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Bengals bred today are only from Bengal to Bengal breeding. In the beginning the Asian Leopard Cat (ALC) was bred with {any} domestic shorthair cats and Egyptian Maus.
Knowing some genetic terminology helps to understand how the Bengal breed was first developed.
The offspring from the first filial cross between any two separate species are called the F1 generation.
Mules (Donkey x Horse) & Ligers (Lion x Tiger) are all F1 hybrids that cannot breed. In the Bengal breed, however, at this generation, females are usually fertile but the males cannot breed. Therefore, F1 females are bred to produce the F2 generation and beyond. ALCs & F1 Bengals need a Dangerous Wild Animal licence to be kept in the UK. The GCCF will not register any Bengal before the F4 generation.
Cases of fertile F2 males have been documented. However, this seems to last for only a short period of time before they become infertile. Therefore, males in the F2 generation are usually considered sterile and F2 females, who are usually fertile, are used to breed the F3 generation. F1s, F2s and F3s are all termed Foundation Bengals or Filial Bengals.
COAT & COLOUR
Bengals have an unusually soft coat which sheds considerably less than other breeds. They come in several varieties.
We primarily breed Brown (Black) and Blue-eyed Snow Spotted Bengals but the occasional Marbled pattern kitten crops up from time to time.
THE BROWN (BLACK) SPOTTED BENGAL has a high degree of rufous colour yielding a yellow, buff, golden or orange ground colour. Markings may be black or various shades of brown. A very pale colour, preferably white, is highly desirable on the whisker pads and chin and may extend onto the chest, underside and inner legs. Alternatively, the chest, underside and inner legs may be pale in contrast to the ground colour of the flanks and back. White or very light coloured spectacles encircling the eyes are desirable. There may be a light coloured “thumb print” on the back of each ear. The eye rims, lips and nose leather should be outlined in black and the centre of the nose leather should be brick red. Paw pads and tail tip must be black. The overall appearance should be of gold dusting. The eye colour should be gold, green or hazel. Deep shades are preferred.
THE BLUE-EYED SNOW SPOTTED BENGAL. The ground colour should be ivory to cream. The pattern may vary in colour from charcoal to dark or light brown with light coloured spectacles, whisker pads and chin. There may be a light coloured “thumb print” on the back of each ear. The eye rims, lips and nose leather should be outlined in black and the centre of the nose leather should be brick red. Paw pads should be brown with rosy undertones. The colour may be darker on the points than on the body; as little contrast as possible is preferred. The tail tip must be dark brown or charcoal. The overall appearance should be of pearl dusting. The eye colour should be blue. Deep shades are preferred.
MARBLED PATTERN
There should be a distinct pattern with swirled patches or streaks, clearly defined but not symmetrical, giving the impression of marble, preferably with a horizontal flow. Contrast must be extreme with distinct shapes and sharp outlines. The stomach must be spotted (except in Blue-Eyed Snow kittens). The legs may show broken horizontal lines and/or spots. The tail may be ringed, marbled and/or spotted along its length, with a solid dark-coloured tip. The marbled markings should have as little similarity to the classic tabby as possible. A vertical striped tabby tendency is also undesirable.
Some Bengals express recessive ALC traits such as ocelli and rosettes. These markings are major goals for the Bengal breed and make them unique from all other domestic cat breeds.
The term ocelli refers to small whitish patches on the backs of the ears of some wild feline species (e.g. leopards, tigers, Asian Leopard Cat, etc).
A rosetted spot consists of a reddish-brown colour either in front or inside of a black spot, outline or cluster. There are a few different types of rosetted spots and a Bengal can display more than one type.
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paw print ;; :;
doughnut O O
Often spots that look solid as a kitten "open up" into rosettes during development. Bengals do change a lot in appearance as they grow. They go into a "fuzzy phase" at around six weeks similar to Cheetah cubs in the wild. It's often hard to see their patterns distinctly during this period because the combination of their growing hair length and small size results in blurring. At around three months, as they grow in size, their coats clear up. The effect is similar to a blurred photo coming into sharp focus. Also, in general, Bengal coats tend to become continually more reddish in colour until they are around two years old. Thus, Bengals with just hints of colour in their face, ears and front paws as kittens often grow to be adults with an excellent colour/contrast balance as adults. Evaluating a Bengal kitten is often difficult for those new to the breed. It's a good idea to consider the appearance of parents and older siblings.
STRUCTURE
Full whisker pads, smaller more rounded ears, relatively shorter front legs and larger paws are some of the traits that distinguish the Bengal breed. They tend to have a stalking appearance when the walking. The head of this breed gets special attention because it is unique.
Have a look at the photos above.
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