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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 (Felis 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.
Taro of Bundas - Pure ALC male Owner: Grace Lush Bundas Cattery
Aca of TexasStar - Pure ALC female Owner: Stacey Hansen Texas Star Safari
Zarboo of Wildsafari - Pure ALC male Owned by:
Mario Zarragoitia of Wildsafari
Leopard Cat Hybrids These special but beautiful cats can require special attention when caring for them. They are beautiful cats but don't always have the best temperament. You must also take into consideration that foundation cats don't always have the best litter box habits. Nearly all male foundation Bengals are sterile. There is some debate as to whether the ‘F’ hybrid cats are suitable for pets. As they move a couple of generations away from the wild, certain individual hybrid cats with social natures and good ‘upbringings’ certainly make good, if highly specialized pets. Even those which are ‘pet-worthy’ however, are only really suitable for very experienced pet keepers, able to understand and cater for the needs of what is essentially a semi-wild animal, and are by no means appropriate pets for the average family! F1 Female - RockRiver Sweet Melody of Unique Prints Owner: Sandra Keever-Sipe Breeder: Vickie Diloreto RockRiver Bengals
F1 Female - JuJuKat Helena of Unique Prints Breeder/Owner: Teri Redding JuJuKats Bengals
Chloe's Effie Mae F2 female Owner and breeder: Carolyn Ellis Chloe's 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, 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. Bengals will occasionally 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! 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 prints 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!
QGC Walkabout Envy of Unique Prints Cattery SBT Brown Spotted Tabby 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
Rainier Just Dare To Dream - Brown Spotted Breeder: Deanna Morehouse Owner: Roger Winslow Rainier 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
Silvergene Ser Val of Bundas - Silver Bengal Owner: Grace Lush Bundas Cattery
Other Colors & Characteristics Glitter- the high shine (usually on a clear, non ticked coat) that has been discovered and developed in the Bengal. It is a welcome addition to the breed. Rosettes- the dark outlining of coat marking (both in 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 shaped 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 "fuzzies". A beautifully clear kitten at three weeks of age may begin to acquire a ticked kitten coat at four to five weeks of age. This coat begins to clear to a higher contrast around twelve to sixteen weeks of age and will become stunning at about six months.
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