The Bengal cat makes a loving, intelligent housecat. Curious and entertaining, some even enjoy playing in water and bathing with their owners. They enjoy the companionship of both adults and children and usually adapt to other family pets. Some owners regularly walk their Bengals on leashes. Exercise, nutritional and immunization requirements are the same as for all domestic household cats. The domestic Bengal (four generations or more from the Asian Leopard Cat) has normal litter box habits, is recognized in several cat fancy registries and currently makes up the largest number of cats competing in The International Cat Association (TICA). Also recognized by registries such as AACE, ACF, ACFA, CCA, FIFE, GCCF, FIFE, NZCF and QICC, this entertaining and affectionate cat is finding its way into more and more living rooms.

Fuzzy Love Bengals breeds for personality and good looks. Our cats & kittens are full of love!

Colors and Patterns

The first registry to recognize the Bengal, The International Cat Association (TICA) recognizes several colors (brown, seal lynx , mink, sepia, silver) and patterns (spotted and marbled) for Championship competition.

Brown Spotted Tabby Bengals

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 mahogany. Note: The Asian Leopard Cat is considered a brown spotted tabby in the cat fancy and ranges somewhat in color.

Seal Lynx , Sepia and Mink Spotted Tabby Bengals

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

Marbled Bengals

The classic tabby gene creates the marbled 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 fashion instead of traditional spots. Preference is given to the more horizontal, flowing and "ocelot-like" patterns. The "marbled" pattern can also occur in lynx, sepia and mink color/patterns (see above).

Other Colors & Characteristics:

"Glitter," the high shine (usually on a clear, non-ticked 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 cat 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

Here is a list of terms and definitions you will run into when reading or talking about the Bengal.

Arrowheads:

Descriptive terms for a very desirable form of Bengal spots. These large spots are shaped like, well, arrowheads.

 

Asian Leopard Cat/ALC:

The wild ancestor of the Bengal; felis bengalensis, also called prionailuris bengalensis. This small (6-12 lb) shy, nocturnal spotted cat is the most numerous of the small wild cat species. It ranges from Siberia in the northern end of its range down through China, India, Southeast Asia and into Malaysia. One subspecies is found on Iriomote Island off Japan. The breed name, Bengal, is derived from the leopard cat's Latin species name. Virtually all leopard cats used in Bengal breeding programs have come from private or zoo breeding programs, and were not taken from the wild.

 

Chaining/Chain Rosetting:

In marble tabby Bengals, this is a series of connected rosettes down the cat's upper sides (below the spine) that gives the appearance of a chain of links. This is very desirable to have.

 

Foundation Cats/Filials/ F1, F2, F3:

Various terms used to describe the first three generations from an initial domestic/Asian Leopard Cat mating. These generations are the foundation of the Bengal breed. The fourth generation and beyond is considered the domestic Bengal cat.

 

Fuzzies:

An unusual stage many Bengal kittens go through, starting at about 4-5 weeks of age. The coat changes color and texture, becoming grayish and fuzzy looking, obscuring the pattern. This may be a camouflage trait inherited from the leopard cat ancestors - a protective coloration for leopard cat kittens as they emerge from their den. Many, but not all kittens go though the fuzzies; it generally clears up around 11-12 weeks of age, when the coat returns to its original color, texture and clarity.

 

Glitter:

A trait unique to the Bengal breed, it causes the Bengal hairs to sparkle and glitter like a prism when light hits it just right. Not all Bengals are glittered, and glitter is not part of the breed standard. Many breeders consider it a desirable trait. In brown tabby Bengals, the hairs glitter gold; in the "snow" colors the glitter appears crystalline.

 

Ocelli:

A vivid white patch on the back of the ear, this trait comes from the leopard cat. True ocelli are extremely rare beyond the F2 generation, and should not be confused with the common, pale "tabby thumbprint" that many Bengals have on their ears.

 

Pelt:

The term used to describe the exceptionally soft feel of a Bengal's fur. Not all Bengals are pelted but it is a highly desirable trait.

 

Rosette:

The most desired type of spotting, which helps give the Bengal its wonderful wild look. There are different varieties of rosettes; in general it is a hollowed out circular or semicircular spot. Breeders have developed a number of descriptive terms for the types of rosettes seen on Bengals - donuts, pawprints, clusters, chaining, for example.

 

Rufinism/Rufousism:

The quality of a background color which gives a warm tone to the Bengal coat. The standard for the brown tabby calls for a high degree of rufinism. This does not mean a reddish or orangey colored cat, but one whose coat color gives an overall impression of warmth.

 

TIBCS:

The International Bengal Cat Society, the larger of the two U.S. based Bengal breed clubs, with over 400 members worldwide. Membership is open to all with an interest in the Bengal cat. Website at http://www.bengalcat.com

 

TICA:

The International Cat Association, headquartered in Harlingen, TX is the world's largest genetic registry for the domestic cat. The first association to recognize the Bengal, over 15,500 Bengals have been TICA registered since 1985. Website at http://www.tica.org

 

Ticking:

When used in reference to Bengals, ticking is an excess of banded (agouti) hairs in the background color. This reduces the contrast between the markings and the background color, and in severe cases tends to obscure the pattern. Excessive ticking is considered undesirable. All Bengals have some degree of ticking, but the less ticking, the better.

 

Type:

When Bengal breeders refer to "type", they are talking about the physical structure of the cat - the shape of the head, length of the body, etc.

 

Whited Tummy:

A highly desirable trait inherited from the Asian Leopard Cat. Called "whited," to distinguish it from the white spotting gene, this refers to a nearly white (but still spotted) belly, inner legs, chest and throat on a brown tabby Bengal. This is a relatively rare trait in SBT Bengals and is highly prized when it occurs. Very many brown tabby kittens appear to be "whited" at a young age, but their "whited" areas will turn creamy or golden as they grow up. An inexperienced breeder may mistake this early paleness for the true whited tummy.