History of the Bengal Cat:
"touch of the wild"
THE BENGAL CAT IS A DOMESTICATED HOUSE CAT WITH A WILD LOOK.
THE BENGAL STANDARDS (TICA)
IT DERIVED ITS NAME FROM THE SPECIES NAME OF ITS WILD ANCESTOR, FELIS BENGALENSIS, WHICH IS AN ASIAN LEOPARD CAT, AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BENGAL TIGERS.
ITS APPEARANCE IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE ASIAN LEOPARD CAT; THE GENETIC MAKEUP CONTAINS A CONTRBUTION FROM THAT WILD CAT SPECIES. BUT ITS TEMPERAMENT IS PURELY DOMESTIC. THE GOAL OF THE BENGAL CAT IS TO PRESERVE A STRONG PHYICAL RESEMBLANCE TO ITS BEAUTIFUL WILD ANCESTOR, AND AT THE SAME TIME BE A PLEASANT AND TRUSTWORTHY FAMILY COMPANION.
Bengal’s are medium sized cats - a male may weigh as much as 20 lb (9 kg), and a female commonly weighs 7 to 12 lb (4 to 6 kg). Male cats are generally larger than females.
While the first documented hybridization is documented to have occurred as early as 1871, the first attempt to create a miniature leopard was not until 1941 in Japan (as documented by Cat Fancy.) It was not until the 1960's that attempts were made in the US to create a hybrid leopard cat, nor was it until around that time (early 1970's) that such attempts became successful in the Bengal breed.
The breed owes it's origins to researchers such as Jean (Sugden) Mills and Dr. Willard Centerwalls. Dr. Willard Centerwall, who was doing leukemia research at Loyola University using the Asian leopard cat in the early 1980s. It was known that ALC's were immune to feline leukemia and Dr. Centerwall was crossing them with domestic cats, which are not immune, in an attempt to figure out the mechanism of the ACL’s resistance. If found, this could have far reaching consequences in the treatment of this disease, not only for cats, but for humans and other animals as well.
Around 1963, Jean Sugden crossed an ALC female with her black domestic cat, getting a mixture of spotted and solid kittens. One of the spotted females was then bred back to the father (foundation males are almost always sterile,) resulting in spotted kittens and the start of the Bengal breed. However, after Jean Sugden's husband died, she abandoned the efforts for that time and the breed didn't progress.
In the 1970's, Jean Sugden (now Jean Mills,) acquired eight female foundation cats from Dr. Centerwalls and the University of California, which were the results of the earlier studies to find a cure for feline leukemia. From there, the breed was established. By 1984 Bengal’s were exhibited and judged in TICA shows worldwide in the NEW breed and Color Class and in 1990 the Bengal’s were accepted in TICA for championship competition in shows.
Jean Mill's reasons for creating the breed, involves more than the earlier stated scientific reasons. At the time, there was a rampant fur trade involving the Asian leopard cat (it took as many as 30 ALC pelts to make one coat,) as well as an exotic pet trade. As she states her reasons:
In 1963 I deliberately crossed leopard cats with domestic cats for several important reasons. At that time, wild cats were being exploited for the fur market. Nursing female leopard cats defending their nests were shot for their pelts, and the cubs were shipped off to pet stores worldwide. Unsuspecting cat lovers bought them, unaware of the danger, their unpleasant elimination habits and the unsuitability of keeping wild cats as pets. Most of the wild kittens from this era ended up in zoos or escaped onto city streets. I hoped that by putting a leopard coat on a domestic cat, the pet trade could be safely satisfied. If fashionable women could be dissuaded from wearing furs that look like friends' pets, the diminished demand would result in less poaching of wild species.
The F refers to Foundation Generation which is the cross between ALC & Domestic. The F number is used for quick reference.
F1 - Is the first generation cross, meaning one parent is an ALC with 50% or higher wild blood
F2 - Is the second generation there will be a grandparent who is an ALC - The males are usually sterile
F3 - Is the third generation - A few males can be fertile
F4 - Is the last generation before a cat is recognized as a true Bengal - Both sexes are usually fertile
Stands for Stud Book Tradition(.SBT) A term designated by TICA, The International Cat Association. SBT indicates that the Bengal is pedigreed (yes an oxymoron because a Bengal is a hybrid) and must be at least 4 generations removed from the Asian Leopard Cat. To be an SBT there must only be Bengal to Bengal breeding. No longer does the Bengal standard allow out crosses.
