Bengal Cat

Bengal Cat Breed Introduction

The Bengal cat breed is another relatively new breed created as a hybrid between domestic cats and a wild species of cat, in this case, the Asian Leopard Cat (ALC).

Bengal Behavior/Personality

Source: Wikipedia

The Bengal cat breed has a few unique personality quirks due to its wild ancestry. For instance, Bengals are generally considered to enjoy water, especially moving water. They also tend to be exceptionally active and therefore dislike being left alone.

Bengal Breed Standard/Physical Description

Here are some facts on the Bengal breed based on information in Wikipedia, March 2006 and The International Cat Association breed standard.

• Head: broad, rounded wedge
• Ears: small, rounded
• Eyes: oval-shaped
• Body: about 10-15 pounds, and females sometimes smaller
• Legs: medium-long, with back legs slightly longer than front
• Paws: large, round
• Tail: medium-long, thick, tapered, rounded at the tip
• Coat: shorthair; spotted or marbled coat pattern

Bengal History

Source: Wikipedia

The Bengal cat breed is one of the relatively new breeds of cat developed as a hybrid of wild and domestic cats (another example is the Savannah cat breed). The person most commonly credited with the development of the breed was Jean Mill, who started the Bengal breed in the 1970s.

Bengals owe their roots to a cross between domestic cats and Asian Leopard Cats (ALC). To be a true Bengal cat, the cat must have three generations of interbreeding with domestic cats. That is, first an Asian Leopard Cat mates with a domestic cat, then their offspring mates with a domestic cat, then their offspring mates with a domestic cat, and the final offspring is a Bengal. The earlier generations of cats are only for people who have the wherewithal for dealing with them; they are not easily house-trained, for instance.