The Bengal cat breed is the result of the breeding of Asian Leopard cats (ALC) with domestic cats.  It's name comes from the Asian Leopard's scientific name, Felis Bengalensis. Bengals are not wild animals or tigers but they do carry some of their ancestor's wild nature, such as a love for water.

 
Character:
Bengals are outgoing, friendly, confident, intelligent and very playful (they are great climbers and love heights) and they get along well with other cats, children, and people. Bengals are actually more like a dog than a cat in their behaviour.

 
Conformation:
Male Bengals are often very large, and can easily weigh over 15 pounds. The females are usually a lot smaller and lighter, weighing about 8 to 10 pounds. Bengals from the first two generations after the hybridization can be a lot heavier still, females as well as males.

 
Mating:
The mating of an ALC to a domestic cat will result in a F1. The mating of an F1 with a domestic cat will produce a F2, and the mating of a F2 with a domestic cat will produce an F3. The F1, F2, and F3 Bengals are commonly called foundation cats. Only the female foundation cats are fertile; the males are sterile. Originally, a wide variety of domestic cats were bred with ALCs and foundation cats. Currently, ALCs, F1s, F2s, and F3s are bred with SBT (fourth generation and beyond) Bengals. ALCs may also be bred to a foundation cat.

 
Colours and patterns:
The Bengal breeds is available in the colors brown and the snows, and the patterns spotted and marble. For more information on this subject I recommend to visit one of these sites:

 

- The International Bengal Cat Society;

- TICA Bengal Cat Standard;

- ACFA Bengal Cat Standard.

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