THE BENGAL CAT ORIGIN

 The Bengal is a relatively new hybrid breed of cat developed to have a gentle and friendly temperament, while exhibiting the markings and body structure reminiscent of the wild Asian Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). In other words, a Bengal cat has a desirable wild appearance with a gentle domestic cat temperament.

The name Bengal was derived from the taxonomic name of the Asian Leopard Cat (ALC), as shown above, and not from the more widely known Bengal Tiger species, which is unrelated to the Bengal's ancestry.

Characteristics

Bengals are medium sized cats - a male may weigh as much as 9 kg and a female commonly weighs 4 to 6 kg. The sides and top of the body are marked with spots, usually rosetted like those of the jaguar. The remainder of the body consists of symmetrical stripes. Bengals can have either spotted or marbled coat patterns.

Genetics

Bengal cats are a hybrid breed developed over several generations through a program of selectively crossbreeding domestic cats, possessing desired features, with Asian Leopard Cats and ALC hybrids. In the first three generations, males are almost always infertile. Generation females are typically fertile, and responsible for continuing the genetic contributions of the ALC to the next generation. The modern Bengal gene pool contains genes sourced from many varieties of domestic cats - mainly Egyptian Maus, American Shorthair, Abyssinian, Ocicat, and domestic shorthaired cats.

Personality

Bengal cats are very high-energy, intelligent, and curious. They are particularly interactive with their owners, wanting to be in the middle of whatever we are engaged in. While friendly and with very distinctive personalities, Bengals generally are not lap cats. There are exceptions, but most Bengal cats prefer being petted or played with to being held. The best way to bond with a Bengal kitten is to play with it for at least half an hour every morning and every evening (and they need to be taught what is acceptable play behavior like any young animal).

Bengals often have dominant personality types and demand attention. As their activity and play requirements are high, this is not a cat best left to its own devices for long periods of time as they can be quite mischievous when bored. If an owner is likely to spend much of the day away from the cat, it is an excellent idea to have another high-energy feline companion to occupy the Bengal cat.

Bengal cats can take a great deal of interest in running water. Many owners have stories about their cat's affection for running water or even jumping in a sink or tub. Bengal cats commonly play games with their owners such as fetch and hide-and-seek. Bengals cats vocalize to communicate with their humans. Bonded cats can be taught tricks such as sit and shaking hands, and go outdoors on leashes for walks.