The Bengal cat is a unique breed of exotic-looking cats that can adapt well into most home environments. They are known for their striking spotted markings and affectionate personalities which make them wonderful family pets.
One of the Bengal’s best features is its highly adaptive personality, which makes it an excellent house pet. They are loving and social cats that enjoy spending time with their humans, sometimes following them around like a dog.
They are also known for being very intelligent and active creatures who love to play! Throughout this article, we will be going over some of the Bengal cat’s more interesting features as well as some Bengal cat facts and Bengal cat history.
After reading this article, you will have a better understanding of the Bengal cat breed and its origins. You will find out why Bengal cats make such great pets and where to go if you are interested in getting one of your own!
Bengal Cat History
Bengal cat first surfaced in the 1960s, but Bengal cat history actually goes back to at least the 1940s.
The Bengal cat is a domestic shorthair feline whose lineage can be traced back to two separate wild breeds; Asian Leopard Cat (ALC) and the serval.
Bengal cat hybrids first began appearing in US animal shelters in 1983, but these early Bengal cats were often misunderstood by Bengal Cat owners who did not understand what was causing their Bengal’s odd behaviors or health issues. The Bengal cat breed didn’t start to gain any major traction until the 1990s when TICA accepted them for registration. Since then, other organizations like CFA and ACA have also recognized Bengal Cats as an official purebred breed.
Today, Bengal Cats are one of the most popular cat breeds. Bengal Cats are known for their leopard-like coats and coral color, but one of Bengal’s best features is that Bengal Cat temperament and size have been greatly improved since its early days.
Bengal Cat Facts
The Bengal is a member of the domestic shorthair family, which means it closely resembles a wild house cat. Its coat can come in many different combinations of color patterns with either spots or stripes that resemble those of a leopard or jaguar from afar. A Bengal’s spots usually resemble those found on a leopard while their coats often have rosettes similar to those on a jaguar. Bengal cats are medium to large in size with an average length of about 12 inches. Bengal cat colors can vary depending on what type of Bengal they are. Traditional Bengals will have brown or reddish-brown coats while snow Bengals will be white, silver, or grey. Both types come in a variety of spotted patterns but you can’t get a Bengal with rose or teak markings unless it is mixed with another breed.
Bengal Cat Size
Size is another thing that varies between traditional and snow Bengal cats. Traditional Bengal cats tend to be bigger than their snow counterparts, often growing up to 15 pounds whereas the smaller snow Bengal may only get up to 10 pounds full grown which makes them great pets for homes with children or other pets that might be scared of larger cats.
Bengal Cat LifeSpan
If Bengal cats are well cared for, they can live up to 15 years! They tend to be very healthy, active cats who enjoy playing with their humans and other pets in the home. Bengal cats also have an average gestation period of around 64 days so it’s important to know that you will need to care for a Bengal mother cat both during and after her pregnancy if you plan on having Bengal kittens (if you’re planning on breeding Bengal cats, make sure your cat is registered with the Bengal breed registry).
Bengal Kittens
The Bengal kitten is one of the most unique-looking creatures you will find! Their spotted coats change as they get older but already at only 8 weeks old, Bengal kittens are quite the sight! Bengal kitten colors don’t vary much at this age, either. You will likely see sandy-yellow or grey-brown coats with lighter, creamier markings along with their muzzles and facial regions.
Bengal Kitten Personality
The Bengal cat breed’s personality is one of its best features! Bengal kittens in particular bond closely with their humans and love spending time playing with them or following them around like a dog. They are very intelligent creatures that are known to learn tricks quickly when young. Bengal cats also have a tendency to be helpful during home projects by attempting to sit on top of whatever it is you’re building for them to ‘help’ you build it. Bengal kitties can often be found playing with water and will even attempt to drink it (like a dog).
