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Bengal
Types
There
are various types of
Bengal
– there are two patterns, and several colors – but
ultimately every
Bengal
should be the same shape.
This
page explains the patterns and colors, describes the shape
required for a ‘good’
Bengal
.
If
you wish to show, then note that not all
Bengal
colors are ‘recognized’ by some governing bodies, and not
all colors qualify for championship status.
Bengal
Patterns
Spotted
Bengals
Photo Credits
to Julie Calderon of Callista Bengals
The spotted Bengal may have plain spots or rosettes, though for
showing and breeding it is preferred that they have rosettes.
Rosettes
may be arrowhead shaped, doughnuts, half doughnuts or paw
prints. The legs
and tail are usually striped, but it is preferred that they have
some spotting.
A
kitten may be born with rosettes, or they may develop later and
are usually seen by 8 weeks of age.
Kittens,
around the age of four to six weeks, usually go through a period
of ‘the fuzzies’. Their
pattern usually clears by the time they are around six months
old, though the fuzzies have been known to last longer.
Whilst in the fuzzies, the pattern can become indistinct or
‘fuzzy’ looking, this
then clears as the kitten grows, and the spots become clear and
sharply defined.
Marbled
Bengals
Photo Credits
to Julie Calderon of Callista Bengals
The marbled
Bengal
has swirls of color.
It
is important that the flow of the marble pattern is mostly
horizontal, and the ‘bulls-eye’ pattern on the side of the
cat should be avoided.
Marbles
do not seem to suffer from ‘the fuzzies’ the way their
spotted littermates do. However,
when marbles are born, they usually only have the basic outline
of the pattern they will eventually develop.
It takes some time for a marble to display the beauty of
it’s pattern, with all of it’s swirls of multiple colors.
Bengal
Colors
Brown
(Black) Bengals
Photo Credits
to Julie Calderon of Callista Bengals
The
Brown (Black)
Bengal
can come in various shades of brown from the darkest charcoal,
through all shades of brown to a rich tan.
The Bengals with the pale golden colors are often
referred to as ‘golden’ Bengals, though officially they are
still registered as brown.
The
background can be the palest cream or a rich tan or orange
color.
The
spots can be black or various shades of brown.
Cats
with ‘rufous’ (red/orange) tints are preferred, though this
color isn’t always apparent in kittens when they are very
young, and often develops as the kittens get older.
The
most important thing is that the markings are very clearly
defined, whatever the shade of brown.
The
eyes of the brown Bengal should be brown, green or hazel, and
the tip of the tail must be black.
On
young kittens the paw pads are often a dark brick red, but by
the time they are adults, the paw pads should be black.
The nose leather should always be brick red.
Blue-eyed
Snow Bengals (Seal Lynx Point)
Photo Credits
to Julie Calderon of Callista Bengals
The blue-eyed snow spotted
Bengal
is born white/ivory, though the marbles may have some pattern
and color when first born.
The true color and pattern develops as they grow older.
The
blue-eyed snow
Bengal
should have a pale ivory background, with a pattern of spots or
marbling in any shades of brown.
Although
the points (head and feet) are usually quite visibly darker in
kittens, as an adult there should be very little difference in
the depth of color between the body and the points.
The
eyes should be a clear blue – and the stronger colors of blue
are preferred. The
paw pads and nose leather on a snow should be a brick red and
the tip of the tail must be black.
The
GCCF call this cat the Blue-Eyed Snow, and TICA call it a Seal
Lynx Point.
AOC
Snow Bengals (Seal Mink and Seal Sepia)
Photo Credits
to Julie Calderon of Callista Bengals
The GCCF call any snow
Bengal
that doesn’t have blue eyes, an AOC snow (Any Other
eye-Color).
However,
genetically there are two types of AOC snow.
TICA recognizes the difference between the two types, and
call them the Seal Sepia and the Seal Mink.
The
Seal Sepia is a snow with the same ivory background as the
blue-eyed snow, but with much darker markings (sepia brown), and
with eyes that are brown, green or hazel.
The markings on the kittens are usually visible at birth.
The
Seal Mink (pictured) is genetically a mix of the Blue-eyed Snow
and the Seal Sepia (see Bengal
Genetics) and has mid colored markings (mink brown) with
turquoise eyes.
All
snows should have brick red paw pads and nose leather, and the
tip of the tail should be black.
Silver
Bengals
Photo Credits
to Julie Calderon of Callista Bengals
The
Silver Bengal is a striking mix of black spots on the palest
silver gray background. The
eyes are often a pale green.
When
rosetted, the center of each spot is a mid gray.
The
silver should not be ‘tarnished’ – that means that it
should not show any signs of brown in the coat.
The
tip of the tail should be black.
Blue
Bengals
The background of the Blue Bengal should be off-white/ivory, or
even with peachy undertones.
The markings should be clearly defined blue.
The
tip of the tail should be dark grey.
Blue
Bengals do not qualify for championship status with either the
GCCF or TICA. They
can be shown under ‘new traits’ with TICA, and it is hoped
that they will soon be promoted to full status so that they too
can become Champions.
Chocolate
and Cinnamon Bengals
These cats are similar to the Brown (Black)
Bengal
, except that there is no black in the coat, only a dark brown
on the chocolate or a mid brown on the cinnamon.
