ABOUT BENGAL CATS


"Tom", one of our very first studs.

Bengal History

Bengal cats were created by the hybridization of the wild Asian leopard cat (Felis bengalensis, from which the name "Bengal" was taken) with domestic cats to produce a beautiful, exotic-appearing feline with dependable domestic temperament. Because the parents are of two different species, early generation males are sterile. Female hybrids are bred back to domestic males to continue the development of the breed.

The Asian leopard cat is a small wild feline found in the forests of southern Asia. It is widely hunted for its fur and body parts which are still used in some traditional native medicines. There are as many as twelve and possibly more subspecies of ALC; not all have been used in Bengal programs. The Amur Cat and the Prionarilus sp. have been the most often used subspecies of F. bengalensis. Most come from zoos or other captive breeding programs, they are not caught in the wild.


Hunterdonhall kittens at play

There are some Bengal fanciers today who feel that the Asian leopard cat is no longer needed in breeding programs; others who feel that the continued infusion of new genetic material is benefical to the breed and should be continued in a responsible manner. The Authentic Bengal Cat League was formed by breeders including ourselves who believe that the Bengal breeding pool should continue to include the ALC and that the goal of the breed’s development should be to, as closely as possible, replicate the conformation and patterns of the wild forest-dwelling cat ancestors, instead of just being another pretty spotted domestic cat.



International Winner, Regional Winner, Supreme Grand Champion Hunterdonhall Tarzan

Bengal Personality

Bengals do inherit some characteristics of their wild ancestors besides the physical ones. The ALC is an agile climbing cat, and so are Bengals. They enjoy being up high, and owners should provide some climbing trees and perches for the cats to play on. This will save the furniture and drapes! Bengals also do not do well when declawed, as this interferes with their love of climbing and can frustrate them, forcing them to find other outlets for their energy. Declawing is not recommended.

Bengals are also incredibly active and athletic. They are not a breed for people who want a cat to sit quietly in the corner. Many new owners are unprepared for how strong and lively these kittens and cats really are. They do not outgrow this playful nature. Some people enjoy it, many do not. Potential owners would do well to spend time with Bengals before purchasing one, to see this activity level for themselves. They are not particularly lap cats, they are too busy to spend much time being held and cuddled.

Some Bengals eat their food using their front paws; some play in their water bowls and like to drop their toys into the water. This can get a bit messy. Some Bengals will jump in the shower or bathtub with you, some like to drink only from a running faucet.

Most Bengals are efficient hunters and are very predatory; sufficient toys must be provided to allow them to have their fun stalking and pouncing. They often carry their toys around in their mouths or paws, and enjoy a good game of fetch.

Bengals should not be shy or aggressive; they are very outgoing and bold, with confidence and self-assurance when raised properly by knowledgeable breeders. They are not easily intimidated and often rise to the dominant position in the household. They are sometimes talkative and sometimes just won’t get out from under your feet.


Bengal Colors and Patterns

Bengals come in two official patterns: Spotted and Marbled.



Large random spotting or sometimes rosettes are preferred to tiny, uniform spots such as are found on the Ocicat or Egyptian Mau. Bengal breeders prefer a lot of "acreage"; that means a lot of background area spaced between large randomly placed spots.



The word "rosette" when used by different breeders does not always mean the same thing to each person. Some forms of rosetting are called "arrowheads", "pawprints", "donuts", and there are other descriptive names. It is hard to tell from a written description what type of rosetting a cat or kitten may have; it is always better to see pictures of a cat before buying one that is supposedly "rosetted". Buyer and Breeder may have different ideas of what constitutes rosetting.



Marbles are preferred in outlined, two or three-shaded color patterns, with the pattern exhibiting as much of a horizontal flowing direction as possible. These "tri-color" marbles, when used properly in a breeding program with the right kind of spotted cat, can contribute to the appearance of rosettes in the offspring.



Thanks to some of the domestics that were used in the development of the breed, Bengals can come in a variety of colors, but the most common are those that are accepted in the show ring: Brown and "Snow".


Bundas Niagara, a brown spotted female, one of our original queens, Tom's mother and a good example of what the Bengals of yesterday looked like. This photo was taken in 1991. (Photos taken outside are only momentary for the nice scenery; we do not encourage the keeping of Bengal cats as outdoor pets.)

Some breeders refer to Brown Tabby as "leopard" or "classic" coloration. This describes a golden to brown cat with black spotting. Some cats exhibiting a high degree of rufousing (apricot overlay) may have markings that are not black, but are a "hot" reddish color; breeders sometimes call these cats "Sorrels". Even a Sorrel should have a black tail tip and black paw pads which tells you it is a genetic Brown Tabby. Contrast between the background color and the spotting or marbled pattern should be as extreme as possible. Faded markings are not as desirable.





Painted Sand, Seal Lynx Marble "Snow" colorations arise from the presence of recessive color genes carried by some of the Bengal’s domestic ancestors. The two genes responsible for the three "snow" colors are the Burmese factor (c/b) and the Siamese factor (c/s). Sepia, Mink and Seal Lynx are the terms that describe the color as well as the gene makeup of the cat in question. The cat to the left is Painted Sand, an SBT Seal Lynx Point Marble Tabby male. He has a very nice, outlined, flowing horizontal marble pattern with good contrast.

Sepia = two copies of c/b; eyes are usually gold to green.
Mink = one copy of each; eyes are normally green to aqua.
Seal Lynx = two copies of c/s; eyes are blue.
We do not currently use the c/b gene in our breeding program. We do have some spectacular Seal Lynx Point Bengals in our breeding program, rosetted, spotted, and marbled.

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