THE BENGAL

IF YOU LOVE THE WILD EXOTIC LOOK AND THE INTELLIGENCE OF A JUNGLE LEOPARD, AND THE AFFECTION AND PERSONALITY OF YOUR FAVORITE HOUSE CAT, THEN THE BENGAL IS THE BREED FOR YOU!!  

CREATED BY CROSSING SMALL ASIAN LEOPARD CATS WITH DOMESTIC HOUSE CATS, THE BENGAL IS A FASCINATING BLEND OF EXOTIC AND DOMESTIC,  AN INTELLIGENT COMPANION WHO FORMS STRONG BONDS WITH HIS OWNERS AND STANDS OUT FOR HIS BEAUTIFUL MARKINGS AND WILD EXOTIC LOOK.  EVEN IF YOU'VE HAD OTHER CATS ALL YOUR LIFE, BRINGING HOME A BENGAL CAN BE A WHOLE NEW FUN AND FASCINATING CAT EXPERIENCE! 

BENGAL CHARActeristics 

Physical Features

The Amazing Bengal Markings!

The first thing that catches your eye about the Bengal is his beautiful coat! The Bengal's fur is luxuriously soft and silky to the touch, and does not shed as much as a typical house cat's fur.  Some people with cat allergies report less of an allergic reaction to the Bengal cat's fur.  Bengal coats come in two basic patterns:  spotted or rosette, and a marbled pattern of one or more colors swirled into the background coat color.

Bengal coats come in a variety of colors.  The traditional brown Bengal is the most popular color and may come in a range of variations from beige, gold, grey beige, sorrel/reddish brown or charcoal.  Eye color for the traditional brown Bengal is green or gold and never blue.  Snow Bengals, or more accurately, Seal Lynx Points, Seal Minks or Seal Sepias are creamy white, with a contrasting color ranging from light cinnamon brown to tones of gray color.  Eye color for the Seal Lynx Point is always blue, and eye color for the Seal Minks and Seal Sepias is aqua, green, copper or gold depending upon the genetics.  The Silver Bengal is the newest of the breed’s accepted colors.  Silver Bengals have pewter to jet black markings on a clear silver background.  

Some Bengals possess a trait that makes the fur appear to have been dusted with gold or crystal glitter that shimmers in the sunlight.  This is known as "glitter", and is caused by translucent hair shafts, carried by recessive genes that give the coat this shimmering glow.  

This glitter is not as apparent at birth.  Bengal kittens tend to go through what has been referred to as the "ugly duckling" stage, when they develop the “fuzzies", which make the fur less contrasting and can hide true color.  This early “fuzzy” coat is a direct legacy from his wild heritage, providing natural protection from its predators.  The exciting attribute about a Bengal kitten's coat is that it keeps getting prettier and prettier with time.  

The Athlete

The Bengal is an athlete: agile and graceful with a strong, muscular body.  He carries himself with a regal, confident air. His body and bone-structure is sturdy and firm; his neck and torso are long and substantial.  The Bengal is very muscular and tone, a true athlete, one of the breed’s distinguishing features.  His legs are medium length, slightly longer in back than front.

The Bengal’s feet are large with prominent knuckles and webbed paws, an interesting Asian Leopard trait for fishing in the water.  

His tail is medium length, thick at the base and tapered at the end, with a round, black tip.  His head resembles his wild ancestry: long nose, straight profile and wedge-shaped, longer than it is wide and the skull behind the ears gently curves into the neck.  His eyes are large and well-spaced, oval or round in shape, distinguished by black outlining, almost mascara-like.  His ears are medium to small, relatively short and rounded, again like his wild cousin.  As he rolls over, you see his lighter background, spotted belly.

Bengals are medium to large house cats.  Adult females are typically 8 to 10 lbs (3.5 to 4.5 kg).  Adult males are typically larger and more muscular, weighing 12 to 15 lbs (5.5 to 6.8 kg) or more.

Personality

The intelligent, curious Bengal is highly active and always on the move.  He is a happy, entertaining cat who loves attention and social interaction.  As an athlete, he loves to jump, chase and … climb!  Bengals are talkative, friendly and alert – nothing escapes his notice, and they are most happy when they are right in the middle of the action.  Bengals have several attributes often found more frequently in canines than felines.  Many play fetch, go for walks on a leash and love water.  It is not uncommon to find your Bengal splashing in his water dish, and if you're not watching he may join you in the shower or bathtub!  

With this level of energy, the Bengal can be fun to live with and can sometimes be challenging. Your Bengal does best with a family who spends a lot of time at home and who will enjoy playing and interacting with him.  He requires lots of activity, and if he doesn’t get it, he’ll find his own, which may be in the form of opening cupboards and doors, pulling the stoppers out of the sinks, or fishing in your fish tank.  Someone once said that it’s a good thing that Bengals don’t have opposing thumbs or they would probably rule the world! 

The Bengal is very loyal and bonds very closely to his family and other family pets, including cat-friendly dogs.  With his energy burned off, he is very easy going, warm and affectionate.  The Bengal is confident and highly adaptable to change and new surroundings.  As a short-haired breed, he does not require significant amounts of grooming or brushing, and sheds minimally.  Bathing is rarely necessary, unless he decides he wants to join you in a bath!

 (Source:  vetSTREET, Your Pet, Your Vet)

ASIAN LEOPARD CAT - (PRIONAILURUS BENGALENSIS)

Bengal Origins

The human fascination with the natural beauty and strength of wild jungle cats has spanned millennia.  In the early 1960’s, Jean Mill of California (USA) successfully cross-bred an Asian Leopard Cat with a domestic house cat, creating the foundations for the Bengal breed.  Today, a pure-bred Bengal pedigreed cat is at least four generations removed from the initial Asian Leopard Cat breeding, ensuring a domesticated, docile house cat.

The International Cat Association accepted the Bengal breed in 1986 and it gained Championship status in 1991.

Today, Ladd Hill Bengals joins breeders throughout the world committed to creating a docile, civilized house cat with the natural beauty and strength of the wild jungle cats that have fascinated humanity for centuries.

For a fascinating look into the Bengal’s origins, below is a video of Ms. Mill and Anthony Hutcherson and their integral role in bringing about this unique pet.