Cat breeds

Bengal

The spotted athlete with a wild look

A brown spotted Bengal with bright green eyes lying on mauve fabric, looking up

A brown rosetted Bengal standing on its hind legs at a window, one paw on the glass

A brown rosetted Bengal rolling on its back on a black floor, looking up

Bred from crosses between domestic cats and the Asian leopard cat, the Bengal wears spots, rosettes or marbling, often on a coat that catches the light. They are muscular and genuinely athletic, unusually fond of water for a cat, and need plenty to climb, chase and investigate.

Written with reference to The International Cat Association (TICA). Bengal on TICA

History

A modern breed, developed in the United States between the 1960s and 1980s by crossing domestic cats with the Asian leopard cat. The name comes from that wild ancestor's scientific name, Prionailurus bengalensis, not from the Bengal region.

Personality

Athletic, confident and busy. Bengals climb, chase and investigate constantly, are unusually fond of water, and will tell you what they think. They need genuine enrichment — height, puzzles and play — rather than a quiet corner.

Did you know?

Many Bengals have 'glitter' — a translucent hollow in the hair shaft that catches the light, so the coat looks dusted with gold in sunshine.

At Pink Paws