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The Bengal cat came about by crossing the Asian Leopard Cat to a domestic cat in an attempt to preserve the beauty of the small leopard cat. Asian Leopard Cats The general build of an Asian Leopard Cat (prionailurus bengalensis) is similar to a normal domestic cat, but with somewhat longer legs and a longer back. They have a relatively small head with a short narrow muzzle, large eyes (because of their nocturnal habits) and a thick tail of about 11 to 14 inches length. Body length varies between 25 to 32 inches, and they weigh between 7 to 15 pounds. Size and weight vary between subspecies in different geographical regions, but the males are generally heavier than the females. There are around ten sub-species, showing distinct variations in body color. For example, cats in the Northern regions tend towards reddish brown spotting on a yellowish-grey background and leopard cats from more humid regions tending to be more ochre-yellow to brownish. Now that the Bengal breeding program is maturing, more Leopard Cat bloodlines are being introduced into the breed, bringing with it this diversity of colors. The cats’ beautiful markings, which have in many ways been their downfall by attracting the attention of the fur trade, are striking and show some variation between individuals. All subspecies have a spotted or ringed tail, with a black tail tip, four black bands running from the forehead to the back of the neck, breaking up into elongated spots on the neck and shoulders, often forming a " broken necklace". The round black ears have a white spot on the back, and all cats have a white underside, throat and cheek-flashes. The under parts are spotted on the white background. The body markings can be solid or rosetted and sometimes show marbling.
Murphy of Unique Prints - Pure ALC male Owner: Sandra Sipe Unique Prints Cattery
Jasmine - Pure ALC female Owner: Colette Griffiths Cocoas Pride
Simon - Pure ALC male Owned by: Colette Griffiths Cocoas Pride
Leopard Cat Hybrids "THE HEART OF OUR BREED" When people refer to these cats as an F cat they are usually referring to F1, F2 and F3 generation. These special and beautiful cats can require special attention when caring for them. They are VERY intelligent and VERY active and the BEST word to describe them is INTENSE! They are way more intense in everything that they do compared to the SBT generation cats. Some people say that the temperaments and litter box habits are not the best but we do NOT agree with this at all! We believe strongly that the way they are raised determines how they are going to be. We at Unique Prints Cattery raise all our F generation babies by hand from DAY ONE and they go into their new homes social and healthy and settle right in as if they have been there all along. We work hard from the very beginning at litter box training and we have not had a problem with our PET foundations having litter box issues at all. We are not saying that it can't happen, however, we are just talking about our experience with our cats! Occasionally we will have one with litter box issues but that is because they are whole breeding animals. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of spaying and neutering your pet at the right age to avoid undesired litter box habits! They are curious, smart, active, loyal and simply amazing. The foundations are by far our favorite and we enjoy them whole heartedly! We highly recommend foundations to committed families :) A foundation should be all of the things that we listed above and they should also be very outgoing and inquisitive and should not shy away. It is extremely important that you keep up with the socialization of your foundation when it goes home! Our F generation cats are wonderful and we believe they make wonderful pets for experienced and committed families. These cats are not disposable and do not change environments well so they are a lifetime commitment. Once you have owned one of these precious animals you will be hooked. Just be ready for a very active and smart cat. Read up on them and please check around for an ethical breeder. Please ask lots of questions! Visit the animals and interact with them and make sure it is the right decision for you and your household. We also ask that you check your state and city laws to make sure they are legal to own where you are. We pride ourselves on our F generations and their temperaments and we welcome visitors to interact with our special babies and we guarantee that you will be NOTHING more than please with one of our foundation babies. F1 Female - RockRiver Sweet Melody of Unique Prints Owner: Sandra Keever-Sipe Breeder: Vickie Diloreto RockRiver Bengals
