Bengal
Country / place of origin: United States
History:
The Bengal is a relatively new breed of cat, developed by Jean Mill of California in the early 1980’s. The Bengal was developed from cross-breeding the Asian Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) with various domesticated cats: Indian Mau, Egyptian Mau, American Shorthair, Abyssinian, and the Ocicat. The intent was to create a domestic cat which has physical features distinctive to the small forest-dwelling wildcats, and with the loving, dependable temperament of the domestic cat.
The International Cat Association (TICA) recognized the breed in 1986, followed by the American Cat Fanciers
Association (ACFA), but the Bengal has been refused acceptance by the more traditional Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) of the USA, the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats. The CFA is not known to accept wild/domestic hybrids.
A pet Bengal should be at least 4 generations from the original crossing between a domestic and Asian Leopard Cat. It has a desirable "wild" appearance with a gentle domestic cat temperament.
Appearance
Details: The Bengal Cat has a body structure similar to that of it wild ancestors. It has a short to medium length coat which is dense and silky. Its eyes are oval, almost round, should be large but not "bug-eyed" and set wide apart. The color is usually a green tone, but can also be blue-green, golden, and in Seal Lynx color, blue. The breed has small-to-medium size ears set in a broad head with rounded contours a wide nose and strong cheekbones with a strong chin. It carries its long body on medium length legs and large, round paws.
Color / coat: The recognized colors for the Bengal Cat are brown, silver and white (called "snow"). The snow color variants are Seal Lynx, Seal Sepia and Seal Mink. Bengals also can be black or blue, which are not preferred colors. Patterns are either spotted or marbled, and either pattern can show "rosetting", a multi-color spot or pattern mark.
Behavioral aspects: A Bengal cat is an athletic animal, alert to its surroundings; a friendly, curious, confident cat with strength, agility, balance and grace. The breed is known to take to water naturally and will splash about in the sink or shower Bengals have engaging, energetic, loving characteristics make wonderful pets. They are not for people who want a quiet, low key companion, but make ideal pets for people who want a more ‘dog-like’ companion but with playful feline characteristics. That being said, the Bengal can be leash-trained.
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