Welcome to our Bengal Cats page! Here you will find everything you could ever want to know about Bengal cats and a complete list of all the Bengal catteries we have located in the USA.

Have you ever seen anything as beautiful as the Bengal cat?  It has the gorgeous coat and muscular build of an Asian wildcat, but it is bred to be as docile as a house cat.  Bengals are gorgeous, friendly, and very lively.  They are one of the most popular domestic cat breeds, but you may need an exotic pet license to own one.  There is still controversy about crossing wild and non-wild animals, so be sure you know what you are getting into with a Bengal cat and buy your Bengal kitten from a reputable breeder.

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Bengal Cat Breed Information

Breed History and Origins:

The modern Bengal cat breed began in the 1960s, but efforts to develop domestic cats with the looks of a wildcat have been ongoing since the 19th century.  Starting in the 1980s, Bengals have achieved recognition from many of the major cat associations.

Origins of the Bengal

In the 1870s, a spotted tabby named Coppa, the result of breeding an Asian leopard cat with a British shorthair, appeared in the first show in London’s Crystal Palace, winning first place in its class.  More attempts at developing a hybrid leopard/domestic kitty were made in the 20th century.  This included work that breeder Jean Sugden did in 1963 and reported to the genetics department at Cornell University.  She would eventually become a prime mover in developing and getting acceptance for the Bengal cat breed.

At around the same time, Dr. Willard Centerwall, a feline geneticist at the Loma Linda University Medical Center, was studying the Asian leopard cat’s immunity to feline leukemia.  He bred it to domestic cats to see if their hybrid offspring would also be immune to this deadly disease (unfortunately, they are not immune).

During the 1970s, the resulting “Toy Leopards” or “Safari Cats” from such breeding programs became famous.  The US-based Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) accepted “Leopard Cats” for registration in 1970.  They later banned all wild-nonwild hybrids, but this didn’t make a dent in the popular demand for these lovely felines.

Many breeders continued to develop an animal with the beautiful spotted coat of the wildcat and the docile nature of a domestic kitty.  William Engler, a New York zookeeper, named it the Bengal cat, after the leopard cat’s scientific name, which is a mouthful:  Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis.

A long road to the perfect Bengal cat

Dr. Centerwall and Jean (who was now Jean Sugden Mills) met in 1980 and shared their enthusiasm for Bengals.  The doctor had some Bengal kittens that needed homes.  Jean took the kittens and later accepted all of the Centerwall Bengal cats when the doctor’s health deteriorated.  In 1983, thanks in part to Jean’s efforts, the International Cat Association formally recognized the Bengal cat breed.

Jean Sugden Mills also added a domestic street cat from Delhi to her Bengal cat breeding program.  Each hair of this spotted feline’s coat had a spectacular iridescent sheen to it, and it is from this individual that Bengals today have inherited a strikingly sparkly appearance in sunlight.

The American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA) recognized Bengals in 1991, but then rejected them because of temperament issues.  ACFA officials later realized that this problem happened because those cats were too close to the original cross (F2, or two generations removed).  Six years later, after more generations had appeared and the wild temperament was no longer a problem, the ACFA reversed their decision.

Bengal cats that are F4 (four generations) or more may now be registered not only with the ACFA but also with many other major cat associations, but not with the CFA, which still has its ban on wild-nonwild hybrids in place.

Licenses

When Bengals first appeared, most owners needed to have an exotic pet license.  The regulatory climate has changed as the breed as developed.  In general, today’s Bengal cat breeders need licenses to keep animals that are three generations or less removed from the original wildcat cross.  However, some jurisdictions also require you to license your F4-plus Bengal cat.

It can get quite complicated.  There are good overviews about the legal implications of owning and importing hybrids like the Bengal cat here, whether you live in the US, Britain, or elsewhere.  However, information on the Internet can be dated, so also be sure to check with local wildlife authorities where you live or will be traveling with your Bengal.

Size and Physical Characteristics:

Bengal cats look like either downsized wildcats or upsized domestic cats; take your pick.  They have the beautiful coat and racing build of the Asian leopard cat, as well as the relaxed carriage and friendly attitude of the domestic cat.

