Author – Joanna De Klerk
The Bengal cat has a unique and interesting developmental history in comparison to other domestic breeds of cats. Bengals are descended from crosses of domestic breeds of cat with a wild breed of cat; the Asian Leopard Cat. The name Bengal has originated from the Latin name of the Asian Leopard cat; Felis bengalensi. The Asian Leopard Cat is a small wild cat, weighing about 10 pounds, with beautiful spotted markings. It is a similar size to a domestic cat, but with longer legs and a longer back. They have a relatively small head with a short narrow muzzle, large eyes (because of their nocturnal habits) and a thick tail of about 11 to 14 inches length.
The Asian Leopard Cat can be found in brush and forests across mainland Asia, in countries such as India, China, Korea and the Soviet Far East. It can also be found on the islands of Sumatra, Philippines, Taiwan, Borneo, Bali and Java. As a result of its distribution, the Asian Leopard Cat is known by many names, such as the Javan Cat, Wagati Cat, Chinese Cat or ‘money cat’, because the spots resemble Chinese coins.
The size and weight of the cat varies between subspecies in different geographical regions. There are approximately ten subspecies, all of which vary in body colour. The cats of the Northern regions are closer to a red-brown spotting on a yellow-grey background, and those from more humid regions are more ochre-yellow or brown.
Much like its decedent, the Bengal, the Asian Leopard Cat has incredible markings. All subspecies have a spotted or ringed tail, with a black tail tip, four black bands running from the forehead to the back of the neck, breaking up into elongated spots on the neck and shoulders, often forming a ‘broken necklace’. The round black ears have a white spot on the back, and all cats have a white underside, throat and cheek-flashes. The underparts are spotted on the white background. The body markings can be solid or rosetted and sometimes show marbling. These markings have unfortunately caught the attention of fur traders.
Asian Leopard Cats, much like most wild cat species, are solitary and nocturnal in behaviour. They live in hollow trees or small caves, and are extremely clever; a trait that has been passed down to the Bengal. They are talented swimmers and fishers, and extremely agile climbers. These are past times which the Bengal enjoys tremendously as well.
Unfortunately, the destruction of the African Leopard Cat’s habitat by deforestation, farming and soil erosion, is now threatening wild populations, and therefore it has been placed on Appendix II of the CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).
Bengal history
The first cross of an Asian Leopard Cat with a domestic cat was in 1889. Harrison Weir, who was an English artist, wrote a book mentioning them called Our Cats and All About Them. Weir was a cat enthusiast and he arranged for the first ever cat show in England, at The Crystal Palace, London, in 1871.
After this, the next record of a cross was in 1924 in Belgium, followed by 1941 in Japan. These breeding efforts were fruitless, and did not get further than one or two generations. That was until 1963, when Jean Mill began to breed Asian Leopard Cat hybrids with the aim of producing a domestic cat which looked like a Leopard. The original domestic cats used in the crosses were Egyptian Maus, Abyssinians, Burmese and Ocicats.
In 1963, Jean Mill deliberately crossed a male cat with a female wild Asian Leopard Cat. For the next seventeen years, her breeding efforts between domestic and Asian Leopard Cats never really got off the ground. In 1980, Mill decided to increase her efforts in establishing a breed, which was greatly aided by a donation in 1975 of several Bengal cats which had been bred for genetic testing at Loyola University.
Dr Williard Centerwall, at Loyola University, had been conducting immunology testing on Asian Leopard Cats, and their hybrids, to further understand their immunity to feline leukemia virus (FeLV). He had hoped that the test results would further help his studies in immune-compromised humans. In an interview about his research, he was recorded to have said, “We are currently engaged in research on the Type ‘C’ feline leukemia virus in cooperation with Dr. Raoul Benveniste, Virologist with the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. The ordinary domestic cat carries the Type ‘C’ genome in the DNA molecule and passes the potentially lethal leukemia virus to its offspring through normal hereditary processes. On rare occasions, there is release of the virus into the system of the cat, causing leukemia and death. Because it is recognized that the Asian Leopard Cat does not have the feline leukemia virus built into its system, scientists in cancer research have expressed great interest in what happens to the leukemia genome in the offspring of the leopard cat and the domestic cat.”
This testing led to the myth that Bengals are immune to FeLV, like their wild ancestors, however unfortunately this gene was not carried down the generations. When Centerwall’s hybrid cats were offered to Mill, she took only the ones which had an excellent temperament and the spotting pattern that she was trying to establish in the offspring.
Mill continued to breed the cats with further domestic cats, to move further away from the original Asian Leopard Cat. When an Asian Leopard Cat is crossed with a domestic cat, the first generation is known as F1 (filial 1 generation). If an F1 is then crossed with a domestic cat, the offspring is known as an F2, and then so on, so an F3 has one F2 parent and one domestic parent. The first three generations are known as ‘foundation cats’ or ‘early generation’ hybrids. The problem with early generations is that the males are often sterile and so the Asian Leopard Cat hybrid females are usually the ones crossed with domestic cat males. With that being said, some male F2 Bengals have been known to produce viable sperm, but this is rare. These early generations can make challenging pets, as they are still close to their wild ancestors, however once reached the fourth generation, these cats are considered a domestic Bengal rather than an Asian Leopard Cat hybrid.
Another major contributor to the establishment of the Bengal breed was William Engler. He had two litters of Bengals in 1970, sired by his personal Asian Leopard Cat called Shah. He then began producing more of these hybrids and by 1975, Engler had produced more than sixty Bengals, and bred out more than two generations. Unfortunately, no modern-day Bengals can be traced back to the genetics of these cats, however at the time, he was significant in pioneering Bengals. Regardless, his main claim to the Bengal breed was that he was the man responsible for presenting the name ‘Bengal’ to the cat registries. Engler passed away in 1977, and by 1980, Jean Mill had overtaken him as the main breeder of Bengal cats.
Mill wanted Bengal cats to be recognised as a domestic breed of cat, rather than a hybrid. Finally, in 1983, the Bengal breed was recognised by The International Cat Association (TICA), followed by The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) much later in 1997. To be considered for registration at either of these bodies, a Bengal must be at least four generations (F4) away from the Asian Leopard Cat.
Mill continued to develop the breed after recognition and began showing her cats across the world to bring public attention to the breed. The most head-turning of her cats was Millwood Penny Ante, an F2 Bengal hybrid, which looked as striking as a wild Leopard but was as friendly as a domestic cat. Mill continued to spend thousands of dollars in publicising of the breed. She travelled the world, and because of her, the Bengal breed gained international recognition.
Recent breeding
Now that Bengal bloodlines are more mature, Asian Leopard Cat subspecies are being brought back in to breeding programmes to introduce new genetics, in the hope that new variations in colour will begin to appear.
A domestic Bengal, whilst bearing a strong physical resemblance to its striking wild ancestor, should be significantly easier in nature in comparison to its wild counterparts. A Bengal should inherit the social nature and adaptability from its domestic parents and grandparents, whilst still maintaining the looks of the Asian Leopard Cat. The earlier generations, which are considered hybrids, can also be sociable in nature and may be worthy of becoming a specialised pet for an experienced keeper, however, they are still semi-wild and have very different needs to a Bengal.
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