Bengal

Bengal Cat Breed Profile

Weight	8.8-12 lbs (4-5.5 kg)
Origin	USA
Color	Black, brown, gray; multi-colored
Fur	Short, thick
Lifespan	12-18 years
Personality	Loves learning, intelligent, alert, sociable
Energy
Playful
Independent
Meowing
Shedding

Bengal Photo: Shvaygert Ekaterina/Shutterstock

Breed Characteristics

The Bengal has an unusually elegant fur pattern with fine rosettes (circles). It looks a lot like a leopard’s coat! Even if this cat’s slim body and cute appearance might look graceful, they’re anything but pernickety. They’re the elite athletes of the cat kingdom.

Personality and Temperament

The Bengal cat is very attentive and curious. Nothing gets past this feline. What they love best is to sit on their cat tree or a high shelf, where they can observe everyone and everything.

If a Bengal isn’t climbing, it will stalk through the house wanting to play. They love any kind of toys, and challenging toys are perfect for keeping their minds busy. It’s best to keep challenging their intellect with new tasks, otherwise they’ll get up to mischief trying to make their own fun (e.g. scratching things or “catching” fish from the aquarium).

Bengal Photo: Amerigo_images/Shutterstock

Keeping Them Happy

This is not a cat that will hang around on the sofa for hours. The Bengal cat likes to be constantly watched. A lot of attention means a lot of time. So, before you go out and get one, you should consider whether such a lively and active cat could quickly become too much. Bengal cats are very intelligent and even love learning little tricks like fetch. Bengals don’t particular enjoy being house cats. They should be allowed outside.

Bengal Photo: L.A.Kennedy/Shutterstock

Pros and Cons

Pros

Exotic Appearance
Very intelligent
Very active
Loves water
Loves to jump
People oriented
Learns tricks (give paw, play fetch, walk on a leash)
Gets along well with other cats and dogs

Cons

Needs a lot of exercise
Needs a lot of attention
Loves to hunt small animals
Not suitable for an indoor-only life

Bengal Photo: Olesya Nakipova/Shutterstock

Appearance

The Bengal is a large, muscular cat. It has cute, leopard-like rosettes on its fur but may also be marbled. They come in silver, brown, snow (white), red, cinnamon (brown), smoke (gray), charcoal (black) and blue (gray-blue).

History

Bengal cats don’t just look like leopards, they are actually related to the leopard - in name at least. The breed dates back to 1963, when an Asiatic leopard was bred with a black house cat.

Bengal Photo: Olesya Nakipova/Shutterstock