The Bengal cats are a mixture of domestic cats and wild Asian leopard cats (Prionailurus Bengalensis), especially the spotted Egyptian Mau. To encourage the kitten’s friendly personality, the breeder often pairs it with a friendly cat. This helps ensure that when a domestic cat is bred with a wild cat, the resulting kitten’s personality remains friendly. This breed gets its name from the leopard cat’s scientific name.
Bengal cats have thick fur with big spots, that’s why they look like wild cats. They are popular for their energy, smartness, and playful personality. These cats always make good companions for their humans. These Leopard-Print cats are unique and easily recognizable because of their stunning looks and lively personalities.
General Information
- Origin: Maine, United States
- Population: 500000 to 1000000
- Suitable Temperature: 20°C to 26°C
- Grooming Requirements: Medium
- 1st Sighting: 1870s
- Price Range: $1500 to $10000
Characteristics Overview
- Body Size: Medium to Big
- Body Type: Athletic, Muscular
- Average Weight: 5-7 KG (12-16 lbs.)
- Colors: 15+
- Hair Size: Small
- Life Span: 12-16 Years
- Temperament: Active, Energetic
Personality Overview
- Intelligence: High
- Vocalization: High
- Affectionate: High
- With Kids & Other Pets: Good
- Hunting Skills: High
- Climbing Skills: High
- Dependency Level: Low
Origin:
The Bengal cat was created in the United States in the 1960s. A cat breeder “Jean Sugden Mill”, mixed a domestic feline with an Asian leopard cat to create a unique breed of cat. This cat breed was designed for the wild appearance of Asian leopard cats, while having the affectionate and domestic personality of a house cat.
Nowadays, these Bengal leopard cats rank as favorite cat breeds all over the world. They are famous because of their wild look, smartness, and love for play. They make an amazing companion for active families, but they only suit some.
Population:
The exact number of Bengal cats in the world is uncountable, as it can vary depending on location and timing. Some experts estimate the numbers of this breed, and according to them the Bengal Cats are between 500,000 to 1,000,000 around the world.
These Bengal domestic cats are a popular cat breed, and ranked in top 10 worldwide. These felines are popular because they have a beautiful, intelligent, and playful personality. Many people love to own one of them.
Popularity:
Bengal cats are one of the most renowned felines worldwide. They are recognized for their smartness, eye-catching looks, and playful natures. These felines are relatively easy to breed, which is one of the reasons why they are becoming more famous.
As per the Cat Fancier organization, these Wild-Looking House Cats ranked as the 5th most famous cat breed in the United States in 2022. Other organizations rank this breed between the 8th and 12th most popular breed. They are also famous in various regions worldwide, including Asia, Australia, and Europe.
Price:
These Bengal cats can be expensive, with costs depending on a few factors such as the cat’s pedigree, age, and the breeder’s worthiness. Bengal cat kitties may cost from $1,500 to $3,000. Most expensive cats of this breed are those with superb pedigree and unique coat patterns. But some Leopard-Print Cats can cost much higher, depending on their coat and pattern. In the United States, some rare colors of a Bengal cat can cost you around $8000-$10000.
When you purchase a Bengal cat for your home, that’s not only the price you have to think about. You have to pay for things like veterinary care, vaccinations, grooming, food and the most important, pet insurance.
History:
These wild-looking house felines are a new cat breed designed and bred in the United States in 1963. Jean Sugden Mill was the breeder who created the Bengal cat breed. Mill started the program by mixing the Asian cats with the Domestic Cats. She wanted to design a new breed of cat that looked wild in the appearance of the Asian leopard cat and was friendly and affectionate like a domestic cat.
At first, the mill efforts were not successful. However, by the 1970s, she managed to breed Bengal cats that were stunning and tame. She gradually gained success and created cats that were born beautiful, striking appearance and gentle. In 1983, this leopard-print cat breed received official recognition by the world’s largest cat registry (TICA). Many other cat registration bodies accepted this breed, but Cat Fanciers Association was the last one who accepted this breed in 2016.
Characteristics:
These Leopard-like Bengal cats are an amazing mix of wild and domestic cats with their striking spots and playful spirit. Bengal cats are vocal, love to play, cuddle, and talk. They are affectionate and love water. They are the most intelligent and have a strong urge to hunt among all breeds of cats, and they require grooming on a daily basis.
Lifespan:
The life expectancy of these Bengal cats is typically between 12 and 16 years, but good care, daily basis exercises, grooming, and quality diet makes them live longer. A few things can influence these Wild-Looking House Cat’s lifespan like genetic health care, environment, and exercise. If we give them a lot of love, care, attention, and keep them engaged in games, they live longer and happier lives.
