 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| All content and images copyright © SandalwoodBG Cattery, 2005-2007, all rights reserved site design by SandalwoodBG Cattery All content on this site are protected by U.S. Copyright and international treaties and may not be copied without the express permission of SandalwoodBG Cattery owned by: Melissa Ford, which reserves all rights.. All Content is copyrighted as a collective work under the U.S. Copyright laws, and SandalwoodBG owns a copyright in the selection, coordination, arrangement and enhancement of such Content. |
| All about BENGALS! |
| Information taken from www.tibcs.com A WONDERFUL, very informative website! |
The Bengal Cat
The Bengal cat makes a loving, intelligent housecat. Curious and
entertaining, some even enjoy playing in water and bathing with
their owners. They enjoy the companionship of both adults and
children and usually adapt to other family pets. Some owners
regularly walk their Bengals on leashes. Exercise, nutritional and
immunization requirements are the same as for all domestic household cats.
The domestic Bengal (four generations or more from the Asian Leopard Cat) has normal litter
box habits, is recognized in several cat fancy registries and currently makes up the largest
number of cats competing in The International Cat Association (TICA). Also recognized by
registries such as AACE, ACF, ACFA, CCA, FIFE, GCCF, FIFE, NZCF and QICC, this entertaining
and affectionate cat is finding its way into more and more living rooms.
Colors and Patterns
The first registry to recognize the Bengal, The International Cat Association (TICA) recognizes
several colors (brown, seal lynx point, mink, sepia, silver) and patterns (spotted and marbled)
for Championship competition. In the New Traits class, any other color may be shown, as well
as longhair Bengals.
Brown Spotted & Silver Tabby Bengals
The brown spotted tabby (leopard spotted)
Bengals have dark spots on a lighter ground
color ranging from gray or tawny to sorrel to
golden, very rufused (bright orange) and to a
rich mahogany. Note: The Asian Leopard Cat is
considered a brown spotted tabby in the cat
fancy and ranges somewhat in color.
Brown includes variations of tawny, sorrel, golden, hot rufus and mahogany.
Seal Lynx Point, Sepia and Mink Spotted Tabby Bengals The seal lynx point (blue-eyed) and
seal sepia (gold or green-eyed) spotted tabbies (fondly referred to by breeders as two of the
"snow" leopard spotteds) have ivory backgrounds with contrasting spots. The seal mink
(aqua or green-eyed) spotted is a combination of one each of the above pointed Siamese and
the Burmese sepia genes. Extreme contrast between the markings and the ground color is
desirable in each spotted color.
The Bengal cat makes a loving, intelligent housecat. Curious and
entertaining, some even enjoy playing in water and bathing with
their owners. They enjoy the companionship of both adults and
children and usually adapt to other family pets. Some owners
regularly walk their Bengals on leashes. Exercise, nutritional and
immunization requirements are the same as for all domestic household cats.
The domestic Bengal (four generations or more from the Asian Leopard Cat) has normal litter
box habits, is recognized in several cat fancy registries and currently makes up the largest
number of cats competing in The International Cat Association (TICA). Also recognized by
registries such as AACE, ACF, ACFA, CCA, FIFE, GCCF, FIFE, NZCF and QICC, this entertaining
and affectionate cat is finding its way into more and more living rooms.
Colors and Patterns
The first registry to recognize the Bengal, The International Cat Association (TICA) recognizes
several colors (brown, seal lynx point, mink, sepia, silver) and patterns (spotted and marbled)
for Championship competition. In the New Traits class, any other color may be shown, as well
as longhair Bengals.
Brown Spotted & Silver Tabby Bengals
The brown spotted tabby (leopard spotted)
Bengals have dark spots on a lighter ground
color ranging from gray or tawny to sorrel to
golden, very rufused (bright orange) and to a
rich mahogany. Note: The Asian Leopard Cat is
considered a brown spotted tabby in the cat
fancy and ranges somewhat in color.
Brown includes variations of tawny, sorrel, golden, hot rufus and mahogany.
Seal Lynx Point, Sepia and Mink Spotted Tabby Bengals The seal lynx point (blue-eyed) and
seal sepia (gold or green-eyed) spotted tabbies (fondly referred to by breeders as two of the
"snow" leopard spotteds) have ivory backgrounds with contrasting spots. The seal mink
(aqua or green-eyed) spotted is a combination of one each of the above pointed Siamese and
the Burmese sepia genes. Extreme contrast between the markings and the ground color is
desirable in each spotted color.
Spotted Seal Lynx Point Bengal
Spots of all colors and patterns vary in color, size, rosetting
and intensity but preference is given to random and horizontal
pattern alignment with wide spacing or "acreage".
Marbled Bengals
The classic tabby gene creates the marbled Bengal and represents a
change of pattern from spotted to swirled or marbleized. This dramatic
pattern is comprised of swirls of brown spotted colors flowing in a
horizontal fashion instead of traditional spots. Preference is given to
the more horizontal, flowing and "ocelot-like" patterns.
The "marbled" pattern can also occur in lynx, sepia and
mink color/patterns.