Head and body

A Bengal cat’s head looks rather small for its body.  The head is quite rounded, like a wildcat’s, especially in profile. Bengals’ whisker pads are prominent on either side of the broad nose.  Its little chin is strong and lines up with the nose.

Bengal ears are wide at the base, with rounded tips.  They are short but proportional to the head and tilt forward a little when viewed from the side.  Above their high cheekbones, Bengals have large, almost perfectly oval eyes that are set wide apart, giving Kitty a very alert appearance.  Their eyes are usually deep green, gold, or brown, though some cats have an aquamarine or blue eye color.

Bengals have a long, muscular body with very sturdy bones.  Their hind legs are slightly longer than the forelegs.  Bengal cats usually prowl around with their hind legs kept straight.  This raises the hips and lowers the shoulders and head, giving the Bengal a very wild look.  Bengals also have the leopard’s big paws, with prominent knuckles.  The thick, tapered tail isn’t quite as long as the Bengal cat’s body.

A coat with spots, rosettes, or marbling

Bengal fur is short to medium in length.  It is very soft and thick, though it lies close to the body.  A few individuals have a metallic-like iridescent glitter to their fur.  It doesn’t show up very well in images, but these Bengal cats seem to actually glitter in sunlight.

Some Bengals are spotted on their back, tummy, and both flanks; others have swirls of dark marbling; and still others rosettes – spots that are outlined in darker fur, like a leopard’s pelt.  In all Bengal cats, there is always a sharp contrast between the pattern and background colors.  Light ground colors such as cream, ivory, tan, or orange usually are marked in tan, brown, or black patterns.  Silver Bengal cats have black or brownish-black markings.

Light brown Bengals may have ivory-colored “mascara lines,” but all other cats in this breed have black fur lining their eyes as well as the nose and lips.  The legs, face, and chest are striped, and Bengal cats sport the modified “M” tabby forehead marking.  A Bengal’s tail has dark rings, ending in either a dark brown or black tip.

Personality and Temperament:

Every Bengal is a unique individual, but the breed generally enjoys a rollicking good time wherever it is.  This cat is happiest in a family where it will get a lot of attention.  Bengals socialize with everybody but will choose one or two people as favorites.  They also get along well with other resident pets but may try to dominate them.  You will definitely have to cat-proof everything, protect any small, prey-like resident pets, and be willing to be flexible when a Bengal cat moves into your home.

Rambunctious and friendly

Bengals are lively little felines who use their athletic build and natural energy to propel themselves into the thick of whatever is going on in your household.  Expect to hear this cat’s unique sharp “bark” when it wants either your attention or your aid in whatever enterprise it has going on.

One Bengal cat has enough pep to keep a group of experienced kitty owners busy, which is why this breed does best with families.  However, Bengal cats bond most closely with just one or two people.  They get along well with other animals in the home, including dogs, but always want to be at the top of the pecking order.  Thanks to their energy and playfulness, Bengals are good with older children (11-plus).

If you can spend a lot of time playing with and caring for a Bengal, you will have a friend for life.  Do keep in mind that Bengals aren’t simply companions or therapy animals.  They are big adventures in small packages!

Inquisitive little hunters

Your Bengal cat may follow you from room to room, but it will also keep itself busy.  Kitty’s investigations and agility will take it into places you might never have realized could hold a cat.  It’s therefore a good idea to train this smart cat to come when called, because you probably aren’t going to find all of its hiding places.

Don’t just cat-proof your home; child-proof it.  Bengals are perfectly capable of figuring out how to work doors, drawers, windows, and light switches, and once they learn, they will do it over and over again.  Don’t forget the faucets.  Bengals are fascinated by water, too.

Speaking of water, if you keep fish, be sure to use a lock on the aquarium cover rather than just relying on its being tight enough.  A Bengal cat can open anything that isn’t protected by a lock.  This also holds true for other small pets like hamsters or birds.  They will trigger the Bengal’s hunting instincts and should be protected.

