SKATKATZ BENGALS

The Bengal is now a recognised breed from crossing of an Asian Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis) with a domestic breed. TICA GCCF and ACFA all recongise the bengal breed. Breeds used in crossing the alc were Abyssinan, American Shorthair, Burmese, and Egyptian Mau. Jean Sugden Mills was the first to breed bengals, The first Bengal Cats were bred in 1963 and later in 1972, with eight female ALC-domestic offspring she acquired from the University of Calfornia.

 

The Bengal is a medium to large breed,  its sleek and slender yet very well muscled cat, with back legs that are slightly higher than shoulders. Female Bengals average from 7 to 11 pounds at maturity, and males can average from 11 to 18 pounds at full growth. Although some males tend to be bigger then this, and some females smaller, skats dad was 20 plus pound of solid muscle.

 

Jean Mills apparent reason for breeding the bengal hybrid cats was to bring the wild coat and pattern of the asian leopard cats on to a domestic cat, her reasons were to try and stop the sales of fur coats.  She felt if people had pets with a wild looking coat that they would find it hard to buy and wear real fur,so she hoped this would also stop trapping and killing of these beautiful wild animals.

 

The benefits of a hybrid breed are enormous.  Bengal cats are one of the most intelligent and healthiest of all breeds of domestic cats.  Many breeders now breeding Bengals do because of all the health and breeding problems they have had in the past with other breeds of cats, dont occurin the bengal.  Bengal cats are certainly not a genetic threat to other breeds of cats, they may actually hold the key to the future health of all breeds of cats by the contribution of new genes to other domestic cats if ever needed.