The Bengal Cat
The idea of a domestic pedigree cat which resembled an exotic wild cat is nothing new to the dreams of cat lovers throughout the world. For many years people have kept wild cats as pets with varying degrees of success. A number of spotted breeds of domestic cat already exist and indeed, many non pedigree cats display spotted patterns. However despite their obvious appeal the fact remained that they didn't portray the exotic look which people dreamed of.
Bengals Are Domestic Cats! Although Bengals are often advertised as little leopards or leopard look-alikes etc this can mislead the public about Bengals. They are exceptionally beautiful domestic cats which have borrowed their exotic looks and coat patterns from their wild ancestors. Unfortunately just a few years ago some Bengals were occasionally seized by local authorities because of this reference to leopards under the mistaken impression that Bengals were wild animals! For this reason the 2 main Breed clubs in teh UK actively discouraged the use of leopard in advertising. Now the UK is much better informed careful use of this term is OK once again, after all, their main appeal is their stunning "wild" looks! If you want a cat which behaves with the unpredictability of a wild animal then get a wild animal license and buy a wild animal! If you want a pet which borrows its exotic appearance from the wild but is a normal domestic pet cat - then buy a Bengal or a Savannah!
Originally in the very early days prices were literally astronomical, however they have now settled to around a more reasonable £450 upwards for pets (which compares well with other pedigree breed prices) however breeding cats and rare colours sell for considerably more (£1000 upwards). It is occasionally possible to buy Bengals cheaper than £400 however, as the saying goes, you often "get what you pay for" and there is still a very wide difference in quality available. Temperament and Behaviour
The kittens we sell are all at least 4 generations away from the Asian Leopard Cat. They are fully domestic cats and can be called Bengals. Any cats which are not 4th generation or beyond are NOT Bengals. they are called foundation cats or Bengal variants. There is occasionally a misconception that these lower generation cats are more striking or beautiful and people actively seek them out - however this simply isn't true. The full Bengals (F4s and beyond) that we see today often have far better markings than many lower generation cats. We would strongly advise anyone other than an experienced breeder with suitable specialist accommodation not to consider a foundation cat, even then the breeder needs to question exactly what specific genetic trait they are hoping to add to their breeding programme by using a particular foundation cat - and also to consider whether that trait is available to them via another route. The closeness to the original Asian leopard Cats (ALC) is denoted using the "F" numbers. An F1 is a cat with an ALC parent An F2 is cat with an ALC grandparent An F3 is a cat with an ALC great grandparent An F4 is a cat with an ALC great great grandparent Only F4 cats and beyond may be shown at TICA or GCCF cat shows. We would not advise anyone to buy a lower generation Bengal as a pet as these are NOT always domesticated and are generally unsuitable to be kept in the average home. They may be far more shy and retiring than a normal domestic cat and often their litter tray habits can be variable! There are exceptions but it is generally accepted that F1, F2, and F3 cats (which are in effect Bengal variants NOT full Bengals) should not be regarded as normal domestic pets. From the fourth generation on Bengals are accepted as normal domestic cats and really do make the most beautiful, lovable and entertaining pets. The Rosetted/Spotted Bengal
The superb spotted/rosetted pattern is very distinctive and attractive on Bengals. These spots can range from brown through to black. In general the greater the contrast between background and spots the more striking the cat. the spots themselves should be arranged in a random or horizontal pattern and although all Bengals have occasional stripes it is considered the fewer the better. All Bengals have beautiful streaks on their face, head, neck and shoulders. In the very best examples Bengals develop rosettes in their spotting where some spots are made up of an outer circle (or part circle) of dark colouring around a lighter inner circle similar to the spots on a leopard or jaguar which are also rosetted. In recent years the rosetting of Bengals has improved tremendously and a major part of our breeding programme has been based around introducing and developing these new rosetted lines. These new rosetted coats have made bengals even more "wild" in their appearance - yet they are still of course a domestic cat! All Bengals should have lighter tummies which should also be spotted. In the Snow Bengals the depth of colour and contrast between the spotting and the base colour of the coat tends to be less marked than in the Brown Bengals. However in the best examples of the rare Silver Bengals the contrast between spots and background is equally as good as the Browns. The Marbled BengalT E-mail Peter@bramblewood.co.uk Peter & Christine Edwards telephone 01746 710498 or 07815 993590
Bengal Cats and Bengal kittens available for pet show or breeding. UK breeders of pedigree Bengal Cats and Bengal kittens. The highest quality Bengal Cats and Bengal kittens available form champion winning lines. Bengal cats and Bengal kittens available throughout the year. Looking for Bengal cats or Bengal kittens then look no further than our exceptional Bengal cats and kittens.
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Centrally Situated in Shropshire England on the borders of the West Midlands, Staffordshire and Worcestershire close to the M6 M5 M54 network
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