Bengal cat: breed features and character

Before acquiring a purebred pet, it is advisable to explore all the nuances that you will encounter. Bengal cats are young and relatively little-known, but rapidly gaining popularity breed. Therefore, it is worthwhile to consider the main features of Bengal cats and find out how the representatives of this breed differ in character.

The “mother” of this unique breed is the American genetic scientist Jig Sugden, who, during a trip to South Asia in 1961, acquired a wild Bengal cat and took her home. Only in 1982 she managed to get stable hybrids of a wild Asian cat with a domestic one.

Well, the official year of Bengal birth is considered to be 1991, when the international standard for cats of this breed was approved, combining the color and swiftness of wild leopards with the docility of ordinary domestic cats. According to this standard, an adult (older than 2 years) Bengal cat has the following features:

• body weight of these animals is usually from 5 to 6 kg;
• Bengal height at withers varies between 25 and 32 cm;
• life expectancy of such a pet will be from 12 to 15 years;
• the body of these animals must be muscular and stretched;
• the length of the hind legs of bengal must be greater than that of the fore;
• the neck should be long and thick;
• the head has small body dimensions relative to the body, a wedge-shaped form and differs in rounded contours;
• the eyes must be saturated green or golden in color (it is allowed to be blue at color points) and have an oval shape;
• the nose of these cats is quite wide;
• ears should be on the edges of the head and have a relatively small length, be extended to the base, and also have rounded tips;
• the cheeks of this breed are relatively plump, and the collections are rather massive.

One of the important signs is color, in which the basic tone is usually served by different shades of brown. There are also Bengals, in the color of which snow, blue, coal and even silvery colors dominate. Regardless of the base color, all Bengals necessarily have a pattern, which can be:

• marble;
• spotted (a la leopard);
• rosette (spots with darker edging).

The color of the pattern is usually black, gray or brown, while the pattern is always darker than the main tone. Any white spots on the wool are considered a defect, such kittens from professional breeders are subject to rejection. The color of the tail may be spotty or ringed, and the tip of the tail must be dark. Regardless of the color variant, all cats of this breed are distinguished by the presence of thick, soft and shiny coat.

Coat length varies between short and medium. Finally, Bengals' voice differs from most of the classic breeds - it is noticeably louder, it has much more sound shades.

Despite the fact that among the ancestors of this breed there are many truly wild cats, which it would be simply impossible to keep at home, the thoroughbred bengal has a gentle and playful character, as well as a very developed intellect. Moreover, if in other breeds only kittens show activity and playfulness to a greater extent, then Bengals retain this trait throughout their lifespan. Because of this, these cats get along very well with children and other animals.

Such habits require that the pet is always provided with toys and attention of the owners. In such conditions, Bengals “bloom” and even begin to become a bit like dogs in their behavior - they can come running to the owner’s call, bring him their toys.

The love of activity and games also has a downside - the Bengali growing in the aviary will grow fearful and may even show unmotivated aggression. And if it seems to your pet that you pay him little attention, he may begin to specifically steal small items. Finally, In the absence of feline toys, things that are necessary for the household can become the subject of Bengali games.

These cats are completely loyal to the owner and are happy to accept other members of his family, other cats, dogs and even guests. Of course, you shouldn't immediately stroke a Bengali, having come to visit his masters, but after a few minutes of acquaintance he will gladly play with you. Note that the playfulness of all cats is a continuation of hunting instincts, therefore Bengalis equally actively “play” with ordinary toys, and with live mice, birds and other small living creatures.

That's just the end of such games is usually the death of "living toys", so that the cells with parrots and domestic rodents in the house where the Bengal cat lives should always be closed. An interesting feature of the nature of these pets can be called the atypical love of water for cats and cats. Bengals love to play with water running from an open tap, and some representatives of the breed can even happily take a bath.

The main, from the point of view of breeders, the advantages of cats of this breed over others:

• “Leopard” color, expressive eyes, sharp contours of the body (on the exterior of the Bengal, everything speaks so of their wild blood), therefore this breed is ideal for fans of exotic and simply beautiful cats;
• thanks to sociability, this breed is a good choice for families where there is already a child or other pets;
• in spite of their origin, they differ on the whole by their appeasable character and developed mind, which allows even a little training of such cats;
• the nature of these cats is characterized by devotion, playfulness and love for communication;
• like all hybrids, they have fairly good health and rarely get sick;
• most of these cats have short hair, making it easy to care for;
• Bengal wool is practically hypoallergenic;
• these pets are very clean and love water;
• Bengal can walk on the street.

This breed has several disadvantages:

• the ancestors of the Bengals were very active, so their health suffers without regular exercise (you may even need to purchase “simulators”);
• if the cat does not receive enough attention in response to loyalty and playfulness, aggression can wake up in it;
• the love of water, combined with a lively inquisitive mind, can lead to the fact that the pet learns to open its taps and drain the toilet, which can create a number of inconveniences for the owners;
• it is impossible to walk Bengal without a leash - wild blood can force the animal to flee at any moment;
• these cats do not like to sit long in the hands of the owner - the love of freedom and activity prevails on devotion;
• uncastrated males are distinguished by the habit of tagging furniture;
• The loud and rich voice of this breed can wake anyone up.

Most of the owners of these cats are very pleased with their appearance and character. Also, many owners are satisfied that this breed almost does not shed and does not leave wool throughout the apartment. Most of the censures are sometimes excessive playfulness, which, with a lack of attention, develops into mischief. Also, not all cat lovers are willing to endure the loud voice of cats and cats of this breed in the spring or when they want to eat.

About the features of the breed, see below.