| Rainbow Valley Bengals |
| The Bengal cat is a distinct, unique breed of domestic cat derived from the ancestral crossing of a domestic cat with an Asian Leopard Cat (Felis Bengalensis). The Bengal is a medium sized cat with striking exotic looks. Careful breeding programs produce friendly, loving Bengal cats that bear a strong physical resemblance to their hybrid ancestors. Bengals may be registered with several cat associations. The first three generations are called foundations or F1, F2, F3, after four generations of Bengal-to-Bengal breeding, the Bengal cat is considered fully "domestic" and is eligible for Championship show competition. Our Bengals are registered with: The International Cat Association. Scroll to bottom for information on the "F" series. Bengals are very energetic, playful cats. Highly intelligent, they often make up games on their own and are often quick to learn "tricks" such as fetch and jumping though a hoop. In addition, many Bengals like to play in water. Some Bengals are such water lovers, they'll jump into the shower with their owners! Many Bengal cats are leash trained and enjoy walks in the yard. Bengals are very loving and many have earned the nickname "Lap Leopard" because they are so demonstrative of their affection. Some Bengal cats would spend every waking moment in someone's arms or lap if it were possible. Others are so busy that they will only slow down long enough for a quick scratch and "hello" before taking off after a toy, bug, or imaginary object that catches their fancy. Bengal Colors Brown There are several recognized colors for the Bengal breed according to the TICA Standard. Brown: the background color can vary in color from a light sandy tan to gold, red, cinnamon, or brown with brown to black markings. Eyes can be gold or green. Snow Seal Lynx Point, Seal Mink, and Seal Sepia: Commonly referred to as "Snows", these Bengals typically have a very pale to ivory background with contrasting markings and may have green, gold, aqua or blue eyes. Silver These beautiful Bengals have a white background with a high contrast markings in black, grey, and silver. There is also a Smoked Silver that is very dark in color like a smoked black with ghost blacker markings. Their eyes can be green, gold and sometime even blue in the case of a Silver/Snow. Bengal Coat and Patterns A Bengal's markings can be very dramatic and "leopard-like" in appearance. The hair is short and on some, super soft and plush. This type of coat is often referred to as "pelted", so called due to the similarity to a wild cat's coat (tiger, leopard, etc). Some coats also have a desirable golden/silver sheen called "glitter" by Bengal enthusiasts. Difficult to see under artificial light, glitter is made possible by a hollow hair shaft which causes light to reflect, similar to the action of a crystal. On a brown tabby the glitter appears golden in color. On snows, it is sometimes more of a "crystal" glitter. On a silver it shimmers silvery! Bengals should have a random or horizontal pattern with either solid spots or multi-shaded rosettes. There are several types of rosettes ranging from two-tone arrow heads to tri-color donuts. As with the marble pattern, high contrast between the markings and background color is desirable. The Bengal marble pattern is derived from the classic British short hair pattern, combined with the Asian Leopard Cat's rosettes to produce a flowing "marbleized" look. As with the spotted pattern, the marble pattern should not look like a "bull's-eye" but instead should have a horizontal flow or even more dramatic, a tri-color pattern including rosetted, outlined markings. The Marble patterned Bengals have fully spotted white bellies, just like the spotted Bengals. Bengals with Children and Pets Bengals are wonderful family pets and most will get along very well with other pets and children. Since Bengals and children both have high energy levels, they often are perfect playmates for each other, keeping occupied at various games that some cats would simply roll their eyes at. Bengals are somewhat dog like in behavior, they often play and sleep with their dog pals just as they would with other cats! Bengals in general have no problem getting along with other cat breeds "they don't know the difference". As with any living creature, individual personalities within a breed can vary to some degree. It is best to tell the breeder of your potential kitten desires and about your household pets and family members to better ensure the right match between kitten and their forever family. Please read if you are considering purchasing an F series kitten. INFORMATION ABOUT F- Series What is a Foundation Bengal Cat? The origin of the Bengal breed began with the cross between The Asian Leopard Cat (ALC) and the domestic cat. Some of the early felines used in these matings include Egyptian and Indian Maus, Burmese and non- pedigreed domestic cats. As the breed progressed, SBT Bengals were taken back to the Asian Leopard Cat instead of the misc. other breeds. The first three generations resulting from the ALC x Bengal are considered "Foundation Bengals". The terminology regarding the early generation Foundation Cats can become somewhat confusing for even the most experienced Bengal enthusiast. What do "Filial", "F1", "F2", "F3" and "SBT" mean? The term "filial" comes from the Latin word filius or "son". The genetic meaning of the word filial is "of or relating to a generation or the sequence of generations following the parental generation" (The American Heritage© Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.) Bengal breeders refer to F-1 as the first generation cross between the ALC and the domestic Bengal. The F-2 is the second generation cross (the offspring of the F-1 and the domestic Bengal). The F-3 is the third generation (the offspring of the F-2 and a Bengal). The International Cat Association (TICA) considers the fourth generation (F-4) to be a "SBT" (studbook tradition) Bengal, eligible for competition in the show ring and a fully accepted domestic cat. The following table clarifies the early generation terminology used by the Bengal world today (not including domestic outcrosses): F-1 ALC parent X domestic Bengal parent F-2 F1 parent X domestic Bengal parent (has an alc grandparent) F-3 F2 parent X domestic Bengal parent (has an alc great-grandparent) F-4 F3 parent X domestic Bengal parent (has an alc great-great- grandparent) Typically, any progeny off of the Leopard Cat will inherit at least some parental traits. As each generation moves away from the Leopard Cat heritage, some of those traits may be removed or lessoned to some degree. The Foundation Bengal is often leery of new situations because nature has instilled a cautious intelligence in their ancestors. They need a stable and secure environment and typically do not adapt to variations within their everyday life. The commitment to a Foundation Bengal must be considered to be life-long because while they may not bond to all people, if they do, it is usually passionately intense and breaking this bond can destroy the spirit of the cat. They are not your traditional pet cat and there needs to be a clear understanding of the environment and lifestyle one needs to achieve in order to form the trusting relationship that may be possible with them. The Foundation Bengal is not predisposed to being aggressive but when faced with an uncomfortable situation (often involving loud noises, quick movements, or strange people or situations), they typically show a shyness and look for a safe and quiet place. This may be any area of their home where they have chosen as a safe and secure environment, perhaps a separate room or a remote cat tree where they can be "alone", until they feel safe and secure. Every Foundation Bengal is different, with individual personalities and different reactions to every situation. The Foundation Bengal is an intense feline with many aspects of the Asian Leopard Cat behavior that can make a fascinating addition to the appropriate home. However, those same idiosynchrocies can make life very uncomfortable for both owner and cat if the household is unprepared or unable to accept them on the Foundation Bengal’s terms. The closer the Foundation Bengal is to the Asian Leopard Cat, the stronger the instinctive behaviors and the less likely that they can be modified to fit the owner's expectations. A true Foundation Cat enthusiast does not expect the cat to change to fit the owner's lifestyle, but rather is willing to change their lifestyle to accept the behavior of the cat. In general, while SBT's adapt readily to new situations, new people and new places, Foundation Cats find it more difficult to do so and are much more easily stressed by those changes |
Breed Information
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