Grooming and Upkeep:

Bengal cats have short, luxurious hair.  They don’t shed much and are very easy to groom.  Bengals should also get routine nail and dental care.

Grooming your Bengal cat

Bengals have a very thick coat but it is soft and tight, like the pelt of their Asian leopard cat ancestors.  They do shed a little, but not as much as other breeds.  Just brush the coat every few weeks to distribute oil throughout the fur.

Bathing isn’t necessary unless you plan to show your Bengal.  A bath might also help get rid of dander, if you have cat allergies.  These cats enjoy water but will probably resist being washed unless they have been trained to accept it from a young age.  Your veterinarian can recommend cat-safe wet and dry shampoos and give you tips on the best ways to make bathtime go smoothly for all involved.

Claws and teeth

Your Bengal grooms its own claws by scratching. But this doesn’t take off the entire dead nail or stop the nail from growing.  A Bengal cat needs to have its claws trimmed every ten days or so. This goes easily and quickly with a little practice.

Dental care is important, too.  Cats use their teeth a lot and are prone to gingivitis.  The only way to prevent this condition is by regular cleaning.  It doesn’t have to be done after every meal but should be done at least once a week, by running a gauze-covered finger over Kitty’s teeth or using a special feline toothbrush and cat-safe toothpaste.  The only alternative is a dental treatment by the vet, which involves general anesthesia, which is always risky.

For both nail and dental care, it helps to start training the cat while it is young, so it can get used to having its mouth and paws handled.

Nutritional and Exercise Needs:

Your Bengal cat doesn’t have to be fed raw meat.  It’s strictly a carnivore, which means that it must have protein to survive, but Bengals do quite well on food from the grocery or pet store.  They do need plenty of horizontal and vertical space to exercise.

Bengal cat nutrition

Bengal cats get most of their calories from protein, some from fat, and a few from carbohydrates.  In addition, Bengals require just the right combination of vitamins and other nutrients.  Water intake is important, too, because cats don’t have a well-developed drink reflex and tend to easily get dehydrated.

Every serving of a commercial food that meets guidelines set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) contains the right nutritional mix for your Bengal.  There are two AAFCO profiles, one for kittens and one for adults.  Table scraps and treats can throw off the diet balance, so limit these to no more than 10 percent of what your Bengal eats daily.

A little trial and error will show whether your cat prefers dry or canned food diet.  Canned food has enough water in it, but if Kitty prefers kibbles, be sure to have fresh water available all the time.  Your Bengal cat may get a little dehydrated, but it will eventually drink enough to stay healthy.

Room to exercise

Once you see how easily a Bengal cat can jump up onto cupboards, into closets, or onto curtain rods, you’ll realize the importance of a cat tree for this breed, even if you have never considered buying feline furniture before.  Bengals have a lot of energy to burn off, and the leopard in them likes heights.  A ceiling-high tree that is securely fastened and has lots of extras like cubbyholes and detachable toys is a good place for your Bengal to exercise and hang out.

A Bengal cat also needs room to chase after rolling toys, catch feathers, and stalk toy mice.  Bengals like to improvise on the fly and will dive into a drawer that you open or try to fight your printer.

To direct this active cat’s natural zest for living into nondestructive and relatively quiet channels, keep Kitty occupied with hunting games or a challenging puzzle toy, and train it to play fetch or do tricks.  Your cat will happily play until it is tired, while basking in the extra attention it’s getting from you.

Characteristics Unique to the Breed:

These living room leopards  are world famous for their muscle and their stunning coats.  Bengals are one of the few hybrid breeds developed from a wildcat and a domestic cat, and not everybody is happy that they have been bred.

Power and beauty

Bengal cats, especially the males, are more muscular than most other domestic cats.  They have inherited from their wild Asian granddaddy a well-knit body structure that powers them along in leaps and bounds.  Their brawny shoulders and chests are designed to bring maximum force when the animal chases and brings down its prey.

The Bengal breed is the only domestic kitty to sometimes sport leopard rosettes on its fur.  Even without those, a Bengal cat’s spots or marbling are beautiful coat patterns that you can point to with pride and enjoy as your wild-looking house cat moves gracefully through your home.