Size and Weight:
These amazing felines are typically medium to large in size, but their genetics, health, diet, and activity levels impact their sizes and weight. It is really important to provide them with a proper, on time diet, regular physical and mental exercise, and an enrich lifestyle. With this care, they may grow faster compared to those receiving less attention. Their average size could be:
Measures | Male | Female |
---|---|---|
Weight | 12-16 Pounds (5.4-7.3 kilograms) | 8-12 pounds (3.6-5.4 kilograms) |
Height | 16-18 inches (41-46 centimeters) | 16-18 inches (41-46 centimeters) |
Length | 14-18 inches | 13-16 inches |
Appearance:
These Bengal spotted cats are like jungle cats, with short fur that is spotted, swirled and dances in the light. They are typically gray and brown in color with dark spots, but some cats have glittery coats that make them shimmer and sparkle. Bengal cats are typically muscular and slender, giving them a graceful appearance.
They have wild eyeliner and eyeshadow around their eyes and their ears look like a mask of mystery. These Leopard-Print cats have big green and amber eyes that glow like jewels, conveying intelligence and mischief that tell stories. They are so famous and beloved among cat lovers, because of their wild look that makes them unique.
Temperament:
They are jungle cats in your home full of joy, energy, and curiosity, and they love to cuddle, explore, and play games. These Bengal cats are very intelligent, active and easy to learn tricks. These felines can solve their own problems. They need plenty of love, care, and attention. They demand their owner’s love, cuddling and enjoying sitting on their human’s lap. Their personalities are similar to Maine coons.
Colors & Pattern:
These Bengal cats come in different colors in two common patterns, Spotted and Marbles. Different colors that come in these patterns are listed below.
Spotted Pattern:
It is the most popular pattern in Bengal cats. Spotted cats have small to medium size spots on their whole coat.
- Brown Spotted
- Silver Spotted
- Snow (Seal Lynx, Seal Sepia, Seal Mink point)
Marble Pattern:
This pattern came as a result of their ancestry, which includes the influence of Asian leopard cats. This pattern in Bengal cats is highly sought nowadays. Some common colors are:
- Brown Marble
- Silver Marble
- Snow Marble: (Seal Sepia, Seal Lynx Point, and Seal Mink)
Other Patterns:
Above mentioned colors are recognized by cat associations. But there are many other unrecognized colors and patterns available in Bengal cats. These are:
- Blue
- Charcoal
- Melanistic (Black)
These Wild-Looking house cats come in a variety of colors and patterns, and each cat with a different spot type and size looks unique and cute.
Personality:
These mini leopard cats are mostly engaging, smart, and lovely companions. They are full of energy, joyful, and love to be around people. Bengal spotted cats are amazing pets for those who are able to give them a lot of attention, love, and make them busy playing. Train and teach them, and spend time with them when they are growing. Because at this age, they can be easily trained in good manners and gentleness. This learning phase makes your companionship more fun.
Intelligence:
Bengal cats are recognized for their highly intellectual skills. They pick up your instructions quickly, so you can teach them some tricks like hide and seek. These wild-looking house cats fastly learn tricks and problem-solving techniques. They are clever, curious, and intelligent, which makes them comfortable and adaptable to new places. They create different sounds to communicate with their humans and other animals. They have the ability to hunt, even if they are just playing.
Affectionate:
These Leopard-like Bengal cats are typically characterized as affectionate and often establish strong bonds with their humans, enjoying being attached to them. They are popular for their playfulness and high level of energy. Their favorite activity is to follow their humans around the house. They like cuddling and show their love by licking your feet, rubbing their heads against you, and purring. Bengal felines love to sit in their human’s lap and lay down with them in their beds.
Vocalization:
These felines are known for their vocal nature. They create different kinds of voices to talk with their humans and other pets, like meowing, chattering, and purring. This sound gives a signal of their needs like, feeding, emotion, break for poop and pee, and expressing their love. They may sometimes be noisy when they feel something wrong around them or around their human.
Behavior with Kids & Other Pets:
Bengal cats are gentle and sweet with kids and other pets. They are playful and enjoy the company of other kids and pets. They keep themselves busy with kids in gaming. They are good with dogs and other cats if they interact in a nice way for the first time. They are adaptable and own socialized personalities.
Dependency:
Bengal Spotted cats love to be around their humans but they enjoy their time alone. They can live independently when they want to. They feel happy and enjoy the company of people, but they can be left alone if they do not mind. They are attention seekers but also enjoy their own loneliness.
Hunting:
They are hunters naturally among all the cat breeds. Bengal Leopard cats have a strong instinct to stalk and hunt. They love to stalk, and chase toys, insects, light objects, and feather wands. They are wonderful at hunting, they are most attentive, present minded and quick to see and hear very well and immediately attack the objects.
Click here to read more about the behavior of Bengal Cats.
