The name "Bengal" is derived from the Latin name of the Asian Leopard Cat, Feline Bengalensis.  The domestic Bengal has inherited the exotic, stunningly  wild spottedpattern from the Asian Leopard Cat, found in the wild in central Asia. This beautiful breed of cat is very loving, affectionate, playful and friendly while retaining the wild look of it's ancestors.

  The first hybridization with the intention to create a pet "leopard" was accomplished in Japan according to the 1941 Cat Fancy publication. It was not until 1960 that any records exist in the United States of breeding Leopard Cats to domestic cats.

Jean S. Mills
1964 with F1 "Kin Kin"
Photo: Millwood Cattery

  The chief credit for this breed is given to Jean (Sudgen) Mill of the USA. Jean Mill crossed a black shorthaired domestic cat with a female Asian Leopard Cat in 1963. Offspring were produced proving that a second generation was possible. Further experiments were interrupted due to a death in the family.

  The little Asian Leopard Cats became very well known in the late 1960's and early 1970's when it became fashionable to wear leopard furs. It would take over 200 leopard pelts to make just one fur coat! These little leopards were almost wiped out of existence to meet the demand for fur. Thanks to concerned scientists, animal rights activists and the union of Nations, the hunting and trading of Asian Leopard Cats across international boundaries was banned and is still in effect today under CITES.

In the 1970s, the domestic cat population was seriously threatened by Feline Leukemia. At that time, there was no vaccine or cure. It was discovered that Asian Leopard Cats did not get the disease.  A study was started to find out if this immunity would be passed on to the hybrid kittens of the Leopard Cat bred to domestics. As a result of this study, in 1975 Jean Mill acquired eight female hybrids from the geneticist, Dr. Willard Centerwall.

  Jean Mill began again to further the new breed. Jean felt that if people could own a domestic little leopard as a beloved pet that they would be less likely to either buy Asian Leoapard Cats for pets OR to want to wear leopard fur! She hoped this new breed would help protect the shy, but beautiful, Asian Leopard Cat.

   In 1984 the domestic Bengal became recognized by the International Cat Association (T.I.C.A.) and was then eligible to be shown.  Bengals must be four or more generations removed from their nearest wild, ALC ancestor, and have three consecutive generations of Bengal to Bengal breeding in order to be eligible to be shown in T.I.C.A. The Earlier generations, F1, F2, and F3 are known as "foundation bengals" and are considered to be hybrids. Below is a table showing just what "four or more generations removed" means:

Breed Standards

Bengals have three accepted divisions for Championship competition. These are Brown, Silver and the three Snow colors, (Seal Sepia, Seal Mink, and Seal Lynx Point). Within each color division are two accepted pattern types, Spotted and Marble.

Head Shape: Broad modified wedge with rounded contours. Longer than it is wide. Slightly small in proportion to body, but not to be taken to extreme. The skull behind the ears makes a gentle curve and flows into the neck. Allowance to be made for jowls in adult males. Overall look of the head should be as distinct from the domestic cat as possible.

Ears: Medium to small, relatively short, with wide base and rounded tips. Set as much on side as top of head, following the contour of the face in the frontal view, and pointing forward in the profile view. Light horizontal furnishings acceptable; but lynx tipping undesirable.

Eyes: Oval, almost round. Large, but not bugged. Set wide apart, back into face, and on slight bias toward base of
ear. Eye color independent of coat color except in the lynx points. The more richness and depth of color the better.

Chin: Strong chin, aligns with tip of nose in profile.

Muzzle: Full and broad, with large, prominent whisker pads and high, pronounced cheekbones. Slight muzzle break at the whisker pads.

Nose: Large and wide; slightly puffed nose leather.

Profile: Curve of the forehead should flow into the bridge of the nose with no break. Bridge of nose extends above the eyes; the line of the bridge extends to the nose tip, making a very slight, to nearly straight, concave curve.

Neck: Long, substantial, muscular; in proportion to the head and body.

Torso: Long and substantial, not oriental or foreign. Medium to large (but not quite as large as the largest domestic breed).

Legs: Medium length, slightly longer in the back than in the front.

Feet: Large, round, with prominent knuckles.

Tail: Medium length, thick, tapered at end with rounded tip.

Boning: Sturdy, firm; never delicate.

Musculature: Very muscular, especially in the males, one of the most distinguishing features.

Length of Coat: Short to medium. Allowance for slightly longer coat in kittens.

Texture of Coat: Dense and luxurious, close-lying, unusually soft and silky to the touch.

Spotted Pattern: Spots shall be random, or aligned horizontally. 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. Contrast with ground color must be extreme, giving distinct pattern and sharp edges. Strong, bold chin strap and mascara markings desirable. Virtually white undersides and belly desirable. Blotchy horizontal shoulder streaks, spotted legs and spotted or rosetted tail are desirable. Belly must be spotted.

Marbled Pattern: See TICA Uniform Color Description (74.1.1.2.1).

Colors: Brown Tabby: All variations of brown are allowed; however, a high degree of rufousing is preferred. Markings various shades of brown to black. Light spectacles encircling the eyes and a virtually white ground color on the whisker pads, chin, chest, belly and inner legs is desirable.

Seal Sepia Tabby, Seal Mink Tabby, and Seal Lynx Point Tabby: Pattern can be various shades of brown. There should be very little or no difference between the color of the body (pattern) markings and point color.

General Description

The goal of the Bengal breeding program is to create a domestic cat which has physical features distinctive to the small forest-dwelling wildcats, and with the loving, dependable temperament of the domestic cat. Keeping this goal in mind, judges shall give special merit to those characteristics in the appearance of the Bengal which are distinct from those found in other domestic cat breeds.