A Brown Marbled Tabby and a Seal Lynx Point Marbled Tabby
Other Colors & Characteristics
"Glitter," the high shine (usually on a clear, non-ticked coat) that has been discovered and developed in the Bengal
is a welcome addition to the breed. "Rosettes," the dark outlining of coat markings (both in the spotted and marbled)
that are around a third rich color, are found in many Asian Leopard Cats and other wild cat species.
Rosettes showing two distinct colors or shades, such as paw print shaped, arrowhead shaped, doughnut or
half-doughnut shaped or clustered are preferred to single spotting but not required.
Some Bengal kittens go through what is referred to as the "fuzzy uglies". A beautifully clear kitten at three weeks old
may begin to acquire a ticked kitten coat at four to five weeks old. This coat begins to clear again to higher contrast
at about 12 weeks and is again breathtaking by 6 months.
Please Note: There are a variety of other colors (such as blue, black, torbie, etc.) and characteristics (long hair, flat face,
etc.) of the Bengal cat which are derived from the domestic genes that DO NOT meet the Bengal standard in TICA... But
which may be quite beautiful and shown in UFO and other registries.
Conformation
Bengals are relatively large-boned, short haired cats with males averaging from 10 to 15
pounds and females usually smaller. The face should have a distinctly non-domestic
expression, with small, rounded ears and intense facial markings. Careful selection
ensures Bengal cats that are friendly, loving domestic cats that bear a strong physical
resemblance to their Asian Leopard Cat ancestors..
Evaluation
Kittens are categorized as to their quality when compared to the accepted TICA Bengal
Standard. The Standard for the Bengal cat describes the ideal. Kittens are sold either as
Pets to be altered, breeders and/or show quality cats. Show quality is the best of the best.
Breeder quality is a good cat that has something lovely to offer the breed and no faults or perhaps one or two less
desirable traits that can bred out in a generation. Pet quality is a cat that for some reason the breeder feels does not
qualify to be offered as a breeder or show cat. This might be due to a visual undesirable trait such as a spot of white
color on the throat or groin (referred to as a locket) or a genetic defect that might put offspring at risk for ill health.
Note: Bengal standards as accepted by other cat registries in other countries may vary somewhat.
Spots of all colors and patterns vary in color, size, rosetting
and intensity but preference is given to random and horizontal
pattern alignment with wide spacing or "acreage".
Marbled Bengals
The classic tabby gene creates the marbled Bengal and represents a
change of pattern from spotted to swirled or marbleized. This dramatic
pattern is comprised of swirls of brown spotted colors flowing in a
horizontal fashion instead of traditional spots. Preference is given to
the more horizontal, flowing and "ocelot-like" patterns.
The "marbled" pattern can also occur in lynx, sepia and
mink color/patterns.
A Brown Marbled Tabby and a Seal Lynx Point Marbled Tabby
Other Colors & Characteristics
"Glitter," the high shine (usually on a clear, non-ticked coat) that has been discovered and developed in the Bengal
is a welcome addition to the breed. "Rosettes," the dark outlining of coat markings (both in the spotted and marbled)
that are around a third rich color, are found in many Asian Leopard Cats and other wild cat species.
Rosettes showing two distinct colors or shades, such as paw print shaped, arrowhead shaped, doughnut or
half-doughnut shaped or clustered are preferred to single spotting but not required.
Some Bengal kittens go through what is referred to as the "fuzzy uglies". A beautifully clear kitten at three weeks old
may begin to acquire a ticked kitten coat at four to five weeks old. This coat begins to clear again to higher contrast
at about 12 weeks and is again breathtaking by 6 months.
Please Note: There are a variety of other colors (such as blue, black, torbie, etc.) and characteristics (long hair, flat face,
etc.) of the Bengal cat which are derived from the domestic genes that DO NOT meet the Bengal standard in TICA... But
which may be quite beautiful and shown in UFO and other registries.
Conformation
Bengals are relatively large-boned, short haired cats with males averaging from 10 to 15
pounds and females usually smaller. The face should have a distinctly non-domestic
expression, with small, rounded ears and intense facial markings. Careful selection
ensures Bengal cats that are friendly, loving domestic cats that bear a strong physical
resemblance to their Asian Leopard Cat ancestors..
Evaluation
Kittens are categorized as to their quality when compared to the accepted TICA Bengal
Standard. The Standard for the Bengal cat describes the ideal. Kittens are sold either as
Pets to be altered, breeders and/or show quality cats. Show quality is the best of the best.
Breeder quality is a good cat that has something lovely to offer the breed and no faults or perhaps one or two less
desirable traits that can bred out in a generation. Pet quality is a cat that for some reason the breeder feels does not
qualify to be offered as a breeder or show cat. This might be due to a visual undesirable trait such as a spot of white
color on the throat or groin (referred to as a locket) or a genetic defect that might put offspring at risk for ill health.
Note: Bengal standards as accepted by other cat registries in other countries may vary somewhat.
| This is Lego good example of wild type and a white belly! Ticked Coat- Brown Spotted |
| This is Kodiak he is good example of a snow mink Bengal with very nice rosettes pic courtesy of Allison of Spotagious |
| This is "Winter" Perfect example of a Silver Bengal! Photo by Tatyana Kalani |
| This is "Aston" good example of clear coated, glitter with rosettes- Brown Spotted |
Lego
Aston