Bengal cats are hybrids created by crossing the Asian Leopard Cat, a small jungle-dwelling wild cat, with domestic cats such as the Egyptian Mau, Abyssinian, Burmese, and, more recently, the American Shorthair. A Bengal cat is considered domestic, or SBT (stud book tradition), once it is at least four generations away from the Asian Leopard Cat ancestor. SBT Bengals are loving and devoted companions. They enjoy people tremendously; some say they are more like dogs than cats! They have remarkably stable temperaments, probably because early developers of the breed insisted on breeding for personality as well as looks. And, speaking of personality, Bengals are bubbling over with it – they love to jump, dabble in water, fetch a ball, or simply nestle on your shoulder. Bengals can jump over five feet when an enticing toy inspires them!
Bengal cats do not behave like wildcats – not in any negative sense of the word. They have retained the prowess and intelligence of the Asian Leopard Cat, yet they have the loving and affectionate nature of a domestic cat. Bengals are not destructive! In fact, their alert intelligence allows them to be unusually responsive to training. Hence, all the testimony from Bengal owners of their cats walking with a harness and leash, enthusiastically jumping hurdles in agility contests, fetching on command…the list is only limited by gravity and your imagination!
Bengal cats are available in the two drawing variants spotted (spotted) and marbled (marble). In addition, these appear in different colors. The contrast between the basic color and the color of the pattern should be as high as possible, regardless of the drawing. The basic color of the brown Bengal cat varies from yellow to red to golden.
Since in Bengal cat the color darkens until around the age of four, a yellow base color is considered ideal at birth. The color of the polka dots varies widely between jet black, dark brown, and rust-brown. The darker this is in contrast to the basic color, the stronger the contrast, of course. The size of the spots is also important for the contrast. Every spot size is permissible as long as it stands out well from the base color.
In addition to the wildcat-like brown color, the Bengal cat is also available in the colors Silver and Snow. The Snow Bengal cat is further divided into three color variants- Seal Sepia, Seal Mink and Seal Lynx. Like most of the Bengal Cats, the Snow Bengal Cat also comes in two marking patterns- marbled and spotted.
However, do not expect your Bengal cat to do any certain trick. Bengals are individuals; that are part of their charm. For instance, some will dive in the bathtub with you, while others prefer to daintily dip their paws under a running faucet. Like people, each Bengal is unique, complete with his or her own special traits. In short, we love these wonderful, quirky cats; and, looking back, we can’t imagine how boring our lives were without them!