Bengal Cats: Leopard of the Loungechair, Cougar of the Couch

I am Bengal. Hear me meow!

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A relatively new hybrid cat has been developed with the markings of a wild cat, such as a leopard or jaguar. These markings are often large spots, rosettes (like a jaguar has) and patterns, and a light-to-white belly, emulating their unrelated wild counterparts. Suggestive of the Asian Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis,) it has the wild appearance but retains the desirable disposition of the domestic house cat.

The unrelated Bengal Tiger is probably more widely known, but the Bengal Cat or “ALC” the housecat, gets it name from the “Asian Leopard Cat” of the wild. Bengal cats are produced when a ‘wild’ Asian Leopard Cat ("ALC") is bred with a domestic housecat, and if the generations of separation are three or more; the resultant hybrid is truly considered to be ‘domestic.’ It is a new breed of housecat.

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A Belgian scientific journal in 1934 is the earliest mention of a domestic/ALC cross. In 1941, a Japanese article mentions one kept as a pet. In the 1960s, a series of ALC/domestic cat breeding was conducted but this was not taken beyond the “F2” stage. There happened at this time an outbreak of feline leukemia and it was learned that ‘wild cats’ had a natural immunity. In the 1970s, research began in an effort to see if this immunity could be bred into domestic cats. Not an effort to 'create a new breed of spotted housecat,' but instead an effort to incorporate the leukema-immune gene into the domestic cat lineage. By the third generation of line breeding, a docile cat was produced with the highly desirable markings of the wild ALC emerged. One “William Engler” of the Long Island Ocelot Club coined the name “Bengal” to describe these hybrids.

It's Good to be King!

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Different variants of Bengal cats came about, sometimes from the crossing of an ALC with a supposedly genetically superior (other than domestic housecat) “Indian Mau” feline. The famous rosetted “Millwood Tory of Delhi” is an excellent example. These unique and powerful rosetted patterns are found today in virtually all Bengal breeds are a result of this one, unique cat found roaming under a rhino cage(!) in Delhi.

Another lineage of Bengal, credited to Greg and Elizabeth Kent, was created again using an ALC but crossed with an “Egyptian Mau.” Many of these unique hybrids of Bengal can trace it’s pedigree back to this pairing.

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful…

...But Bengal kitty cat is so delightful!

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Hardly a pedigree purist, I think these cats are really neat and that is about the extent of my interest and I would own one that is less-than pedigree and Cat Show-worthy, just because they look so amazing. I would not let the cat roam around free outside, though. I would be worried that it would run away, get injured (or worse), or stolen. These cats are still just too unique to let run like a common barn cat. This cat would be strictly an indoor pet in my opinion. These gals and fellas seem to concur. They are just purrrfect where they are!

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The Bengal breed of domestic cat is the only breed that displays a gold or pearl dusted effect, called “glitter.” Smooth and rich of pelt, its fur is soft and nice to the touch. Bengal cats have a unique voice, a loud vocalization similar to Siamese cats. Their voices are different from other domestic housecats,and both genders are equally vocal. The life expectancy of the Bengal cat is 12 to 16 years, similar to other domestic housecats.

Coloration types includes Brown Spotty Tabby, Marbled Tabby, Seal Sepia Tabby, Marbled Lynx Point, and several others. Two addition colors exist but are not yet recognized by most cat Associations as a legitimate color schema. They are Blue and Melanistic (“black”.) Bengal cats are hypoallergenic, that is, they do not produce the particular dander that is the cause of allergy to cats that many people have. This is probably owing to their wild forbearers, the Asian Leopard Cats, the ones resistant to the Feline Leukemia mentioned earlier. This feature alone would be worth breeding into the lineage of ALL housecats, irregardless of whether or not the 'Bengal' patterns come with it or not!

A Deep Full-Body CATSCAN!

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It can be safely said that we humans are truly fortunate if we should happen to be so positioned as to be owned by a housecat. -Especially from such a beautiful cat as one as these...

The clever cat eats cheese and breathes down the rat hole with baited breath. –W.C. Fields