Bengal Cats and Water
Water is one thing Bengal cats seem to love! Even Bengal kittens at 8 weeks old will play in the sink or bathtub when given the chance. Bengal kitties really like drinking water, too… but make sure you keep your toilet lid closed because they’ve been known to jump up on it and fall in (although some Bengal breeds have been spotted attempting to flush their toys down the toilet if they get bored).
Bengal Cat History
The Bengal cat breed is of Asian descent and was bred over time from crossing wild house cats with leopards and other wild cat species. The Bengal’s spots were introduced by way of Bengal cats that were bred with Abyssinian cat breeds, which is why Bengal kittens change as they grow into adulthood.
Bengal Cat Personality
A Bengal cat’s personality can vary between individual Bengal cat breeds and Bengal cat to Bengal kitty… but all Bengal kitties are known for being very intelligent, loving creatures. They tend to follow their humans around the house and enjoy playing catch or fetch with a favorite toy. The Bengal breed is not only smart but also quite social, which means your Bengal kitten may even try to play with any other pets you have in your home–even dogs! This especially holds true if you raise your Bengal from a young age alongside those other pets.
Bengal Cats Shedding
Bal cats do shed but not as much as you would expect for a cat that is known to have both Bengal cat and Bengal kitty in their genetic code. Bengal cats shed an average amount, about once or twice a year, which means brushing your Bengal kitty on a regular basis will help with any shedding issues.
Bengal Cat Colors
The Bengal’s coat colors are very unique! You can recognize a Bengal by its spots but also by the patterns each Bengal carries including marbled markings, rosettes, and even mackerel tabby stripes. The more wild-looking Bengal cat breeds tend to be quite large, though many of the Bengal kitten breeders prefer creating smallish Bengals that they refer to as “teacup” Bengals. A teacup Bengal typically weighs between 8 and 10 pounds as an adult Bengal. Bengal cats are very loving creatures! Bengals love their humans, follow them around the home, and enjoy playing catch or fetch with a favorite toy. Bengal kitties with less wild appearances tend to be smaller with average weights of about 12-15 pounds for fully grown adults. Bengal cats do shed but not as much as other breeds; regular brushing will help minimize shedding problems. Bengal cat colors typically include spots (or rosettes) along with mackerel tabby stripes (in some rarer cases). The Bengal breed has Asian roots and has been derived from crossing wild house cats with leopards, ocelots, servals, and others.
Bengal Cats Health Issues
Like with any Bengal cat breed, Bengal kitties can be at risk for developing certain Bengal cat health issues. Bengal kitties are especially susceptible to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which is a heart disease that affects approximately 50% of Bengal cats according to a study conducted by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. There is no cure for HCM and the first line of treatment involves slowing down your Bengal’s heart rate with drugs such as Atenolol. If you’re considering purchasing a Bengal kitten from a breeder, make sure they offer a written health guarantee as well as a purchase price refund if anything should happen to your Bengal within its first few years of life due to some sort of genetic Bengal cat disease or Bengal cat illness.
Bengal Kitten Price
You can find Bengal kittens for sale online and in pet stores but you should be aware of scams when buying Bengal cats from Bengal breeders or Bengal kitten breeders, such as paying for add-ons like shipping or “health certificates” only to never receive your money back after your purchase. Be sure to check out Bengal breeders in person before signing any contract and always ask for a written health guarantee to protect yourself just in case there is some kind of genetic Bengal cat disease that causes an issue down the line.
Bengal cats are a very intelligent, loving breed of cat that has been derived from crossing wild house cats with leopards, ocelots, servals, and others. Bengal kitties love their humans and enjoy playing fetch or catch with them! Bengal cats can develop certain Bengal cat health issues such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which is not curable but the first line of treatment includes slowing down your Bengal’s heart rate with drugs like Atenolol to manage symptoms. If you’re considering buying a Bengal kitten for sale online or in-store, make sure to ask about any scams involving add-ons like shipping charges so you don’t get scammed too!
