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Bengal Cat Information The Bengal
cat is a new (less than 20 years old), exotic breed of domestic cat originally
created by the breeding of the small, wild Asian Leopard Cat to a domestic cat
such as the Abyssinian, American Shorthair, Burmese, or Egyptian Mau. The Bengal
breed allows those of us who love and admire wild cats to live with and enjoy
their beauty and uniqueness in our own homes, while also benefiting from the
domestic Bengal's loving, friendly, playful disposition.
Bengals must be four or more generations removed from their wild Asian Leopard
Cat ancestor, and have three consecutive generations of Bengal to Bengal
breeding in order to be eligible to be shown in T.I.C.A. (registration paperwork
will reflect "SBT" in the registration number, which means the cat has
"studbook status".) Currently, SBT Bengals can be shown in T.I.C.A.,
U.F.O., A.C.F.A., I.C.E. and a few other Cat Associations, some for Championship
Titles. The early generation Bengals, which we refer to as "Foundation
Bengals", such as F-1, F-2 or F-3 (one, two or three generations,
respectively, removed from the Asian Leopard Cat) are best left to specialized
breeders or properly prepared and informed owners who are equipped to take care
of them. F-4's and beyond, or SBT's, are the true domestic Bengal. They usually
make the best pets, and when they are carefully bred within highly selective and
loving breeding programs, make delightfully affectionate, stunningly gorgeous
family companions!!
Domestic Bengals are no different than any other domestic cat when it comes to
care and feeding. Female Bengals average from 7 to 11 pounds at maturity, while
the more heavily muscled males can average from 11 to 18 pounds at maturity.
Bengal owners delight in the intelligence, playfulness, and affectionate natures
of their companions, and also love to talk about their athleticism, leaping
ability and the dexterity with which they use their paws. Many Bengals also have
an instinctive love of water, and have been known to climb in the shower or
bathtub with their humans!!
Of the 37 species of wild cats worldwide, small wild cats make up 30 of those
37. The "Felis bengalensis", or leopard cat species, is very common in
areas such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and eastern and southern Asia. ALC's
are currently listed on Appendix I and II of CITES. The wild leopard cat, while
still quite numerous, is being forced to live in ever smaller areas due to
growing human population and land development encroaching upon their natural
habitats. There have been over 10 subspecies (plus certain individual ALC's that
were captive bred) used in the Bengal breeding program, each contributing many
different and unique characteristics. The Domestic Bengal received its name from
the scientific Latin name "Prionaliurus bengalensis" for Asian Leopard
Cat.
Weighing between 5 and 15 pounds (Amur leopard cats average 18 pounds), the
leopard cat has a very long body type compared to the domestic cat, as well as
far more striking coloring and markings including such physical traits as
rosetted and random spots, and a thick, soft, distinctive pelt. Small, round
ears and a whited underbelly are also beautiful characteristics of this species.
The leopard cat can be found in areas ranging from desert to dense forests, and
their markings can vary accordingly. With their small
head, rounded ears (which have a white spot on the back of them called
"ocelli"), the leopard cat's unique appearance also comes from their
large, amber, nocturnal eyes, and 2 black "mascara" stripes running
from the corners of the eyes. Almost all leopard cats have 4 striped bands that
run from their foreheads to behind their necks, ringed tails with black tips,
black spots on white bellies, and distinctive, rosetted spots on pelts that vary
from tawny brown, golden, gray, to bright orange-red backgrounds, with the spots
being usually chocolate brown to black. The seal lynx point (blue eyed)and seal sepia (gold or green eyed) spotted tabbies (snow leopard spotted) have ivory backgrounds with contrasting spots. The seal mink (aqua or green eyed) snow is a combination of one each of the above pointed siamese and the burmese sepia genes. Extreme contrast between the markings and the ground color is desirable in each spotted color. The classic tabby gene creates the marble bengal and represents a change of pattern from spotted to swirled or marbleized. This dramatic pattern is comprised of swirls of brown spotted colors flowing in a horizontal fashion instead of traditional spots. Preference is given to the more horizontal, flowing and "ocellot-like" patterns. The "marble" pattern can also occur in the snow colors, creating the "snow marbles". "Rosettes," the dark outlining of coat markings (both spotted and marble) around a third rich color found in many Asian Leopard Cats and other wild cat species, is a desirable (but not required) pattern in the Bengal cat. "Glitter," the high shine (usually on a clear, nonticked coat) that has been discovered and developed in the Bengal, is a welcome addition to the breed but is not mentioned in the breed Standard and thus is not required in a Bengal Bengals are relatively large-boned, shorthaired cats
with males ranging from 10 to 18 pounds and females slightly smaller. The face
should have a feral expression, with small, rounded ears and intense facial
markings. Careful selection ensures Bengal Cats that are friendly, loving
domestic cats that bear a strong physical resemblance to their hybrid ancestors. In the wild,
leopard cats hunt reptiles, fish, rodents, birds and insects. Leopard cats are
not naturally aggressive animals; in fact, they are slightly shy and highly
intelligent. It is primarily their shyness as well as certain behavior and
temperament traits that keep them from doing well with humans, who usually have
expectations of closeness and behavior patterns that the ALC cannot meet as a
pet or household companion. |
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