Bengal History

 

The Bengal is a relatively new breed of cat. It was developed by crossing domestic pet cats with a small forest dwelling wild cat called the Asian Leopard Cat (ALC). There are a few varieties of ALC found throughout Asia. These hybrid cats must be 5 generations of matings from the ALC to be considered a Bengal.

The domestic cats used in the development initially were Egyptian Maus, American Shorthairs, Abyssinian, Ocicat and domestic shorthairs. The Bengal gets its name from the scientific name for the ALC - Prionalurus Bengalensis.

The ALC has some very unique and highly desireable features that combine to give it the "wild" look, many of these features were not commonly found on the domestic cat. Some of these features are horizontal flow to the markings, two-toned rosetted markings, white tummies, spotted legs. Also desireable are the wild head types, small rounded ears, large round eyes, thick low carried tail, long bodies with hindquarters higher compared to the front.

In terms of temperament, the ALC is quite a timid cat and so the domestic cats were used in the breed to bring the outgoing, friendly, sociable natures into the breed.  As a breed the bengal is highly intelligent and trainable, energetic and playful, and loads of fun.

EARLY HISTORY 
  • The Asian leopard cat is a small wild cat native to parts of South and East Asia.
  • Crosses between these cats and domestic cats have been kept as pets for thousands of years. 
  • The first known deliberate cross between an Asian leopard cat and a domestic cat was in California in 1969.
  • The first three generations of these crosses are considered "Foundation Bengals".
MODERN HISTORY
  • Jean Mill of California is credited with creating the modern Bengal breed.
  • The breed became popular in the 1980s and 1990s.
  • The International Cat Association (TICA) accepted the Bengal as a "new breed" in 1986.
  • TICA gave Bengal cats championship status in 1991.
  • The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) accepted the Bengal in 2016.