The Bengal cat is a relatively new breed of domestic housecat (Felis silvestris catus) developed to have a gentle and friendly temperament, while exhibiting the markings (such as spots, rosettes, and a light/white belly), 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. Trinomial name Felis silvestris catus Schreber, 1775 For alternative meanings see cat (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Prionailurus bengalensis (Kerr, 1792) The Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis, sometimes Felis bengalensis) or Bengal Cat is a small wild cat of Asia. ...

The name Bengal was derived from the scientific name of the Asian Leopard Cat, as seen above, and not from the more widely known Bengal Tiger species, which has nothing to do with their ancestry or their looks. Trinomial name Panthera tigris tigris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Bengal tiger or Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is a subspecies of tiger found primarily in Sundarban in Bangladesh. ...

Bengal's are medium sized cats - a male may weigh as much as 20 lb (9 kg), and a female commonly weighs 7 to 12 lb (4 to 6 kg.) Male cats are generally larger than females.

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 (ALC) and ALC hybrids. The principle of hybrid vigor dictates that hybrid cats are often healthier and larger than either parent. The first three generation males are almost always infertile, though there have been the occasional, but rare F3 studs capable of reproduction. The early generation females are typically fertile, and responsible for continuing the genetic contributions of the ALC to the next generation.

The first three generations of these hybrid offspring are properly referred to as the "filial" generations. A Bengal cat with an ALC parent is called an F1 Bengal, short for first filial. An F1 then bred with domestic male yields an F2, or second filial. Kittens from an F2 female and another domestic cat are then termed F3. Kittens from a subsequent F3 mating with a domestic are F4s. The F4 and later generations are considered domestic cats and correctly designated as Stud Book Tradition (SBT) Bengal's, and can be shown and registered. Any SBT Bengal is at least four generations from the ALC. Filial cats (F1-F3) are also termed 'foundation cats' and are typically reserved for breeding purposes, or the specialty pet home environment.

A Bengal cat purchased as a pet is usually an SBT. Although some breeders occasionally offer filial (F1-F3) cats for sale, they are not for the average pet owner as early generation cats can be more aloof in temperament and not as easily housebroken. The ALC in its natural setting is a solitary, small, shy and reclusive cat not known for interacting with humans. The purpose of crossbreeding them with domestic cats was to obtain a wild-appearing cat with a desirable friendly personality and gentle temperament.

The modern SBT Bengal gene pool contains genes sourced from many varieties of domestic cats - mainly Egyptian Maus, American Shorthair, Abyssinian, Ocicat, and domestic shorthaired cats. It is commonly accepted that the breed was developed by Jean Mill of California in the 1970's, although Bengal breeders exist throughout the world today. Many breeders today are working to develop specific characteristics in the breed, often by backcrossing foundation cats with particularly vivid markings. The Asian Leopard Cat is comprised of several subspecies, and consequently, they can have considerable variations in their appearance. Egyptian Maus are a medium-sized short-haired cat breed. ... The American Shorthair is the most popular and most prevalent breed of American cat. ... The Abyssinian is a natural breed of domesticated cat believed to originate from one Egyptian female kitten called Zula that was taken from a port in Alexandria, Egypt, by a British soldier and brought to England where the breed was developed by Zula being bred with an English tabby, and... Sleeping Ocicat The Ocicat is a new and still-rare breed of cat which has spots resembling a wild cat and the temperament of a domestic animal, named for its resemblance to the ocelot. ... Typical domestic shorthaired cat. ...

Bengal cats are either spotted or have marbled coat patterns. Spots with at least two colors present (rosettes) are particularly desirable. The following colors and patterns are recognized and eligible for competition: Brown Spotted Tabby, Brown Marbled Tabby, Seal Sepia Spotted Tabby, Seal Sepia Marbled Tabby, Seal Mink Spotted Tabby, Seal Mink Marbled Tabby, Seal Spotted Lynx Point and Seal Marbled Lynx Point. Silver was also recently accepted as a color variation eligible for championship status. Blue and Melanistic (black) are additional colors that occur, but are not yet recognized by most associations that accept the Bengal breed.

The Bengal has been welcomed as a pedigreed breed by several cat associations - most notably, The International Cat Association (TICA) - but has been refused acceptance by the more traditional Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), the largest and oldest registry of pedigreed cats. The CFA is reluctant to accept cats with wild or "non-domestic" blood in their recent heritage, as stated in its position here.

Bengal cats can take a great deal of interest in running water and often don't mind getting wet. Most Bengal owners have stories about their cat's affection for running water or even jumping in a sink or tub. Additionally, Bengal cats are very high-energy, intelligent, and curious, and so are particularly interactive with their human housemates, wanting to be in the middle of whatever the human is engaged in, and often following the human around the house as household chores are performed. Bengal cats have been known to play games with their owners, such as "fetch" and "hide-and-seek." 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 and destructive when bored. If an owner is likely to spend much of the day away from the cat, having another high-energy feline companion to occupy your Bengal is an excellent idea. Bengal's tend to vocalize to communicate with their humans, and are quite capable of jealousy and spitefulness if they feel that another feline is getting more attention, or if they are being ignored. The other side of this coin is that they are also extremely affectionate towards and playful with their humans.

In February 1998, an F2 Bengal cat named Cato made the Guinness World Records by being the most expensive cat purchased. It was bought for $41,435.00 (USD) by Cindy Jackson of London, England (Jackson herself also a record holder for having had the most cosmetic procedures). The Bengal cat was sold by breeder Lord C. Esmond Gay of Bedfordshire, England. Note however, that as of 2005, this Bengal cat is no longer the world record holder. February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... Cindy Jackson Cindy Jackson (born in 1955 in Ohio) is the person with the Guinness World record for having had the most plastic surgeries of anyone in the world. ... London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ... Plastic surgery is a general term for operative manual and instrumental treatment which is performed for functional or aesthetic reasons. ... It has been suggested that the section Varieties of domestic cat from the article Cat be merged into this article or section. ... Bedfordshire is a county in England. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

New Developments

There are currently three new varieties of cats being developed from the Bengal:

• The Serengeti Cat - developed from crosses with Oriental or Siamese with the aim to produce a domestic cat mimicing the look of an African Serval, without actually incorporating Serval genes by hybridization.
• The Toyger Cat - developed from crosses with domestic cats with the aim to produce a striped 'toy tiger.'
• The Cheetoh - an attempt to blend two existing domestic breeds of spotted cats with defined characteristics (Bengal and Ocicat), into a third.

This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The term Oriental cat is not used for any one particular breed. ... The Siamese is one of the first distinctly recognised breeds of Oriental cat. ... The Toyger is a breed of striped domestic cat. ...

External links

• Picture Chart of Bengal Colors & Patterns
• The International Bengal Cat Society (TIBCS)
• Which Exotic Cat Breed is Right For You?
• Bengal Cat Photo Gallery
• The Bengal Cat Club (UK)
• Bengal Cat Club of Great Britain
• FBRL Breed Page: Bengal
• The International Bengal Breeders' Association Inc (TIBBA Inc)
• The Ocicat and Bengal Cat Club (UK)
• Bengal Cat Rescue Network
• Bengal Cat Webring