The Bengal cat has a long, strong body. The head of this cat breed is small and wedge-shaped. Small ears are rounded at the tips. The eyes of Bengal cats are large, expressive. The coat is smooth and short.
People have become accustomed to the variety of common cat breeds. No one is surprised by Siamese or Persian cats. People want the exotic, hence the desire to have something quite predatory and wild in your home. But how to take a wild cat and be sure that one day you won’t become its dinner? Breeders found the answers not so long ago, showing the world the Bengal breed of cat. The Bengal breed was given a hard time by its breeder, Jane Meale, a young American woman. The first kitten was accidentally obtained and, unfortunately, died. It was the result of an accidental love affair between her house cat and a wild leopard cat. Subsequently Jane repeated the experiment, but a difficulty arose because the males began to be born absolutely sterile. So she had to involve other breeds in the process until she managed to fix the genetic changes at the right level. The idea was to produce a Bengal, retaining the appearance of its wild ancestors, but possessing the affectionate nature of an ordinary cat. It took a decade, but Jane’s stubbornness yielded results in the form of an amazing new breed.
Bengal cats reach a rather large size. The weight of the male can exceed 7 kilograms. Color recognized only brown and its shades, and the latter can be very diverse: gold, chocolate. In rare exceptions may recognize the silver bengal, but such are born very rarely. There is always a characteristic pattern on wool which cannot be confused: leopard circles-spots, more similar to the marble pattern. Bengals are short-haired, the coat fits tightly, is soft and very soft to the touch. Kittens have slightly longer coats than adults.
Bengal cat - leopard on the home couch.
The breed is rare and in Russia there are only a few catteries that are engaged in breeding. It is too difficult to achieve the desired result. When choosing a baby, you need to understand that this is an unusual kitten. It is forbidden to wean a Bengal from its mother before 4 months of age, otherwise it will be weak and not adapted. There is no hurry, even if you have already chosen a kitten: it is required to come several times and observe the play and behavior of the baby. This precaution is necessary because the standards of this breed is completely devoid of aggression. The suppression of natural aggression at the genetic level was necessary to make the cat safe for humans. Therefore, you need to make sure that the baby does not show fear and aggression, even to a small degree.
The Bengal breed is suitable for those owners who are looking for a good companion and friend. From the first day until the last Bengal cat will require constant attention. Extraordinarily talkative, the cat will spend hours telling the owner the news. Lively, very mobile, he’s easily accustomed to the leash and willing to walk for hours. Do not try to get another pet, if you already have a Bengal cat. This can threaten her psycho-emotional state. If the Bengal does not get enough attention, it can get sick.
Even though breeders have diligently suppressed most of the Bengal’s instincts, it has retained some. One of them is the desire to hunt, which cannot be changed. Some owners purposely buy their pets mice or rodents so that the cat will run and hunt for a while. It must be said that after the hunt, the domestic wildcat may even ignore the owner and nap for hours on the couch. These unusual cats adore water, eagerly bathe, but most of all they love running water. Since usually these cats are not breed in apartments, there is a reason to build a small fountain in the garden for drinking pets. It is necessary to take care about the leisure of the cat. It is good if you put a big vessel with water for her, like a children’s pool and put there a large fish.
Spotted prankster likes to copy people and over time quickly learns some actions: turn off the light, open all the doors. Funny, but some members of the breed are very fond of playing with spot lights. Loyal and affectionate Bengals will always be around, will gladly listen to the owner and will definitely support the conversation.
Housing a Bengal cat
The cat is notable for its health, but it needs to be carefully fed. We must not forget, let it be a domestic cat, but in its genes it has a predatory nature, so Bengal needs to receive raw fish and raw meat. At the same time, the usual food for him can also be regular food. If he eats fish, once every six months he should be examined by a doctor and checked for urolithiasis. Breeders have spent a lot of time to rid the breed of heredity. Still, a few diseases a cat can inherit: heart failure, leukemia, and intestinal difficulties. The Bengal breed has a very delicate digestive system, and it is necessary to feed the cat only fresh food and monitor its stool stability.
Grooming, with the exception of clipping claws, the cat of this breed does not require. She will keep her coat clean by herself, but once every six months she should be bathed. The bathing procedure for the Bengal is entertainment, so it will not provide difficulties.