Sicily
(Raganwood South House Sicily) Silver spotted female with
glitter and large rosettes. pictured at 6 months old.
Sweden
(Raganwood South House
Sweden) Snow Marble female with glitter and luxuriously soft coat. Pictured at
8 months old
Asia
(Raganwood South House Asia) brown spotted
female with plenty of glitter. Best mouser I have ever met!
Masterpiece
(Bridlewood Thrillers Masterpiece) Masterpiece is a brown
spotted male with lots of glitter and lovely rosettes. He has recently come to
live with us and is much loved for his beauty and gentle personality.
About the Breed
Bengal cats are a breed of cat created by
crossing a domestic cat with an Asian Leopard Cat (ALC). After 4 generations of
domestic breeding the ALC / domestic cat cross is considered a Bengal. These cats are truly amazing. Not only are they exotic and lovely in
appearance but they tend to have a more outgoing and playful personality
compared to the average cat. If you want a cat that is great with kids and
other pets get a good Bengal. You would think that with the ALC so close in the
Bengal background that they would be wild in nature but they do not tend to be.
My personal belief is that since the ALC is one of the most widespread wildcats
and has the most varied of environment they are a naturally adaptable cat (more
so then the European wild cat that our domestic cats originate from). When bred
into domesticity they adapt to yet another new environment and do it well.
Bengals come in quite a variety of colors and
patterns. The most common pattern is the spotted Bengal, but the marbles are
also lovely and appealing. Colors vary from brown to snow to silver with
different intensities and highlights in each cat. Some cats have large rosetted
spots others small solid spots. There is a special feature in some Bengals
called 'Glitter' that is highly sought after. A Glittered Bengal looks like it
has been sprinkled with either gold or silver dust all over it's body. It is
very lovely but goes beyond the beauty. A glittered Bengal will shed less,
collect less dander, and can often be owned by people who are allergic to cats.
With a glittered Bengal the hair that does shed off does not tend to stick to
furniture or clothing. Bengal kitten are quite plain if compared to adults,
there coat takes a couple of years to really come into full glory.
The bodies of the cat are in my opinion even
better then the coat. They are long bodied like a wild cat and are heavily
muscled and dense. Though not a big cat they look longer and weigh more then the
average cat of the same size. They also have thick whisker pads and wild facial characteristics.
We bought our first Bengal cat in 2007 from
Ruth Ragan of Raganwood Bengals. We bought her as a pet and thought that she
would be a nice addition to our family. We named her Asia and expected her to be
like a normal but more outgoing cat - boy were we wrong! All of the awesome
things we had heard about Bengals are true - very little shedding, luxuriously
soft pelt, dog like personality, great with kids and dogs, and incredible
hunter. I could go on and on about how great Asia is. We thought Asia must be
extra special or extraordinary - then we got Sweden. Sweden is just as outgoing,
friendly, and great with kids as Asia. Even my husband (who is not a cat person) is
totally sold on these Bengals.
