The Bengal Cat is relatively new breed of domestic cat that is
the result of controlled breeding of the Asian Leopard Cat to the
domestic cat. When the first interbreedings were done a variety of
domestic 
cats were used from unregistered
domestic cats to such “rare” domestics as Egyptian Maus. The first
generation of these interbreedings yields what are called f-1
Bengals. The female f-1's are fertile and are used in the next
step of the breeding. The male f-1's are sterile and are usually
neutered and kept as pets. The same holds true for the next
generation (breeding a f-1 female to a domestic), the females are
fertile and the males are sterile. The third generation will yield
similar results although, infrequently, there will be a fertile f-3
male. The fourth generation yields the register-able Bengal
Domestic Cat. The goal of the breeding for four plus generations
is to obtain a loving, calm domestic cat that has the physical
characteristics of the small forest-dwelling wild cats. This is
achieved by selective breeding for the spots, rosettes and marbling as
well as the good natured temperament that makes the Bengal very
people-oriented.
One
might ask why not just own an Asian Leopard Cat? The Asian Leopard
Cat is a very shy animal and a very smart animal. In the wild, the
smart animals learn to fear larger creatures and they survive. The
ones who are fearless don’t live to reproduce and so by natural
selection, the true wild cats become smarter and
they have learned to fear larger creatures, including man. This
wildness does not necessarily manifest itself in aggressiveness.
It usually expresses itself in hiding from humans and hissing or
growling when cornered. With each generation of Bengal breeding,
the shyness diminishes greatly. By the fourth generation you are
assured of a very loving cat that will usually be more outgoing than
most domestic cats. One of the positive characteristics that comes
from the Asian Leopard Cat is intelligence. Bengals are so smart
that they will amaze you. You will hear tales of feats that
Bengals have performed that are unbelievable...Believe it! They
are so smart that you will have to treat them like a human
child. The Bengal also bonds very closely with humans so you
are likely to experience a relationship with your Bengal that you have
not had with other domestic cats.
The Bengal Cat comes in several patterns and colors. The
most commonly seen is the leopard spotted. The spots can be either
one color or two colors. The two colored spots are called rosettes
where you have a lighter color surrounded by a darker color. The
other pattern seen is called marble which is a random pattern combining
two or three colors. The background color range from ivory to a
reddish tan. The colors can be a brown tabby, seal lynx point,
seal sepia tabby and seal mink tabby. These colors can be spotted
or marbled in pattern. Another trait that is quite beautiful is
called glittering. This is a metallic sheen in the hairs of the
coat that truly glitters in the light.
Bengals are available for show, breeding and pets. They
will all exhibit the loving personalities and beautiful patterns that
Bengals are known for. All of our kittens are raised with lots of
loving attention and socialization. All kittens will be up to date
on vaccinations and weaned onto high quality cat food. Occasionally, F-2
and F-3 kittens are available to approved homes. Please check our
availability page or contact us if you have a particular need. All
Bengals are TICA registered. We have two lines of Asian Leopard
Cats in our foundation breeders, Taro of Bundas and Leopole of New
Horizons. We also have, in our SBT Studs and Queens, the breeders
from the finest lines of Bengals that are
available.
