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Bengal Types
There are various types of Bengal
– there are two patterns, and several colours – but ultimately every Bengal
should be the same shape.
This page explains the patterns and colours,
describes the shape required for a ‘good’ Bengal.
If you wish to show, then note that not all Bengal
colours are ‘recognised’ by some governing bodies, and not all colours
qualify for championship status.
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Bengal Patterns
Spotted Bengals
 The
spotted bengal may have plain spots or rosettes, though for showing and
breeding it is preferred that they have rosettes.
Rosettes may be arrowhead shaped, doughnuts, half
doughnuts or paw prints. The legs
and tail are usually striped, but it is preferred that they have some
spotting.
A kitten may be born with rosettes, or they may
develop later and are usually seen by 8 weeks of age.
Photographs © Robert Fox
Kittens, around the age of four to six weeks,
usually go through a period of ‘the fuzzies’. Their pattern usually clears by the time
they are around six months old, though the fuzzies have been known to last
longer.
 Whilst in the fuzzies, the pattern can
become indistinct or ‘fuzzy’ looking, as in the photo on the left. This then clears as the kitten grows, and
the spots become clear and sharply defined.
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Marbled Bengals
 The
marbled Bengal has swirls of colour.
It is important that the flow of the marble
pattern is mostly horizontal, and the ‘bulls-eye’ pattern on the side of the
cat should be avoided.
Marbles do not seem to suffer from ‘the fuzzies’
the way their spotted littermates do.
However, when marbles are born, they usually only have the basic
outline of the pattern they will eventually develop. It takes some time for a marble to
display all of it’s swirls of pattern and multiple colours.
Photograph courtesy of Geoffrey Fyfe – Glitterglam
Bengals
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Bengal Colours
Brown (Black) Bengals
The Brown (Black) Bengal can
come in various shades of brown from the darkest charcoal, through all
shades of brown to a rich tan. The
Bengals with the pale golden colours are often referred to as ‘golden’
Bengals, though officially they are still registered as brown.
Photograph © Robert Fox
 The
background can be the palest cream or a rich tan or orange colour.
The spots can be black or various shades of
brown.
Cats with ‘rufous’ (red/orange) tints are
preferred, though this colour isn’t always apparent in kittens when they are
very young, and often develops as the kittens get older.
The most important thing is that the markings are
very clearly defined, whatever the shade of brown.
The eyes of the brown bengal should be brown,
green or hazel, and the tip of the tail must be black.
On young kittens the paw pads are often a dark
brick red, but by the time they are adults, the paw pads should be
black. The nose leather should
always be brick red.
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Blue-eyed Snow Bengals (Seal Lynx Point)
The blue-eyed snow spotted Bengal
is born white/ivory, though the marbles may have some pattern and colour
when first born. The true colour and
pattern develops as they grow older.
 The
blue-eyed snow Bengal should have a pale ivory
background, with a pattern of spots or marbling in any shades of
brown.
The photo on the right shows some rufous
colouring in the points – this is not a desirable trait.
Although the points (head and feet) are
usually quite visibly darker in kittens, as an adult there should be very
little difference in the depth of colour between the body and the points.
Photograph © Robert Fox
The eyes should be a clear blue – and the
stronger colours of blue are preferred.
The paw pads and nose leather on a snow should be a brick red and
the tip of the tail must be black.
The GCCF call this cat the Blue-Eyed Snow, and
TICA call it a Seal Lynx Point.
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AOC Snow Bengals (Seal Mink and Seal Sepia)
Photograph courtesy
of Geoffrey Fyfe – Glitterglam Bengals
 The
GCCF call any snow Bengal that doesn’t have blue
eyes, an AOC snow (Any Other eye-Colour).
However, genetically there are two types of AOC
snow. TICA recognise the difference
between the two types, and call them the Seal Sepia and the Seal Mink.
The Seal Sepia is a snow with the same ivory
background as the blue-eyed snow, but with much darker markings (sepia
brown), and with eyes that are brown, green or hazel. The markings on the kittens are usually
visible at birth.
The Seal Mink is genetically a mix of the
Blue-eyed Snow and the Seal Sepia (see Bengal Genetics)
and has mid coloured markings (mink brown) with turquoise eyes.
All snows should have brick red paw pads and nose
leather, and the tip of the tail should be black.
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Silver Bengals
The Silver Bengal is a striking mix of black spots
on the palest silver grey background.
 The
eyes are often a pale green.
When rosetted, the centre of each spot is a mid
grey.
The silver should not be ‘tarnished’ – that means
that it should not show any signs of brown in the coat.
The tip of the tail should be black.
Photograph courtesy of Vicky Bliss – PureBliss
Bengals
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Blue Bengals
Photograph courtesy
of Jacky Bliss – PureBliss Bengals
 The
background of the Blue Bengal should be off-white/ivory, or even with
peachy undertones. The markings should
be clearly defined blue.