A Bengal cat is an athletic animal, alert to its surroundings; a friendly, curious, confident cat with strength, agility, balance and grace. It is a medium to large cat which exhibits a very muscular and solid build. Its wide nose with prominent whisker pads and large oval, almost round eyes in a slightly small head enhance the wild appearance and expressive nocturnal look. Its very slight, to nearly straight, concave profile and relatively short ears with wide base and rounded tips add to the Bengal's distinctive and unique appearance. The short, dense coat has a uniquely soft and silky feel. The coat may be glittered or not glittered, with neither type to be given preference. A thick, low-set, medium-length tail adds balance to the cat.

Allowances
Smaller size, in balanced proportion, of females. Slightly longer coat in kittens. Jowls in adult males. Eyes slightly almond shaped. Mousy undercoat.

Penalize
Spots on body running together vertically forming a mackerel tabby pattern on spotted cats; circular bulls-eye pattern on marbled cats; substantially darker point color (as compared to color of body markings) in Seal Sepia, Seal Mink, or Seal Lynx Point cats. Any distinct locket on the neck, chest, abdomen or any other area.

Withold All awards (WW)
Belly not spotted. Paw pads not consistent with
their color group description, or paw pads not all of the same color. Temperament must be unchallenging; any sign of definite challenge shall disqualify. The cat may exhibit fear, seek to flee, or generally complain aloud but may not threaten to harm.

In accordance with Show Rules, ARTICLE SIXTEEN, the following shall be considered mandatory disqualifications: a cat that bites (216.9), a cat showing evidence of intent to deceive (216.10), adult whole male cats not having two descended testicles (216.11), cats with all or part of the tail missing , except as authorized by a board approved standard (216.12.1), cats with more than five toes on each front foot and four toes on each back foot, unless proved the result of an injury or as authorized by a board approved standard (216.12.2), visible or invisible tail faults if Board approved standard requires disqualification (216.12.4), crossed eyes if Board approved standard requires disqualification (216.12.5), total blindness (216.12.6), markedly smaller size, not in keeping with the breed (216.12.9), and depression of the sternum or unusually small diameter of the rib cage itself (216.12.11.1). See Show Rules, ARTICLE SIXTEEN for more comprehensive rules governing penalties and disqualifications.

Colors and Patterns

The Brown Spotted (Leopard) Bengal 

The traditional color of the Bengal is that of the leopard, black spots upon a gold background. This color is sometimes referred to by breeders as the "leopard" color. The intensity and colors of "leopard spotted" Bengals can vary considerably. The spots might be deep brown, jet black, or may even be rosetted. The base, or background color can range from grey to sandy buff, or gold to bright orange. A warm rufous ground color is preferred. Sorrels have brown spots on an orange background. Bengals' spots should be random, with as few stripes on the body as possible. The quality of the individual Bengal is determined to a large degree by the richness of color and the pattern of the markings.

Leopard and sorrel colored kittens go through many stages before they develop their true color. Often they do not attain their full rich color until they reach maturity at twelve to sixteen months. It takes a great deal of experience for a breeder to know what to expect from these kittens, as they go through their grey fuzzy stages. Often, just when the kitten is ready to go to its new home, it is at its absolute worst stage. As a rule, the blacker the spots, the slower the ground color is to come in. So these kittens, who look rather plain as infants, can be the most striking as adults with jet black spots upon a warm rich background. Sorrels tend to be very brightly colored at birth, and make very striking kittens. The light sorrels however, especially out of a sorrel-to-sorrel mating, can fade with maturity.

The Brown Marbled Bengal

 The Marble pattern should flow horizontally with rosetting and chain-like appearances. The classic tabby gene creates the marble Bengal and represents a change of pattern from spotted to swirled or marbleized. The dramatic pattern is comprised of swirls of black and varied shades of brown or tan to rufus colors flowing in a horizontal fashion instead of traditional spots, and giving the impression of marble. Preference is given to the more horizontal, flowing and "ocelot-like" patterns.

The Snow Bengals

Snow Leopard's are off-white or ivory with grey or brown spots. Their eyes can be blue, aqua, or green. Snows are further classified as either seal lynx point, mink, or sepia, depending on whether or not they carry the Burmese gene. Generally the Mink and Sepia colored snows have more pronounced markings than those of the lynx pointed snows.

Lynx point snow babies are born almost solid white, with ghost pattern gradually developing as they mature. So at 8 or 10 weeks, the pattern of spots may be very faint. It may take up to a year for the blue-eyed snow to develop its full colored markings. The mink and sepia snow babies are born with a very distinct patterns and markings. The best snows seem to be the ones who exhibit the color of their markings at an early age. Snows can be either spotted, rosetted, or marbled.

 Seal Lynx Point

Seal Mink

 
Seal Sepia

The Silver Bengals

New to the recognized colors in the Bengal World, are the awesome silvers! Recognized in 2004 for Championship titles, they have virtually white undercoat color with pewter to jet black markings. Silvers can be either spotted, rosetted, or marbled, but a high degree of contrast is desirable. The white undercoat should be as clear as possible with little or no "tarnishing" or yellowish discoloration on the face, feet, tummy, or spine. Silvers are born with their markings and retain them as they mature.

Silver Spotted

Silver Marble

Glitter

Under the microscope, glitter appears as "hollow air space" surrounding the color of the hair. It is sometimes described as bubbles of air, almost crystal like. The effect glitter gives to refocused coats is that of gold sparkles. The effect on the coat of the seal lynx, seal sepia, and seal mink is that of crystals. Like ice on a tree limb, glitter refracts the light and enhances the color. So far, the Bengal is the only domestic breed of cat to actually be noted for its glitter.