HISTORY OF THE BENGAL CAT

The Bengal cat is a modern breed of domestic cat, created in 1963 by Jean S Mill who begun crossing the Asian Leopard Cat, native to South Asia, with domestic cats. Now Bengal cats are purely bred to other Bengals and it is Bengals from the fourth generation onwards that are kept as domestic pets. It is also from this generation onwards that they have the character of a domestic cats, but still retain their wild look. Today, experienced breeders from around the world have taken on the mission of carrying on Jean Mill’s work of producing loving domestic Bengal cats that just happen to look like a wild cat in your living room! Here at Angeldust, we are proud to carry on this important work of continuing to improve the Bengal breed.

THE WILD LOOK OF THE BENGAL CAT

The Bengal cat is most noticed for it’s wild cat markings, similar to it’s large cousins, the leopard, ocelot and Jaguar. In Bengals these markings can come in a marbled pattern, spots, or rosettes of many different sizes. At Angeldust we endeavour to breed breath taking, large, striking and well defined rosettes, whilst also keeping the other physical characteristics that make the Bengal cat unique. Whether the Bengal is brown, snow, silver or blue, these markings should contrast strongly with the background colour. Markings are not the only wild characteristic about the Bengal cat’s appearance. They are often larger than other domestic cats, with strong, muscular, athletic bodies, a straight facial profile, puffy whisker pads, large, round nocturnal eyes, thick tails that carry low and relatively small ears. These latter characteristics are what we breeders refer to as type and structure. It is all these traits put together that give the Bengal cat it’s wild look.

The coat of the Bengal cat is completely different to any other domestic cat and is a pelt, rather than fur. It is silky soft and luxurious to the touch. Some Bengals have what is known as glitter, which is in fact translucent hair shafts caused by two recessive genes, making them appear as if they have been sprinkled with gold dust, or rather Angeldust! We breed for highly glittered Bengals here at Angeldust and our Bengals have very sparkly coats.

THE PERSONALITY OF THE BENGAL CAT

Bengals are highly intelligent, much more active and a lot more curious than most domestic cat breeds. A well socialised Bengal, from a very knowledgeable breeder such as Angeldust, will be a confident, affectionate and loving companion who bonds with and loves socialising with his or her human family. They are athletic, fun loving cats and maintain their kitten-like energy throughout their adult lives. Yet, they are very graceful cats and are quite addictive to watch. As Bengals are a sociable breed, they tend not to fair well if everybody is out of the house all day, everyday, and, in this instance, we would recommend getting two.