The Bengal Cat

Happy Furball Friday, Missians!

The weekend is here!  In addition to getting one last pretty kitty post this month, you'll also find out our Christmas in July schedule tomorrow!  Yay!  Christmas in July has always been so much fun to post each year, and is probably my 2nd favorite event here at The Missy Show, (October Pet Spooktacular is still my all-time favorite).

Then on Monday, you get to find out all the upcoming July Pet and Animal holidays.  But we'll save all that for tomorrow and Monday, respectively.  We first need to discuss a pretty kitty--the Bengal cat.

Bengal cats have some of the most beautiful coats I've ever seen.  They look like mini-leopards, (which seems to have been the exact intent when their breed was first "created").  To provide more in depth info on these delightful little creatures, we turn to Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_cat

The Bengal Cat:

The Bengal cat is a domesticated cat breed created from hybrids of domestic cats, the Asian leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) and the Egyptian Mau, which gives them their golden shimmer – the breed name comes from the taxonomic name. Back-crossing to domestic cats is then done with the goal of creating a healthy, and docile cat with wild-looking, high-contrast coat.

Bengals have a wild appearance and may show spots, rosettes, arrowhead markings, or marbling.

Early history

The earliest mention of an Asian leopard cat × domestic cross was in 1889, when Harrison Weir wrote of them in Our Cats and All About Them.

The next recorded mention of an Asian Leopard Cat x domestic cat cross was in a 1924 Belgian scientific journal, and in 1941 a Japanese cat publication printed an article about one that was kept as a pet.

The early breeding efforts always stopped after just one or two generations. Jean Mill was the breeder who decided to make a domestic cat with a coat like a wild cat.

Bengals as a Breed

Jean Mill of California is given credit for the modern Bengal breed. She had a degree in psychology from Pomona College and had taken several graduate classes in genetics at University of California, Davis.

Jean Mill made the first known deliberate cross of an Asian leopard cat with a domestic cat (a black California tomcat). However, Bengals as a breed did not really begin in earnest until much later. In 1970, Mill resumed her breeding efforts and in 1975 she received of a group of Bengal cats which had been bred for use in genetic testing at Loyola University by Willard Centerwall. Others also began breeding Bengals.

Early generation Bengal cat

Bengal cats from the first three filial generations of breeding (F1–F3) are considered "foundation cats" or "Early Generation" Bengals. The Early generation (F1–F3) males are frequently infertile. Therefore, female early generation Bengals of the F1, F2, and F3 are bred to fertile domestic Bengals. F1 hybrid Bengal females are fertile, thus they are used in subsequent, unidirectional back-cross matings to fertile domestic cat males. Some male Bengals produced viable sperm as early as the F2 back-cross generation: this is considered rare in the breeding communities, who regularly back-cross early generation females to late generation, fertile hybrid males.

To be considered a domestic Bengal cat by the major cat registries, a Bengal must be at least four generations (F4) or more from the Asian leopard cat.

Markings

Spotted Rosetted

The Bengal cat is the only domestic breed of cat that has rosette markings.

People most often associate the Bengal with the most popular color: the Brown spotted/rosetted Bengal. However, Bengals have a wide variety of markings and colors. Even within the Brown spotted/rosetted category a Bengal can be: red, brown, black, ticked, grey, spotted, rosetted, clouded. Many people are stunned by the Bengal Cat's resemblance to a leopard. Among domestic cats, the Bengal markings are perhaps the most varied and unique.

Marble

Domestic cats have four distinct and heritable coat patterns – ticked, mackerel, blotched, and spotted – these are collectively referred to as tabby markings.

In the Bengal cat, the marble pattern is derived from blotched tabby. The Marble pattern is full of swirls, showing distinct markings with sharp edges. A circular pattern or bullseye is not desirable. A random pattern is preferred. Additional color tones inside the pattern is preferred. Patterned shoulder markings, and multi-toned markings on legs and tail are desirable. The belly should be spotted.

Christopher Kaelin, a Stanford University geneticist, has conducted research which has been used to identify the spotted gene and the marble gene in domestic Bengal cats. Kaelin studied the color and pattern variations of feral cats in Northern California, and was able to identify the gene responsible for the marble pattern in Bengal cats.

Colors

Bengals come in a variety of coat colors. "Bengal cats can be silver, brown, black (melanistic), snow, red, cinnamon, smoke, Charcoal, blue (dilute), and marbled. Bengals can also have spots, rosettes or a marbled pattern to their coat. A Bengal cat’s fur is very soft and short."^[ The International Cat Association (TICA) recognizes several Bengal colors: "brown, seal lynx point, mink, sepia, silver) and patterns (spotted and marbled) for competition and shows. In the New Traits class, other colors may be shown, as well as longhaired Bengals which are referred to as Cashmere Bengals."

Bengal Size

The Bengal is an average to large-sized, spotted cat breed, "A Bengal's normal Weight: Males 5-8 kg (11–17 lbs), females 4-5 kg (8.8–11 lbs)." Bengals are long and lean. Bengals may appear larger than they are because of their muscular bodies.

Temperament

Bengal cats are smart, energetic and playful. Many Bengal owners say that their Bengal naturally retrieves items, and they often enjoy playing in water. "Many Bengals will play for long periods with the faucet slightly running. They willingly get wet doing it too."

The International Cat Association (TICA) describes the Bengal cat as an active, inquisitive cat that loves to be up high. Most Bengals enjoy playing, chasing, climbing and investigating. In general, Bengals enjoy action. Bengals are generally confident, curious and devoted companions. They get along well with other pets when properly introduced and enjoy being part of a family.

Health

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a major concern in the Bengal cat breed. This is a disease in which the heart muscle (myocardium) becomes abnormally thick (hypertrophied). A thick heart muscle can make it harder for the cat's heart to pump blood. The only way to determine the suitability of Bengal cats meant for breeding is to have the cat's heart scanned by a cardiologist.

"Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common heart disease of the cat. As this condition becomes worse, the thickened heart muscle can cause obstruction to blood flow leaving the heart via the aorta increasing the effort needed to pump blood out of the heart"

HCM is a common genetic disease in Bengal cats and there is no genetic testing available as of 2018. The current practice of screening for HCM involves bringing Bengal cats to a board certified veterinary cardiologist where an echocardiogram is completed. Bengal cats which are used for breeding should be screened annually to ensure that no hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is present. Currently North Carolina State University is attempting to identify genetic markers for HCM in the Bengal Cat.

Responsible breeders will screen their breeding cats annually or semi-annually. No genetic test for HCM exists for the Bengal cat as of 2018.

For info on shedding and grooming, other health related issues, and responsible breeding practices for Bengal Cats, see the rest of the Wikipedia article at the link above.

That's it's for now, Missians!  And that's all for June's edition of Pretty Kitty of the Week!  See you back here tomorrow for our Christmas in July schedule announcement.

Until then,

This is your host J, 

signing off...