The Bengal Breed

Bengal cats are a medium to large sized cat. They have a proud bone structure and a muscular lean build. They have smaller round heads with large eyes. Their eyes can be blue, green, yellow and orange. They are spotted or marbled in many different colors. See Bengal colors and patterns. They have a beautiful sleek and soft pelt that requires very little grooming.

Bengal cats are highly intelligent and that makes them highly trainable (very food driven). They like to play games like fetch and enjoy puzzle toys. They are very playful and highly active. They have a high prey drive so they will not do well in a home with small pets like birds or hamsters. They are a talkative breed of cats. They don’t meow all night long, but they do like to have something to say about most anything. These cats are known to be dog-like. They need and want your interaction. 

They are unmatched in loyalty and devotion to their owners (compared to other cat breeds). They are sweet and loving. Bengals are great with children and are good for just about any household so long as they are getting the attention they need (again, think more dog than cat). When all the playing of the day is done, they love all the snuggles and will even want to share your bed. Because Bengals are so friendly, they do well with other cats and dogs. They are social and curious. 

They have very agile paws which makes them good at figuring out how to get into things they shouldn’t. These cats are fond of water so beware if you have aquariums. They have been known to jump in the bathtub or climb in the shower with their owners. 

Keep in mind that a cats temperament and characteristics are a product of their raising. I cannot express to you enough that you should not support breeders who do not care for and handle their kittens properly. Here at ABC Cattery, we do everything possible to produce kittens that have the best foundation possible so that you get a safe, happy and healthy kitten.

Bengals were created through crosses between an Asian leopard cat and domestic short hairs. The Bengal name was derived from the Asian leopard cat’s scientific name Felis Bengalensis.

A woman by the name of Jean Mill was the first to make the cross in California. Jean Mill acquired a female Asian Leopard Cat, which in the 1950’s and 60’s could be purchased from a pet store. She had gotten the Asian Leopard Cat to keep her black tom cat company assuming the two wouldn’t mate. Much to her surprise her female Asian leopard cat had kittens. Only one of these kittens survived. That kittens name was Kin-Kin. Jean Mill contacted Cornell University for advice on how to care for her Kin-Kin and they informed her that Kin-Kin was likely sterile. This was also not the case and after mixing with her father she produced two kittens, one whom exhibited the docile temperament of her father.  

During the same time, Dr. Willard Centerwall at Loma Linda University was crossing Asian leopard cats with domestic cats. Because the leopard cats were resistant to the feline leukemia virus, researchers were interested in finding out if the trait could be passed on to their hybrid offspring. Many breeders in the US became interested in developing this new breed and Jean Mill was one of them. 

The offspring of Asian Leopard cats did not consistently produce a domestic personality until they were four generations away from their wild ancestors. There was still much work to be done though because male hybrids were sterile. It wasn’t until F3’s (3rd generation) that they had a 50% chance of being fertile. 

In 1983 The Bengal cat breed was officially accepted by The International Cat Association (TICA). It wasn’t until 1991 that the Bengal breed accomplished champion status. As far as other feline registrations, the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) accepted Bengal cats in 1997, the Federation Internationale Feline (FIFe) in 1999, and the Australian Cat Federation (ACF) also in 1999. The Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) was one of the last organizations to accept the Bengal breed into their registry and only after they were at least six generations removed from their wild bloodlines.