Natureworks What to Look for in a Bengal

What to Look for in a Bengal Cat

The Bengal Cat is a very unique breed. Being developed from actual hybrid crosses of Asian Leopard Cats to domestic cats, you would expect that the Bengal would have an unusual look. This "look" should go far beyond beautiful markings and a pelted coat. A well bred Bengal cat should be recognizable as a Bengal by its type, or even by its silhouette.

While a regular domestic cat generally has a round head with a small non-descript shaped "kitty cat" face, a Bengal ideally should have a longer leopardy face with a distinct muzzle and prominent whisker pads. Rather than their head sitting directly on their shoulders, a Bengals head is quite small in proportion to its body size (compare to the painting of the Asian Leopard cat) and flows into a graceful neck and shoulders. (Think of a ferret or a weasel as an extreme example of this.)

Joy, an F1Bengal (on the left), clearly shows the "wild" profile of the Bengal head.

When compared to Cedar (right), a Pixie-Bob, you can clearly see the difference in length, size of ears and whisker pads.

Natureworks Blackhawk is a great example of a "wild" silhouette with those great rolling shoulder blades and a long, lanky body.

Watching how a Bengal moves will remind you of a wild cat in the jungle....both the head and tail are carried low with the shoulder blades gently rolling from side to side atop their super long bodies as they "stalk" through your house. Then, look at a regular domestic cat....it moves with its head and tail both held upright, both being much higher than the shoulders with a jilted, trotting movement. Look for photos throughout the site that display the Bengals profile in motion.

Ears should be small, feet are large (and a definite reason never to declaw) and provide balance for the super muscular body. Bengals definitely have more muscle mass than a regular cat, so, like little mini weightlifters, expect them to eat a good deal just to maintain their body mass. Tail should be short and thick.

On to the coat....Bengals are the only domestic breed recognized for their "glitter" coat. This is a hollow hair shaft similar to a polar bear or a silken rabbit that gives the coat a luminous quality. The clearer the coat the more the glitter will show. Clarity to the coat is the way the colour is banded on the hair shaft, but it gives a 3D image to the spots if the coat is extremely clear. Not all Bengals have clear coats, some may be "ticked", which gives a salt and pepper affect to the coat and mutes the markings. If you compare a Pixie-Bob (which is SUPPOSED to be heavily ticked) to a clear coated Bengal, the difference is like comparing a leopard with their three dimensional camouflage coat to a bobcat, with their rugged and grizzled looking coat.

This sweet little blue coloured girl has many of the things to look for in a Bengal cat... puffy whisker pads, small rounded ears, clear markings, spotted lighter coloured belly, long leopardy face... but she simply has a colouration that cannot be shown in championship Bengal competition at this time. Reputable breeders are striving for very specific end goals in the Bengal breed. Since they must adhere to strict guidelines of what to look for and pass along to future generations, there are few people able or willing to pioneer into new colour varieties that can not be shown and may be considered undesireable to fellow breeders.

While the above describes what a breeder would be looking for, frequently kittens are sold as pets because their face is too short or their head too big and round, their tail too long, their body too short...and these things don't make any difference to the personality or loving nature.

This article will hopefully give you an idea of the difference in a well bred Bengal to one that has been bred with thought only to producing a cat with a glittered coat. A Bengal is so much more than glitter. If you look at an Asian Leopard Cat, or even Joy or the other foundation cats (F1 - F3) on this site, none of them have a glittered coat, yet their wild look is obvious.