Distinctive  Characteristics 

The Bengal cat is a very unique breed with wild looks, movements, and sounds.  Naturally you would expect this from a cat whose lineage can be traced back to the small forest-dwelling Asian Leopard Cat.  A well bred Bengal cat has characteristics which are recognizably different from a regular domestic cat.  The overall impression of a Bengal is athletic and muscled.  We want our Bengals to have wild type -- meaning the overall look, structure, conformation, build and moves of a wild cat.

Head and Face:  A Bengal's head is quite small in proportion to the rest of its body.  They have a broad modified wedge shaped head which is longer than it is wide.  Their ears are medium to small, short and wide with rounded tips.  They are set as much on the side of the head as on the top.  They have oval, almost round large nocturnal eyes set wide apart. The nose is large, wide with slightly puffed nose leather.  Their muzzle is full and broad, with large prominent whisker pads. When looked at from their profile, they have an elongated forehead and an almost straight line down the nose.   The lower jaw lies in line with the upper jaw giving a strong square appearance.

Body, Leg and Tail:  Bengals have a sturdy, long muscular body with a long thick neck and pronounced shoulder blades.  Their hind quarters are slightly higher than their shoulders.  They have medium length legs and large feet with prominent knuckles.  Their tail is medium length, thick, and blunt at the end.

Coat:  Here is where the Bengal cat is truly unique.  Not only do they have a stunning leopard like pattern, they also have a beautiful sparkling glittered coat.  This is caused by the hollow hair shaft which reflects the light and gives the coat a luminous quality.  When held under a single point of light or in the sun, the effect is a cat that looks like it has been sprinkled with gold dust or ice crystals depending of the colour of the cat..  Not all Bengals have glittered coats, but the ones that do are truly beautiful.  Bengals have a short, tight, coat  that is quite different from a regular domestic cat.  It's more like a pelt than regular fur and is often very sleek and soft.  Due to the fact that their fur is tight to the skin and fine, allergens do not build up as much on Bengals as on regular cat fur.  The allergens are still there, but in lower levels.  Also, it seems that the highly glittered pelts are less allergenic.  Therefore Bengals can sometimes be tolerated by people with minor cat allergies depending on how sensitive that person is.

The Moves and Sounds:   A Bengal moves like a wild cat in the jungle with controlled strength and natural grace.  They carry their head and tail low as they slink along close to the ground.  (In a regular domestic cat, the head and tail are held upright above the shoulders.)  The Bengal's prominent shoulder blades gently roll from side to side atop their long muscular bodies as they walk.   Bengals have a variety of sounds including chirrups and trills and sometimes growl when playing.  Bengals aren't especially noisy cats, but they do have a range of calls and sounds which they will use when needed.

Temperament:  Some have assumed that the Bengal cat is fierce due to it's wild blood. This is a false assumption.  First, it must be remembered that the Bengal is NOT wild--it is a domestic cat.  Second, Bengals have been selectively bred, over several generations, for temperament as well as appearance.  As a result, Bengals are noted for their gentle nature and dependable temperaments.  They are generally affectionate and get along well with other animals in the home since they are quite adaptable.  

Colours and Patterns

Brown Spotted Tabby:  The Asian Leopard Cat is classified in the cat fancy as a brown spotted tabby.  This is the most common colour for a Bengal and this beautiful leopard spotted look is what initially attracts most people to the Bengal cat.  Spots can vary in colour and size but should preferably be random and horizontally aligned.  The ground colour should be lighter providing as much contrast as possible to the spots and can range from light tan, buff and golden colours to darker orange (rufus) and mahogany tones.  Rosettes are spots with a dark outer line around a center that has a warmer colour than the ground colour.  Rosettes can vary in size and shapes including paw print (very desirable), arrowhead, donut, and shadow to name a few.  The belly must always be spotted and white bellies are highly desirable.  All must have black tail tips.

Marble:  This pattern, although derived from the classic tabby gene, should also have a horizontal flow rather than the typical bull's-eye pattern seen in the classic tabby cat.  Cats with three or more shades are preferred and contrast must be extreme, with distinct swirled shapes and sharp edges.  Marbles must also have spotted bellies and, again, the whiter the better.  Well marked marbles may also have rosettes on their shoulders and hind quarters.

Snows:  Snow Bengals are the result of the recessive albino gene and can range in ground colour from ivory and cream to a darker tan colour.  The markings can be taupe, tan, light brown or darker brown.  Snows can also have glitter but it is like ice crystals rather than golden and snows can have a spotted or marble pattern.  Snows have dark seal brown tail tips rather than black.  Seal Lynx Point snows are born solid white with colour developing gradually, first in the extremities or points ( ears, legs, tail ) and later in the body. There should be little or no difference between the colour of their markings and the colour of their points.  All Seal Lynx snows have sky blue eyes.  Seal Mink / Seal Sepia snows have visible pattern markings at birth which may deepen with age but, again, will be consistent with their points colour.  Ground colour should be, cream or tan.  Eye colour can be aqua or green in the Seal Mink or gold in the Seal Sepia.  

Silver:  This is a newer Bengal colour recognized in 2004 for Championship titles.  They have a sparkling white ground color with pewter to jet black markings. Silvers can be either spotted, rosetted, or marbled,  and should have a high degree of contrast.  The white undercoat should be as clear as possible with little or no "tarnishing" (yellowish discoloration) on the face, feet, tummy, or spine.  Eye colour can be gold, green or hazel.