Bengal Information

The Bengal cat is a registered cross breed from an Asian Leopard cat and the domestic short haired tabby. The SBT (Stud book tradition) Bengals are those that are at least four generations removed from the Asian Leopard.

Before purchasing your Bengal, please be sure to read as much as you can and even ask to see the cats in action at the cattery you plan to purchase one from. Bengals can be very active!! Mine often walk the curtain rods, knock down plants, try to eat my salt water fish, and the list of antics goes on and on! When any animal is not fixed at an early age the change in hormones often leads to a change in their behaviors. Some will become distant, others (male and female) will spray so if you do not intend on breeding I strongly suggest you spay/neuter at age 6 months.

Below you will find some good information about Bengals. I also have a Links page that has links to other sites with additional information.

F1	Bengals which are the first generation from the Asian Leopard Cat. One parent is a domestic cat and the other is an Asian Leopard Cat
F2	Bengals which are the second generation from the Asian Leopard Cat. One grandparent is a domestic cat and the other is an Asian Leopard Cat
F3	Bengals which are the third generation from the Asian Leopard Cat. One great grandparent is a domestic cat and the other is an Asian Leopard Cat
SBT	Stud Book Tradition Bengal. These Bengals are at least fourth generation Bengals with a Bengal to Bengal heritage (no outcrosses to any other cat). SBT bengals are the only Bengals that are eligible for showing.

SBT Bengals may have between 8% and 12% wild blood. They are confident, alert, very friendly, affectionate, and fun! They are not an aloof cat like the Asian Leopard tends to be. They thoroughly enjoy human company. Bengals have normal litter box habits and easily acclimate to other felines. Some of their common ancestral traits are, acute hearing, keen vision, agility, leopard like pelts, a love for playing with and being in water, a love for heights & jumping, a beautiful wild look, and a extremely soft & silky short haired pelt. Bengals weigh anywhere from 7 to 15 pounds as adults and are less prone to shedding than other domestic cats. Bengal's can be kept without special licenses, or permits.

The following is information is found on the web site of www.bengalcat.com :

The brown spotted tabby (leopard spotted) Bengals have dark spots on a lighter ground color ranging from gray or tawny to sorrel to golden, very rufused (bright orange) and to a rich mahogony. Note: The Asian Leopard Cat is considered a brown spotted tabby in tthe cat fancy and ranges somewhat in color.

The seal lynx point (blue-eyed) and seal sepia (gold or green-eyed) spotted tabbies (fondly referred to by breeders as two of the "snow" leopard spotteds) have ivory backgrounds with contrasting spots. The seal mink (aqua or green-eyed) spottted 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.

Spots of all colors and patterns vary in color, size, rosetting and intensity but perference is given to radom and horizontal pattern alignment with wide spacing or "acreage".

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, flowing and "ocelot- like" patterns. The "marbled" pattern can also occur in lynx, sepia and mink color/patterns.

"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.

"Rosettes"- the dark outlining of coat markings (both in the spotted and marbled) that are around a third rich color, are found in many Asian leopard Cats and other wild cats species. Rosettes showing two distinct colors or shades, such as paw print shaped, arrowhead shaped, doughnut or half-doughnut shaped or clustered are preferred to single spotting but not required.

Some Bengal kittens go through what is referred to as the fuzzy uglies. A beautifully clear kitten at three weeks old may begin to acquire a ticked kitten coat at four to five weeks old. This coat begins to clear again to higher contrast at about 12 weeks and is again breathtaking by 6 months.

Please Note: There are a variety of other colors (such as blue,black,torbie, etc.) and characteristics (long hair, flat face, etc.) of the Bengal cat which are derived from the domestic genes that DO NOT meet the Bengal standard in TICA... but which may be quite beautiful and show in UFO and other registries.

Bengals are relatively large-boned, shorthaired cats with males averaging from 10 to 15 pounds and females usually smaller. The face should have a distinctly non-domestic 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 Asian Leopard Cat ancestors.

Kittens are categorized as to their quality when compared to the accepted TICA Bengal Standard. The Standard for the Bengal cat describes the ideal. Kittens are sold either as pets to be altered, breeders and/or show quality cats. Show quality is the best of the best. Breeder quality is a good cat that has something lovely to offer the breed and no faults or perhaps one or two less desirable traits that can bred out in a generation. Pet quality is a cat that for some reason the breeder feels does not qualify to be offered as a breeder feels does not qualify to be offered as a breeder or show cat. This might be due to a visual undesirable trait such as a spot of white color on the throat or groin (referred to as a locket) or a genetic defect that might put offspring at risk for ill health.

Note: Bengal standards as accepted by other cat registriees in other countries may vary somewhat.