Bengal cats and the controversy over hybrids

Having a pet that looks wild is one of the main reasons that people buy a Bengal.  It usually works out all right.  A Bengal kitten that is offered to the public will be at least four generations removed from the wild leopard cat, if purchased from a reputable breeder.

However, some feline organizations say that the temperament problems in this breed haven’t been solved yet.  They note that unethical breeders go back to the leopard cat to get the coat patterning and pay no attention to the cat’s personality.  There are also reports of wild cats being passed off as hybrids in order to get around licensing laws.

When any of this happens, owners often can’t handle the cat and they eventually get rid of it.  This is a tragedy whenever it happens, but it is unclear how often this occurs.  Powerful emotions run strong on both sides of the controversy over wild-nonwild hybrids like the Bengal.  Both sides use extreme examples of both wild and domestic behavior to support their argument.

For example, Carole Baskin, founder of Big Cat Rescue, is totally against crossing domestic and wild cats.  At her website, she says, “In a nutshell, it is an irresponsible thing to do and there is no redeeming reason to crossbreed these cats nor to support those who do by buying one. It almost never works out for the individual cat and in the rare case that it does, the number of animals that have had to suffer in order for this one rare cat to exist is staggering.”

On the other side, many Bengal lovers insist that all purebreds are spirited but basically just as mellow as ordinary house cats.  Most major cat fancy associations agree.  The International Cat Association has recognized the Bengal cat for over 30 years, and the American Cat Fancy Association has done so for almost 20 years.

The Cat Fanciers Association, however, says that it “does not encourage or promote the breeding of non-domestic (wild) cats of any species to any domesticated cats” and will not register hybrids like the Bengal.

If you really want a Bengal cat, the best thing that you can do is to carefully think through what it means to give a home to one (remember, this kitty is an adventure, not a therapy animal or lap cat).

Bengals can be intense and challenging at times, but for many people, living with one is a wonderful experience.  Talk things over with other Bengal owners before deciding, and once you’ve made your decision, check out Bengal breeders very carefully before you make a life commitment to your new Bengal kitten.

Health and Wellness:

Health reasons also make it important to get your Bengal cat from a responsible breeder who does screening for hereditary eye and heart diseases.  The Bengal cat also needs the usual core vaccinations given to all domestic cats.  Bengal cats are not immune to feline leukemia.

Retinal problems and heart disease

Experts have recently found a genetic retinal disease in some Bengals.  It blinds kittens in their first year of life.  This isn’t the end of everything.  Given how well developed its other senses are, a blind cat does quite well and lives just as long as any other cat, but it should always be kept indoors.

Some Bengal cats come down with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most common type of feline cardiac disease.  Severe cases can cause sudden death, but milder cases can be treated with medicine.  Either DNA or office tests can show if your Bengal cat is prone to HCM.

Be sure to talk this over with the breeder to make sure your Bengal kitten’s parents have been screened and the kitten’s health is good.

Immunizations

All cats need vaccination against feline distemper (also known as parvovirus or panleukopenia) and two severe upper respiratory infections called FHV-1 and FCV.  These core vaccinations are sometimes combined into a triple vaccine.  They are given in a series over ten weeks.  Bengals as young as 6-8 weeks can get them, or they can be given to an adult that hasn’t yet been vaccinated.  After the initial set, Kitty will just need boosters every one to three years, depending on the vaccine.

Rabies is also considered a core vaccination in many areas.  It depends on local law.  Check with your vet about this and also about any other vaccinations your Bengal cat might need based on its lifestyle (whether it goes outside, is exposed to other cats, will be bred, and so forth).  The non-core vaccinations include feline leukemia.  The Asian leopard cat may be immune to it, but the Bengal cat isn’t.

Interesting Facts about the Breed:

• The Bengal cat was the International Cat Association’s most popular breed in 2010.
• Bengals that have a white or creamy base color with brown markings are called Snow Bengals.
• Bengal cats love water so much that some owners have installed motion-control faucets for them.