Exotic-looking, friendly and hyperactive, incredibly agile and restless, but also cuddly and devoted to its owner, it has the nickname "high society kitty".
The Bengal cat is an exotic cat similar to its wild cousin, the Asian leopard cat.
It is special not only in its appearance, but also in that it is very active and vigorous, sociable and extremely intelligent.
Origin and history of the breed
It is a hybrid breed, most likely created by crossing an Asian leopard cat and a domesticated short-haired cat. In the creation of the breed, in the seventies and eighties of the last century, Jean Sugden Mill from California stood out the most. She was given a leopard cat as a gift that lived with her and her first pet, a regular black shorthair cat. Although she believed that the cats would not mate, Jean got kittens and distributed them to the neighbors, but kept one spotted female, thanks to which a litter of a new exotic breed was born. At the same time, Dr. Willard Zinterwall crossed Asian leopard cats with domestic cats, conducting experiments at Loyola University. Leopard cats were resistant to the feline leukemia virus (FeLV), so Willard and his colleagues wanted to find out if this immunity could be passed on to the hybrid offspring.
Many breeders got in touch with Dr. Willard, and Jean became interested in the development of the new breed. She took in several hybrid offspring and searched for suitable cats for crossbreeding. One of them was a domestic short-haired orange cat that had arrived all the way from India, while the other, with brown tufts, was from a local cat shelter.
The International Cat Association was the first institution to give the Bengal cat the status of an experimental breed in 1983. The Bengal cat received full recognition in 1991.
Bengal cats have become so popular that in 1990, a British citizen "cashed out" more than 50,000 dollars for her future pet. That's how this kitty earned the nickname "Rolls Royce" among cats!
The rule that applies to the acquisition of Bengal cats and their status as pets is the following: in order for a Bengal cat to live among humans as a pet, it must be a descendant of at least the fourth generation (F4) of the first generation hybrid (F1).
Characteristics and physical characteristics
Bengal cats are medium-sized, strong and muscular: the male weighs between three and 6 kilograms, and the female between four and five kilograms. The Bengal has a triangle-shaped head, a wide muzzle and split triangular ears, which are small in relation to the body, and these features belong to the characteristics of the wild ancestor. Their eyes are large and round, brown, green or amber, depending on the color of the coat. The belly is whitish, with tufts, the belly is light colored (heritage of the Asian leopard cat), and the hind legs are longer than the front ones.
Skillfully uses its paws, with which it grabs and holds objects. She is incredibly dexterous: she opens doors and drawers, turns the light on and off, takes dishes and objects out of the kitchen elements and presses buttons, so don't leave her unattended! He likes to climb high, from where he has a great view of everything that is happening. It is very territorial and should not be kept with small animals, especially birds, which it perceives as prey.
Fur and coat color
The wild appearance of the Bengal cat is a special feature of the breed, which is complemented by short and thick silky hair, similar to leopard fur, dotted with dark brown or black tufts, in the form of rings or rosettes. Bengals with a marble pattern can come in three shades that show through the marble base with dark spots and even darker borders. The Bengal's fur is shiny and glistens in the light as if sprinkled with gold dust.
The most famous Bengali pattern is tufted with so-called rosettes, open or closed oval fields in three tones. The frame of the rosette is of a darker tone, and in the middle is a field of a lighter golden tone. Bengal cats with dark and clearly bordered regular rosettes are highly valued. As far as colors are concerned, the most popular are brown and snow white, and there are varieties in silver or blue, while chocolate, charcoal and cinnamon are new colors that are becoming more and more popular in the world.
The Snow Bengal cat comes in three varieties, namely Seal Lynx Point, Seal Mink and Seal Sepia. The ancestor of blue-eyed Seal Lynx Point Bengals is a Siamese cat. Seal Sepia is derived from the Burmese cat, and Seal Mink, with green, copper or gold colored eyes, has genes from both Lynx Point and Seal Sepia.
Around the eyes of the Bengal cat there are characteristic patterns or glasses that extend into vertical stripes on the forehead, in the shape of the letter "M". "Broken" stripes or spots should go over the head on both sides and be in the shape of a "scarab".
Bengal cat temperament
She is cuddly and very affectionate, but also hyperactive, so she stays in her owner's arms for a short time. She is friendly towards her family and strangers. He is an excellent hunter, but in the home where he usually stays, he cannot catch and hide much, except for keys, jewelry and other small things.
The Bengal girl also "talks", chirping like a bird! He likes to talk to the owner, he even knows how to "complain". He gently purrs, meows softly, and if necessary, growls and loudly "protests". Nothing can escape her, she is always alert and learns easily and quickly. He likes games of catching the ball and fetching objects. She doesn't mind if you want to walk her on a leash!
The Bengali needs proper socialization to interact well with the family, especially children. He likes to hang out with dogs in the home. She is a good host towards strangers, she is not shy and disinterested. Warning: don't leave it alone, as it can do quite a bit of damage to devices that have buttons!
He loves water and swims very well, he loves bathing together with his owner, but also "messing around" in the aquarium. When he wants to rest, he curls up in his owner's lap and enjoys it. Be prepared to share a bed with her.
Bengal cat health
The Bengal is generally in good health, but sometimes genetic predispositions to certain diseases appear. That's why, when purchasing a Bengal cat, you ask the breeder for certificates of inspections and analyses. The Bengal can also suffer from neuropathy, a disease of the nervous system that causes weakness. This disease manifests itself already in the first year of age, but fortunately many cats recover on their own, although there is a possibility of recurrence. Pay attention to the flat chest syndrome, a deformity that can manifest itself in a milder or more severe form, as well as the possibility of hip dysplasia, which in severe forms causes limping. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an inherited heart disease that is also genetically transmitted. Patella luxation or hereditary knee dislocation can occur in a milder or more severe form.
Other diseases include progressive retinal atrophy, a degenerative eye disease.
Bengal cat care
Care of the Bengal is not demanding, because it has short and dense hair. Combing once a week is enough to remove dead hair and promote sebum secretion. Bathing is not recommended. Consult your veterinarian about oral hygiene to prevent periodontal disease. Daily dental hygiene is the best option, but brushing once a week is also a good success. Trim your Bengal's claws every few weeks. When it comes to eye hygiene, wipe the corners of the eyes with a soft, damp cloth to remove any remaining secretions, and for this purpose always take separate cloths for each eye to avoid infection. Also examine the ears thoroughly, so if cleaning is necessary, wipe them with a moistened cloth or cotton wool dipped in a mixture of warm water and vinegar (half-half ratio). Do not accidentally use ear cleaning sticks!
The litter box must be perfectly neat and clean, otherwise the cat will move away from its toilet and perform its physiological needs in other places.
Keep your Bengal cat indoors to avoid diseases that can be transmitted to her by outdoor cats. You will also protect her from possible dog attacks and the danger of traffic accidents. By the way, you will also be doing a good deed to the local birds that can easily fall prey to this passionate hunter. Don't forget that by keeping a bengal indoors, you will make it impossible for thieves to take this beautiful pet.
