. It describes their appearance, their personality traits, the best way to keep them for hybridising purposes, and it also has an extensive list of the various subspecies, together with descriptions of many of them. Esmond also recounts what it was like to hand-rear and live with their many leopard cats.
The Sarez Wild Cat Conservation Programme - by C. Esmond Gay
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Many don’t realise that much of the income that Esmond and Sarah earned via the sale of their Bengal kittens, went towards helping less fortunate creatures. As well as theirSarez Animal Rescue Sanctuary, they also set up a wild cat conservation programme, keeping African leopards, ocelots, servals and rarer subspecies of leopard cat.These two worthy causes saved the lives of many animals and this 6 page article describes the couple’s lives with these wild cats, some interesting stories, and the aims of the programme.
Bald n’ Beautiful Sphynx - Our Story… - by C. Esmond Gay
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From 2000, Esmond and Sarah shared their lives with another type of pedigree cat, called the Sphynx; a breed that is as unique and as different as the Bengal, but in very different ways. This 7 page article describes the history of these naked cats, why the couple fell in love with them, and the events that led up to them importing 13 of the world’s best breeding cats. It gives some details about those beautiful adults as well as the kittens they bred, and it explains what Sphynx are like to live with.
95+ Newspaper and Magazine Features About C. Esmond Gay and His Cats
The press articles in this album are just some that Esmond, Sarah and their Bengals appeared in, and they span from 1994 to 2004. These features brought immense publicity to the Bengal breed, showing the world what amazing pets they make. The articles also give a detailed insight into Esmond, Sarah and their love of animals. And if one clicks “Albums” at the top of the page, one will be taken to other public albumsincluding one with celebrities who bought Sarez kittens and another with 500 photos of the couple’s animals including Bengals, all their wild cats, plus their rescued animals. Click the link (or copy it into your web browser), or search for “Esmond Gay” on Facebook (if link doesn’t work):https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150146009619903.336006.735774902&type=1&l=886281c821
YouTube Link to Esmond Gay’s 24+ TV Programmes & Other Bengal Videos
Esmond, Sarah, their Bengals and many other animals appeared in about 35 TV productions from 1994 to 2003. To watch around 24 of them plus some other videos, such as an in-depth tour of their home, theirSarez cattery, wild cats and animal rescue sanctuary, click the link or search for “Esmond Gay” on YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/user/Leopardcatman/videos?live_view=500&flow=list&view=0&sort=dd
