| Bengal Cat | |
|---|---|
 A female Bengal cat with tricolored rosettes and a clear coat | |
| Origin | United States |
| Foundation bloodstock | Egyptian Mau,Abyssinian, and others (domestic);Asian leopard cat (wild) |
| Breed standards | |
| CFA | standard |
| FIFe | standard |
| TICA | standard |
| WCF | standard |
| ACF | standard |
| ACFA/CAA | standard |
| CCA-AFC | standard |
| GCCF | standard |
| NZCF | standard |
| Feline hybrid (Felis catus ×Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis) | |
TheBengal cat is abreed ofhybrid cat created from crossing of anAsian leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) withdomestic cats, especially the spottedEgyptian Mau. It is then usually bred with a breed that demonstrates a friendlier personality, because after breeding a domesticated cat with a wildcat, its friendly personality may not manifest in the kitten. The breed's name derives from the leopard cat's taxonomic name.
Bengals have varying appearances. Their coats range from spots,rosettes, arrowhead markings, to marbling.
The earliest mention of anAsian leopard cat × domestic cross was in 1889, whenHarrison Weir wrote of them inOur Cats and All About Them.[1]
Jean Mill ofCalifornia is given credit for the modern Bengal breed. She made the first known deliberate cross of an Asian leopard cat with a domestic cat (a black California tomcat).[2] Bengals as a breed did not really begin in earnest until much later.[3]
In 1986, the breed was accepted as a "new breed" byThe International Cat Association; Bengals gained TICA championship status in 1991.[4] TheGoverning Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) accepted Bengal cats in 1997.[5]Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) in 1999 accepted the breed into their registry.[6] Also in 1999, Bengals were accepted into theAustralian Cat Federation (ACF).[7] TheCat Fanciers' Association accepted the Bengal in CFA's "Miscellaneous" in 2016, under the restrictions that "it must be F6 or later (6 generations removed from the Asian leopard cat or non-Bengal domestic cat ancestors)".[8]
Bengal cats from the first three generations of breeding (F1, G2, and G3) are considered "foundation" or "early-generation" Bengals. The early-generation males are frequently infertile. Therefore, female early-generation Bengals are bred to fertile domestic Bengal males of later generations.[2][9][10] Nevertheless, as the term was used incorrectly for many years, many people and breeders still refer to the cats as F2, F3, and F4, even though the term is considered incorrect.[11][clarification needed]
The Bengal breed was more fully developed by the 1980s. "In 1992The International Cat Association had 125 registered BengalBreeders."[2] By the 2000s, Bengals had become a very popular breed. In 2019, there were nearly 2,500 Bengal breeders registered inTICA worldwide.[12]
| Year | TICA registered Bengal Breeders |
|---|---|
| 1992[2] | 125 |
| 2019*[12] | 2,492 |
* The 2019 number only represents the breeders who use the word "Bengal" in their cattery name.
Bengals come in a variety of coat colors.[13][14]The International Cat Association (TICA) recognizes several Bengal colors: brown spotted, seal lynx point (snow), sepia, silver, and mink spottedtabby.[15]
The Bengal cat is the only domestic breed of cat that hasrosette markings.[citation needed]
Domestic cats have four distinct and heritable coat patterns – ticked, mackerel, blotched, and spotted – these are collectively referred to as tabby markings.[16]
Christopher Kaelin, aStanford Universitygeneticist, has conducted research that 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.[17]
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InAustralia, G5 (fifth-generation) Bengals are not restricted, but their import is complex.[18]
Bengals were regulated in theUnited Kingdom. In 2007, however, theDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs removed the previous licensing requirements.[19]
In theUnited States, legal restrictions and even bans sometimes exist at the state and municipal level. InHawaii, Bengal cats are prohibited by law (as are all wild cat species, and all other hybrids of domestic and wild animals).[20] InConnecticut, it is also illegal to own any generation of Bengal cat.[21] InAlaska, Bengal cats must be four generations removed from the Asian leopard cat. A permit and registered pedigree that indicates the previous four generations are required.[22] InCalifornia, the code of regulations Title 14, section K, Asian leopards are not specifically listed as a restricted species. InDelaware, a permit is required to own Bengal cats.[23] Bengals of theF1–G4 generations are also regulated inNew York state,Georgia,Massachusetts, andIndiana. Various cities have imposed restrictions; inNew York City, Bengals are prohibited,[24][25] and there are limits on Bengal ownership inSeattle, Washington, and inDenver, Colorado.[26] Except where noted above, Bengal cats with a generation of G5 and beyond are considered domestic, and are generally legal in the US.
