by Glen Howard

Created on: January 26, 2009

Are you considering getting a Bengal cat as a pet? Well firstly, how much do you know about the history of the Bengal?

The Bengal is a relatively new breed of cat which purportedly was first bred in California U.S.A by Jean Mill. It was created by selectively crossbreeding the Asian Leopard Cat (ALC) and its hybrids with a domestic cat. The domestic Bengal derives its name from the Latin name of its wild ancestor, Felis Bengalensis (Asian Leopard Cat). The ALC should not be confused with the much larger Bengal tiger. The goal in developing the domestic Bengal cat breed is to preserve a strong physical resemblance to its beautiful wild ancestor while, at the same time, producing a pleasant and trustworthy family companion as a typical domestic cat.

The first three generations (F1, F2, and F3) of these hybrid animals are referred to as the "foundation" generations. Founders (F1-F3) are typically reserved for breeding purposes or the specialty pet home environment. A Bengal cat with an ALC parent is called an F1 Bengal. An F1 bred with a domestic male yield an F2. Kittens from an F2 female and another domestic cat are termed F3. In the first three generations, (F1, F2, F3) males are usually infertile while their female counterparts are usually fertile, and responsible for continuing the genetic contributions of the ALC to the next generation. Kittens from a subsequent F3 female and another domestic cat are termed fourth generation (F4). The F4 and later generations are considered domestic cats, and are described as Stud Book Tradition (SBT) Bengals. The modern SBT Bengal gene pool contains genes sourced from many varieties of domestic cats such as the Abyssinian, American Shorthair, Egyptian Maus, and Ocicat.

Secondly, what are the unique physical features of the Bengal cat?

The Bengal cat has similar physical features to its wild ancestor. According to the website http://www.bengalcatclub.co.uk/aboutbengals.asp, its head is broad and rounded, with greater length than width and it has a broad nose. Its muzzle is broad and light colored with a strong rounded chin and wide sets of teeth. The ears are usually medium to small with a wide base and rounded tips. It has large oval eyes. The cat is also relatively large and very muscular. Its hind-features are slightly higher than its shoulders. Its tail is very thick and carried low. The cat's fur patterns range from black spots to brown spots or black or brown marbled, in addition to snow spotted and snow marbled. The spots

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>