The
chocolate is also called the Sorrel and the cinnamon is also
called the Tawny.
The
tip of the tail is always a chocolate or mid brown.
These
colors can be shown under ‘new traits’ at TICA shows, but do
not qualify for championship status.
Other
Colors
Now
comes the fun! Because
you can ‘mix’ some of the above colors together.
You
can have snow silvers, blue silvers, chocolate silvers or
cinnamon silvers – but you might never know, unless you know
the genetics of the cat, as these cats will always be silver
colored.
Then
there is chocolate snows and cinnamon snows.
You
can also have a blue snow, or a Lilac (chocolate+blue), or a
Fawn (cinnamon + blue).
And
if you really want to get complicated, then mix all of the
colors together to produce a blue silver snow!
New
colors can be shown under ‘new traits’ at TICA shows, but do
not qualify for championship status.
Bengal
Shape
The
‘standard of points’ is used when judging a
Bengal
cat. Each governing
body (e.g. GCCF, TICA) have their own own standard of points,
though they are very similar.
Here
is a summary of what a
Bengal
cat should look like, taken from the GCCF and TICA standards of
points. This is not
the full standard of points, and should you wish to purchase a
cat for showing, you should obtain a full copy of the standard
of points from the governing body of the shows you wish to
attend.
General
Description
The
goal of the
Bengal
breeding program is to create a domestic cat which has physical
features distinctive to the small forest-dwelling wildcats, and
with the loving, dependable temperament of the domestic cat.
Head
A
broad modified wedge with rounded contours, longer than it is
wide. Slightly
small in proportion to the body, but not to extremes.
The skull behind the ears should gently curve and flow
into the neck.
Ears
should be medium to small, relatively short, with a wide base
and rounded tips. They
should follow the contour of the face looking from the front,
and point forward looking in profile.
Eyes
should be oval, almost round, large but not ‘bugged’.
They should be set wide apart and have a slight slant
towards the base of the ear.
Eye color is independent of coat color, except for the
blue-eyed snows, but the stronger the color, the better.
The
chin should be strong and align with the tip of the nose in
profile.
The
muzzle should be full and broad with prominent whisker pads and
high pronounced cheekbones.
There should be a slight muzzle break at the whisker
pads.
The
nose should be large and wide, with slightly puffed nose
leather.
The
curve of the forehead should flow into the bridge of the nose
with no break. The
bridge of the nose should be above the eyes, and then the line
should extend to the nose tip, making a very slight, to nearly
straight concave curve.
Neck
The
neck should be long, substantial, muscular, and in proportion to
the head and body.
Body
The
torso should be long and substantial, medium to large, but not
as large as the largest domestic breeds.
The
legs should be medium length, slightly longer at the back than
the front.
The
feet should be large and round with prominent knuckles.
The
tail should be medium length, thick, and taper to a rounded tip.
The
boning should be sturdy and firm, never delicate, and the cat
should be very muscular, especially in the males.
Coat
Pattern
The
coat should be short to medium, dense and luxurious,
close-lying, and soft and silky to the touch.
The patterns allowed are spotted and marbled.
Spots
should be random or aligned horizontally.
Rosettes should show two distinct colours or shades.
Paw print shaped, arrowheads, doughnut or half doughnut
is preferred to single spotting but not essential.
Marbles
should have a horizontal flow to their pattern.
The
contrast between the spots and the background color must be
extreme, giving a distinct pattern with clearly defined, sharp
edges.
Strong,
bold chin strap and mascara markings are desirable.
Virtually white undersides and belly are desirable.
Blotchy horizontal shoulder streaks, spotted legs and
spotted or rosetted tail are desirable.
Belly
must be spotted (allowance for blue-eyed snows) for all Bengals
under GCCF rules. But
TICA allow a marbled belly on the marbled bengals.
Color
Browns
– all variations of brown are allowed, however a high degree
of rufousing is preferred.
Light
spectacles encircling the eyes, and a virtually white ground
color on the whisker pads, chin, chest, belly and inner legs is
desirable.
Snows
– pattern can be various shades of brown.
There should be very little or no difference between the
colour of the body markings and the point color.
Allowances
Smaller
size, in balanced proportion, of females.
Slightly longer coat in kittens.
Jowls in adult males.
Eyes slightly almond shaped.
Mousy undercoat.
Penalize
Spots
on body running together vertically to form tabby pattern on
spotted cats. Circular
bulls-eye pattern on marbled cats.
Substantially darker point color in snows.
Any distinct locket on the cat (a
locket is a group of white hairs).
Withhold
all Awards
Belly
not spotted. Paw
pads not consistent with the color of the cat, or not all the
same color.
(Note
that TICA are currently considering an amendment to their rules
to lift the restriction on the color of the paw pads, and allow
marbled cats to have a marbled tummy)
Disqualification
Temperament
must be unchallenging – any sign of definite challenge shall
disqualify. The cat
may exhibit fear, seek to flee, or complain aloud, but may not
threaten to harm.
A
cat that bites, a cat showing evidence of intent to deceive,
adult whole male cats not having two descended testicles, cats
with all or part of the tail missing, cats with other than five
toes on each front foot and four toes on each back foot, visible
or invisible tail faults, crossed eyes, total blindness,
markedly smaller size not in keeping with the breed, depression
of the sternum or unusually small diameter of the rib cage.
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