At 4 generations removed the Bengal cat will have somewhere around 8 to 12% Asian Leopard Cat blood.
There are 3 parts to TICA registration number
SBT 060706 057 registration number stand for:
SBT = 4 generations or more from the Asian Leopard Cat. A Bengal to Bengal breeding.
060706= the date the Bengal was born on (June-06-2006)
057= It is one among 57 or more Bengal's registered with TICA born on June-06-2006
COLOURS/PATTERNS These are the main colors of Bengal: Brown Spotted - Also known as Leopard Spotted Seal Sepia - These are green or gold colored eyed (AOC-E) Snow Bengal's Mink - As above but with a very light brown coat Seal Lynx - This is for all the blue eyed (BLU-E) Snow Bengal's Blue - Blue/Gray Markings on light gray, they do not replicate the ALC, so are classed at present as an unwanted gene Black - These are black markings on a black background, some breeders call them "Pantherettes" which is incorrect. Silver - Silver background with black/brown spots (A silver Bengal is not a color but caused by the inhibitor gene) You will find in our country that the main colors for sale will be Brown or Snow (which is a general class for sepia, lynx and mink) You then have two coat patterns:- Spotted - As the name suggests the coat is covered in spots. They must be random, or horizontally aligned. There must be spots on the torso, tummy and legs. It is desirable to have rosettes (showing two distinct colors) a little like a donut one color on the outside and an inner circle with a lighter color. Also desirable are spots shaped like arrowheads or paws. None of these are essential in showing your cat/kitten. Marble - Horizontal markings, swirls down the side of the cat. The pattern should be random. Vertical striping is undesirable. Belly once again must be spotted
No matter what color of coat the Bengal has, its tail must have a black tip. Spots rather than stripes on the legs are preferred.
Personality: Bengal's can take a great deal of interest in running water and often don't mind getting wet. Most owners have stories about their cat's affection for running water or even jumping in a sink or tub. Bengal's have been known to play games with their owners, such as "fetch" and "hide-and-seek." They tend to vocalize to communicate with their humans. Additionally, they have very high-energy, are intelligent, and curious, and so are particularly interactive with their human housemates, wanting to be in the middle of whatever the human is engaged in, and often following the human around the house as household chores are performed.
Bengal's do not have fur but more of a pelt coat; this is a lovely soft coat that came from their wild ancestors. At around seven weeks the kittens will begin to get what is called the fuzzies, this is something else that is past down from their ancestors providing them with a camouflage in the wild. The fuzzies is when a kitten begins to grow longer guard hairs which disguise the spots from a front view, but the beautiful markings can still be seen from behind. Glitter Coat - Most Bengal's are bred with a glitter coat which looks just like someone has got a handful of gold glitter and sprinkled it over. The glitter gene is said to have come from a foundation cat called "Millwood Tory of Delhi" which Jean Mill found in India. The same effect appears on snow Bengal's looking more like a pearl dust.
We believe that anyone who has a Bengal will never again be satisfied with any other kind of cat.
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Some Bengal kittens go through a stage we call the "Ugly Fuzzies". Like a wild-cat cub, bengal kittens typically develop a coat that camouflages or mutes their markings. Unfortunately, the "fuzzies" are at their worst at about ten weeks old, when kittens are getting ready to go their new homes.This coat begins to clear again to higher contrast at about 12 weeks and is again breathtaking by 6 months This is quite normal. It is best to see the kittens first (or a photograph of the kittens) at an earlier age, between two to six weeks old. This way you can see what the adult markings will be like, and that the kitten does not have a ticked coat or long hair, which are both faults. Kittens are sold either as pets to be altered, breeders and/or show quality cats. Show quality is the best of the best. Breeder quality is a good cat that has something lovely to offer the breed and no faults or perhaps one or two less desirable traits that can bred out in a generation. Pet quality is a cat that for some reason the breeder feels does not qualify to be offered as a breeder or show cat. This might be due to a visual undesirable trait such as a spot of white color on the throat or groin (referred to as a locket) or a genetic defect that might put offspring.
Dreampaws doesn't guarantee the results of any shows, because there many factors that plays a part in being a show cat. A few examples: grooming , is the cat clean. eye, ears, coat, nails. it is also important to keep up with socializing of the cat. A Show quality cat will have type. Breeder quality : is guaranteed to produces off-spring by the age of 2 years old or a replacement cat of equal value will be provided as soon as available. Males or Females are guaranteed |
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