In New Zealand'sSouthland District, the Bengal cat requires a permit to own and is completely banned on any off-shore islands includingStewart Island.[27]
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a major concern in the Bengal cat breed. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease in which the heart muscle (myocardium) becomes abnormally thick (hypertrophied). A thick heart muscle makes it difficult for the cat's heart to pump blood.[28]
HCM is a common genetic disease in Bengal cats and there is no genetic testing available as of 2018. In the United States, the current practice of screening for HCM involves bringing Bengal cats to a board certified veterinary cardiologist where an echocardiogram is completed. Bengal cats that are used for breeding should be screened annually to ensure that no hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is present. As of January 2019, the North Carolina State University is attempting to identify genetic markers for HCM in the Bengal Cat.[29]
One study published in theJournal of Internal Veterinary Medicine has claimed the prevalence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Bengal cats is 16.7% (95% CI = 13.2–46.5%).[30]
Bengal cats are known to be affected by several genetic diseases, one of which is Bengalprogressive retinal atrophy, also known as Bengal PRA or PRA-b. Anyone breeding Bengal cats should carry out this test, since it is inexpensive, noninvasive, and easy to perform. A breeder stating their cats are "veterinarian tested" should not be taken to mean that this test has been performed by a vet: it is carried out by the breeder, outside of a vet office (rarely, if ever, by a vet). The test is then sent directly to the laboratory.
PK deficiency is a common genetic diseases found in Bengal cats. PK deficiency is another test that is administered by the breeder. Breeding Bengal Cats should be tested before breeding to ensure two PK deficiency carriers are not mated. This is a test that a breeder must do on their own. A breeder uses a cotton swab to rub the inside of the cat's mouth and then mails the swab to the laboratory.
A unique form of ulcerativedermatitis affecting the nasal planum (rhinarium or nose leather) of Bengal cats was first reported in 2004.[31] The condition first presents between the ages of 4-12 months, beginning as a dry scale and progressing to crusts and fissures typical ofhyperkeratosis.[32] The exact cause remains unclear; it is considered hereditary and incurable, but can respond favorably to topicalsteroid treatments such asprednisolone andtacrolimus ointment.[31]
A UK study looking at veterinary records found the Bengal to have a life expectancy of 8.51 years compared to 11.74 years overall.[33]
TheUC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory has studied domestic cat blood-types. They conclude that most domestic cats fall within the AB system. The common blood-types are A and B and some cats have the rare AB blood-type. There is a lack of sufficient samples from Bengals, so the genetics of the AB blood-group in Bengal cats is not well understood.[34]
One Bengal blood-type study that took place in the U.K. tested 100 Bengal cats. They concluded that all 100 of the Bengal cats tested had type A blood.[35]
Bengals are often claimed by breeders[36] and pet adoption agencies[37] to be ahypoallergenic breed – one less likely to causean allergic reaction. The Bengal cat is said to produce lower than average levels of allergens,[37][better source needed] though this has not been scientifically proven as of 2020.
Cat geneticist Leslie Lyons, who runs theUniversity of Missouri's Feline and Comparative Genetics Laboratory, discounts such claims, observing that there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic cat. Alleged hypoallergenic breeds thus may still produce a reaction among those who have severe allergies.[38]
Somelong-haired Bengals (more properly, semi-long-haired) have always occurred in Bengal breeding. Many different domestic cats were used to create the Bengal breed, and it is theorized that the gene for long hair came from one of thesebackcrossings.UC Davis has developed a genetic test for long hair so that Bengal breeders could select Bengal cats with a recessive long-hair gene for their breeding programs.[39]
Some Bengal cats used in breeding can carry a recessive gene for long-haired. When a male and female Bengal each carry a copy of the recessive long hair gene, and those two Bengals are mated with each other, they can produce long-haired Bengals.(SeeCat coat genetics#Genes involved in fur length and texture.) In the past, long-haired offspring of Bengal matings were spayed or neutered until some breeders chose to develop the long-haired Bengal (which are sometimes called a Cashmere Bengal).
Long-haired Bengals are starting to gain more recognition in some cat breed registries but are not widely accepted. Since 2013, they have "preliminary" breed status in theNew Zealand Cat Fancy (NZCF) registry, under the breed nameCashmere Bengal.[40] Since 2017The International Cat Association (TICA) has accepted theBengal Longhair[41] in competitions.
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Media related toBengal cats at Wikimedia CommonsAuthority control databases: National |
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