Bengal cat: all colors

2023 Author: Alex Livingston | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 11:39

The particularity of the bengal cat colors it is due to its crossing with the Asian leopard cat. In 1973, in fact, Dr. Centerwall attempted a series of mating with the aim of making this breed immune to feline leukemia.

Eight first generation hybrid cats mated with the American shorthair, but the Siamese and Burmese were also called into question to determine the type and character. The experiment failed, but the result was a truly elegant quadruped with an out-of-the-ordinary coat.

The origins

The colors of the Bengal cat can be attributed to its origins. These are attributable to the realization of a dream: having a feline with a spotted coat like the wild cousins, but with a docile and perfect character for the home environment.

The first crossings date back to 1963 when a female Asian leopard cat, bought by the Californian breeder Jane Mills, was mated with a black domestic cat, with the aim of obtaining a feline with the characteristic features of the small wild cat.

The patterns

The colors of the Bengal cat - after decades of crossbreeding and breeding - are many, but all can be traced back to three macro groups:

• Spotted (or spotted);
• A rosette (rosetted);
• Marbled.

This feline, as can be easily understood from the coat of the father from which it originated, has one black base. Following the crossings, it has acquired a series of very particular and sought after varieties.

The spotted cat

The colors of the Bengal cat, in this case, are the result of irregular spots or aligned horizontally. The so-called rosettes formed by a circle of spots around a redder center are preferable to single spots, but they are not mandatory.

The horizontal blotched streaks on the shoulders represent a distinctive feature of value. In the best specimens of this variety there is little or no difference between the color of the spots on the body and the color of the tips, and the belly is always spotted. The silver variant is also present in this pattern.

The Rosette Cat

The colors of the Bengal cat are all based on a (more or less regular) rosette design. In this case, however, the spots are composed of at least two different shades. They can be in the shape of a paw, arrowhead or ring.

The contrast with the background color is very noticeable, with distinct and rounded shapes. The designs cover the shoulders, while the legs are mottled; the tail has rings and the belly is necessarily spotted.

On the head you can see the typical drawings of the tabby cats. The throat, the belly and the inside of the legs are white. Of this pattern, as in the previous case, there is also the silver variant.

The marbled cat

The spots come from the gene classic blotched tabby, but in the finest specimens the colors of the marbled Bengal cat bear little resemblance to the classic design.

The spots are uneven, recall the characteristics of marble, with a horizontal tendency when the feline is lying down. The best subjects do not have vertical streaks of the mackerel tabby type (brindle).

The specimens are highly sought after with three or more shades: for example, the base color, the rosettes and the dark outline of these spots. The contrast with the background color is very marked, with distinct shapes and sharp edges. The belly is spotted. There is little or no difference between the color of the spots on the body and the color of the tips. The throat, the belly and the inside of the legs are white. Also in this last case there is the silver variant.