Little Bit of Bengal History
The bengal cat is also known as: leoparette, lap leopard and toy leopard.
The history of the Bengal is that in 1963 an American geneticist, Mrs. Jean Sugden of Yuma, Arizona, crossed a female Leopard Cat, which she had legally obtained from a pet shop with a black shorthaired domestic male. At the time the "experts" believed two different species couldn't reproduce. Lo and behold, a female offspring from this mating, named Kinkin, was born. She was later bred back to her wild father and this resulted in some plain and some spotted offspring. This could have been the start of a new spotted breed, but the project was abandoned when Mrs. Sugden was widowed.
In the late 1970s, Dr. Willard Centerwall, a geneticist working at the University of California, began a breeding program that involved crossing Leopard Cats with shorthaired domestic cats as part of a study of feline leukemia. Jean Sugden, now Mrs. Jean Mill as she remarried, acquired eight female hybrids from Dr. Centerwall in 1981 and used these as the foundation stock for a new Bengal Cat project. Once again, it was Jean's aim to combine the markings of a wild Leopard Cat with the friendly temperament of the domestic cat. The female hybrids were mated with a red, glittered, feral domestic cat that had been found living in the rhinoceros enclosure of Delhi Zoo. The new breed of domesticated Bengal Cat was developed.
Several other American breeders were also working with Bengals. One in particular, Dr. Gregg Kent, was successful in producing crosses between a male Leopard Cat and a female Egyptian Mau. Other domestic breeds used from time to time included the Ocicat, the Abyssinian, the Bombay, the Siamese, and the British Shorthair. Thus began a widening of the Bengal gene pool to give the breeders a wider base to work with.
The aim of the Bengal breed is to replicate the "wild look" of the ALC but with the loving temperament of the domestic cat. The domestic Bengal is NOT a wild animal. It is a friendly, loving, "wild" looking domestic pet.
In 1983 TICA accepted the domesticated Bengal Cat for registration as a new breed and it was first exhibited at cat shows in 1984-1985. It achieved National Championship status in 1990-1991. In May 2004, TICA accepted silver Bengals for National Championship status.
SBTs vs. Filial Bengals
SBTs (F4 or higher) are registered with TICA in the studbooks and are eligibile for showing. F1s, F2s & F3s are known as filial Bengals or Early Generations (EGs). They are registered with TICA as "F series" or EGs and are not eligible for showing.
F1s are created by crossing a Bengal female with a male Asian Leopard Cat (ALC). F2s are made by using an F1 female and a Bengal male. F3s are made by using an F2 female and a Bengal Male. After the fourth generation, they are no longer known as "F series" or EGs but as SBTs or "purebred Bengals". F series males are usually sterile until the fourth generation.
"F series" or EGs can make wonderful pets if they are properly socialized. Plus they are absolutely breath taking! They do require a loving home that has adequate time for them. They often are VERY attached to their owners and are a lifelong commitment. Some states and/or cities do not allow owning EGs (F1-F3 Bengals), so please be sure to research your local laws and speak with reputable breeders before purchasing one.
Appearance:
The Bengal is a small-medium sized cat. Females range from 6-12 pounds & males from 8-20 pounds. A Bengal's face is very expressive w/large nocturnal eyes, prominent whisker pads, a slightly concave profile, and small rounded ears. Long, low set muscular body with a thick tail. It's preferred that they have a "wild jungle walk" for a gait. Coat is pelted-tight & short. Glitter is unique to the Bengal breed and is prefered. It looks like one sprinkled gold dust or silver dust all over the Bengal. They can be spotted (solid dots), marbled or rosetted (trimmed in a third color) in pattern. Random, horizontal flow desired for the pattern. Even their bellies are spotted. TICA recognized colors may be: browns, silvers or the "snow series", which consists of seal lynx point, seal mink or seal sepia.
To view several pictures or the different colors and patterns, please visit Regal Air Bengals or Enchanted Kits Bengals.
You may also like to view their "wild cats" to see patterns of some of their wild cousins.
Kitten Fuzzies:
Another unique feature to Bengals is the kitten fuzzy stage. This seems to be due to their wild ancestral blood of the ALC. Most, if not all, of the "wild cat" species go thru this phase. Once the kittens are old enough to roam around, they grow long outer guard hairs that give them a really fuzzy look. This distorts their pattern and provides them camoflague. Which comes in handy in the wild where predators are always looking for an easy target. The cheetah, looks to be the species that has the fuzziest kittens. Not to worry, the Bengal kittens and their wild counterparts, outgrow this phase. It can be as early as 4-6 months, although sometimes it takes as long as 9 months. Then they are in their beatiful sleek adult pelt.
Personality:
The personality of the Bengal is: intelligent, agile, alert, active, athletic, curious, determined, outgoing, social, loving, affectionate, confident, and independent. They are fond of water and have been known to jump into bathtubs to join their owners. They also love climbing and indulge in endless bouts of play-hunting. Their vocalizations differ from the ordinary domestic cat. It contains several wild traits like chirps, bleats, peeps and squeeks.
They are quite social and enjoy the company of other cats, especially Bengals, dogs and children. They are very intelligent and determined. This can make them easy to train to walk in harness or walking jacket. Learn to play fetch, do tricks and even use the toilet. Bengals seem to also enjoy traveling, which makes them ideal over the road buddies. We know several people that travel regularly with their Bengals & they all say it's an entertaining adventure.
We must warn everyone....
Bengals are like potatoe chips- it's hard to stop at just one! :)
If you think the Bengal is just the cat for you, feel free to email us. We love discussing our beloved cats.
Treasuretrove_bengals "at" yahoo.com
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