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| The story
of Bengals in the UK began in 1991 and Typhast Bengals were
amongst the first to enter the country during that year. The
breed has come a long way since those early days and this is
entirely due to the vision, dedication and years of hard work
by Bengal breeders all over the world. In the early days breeders
would be heard saying “One day we will be able to produce
doughnut rosettes” and “ one day we will be able
to produce white tummies”, and now , thanks to all that
work we are seeing those features increasingly in the Bengals
of today.
Our own breeding
has always been based on Health, Type and Temperament and
when we have seen the need to introduce new features or strengthen
our existing lines we have always tried to do so by introducing
the best cats available. There is no such thing as the perfect
Bengal, but if the current rate of progress continues who
is to say where the breed will be in a few years time.
Our own lines have
now reached the stage where all of our breeding Bengals are
rosetted and with the introduction of Wizard, our first really
white tummied stud we can now start introducing this feature
into our lines.
This breed has
brought like minded people together all over the world and
many of us have friends we would never have met but for our
mutual love of this addictive breed. In our case the list
is very long but we would like to mention one special friend
and that is Gene Ducote. Over the years Gene has helped us
secure many of the cats we have needed to progress the breed
in the UK and for that we owe her a very big thank you.
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THE
BENGAL CAT
by
Rosie Alger-Street
Wellbeloved Pet Club Magazine, Issue Number
Seven |
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| Typhast
Treasurechest (F3) |
THE
ORIGINS OF THE BREED
The
Bengal cat originated as a cross between an Asian Leopard
Cat (Felis bengalensis) and a domestic cat (Felis dometicus).
In the early 1980s American paediatrician Dr. Centerwall
had been researching feline leukaemia. He discovered
that the Asian Leopard cat was naturally immune to leukaemia,
so crossed it with a domestic cat to see whether this
immunity could be bred into ordinary domestic cats.
Unfortunately there was very little evidence of this
and, with the advent of FeLV Vaccines the project was
shelved. The founder of the breed, Jean Mill, took on
the resultant hybrids and they have since progressed
to the beautiful cats they are today. |
| WILD
LOOKS
The
Bengal is a "wild" looking domestic cat with
a conformation definitely reminiscent of its wild ancestors.
The standard calls for a large, sleek, very muscular
domestic cat with its hindquarters slightly higher than
its shoulders and a thick tail that is carried low.
The Bengal's head is rounded and is slightly longer
than it is wide. The nose is broad, the muzzle full,
with a light coloured, strong rounded chin and pronounced
whisker pads created by the wide-set canine teeth. The
ears are medium to small with rounded tips, pointing
forward in profile. The eyes are slightly almond shaped.
They are large, but not bold and set on a slight slant
toward the base of the ear.
Its
distinctive spotted or marbled tabby coat enhances the
Bengal's wild appearance, and should be thick and luxurious.
Colours and markings include Black or Brown Spotted,
Black and Gold or Brown Marbled, as well as Snow Spotted
and Snow Marbled. There is no other breed that displays
the gold or pearl dusting effect (glitter) of the Bengal.
The texture of the coat is unique. It has the feel of
satin or silk with a touch sensation that is unequalled
in any other breed of cat. |
Typhast
Mekla
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| Typhast
Virtual Reality (F5) |
GOOD
TEMPERAMENT
The
Asian Leopard Cat is a very beautiful, but naturally
shy, nocturnal animal, and therefore was an ideal choice
to mix with the domestic cat. Having borrowed the "wild
look" from nature, there was little that needed
to be done about appearance, so the original American
breeders concentrated on temperament, using the sweetest
natured cats for their outcrosses and successive generations. |
| The
press has propagated the myth that a Bengal is a "wild
cat". But in reality it has a more balanced character
than many existing pedigree cats who have been bred
only for type and so their temperament has suffered.
The Bengals have been bred for temperament - and it
shows! The result is a delightful animal, looking like
a little leopard on the outside but behaving like an
intelligent, loving hooligan and a full member of the
family.
Bengals
have a great sense of humour and do not like to be ignored.
They mix very well with other animals, particularly
dogs, with which they seem to have a great empathy. |
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They
gravitate towards small children and make excellent
companions, joining in all the games. They have a fascination
for water and don't seem to mind the rain. When drinking
they will clear the bowl with their paws first, as though
clearing a stream. Owners are advised to keep toilet
seats closed and be prepared for company in the shower!
Drinking from a running tap seems to be a common practice
amongst Bengals. Bengals do need company, so it is recommended
to have to have two cats if there is no-one at home
during the day. |
Generally,
the Bengal is like any regular pedigree domestic cat and needs
no special feeding and will do well on a good quality diet
such as James Wellbeloved. They do not need to go outside
providing they have plenty of stimulation indoors. They make
brilliant retrievers and will play for hours bringing back
a thrown toy. |
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