F1 Female - NewHorizons Nitrox of Unique Prints Breeder: New Horizons Owner: Sandra Sipe Unique Prints Cattery
Kajari Sakuraba of Unique Prints - F2 female Breeder: Greg and Misty DeBoar Owner: Sandra Sipe Unique Prints Cattery
F3 female - Trendar Poodie of Unique Prints Owner: Sandra Keever- Sipe Breeder: Holly Brochard Trendar Bengals
The Domestic Bengal The SBT, which stands for Stud Book Tradition, is at least four generations removed from The Asian Leopard cat. Bengals are very loving, loyal, active, intelligent, entertaining and dependable and they make exceptional pets. The Bengal cat has a happy, active, interactive, and extremely intelligent personality. Every Bengal cat has its own unique features, and the exotic heritage of the Bengal cat, can be seen in their every day activities. Some have an affinity for water, all a love for heights, and are excellent climbers. Bengal cats vary in personality a direct relationship to temperament inheritance and how they are raised and handled influences their personality development. Well socialized, late generation Bengal cats, make excellent, reliable pets that adapt to many different situations. Bengals will seek out a lap to cuddle for a nap but they are active cats and stay busy during most of the day. You would be surprised at some of the things Bengals will do! It is important to remember the Bengal cat’s strong muscular body means vertical as well as horizontal movement to enable them to move well, carpeted and sisal wrapped climbing trees provide hours of entertainment as you watch these little athletes move through your home. Many Bengals are water loving and will play in or around water, any chance they can get. Fetch is also a favorite game for these cats and even this game can end up in or around water, and still be enjoyed. The Bengal is not for people or family’s who just want a leopard print cat for decoration. Bengals are constantly on the move and constantly keeping themselves busy and they are perfect for people/families who want to interact and play with their cat daily. Bengals enjoy the company of both adults and children and they adapt well to other pets. The Bengal cat demands a great deal of attention and affection and they need to be an integral part of the family!
RW QGC Walkabout Envy of Unique Prints Cattery SBT Brown Spotted Tabby/Golden Spotted Breeder: Melinda Larson Owner: Sandra Keever-Sipe
Unique Prints Grey Goose SBT Brown Spotted Tabby Breeder and Owner: Sandra Keever- Sipe
Elan Avalanche - Seal Lynx Point Breeder: George Lacina Owner: Leslie Alexander Bejuled Bengals
Colors & Patterns There are several different colors and patterns available in the Bengals breed. The brown spotted Bengals or leopard spotted have dark spots on a lighter ground color which ranges from gray or tawny to sorrel to golden. The seal lynx point and seal sepia spotted tabbies have ivory or white backgrounds with contrasting spots. Extreme contrast between the markings and the ground color is desirable in each spotted color. 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. The "marbled" pattern can also occur in lynx, sepia, and mink color/patterns.
Unique Prints Polar Express of Laptopleopardz Seal Mink Spotted Tabby Breeder: Sandra Keever- Sipe Owner: Christina Russell
Ubasti Jakuta of Unique Prints- Brown Spotted Tabby Breeder: Ubasti Bengals Owner: Sandra SipeUnique Prints Cattery
OHMY! Shiny Bubbles - Seal Mink Marble Breeder and Owner: Pat Harbert OHMY! Cattery Sutera Maju - Tri Color Marble Breeder and Owner: Carol Effinger Sutera Bengals
Bridlewood's Temptation Breeder and Owner: Chip Patnode Bridlewood Bengals
Wildlove Silver Starter - Silver Spotted Bengal Owner: Wildlove Bengals/Unique Prints Cattery
Walkabout Dinari - Sorrell Spotted Bengal NOTE: Sorrell is still registered as a brown spotted Tabby Breeder: Melinda Larson/Walkabout Bengals Owner: Dana McCuller/ Cypress Bayou Bengals
Blue spotted Bengal kitten with Brown spotted Mom NOTE: Blue Bengals are NOT an accepted color with TICA at this current time! Owner: Unique Prints Cattery
Blue spotted Bengal Adult OWNER: Carol Hebden Eriador Cats UK
Oakley Blue Velvet - Blue Seal Mink Spotted Bengal Boy OWNER: Tammy Oakley Bengals, UK
The background of the Blue Bengal should be off-white/ivory, or even with peachy undertones. The markings should be clearly defined blue. The tip of the tail should be dark grey. Some breeders are working on BLUE SNOWS . . . I will gather some info and add it to this page as soon as I can. Blue Bengals do not qualify for championship status with either the GCCF or TICA. They can be shown under ‘new traits’ with TICA, and it is hoped that they will soon be promoted to full status so that they too can become Champions.
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