Mary Allen
Their exotic appearance makes the cat breed particularly popular because it also reminds you of a real wild cat. Therefore, unfortunately, inbreeding still occurs because the demand is greater than the market itself. In terms of colors, there are basically all variants. From yellow to gold to orange. It is important that they are always spotted or marbled.
Origin and Breed History
Where did the Bengal cat originally come from?
The Bengal cat is a very young breed from the USA. It is rare and therefore expensive. The Bengal cat comes from the Asian leopard cat and thus a wild cat. It wasn’t until 1963 that geneticists attempted to cross this wildcat with a domestic cat to create a tame domestic cat. So you should always keep this in mind when buying a Bengal cat.
What types of Bengal cats are there?
In any case, you should know that until recently the Bengal cat was repeatedly crossed with other breeds. These include, for example, the Egyptian Mau, the Abyssinian cat, or the American shorthair cat. In the meantime, however, this no longer happens and only Bengals are mated with Bengals. The result is sweet, adventurous, and wild kittens. On average, two to four kittens are born per litter.
Traits of Temperament
What makes a Bengal cat tick?
Due to their descent from a wild cat, the Bengal cats are accordingly active. Very often they are also cats, which meow a lot, but you can get a grip on this with the right activity. They are very curious cats and also very open-minded towards other animal species, such as dogs. Of course, there are also different characters in this breed.
The Bengal is also very intelligent and the normal activity of playing and cuddling is not enough for this breed. In any case, you should deal with clicker training and set up enough climbing opportunities within your own four walls. Because: Because of their wild ancestors, the Bengal cats have a great urge to explore. They also like to climb and due to their robust and muscular nature, it can happen that one or the other inventory is damaged if these cats jump up somewhere. A species-appropriate occupation is therefore inevitable, especially with this descent of the wildcat!
These cats should also never be kept alone. Of course, two (or more) Bengali go together best, because they have their own temperament. Exceptions confirm the rule, but petting is not the Bengal cat’s greatest hobby. This is likely also due to their wild ancestors.
Upbringing and Attitude
How do I keep a Bengal cat?
Bengal cats are curious muscles and need a lot of space and activity. A purely residential property therefore only works in the rarest of cases. However, if you do not want to enable the expensive pedigree cat to run freely in an unsecured manner, you should come up with a secure variant. A cat-safe garden or regular walks on a leash are just the things for the Bengal cat.
When keeping this breed of cats, you should be prepared for the fact that they are active, sometimes meow a lot, and need a lot of activity – including regular outdoor activities. Bengal cats have great jumping power, which they want to exercise.
Nursing, Health, and Diseases
How do I care for a Bengal cat?
Bengal cats are very clean and take care of their own coats care very well. Nevertheless, you can brush them every now and then to support them, for example, during the change of coat. Quite a few Bengali also love brushing. Although this breed of cats has a rather short coat, it happens that especially young cats sometimes have a slightly longer coat.
The domestic cat, which is descended from the Asian leopard cat, is usually not picky about its diet, but of course, loves fresh meat – just as it should be for a cat.
Are there diseases that are typical of the breed in the Bengal cat?
Although Bengal cats are very muscular and appear robust, there are some breed-typical diseases. On the one hand, they can go blind due to PRA-b, the so-called progressive retinal atrophy, due to the degeneration of the retina of the eye.
In addition, Bengal cats often suffer from PK-Def, the pyruvactinase deficiency. The red blood cells are destroyed here due to an enzyme deficiency and this leads to anemia, the so-called anemia.
This breed is also susceptible to heart disease hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM for short. In this disease, the heart muscle thickens. You can easily subject your (Bengal) cat to cardiac ultrasound on a regular basis to determine the whole thing as quickly as possible. Serious breeders have the parent animals regularly checked for these common hereditary diseases anyway in order to get the healthy offspring possible.
Considerations Before You Buy
Where can I buy a Bengal cat?
A purebred Bengal cat is rare and its price is accordingly high. With a reputable breeder, the Bengal cat costs up to 1500 €, of course, you can also get Bengal crossbreeds at the animal shelter for a price of around 700 €.
You can also get papers for your pedigree cat from a reputable breeder. Your kitten should also be vaccinated, chipped, and dewormed upon delivery. Many Bengal breeders only give their kittens in pairs or with an existing Bengal cat. Please pay attention to the topic of inbreeding. No cat should appear twice in the pedigree.
Interesting, Worth Knowing & Extras
It’s rare, yes, but this breed of cats loves the water! They have a preference for water and are not at all afraid of water.