Health Issues:
It is a relatively healthy breed, but they may face some health issues. We discussed below the table with symptoms, causes, and treatment.
Diseases | Explanation | Symptoms | Treatment |
---|---|---|---|
Pyruvate kinase deficiency (PKD) | A hereditary issue that influences the red blood cells but it is rare. | 1- Fatigue 2- Pallor (pale skin) 3- Gallstones 4- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) 5- Anemia (low red blood cell count) 6- Splenomegaly (enlarged spleen) 7- Weakness |
1- Medications to treat jaundice 2- Blood transfusions 3- Iron supplements 4- Splenectomy (removal of the spleen) 5- Folic acid supplements |
Hip dysplasia | The hip joint does not shape normally. | 1- Decreased activity level 2- Painful hindquarters 3- Limping 4- Difficulty jumping or climbing 5- Muscle atrophy (loss of muscle mass) |
1- Surgery 2- Exercise 3- Medications 4- Weight loss |
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) | 1- Heart muscle thickness. 2- Blood pumping difficulty |
1- Weight loss 2- Shortness of breath 3- Pale gums 4- Exercise intolerance 5- Murmurs (abnormal heart sounds) 6- Tachycardia (fast heart rate) |
1- Surgery to remove a portion of the thickened heart muscle 2- Medications to control heart failure |
Patellar luxation | kneecap (patella) dislocated from its normal position in the groove of the thigh bone | 1- Difficulty walking 2- Pain 3- Lameness |
1- Medications 2- Weight loss 3- Exercise restriction 4- Tibial crest transposition 5- Lateral release 6- Patellar reattachment |
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) | Eye diseases affect the retina. | 1- Difficulty seeing in low light 2- Loss of peripheral vision 3- Squinting 4- Night blindness 5- Strabismus (crossed eyes) 6- Complete blindness |
1- Luminex eye drops 2- Vitamin A supplements 3- Tacrolimus ointment |
Care of Bengal Cats:
Bengal cats need proper care, and it is their human responsibility to fulfill their needs, and fulfill their desires. Owner needs to understand their emotions. Provide them with proper quality food, grooming, exercise, and water, and give them toys for their entertainment. A vet’s proper checkup must be in a month.
Research:
After deciding to adopt these Bengal cats, do proper research about which kind of feed they need, and how much in quantity. Bring a lot of toys for your Bengal friend that they like the most. Research their training, their urination and defecation habits, and which brand of litter is best for them. Research the necessary medications and vaccinations. Study how to train them and understand their nature. Conduct a well detailed research on how to teach them good manners.
Quality Nutrition:
Quality nutrition for these mini leopard cats is necessary for their good health and strong, powerful body structure. These Bengal cats are high-energy breeds, so it’s essential to give them food that contains high protein. The diet must be full of minerals and vitamins. Protein is a must for their muscle tissues to repair and build, and also good for their immunity. You can give them medicated feed, but first you have to consult your vet.
Grooming:
Grooming is important for Leopard-like Bengal cats. They have short fur, but they need to brush their fur once a week using a comb or a soft brush. Trim their nails after a week, for trimming you can use a nail trimmer. Clean their ears each week with cotton buds or cotton balls dipped in warm water, or medicated pet ear cleaner, but make sure to do it lightly. Bath them just when they need, with a mild shampoo. Dry your cat after bathing with the towel.
Exercise:
They are very active cats and they need to do physical activities a lot. 30 minutes of physical activity is enough for these felines. Playing physical games is also a kind of exercise, so provide them a safe environment to play. Provide them with toys and games that make them physically busy. Take your pet on a walk, provide a lot of toys like puzzles, feather wands, and balls, and create a cat tree to climb on.
Litter Box Care:
Bring a round-shaped litter box and the size of the box must be bigger than the cat’s size, so your pet friend can easily move around it. Train your cat to poop and pee in it. Always keep it in a place where they feel comfortable while pooping and peeing. The litter box should be cleaned with water every week, and the litter should be replaced after every one or two days when it is smelly.
Entertainment:
They are curious creatures, they love to explore their surroundings. Give them a lot of toys that make them busy, like puzzles, blocks, and a pet tunnel to hide in. They love the water flow, so provide a pet fountain. Teach them some tricks and play with them in a routine. Games are good for their entertainment, and beneficial for their health and activeness.
Pros & Cons:
Pros
Cons
FAQs:
Conclusion:
Bengal cats are a very unique breed, they are intelligent, playful, curious, and smart. These Leopard-Print felines are known for their loyalty to their owners. They are quick learners and low shedding felines. They learn tricks easily and love to explore the new things in their surroundings. They play with you regularly and follow you around the house, and they love to sit on their human’s lap. Bengal cats love to play with water, and solve puzzles. After their humans come back from work, they greet them at the door.
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