The Bengal Cat
General
Info Bengal
Colors Bengal Coat and Patterns Bengals with other Pets and Children Great Stuff for your Bengal Conclusion
General Info
The Bengal cat is a distinct, unique
breed of domestic cat derived from the ancestral crossing of a
domestic cat with an Asian Leopard Cat (Felis Bengalensis). The Bengal is a medium sized
cat with striking exotic looks. Careful breeding programs produce
friendly, loving Bengal cats that bear a strong physical resemblance
to their hybrid ancestors. Bengals may be registered and with
several cat associations. After four generations of Bengal-to-Bengal
breeding, the Bengal cat is considered fully "domestic"
and is eligible for Championship show competition. JungleKatz
Bengals are registered and shown with The International Cat Assn.
(TICA).
Bengals are very energetic, playful
cats. Highly intelligent, they often make up games on their own
and are often quick to learn "tricks" such as fetch
and jumping though a hoop. In addition, many Bengals like to play
in water. 
Some Bengals are such water lovers,
they'll jump into the bath or shower with their owners!
Many Bengal cats are easy to leash train
and enjoy walks in the yard.
Bengals are very loving and many
have earned the nickname "Velcro Cat" because they are
so demonstrative of their affection. Some Bengal cats would spend
every waking moment in someone's arms or lap if it were possible
:-) Others are so busy that they will only slow down long enough
for a quick scratch and "hello" before taking off after
a toy, bug, or imaginary object that catches their fancy. One
thing is for sure: there's never a dull moment when you share
your life with a Bengal!
Bengal
Colors
There are several recognized colors
for the Bengal breed according to the TICA Standard.
Brown Tabby : the background color can vary in color from a light
sandy tan to gold, red, rust, or brown with brown to black markings.
Eyes can be gold or green.
Seal Mink Tabby,
Seal Sepia Tabby and Seal Lynx
Point: Commonly referred to as "Snows",
these Bengals typically have a very pale to ivory background with
contrasting markings and may have green, gold, aqua or blue eyes.
For a detailed, official description of Bengal colors please reference
the TICA Bengal breed standard or TIBCS web site.
The newest color to gain acceptance
for showing with TICA is the Silver,
either spotted or marble patterned. The
silver color brings with it many interesting possibilities which
I won't go into here, but you can find out more about the silver
color on the TICA website.
There are several other colors found
in the Bengal breed that have not been recognized by TICA for
showing, but which make beautiful pets.
Here are some examples:
Bengal
Coat and Patterns
A Bengal's markings can be very
dramatic and "Ocelot-like" in appearance. The hair is
short and on some, super soft and plush. This type of coat is
often referred to as "pelted", so called due to the
similarity to a wild cat's coat (ie: tiger, leopard, etc). Some
coats also have a desirable metallic sheen called "glitter"
by Bengal enthusiasts. Difficult to see under
artificial light, glitter is made possible by a hollowing at the
end of the hair shaft which causes light to reflect, similar to
the action of a crystal. On a brown tabby the glitter appears
golden in color. On "snows", it is sometimes more of
a "crystal" glitter, very pretty! Most of the cats pictured
on this page are glittered, but due to the difficulty in picking
up such detail in photo's, it is not readily apparent. This picture
of JungleKatz Mazarati (right) shows how beautiful a glittered
coat can be (thank you Bethany for the photo!).
Spotted Bengals
should have a random or horizontal pattern
with either solid spots or multi-shaded "rosettes".
There are several types of rosettes ranging from two-tone arrow
heads to tri-color "donuts" with black outlining. Chained
rosettes are very desirable. (see the line of attached rosettes
down "Mark's back in the photo to the left) As with the marble
pattern, high contrast between the spotted markings and background
color is desirable.
The Bengal marble
pattern is derived from the classic tabby
pattern, combined with the Asian Leopard Cat's rosettes to produce
a flowing "marbleized" look. As with the spotted pattern,
the marble pattern should not look like a "bull's-eye"
but instead should have a horizontal flow or even more dramatic,
a tri-color pattern including rosetted, outlined markings. The
Marble patterned Bengals have fully spotted bellies, just like
the spotted Bengals,.
Bengals
with children and other pets
Bengals are wonderful family
pets and
most will get along very well with other pets and children. 
Since Bengals
and children both have high energy levels, they often are perfect
playmates for each other, keeping occupied at various games that
some cats would simply roll their eyes at :-)
As Bengals are somewhat "dog like"
in behavior, they often play an
d
sleep with their dog pals just as they would with other cats!
Bengals in general have no problem getting
along with other cat breeds (see JungleKatz Kobe and his British
Shorthair buddy "Jackson" - right).
Great Stuff for your Bengal
Because they have a high energy
level, a cat wheel comes in handy for your Bengal cat's exercise
and stress reduction needs. Ours came from Millwood (we added
the carpet). You can also find them at www.catwheelcompany.com
and Bundas
Cattery. A large cat tree or an arrangement of "KatWallks"
will add to your cat's enjoyment plus help to save your furniture
from sharp claws.
Interactive cat toys that you and
your Bengal can play with together are a great way to "break
the ice" with a new cat or to have fun with your existing
cat or kitten. Pictured here is the "Da Bird" Cat Teaser.
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<---JungleKatz
Yoshi demonstrating athletic "Bengal moves" as he goes
after a teaser toy with owner Loredana.
We recommend Microchipping your Pet
Microchipping is the best way to help reunite
lost pets with their owners. On average, eight to 10 million pets
are lost in the United States each year.1 Only a fraction of those
pets, about 22 percent, find their way home after they've reached
a shelter.2 That is in large part due to a lack of pet identification.
We recommend the "ResQ" brand microchipping system.
Click HERE
to learn more.
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Conclusion
As with any living creature, individual
personality within a breed can vary to some degree. It is best
to tell the breeder of your potential kitten everything you can
about your household pets and family members to better ensure
the right "match" between kitten and new family. If
you are fortunate to be able to visit the breeder in person, you
can also play with the kittens and observe their apparent health,
social behavior and personality (as well as beauty!).
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