Bengal Cats make the most wonderfull pets and we have had our lives enriched by Summer, our first Bengal, she is stunningly beautiful, intelligent, affectionate, purrs constantly, and has changed our world forever.
Asian Leopard Cat-Bengal Cat
Bengal cats are the descendants of a cross between the Asian Leopard Cat and a Domestic Cat. A first generation cat is called an F1, an F2 is a progency of one F1 parent and one domestic parent (usually a Bengal) and an F3 has one F2 and one domestic parent, F1 males are usually sterile and F2 and F3 males also often have fertility problems. the early stages of breeding programes are therefore usually carried out by crossing female Aaian Leopard Cat hybrids with male domestic cats.The fourth generation removed from the wild and beyond can be considered a domestic animal, and is officially a Bengal, rather than a Leopard Cat hybrid, given that the breeding programme will have been explicitly aimed at producing good pets, the resulting Bengals should display the beautiful markings of the Asian Leopard Cat, whilst inheriting the domestic cats social nature and adaptability to human lifestyles.
The amazing Bengal character
For all the talk you hear about the amazing beauty of the Bengal cat, you could be forgiven for assuming that a Bengal possesses normal domestic cat behaviour, just with wonderful markings as well, however, ask any Bengal cat owner, they will tell you, a Bengal is such a wonderful addition to most homes, they have delightful characters who light up your life with entertainment, interest and affection. they have loads of personality, they are very intelligent, lively, interactive, you can really have a two way relationship with them, Bengals are very energetic, they rush around the house, jumping great heights, they even do somersaults while in high spirits, kittens in particular can be all over the place, in a veritable stampede of spotty fluff, the flip side of a Bengals behaviour is that for much of the time they are complete softies, who nuzzle up against you, purring wildly, then curl up with you and fall fast asleep, they genuinely crave affection and will spend many happy hours resting piled up on you purring, this makes a lovely complement to a Bengals energetic behaviour. Bengals love water, they like to play with water, Bengals are very vocal cats, they have a very insistent MEEYOWWWLLL, when they want your attention, the noise varies in volume from loud to unbelievable,its easily stopped by giving them what they want, a Bengal soon has you wrapped around their paw, Nothing compares to a Bengal.