Bengal Cats

Bengal Cats possess a unique Leopard-like appearance, since they descended from the Asian Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensi). This is relatively a new breed, originated in the 1970s. The goal of the whole breeding program was to create a feline with the size and temperament of a domestic cat and with the appearance of its wild ancestor. Bengal Cats have distinctive patterns of spots and rosettes all over the body, like no other domestic cat.

Brown Marbled Tabby, Brown Spotted Tabby, Seal Sepia Spotted Tabby, Seal Spotted Lynx Point, Seal Sepia Marbled Tabby, Seal Mink Spotted Tabby, Seal Mink Marbled Tabby and Seal Marbled Lynx Point are the recognized colors, defining the purity of a species. Being a hybrid species, the cat has a number of infertile cats. Bengal Cats used to show much lower fertility at an early stage of breed formation than they do today. Actually, infertility plagued male offspring, while females, even those of first generations, were fertile. In order to boost reproduction, breeders added the genes of a few more domestic cat breeds, including Abyssinian, American Shorthair, Egyptian Maus, etc.

Bengal cats are larger than most other domestic cat breeds. They weigh 10-20 lbs, and males are usually larger than females. Spots cover the back and sides, while the legs and the tail are in stripes. These cats have a very soft coat, with a characteristic gold or pearl sheen. There are dark horizontal lines on the face running from the eyes and to the back of the neck, often referred to as “mascara”.

Despite their highly exotic appearance and evident resemblance to Leopards and Jaguars, Bengal Cats are no more aggressive than any other domestic cat. They have been bred selectively for many generations, and today this is but the sweetest and most funny home companion. Bengal Cats enjoy interaction, and they never seem to be left out of any household activity. They love to “participate” in cleaning the house, and may learn to perform a number of actions, such as switching on and off the light, answering doorbells, flushing toilet, etc. Bengal Cats are quite vocal, and can produce sounds different from those of most other domestic cats. This is one reason why they should not be left alone or without attention. Besides meowing and yowling vowel characteristic, these felines can chirp, twitter and purr in various manners. Bengal Cats are renowned for their love to play in water, which is untypical of cats.