The tip of the tail should be dark grey.
Blue Bengals do not qualify for championship
status with either the GCCF or TICA.
They can be shown under ‘new traits’ with TICA, and it is hoped that
they will soon be promoted to full status so that they too can become
Champions.
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Chocolate and Cinnamon Bengals
 These
cats are similar to the Brown (Black) Bengal, except
that there is no black in the coat, only a dark brown on the chocolate or a
mid brown on the cinnamon.
The chocolate is also called the Sorrel and the
cinnamon is also called the Tawny.
The tip of the tail is always a chocolate or mid
brown.
These colours can be shown under ‘new traits’ at
TICA shows, but do not qualify for championship status.
Photograph courtesy of CosyCats Bengals
Cinnamon and cinnamon snow kittens.
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Other Colours
Now comes the fun! Because you can ‘mix’ some of the above
colours together.
You can have snow silvers, blue silvers, chocolate
silvers or cinnamon silvers – but you might never know, unless you know the
genetics of the cat, as these cats will always be silver coloured.
Then there is chocolate snows and cinnamon snows.
You can also have a blue snow, or a Lilac
(chocolate+blue), or a Fawn (cinnamon + blue).
And if you really want to get complicated, then
mix all of the colours to gether to produce a blue silver snow!
New colours can be shown under ‘new traits’ at
TICA shows, but do not qualify for championship status.
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Bengal Shape
The ‘standard of points’ is used when judging a Bengal
cat. Each governing body (e.g. GCCF,
TICA) have their own own standard of points, though they are very similar.
Here is a summary of what a Bengal
cat should look like, taken from the TICA standard of points. This is not the full standard of points,
and should you wish to purchase a cat for showing, you should obtain a full
copy of the standard of points from the governing body of the shows you wish
to attend.
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General Description
The goal of the Bengal
breeding program is to create a domestic cat which has physical features
distinctive to the small forest-dwelling wildcats, and with the loving,
dependable temperament of the domestic cat.
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Head
A broad modified wedge with rounded contours,
longer than it is wide. Slightly
small in proportion to the body, but not to extremes. The skull behind the ears should gently
curve and flow into the neck.
Ears should be medium to small, relatively short,
with a wide base and rounded tips.
They should follow the contour of the face looking from the front,
and point forward looking in profile.
Eyes should be oval, almost round, large but not
‘bugged’. They should be set wide
apart and have a slight slant towards the base of the ear. Eye colour is independent of coat colour,
except for the blue-eyed snows, but the stronger the colour, the better.
The chin should be strong and align with the tip
of the nose in profile.
The muzzle should be full and broad with
prominent whisker pads and high pronounced cheekbones. There should be a slight muzzle break at
the whisker pads.
The nose should be large and wide, with slightly
puffed nose leather.
The curve of the forehead should flow into the
bridge of the nose with no break.
The bridge of the nose should be above the eyes, and then the line
should extend to the nose tip, making a very slight, to nearly straight
concave curve.
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Neck
The neck should be long, substantial, muscular, and
in proportion to the head and body.
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Body
The torso should be long and substantial, medium
to large, but not as large as the largest domestic breeds.
The legs should be medium length, slightly longer
at the back than the front.
The feet should be large and round with prominent
knuckles.
The tail should be medium length, thick, and
taper to a rounded tip.
The boning should be sturdy and firm, never
delicate, and the cat should be very muscular, especially in the males.
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Coat Pattern
The coat should be short to medium, dense and
luxurious, close-lying, and soft and silky to the touch. The patterns allowed are spotted and
marbled.
Spots should be random or aligned
horizontally. Rosettes should show
two distinct colours or shades. Paw
print shaped, arrowheads, doughnut or half doughnut is preferred to single
spotting but not essential.
Marbles should have a horizontal flow to their
pattern.
The contrast between the spots and the background
colour must be extreme, giving a distinct pattern with clearly defined,
sharp edges.
Strong, bold chin strap and mascara markings are
desirable. Virtually white
undersides and belly are desirable.
Blotchy horizontal shoulder streaks, spotted legs and spotted or
rosetted tail are desirable.
Belly must be spotted (allowance for blue-eyed
snows).
Note that TICA are currently reviewing an
amendment to their rules to allow marbled Bengals to have marbled tummies.
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Colour
Browns – all variations of brown are allowed,
however a high degree of rufousing is preferred.
Light spectacles encircling the eyes, and a
virtually white ground colour on the whisker pads, chin, chest, belly and
inner legs is desirable.
Snows – pattern can be various shades of
brown. There should be very little
or no difference between the colour of the body markings and the point
colour.
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Allowances
Smaller size, in balanced proportion, of
females. Slightly longer coat in
kittens. Jowls in adult males. Eyes slightly almond shaped. Mousy undercoat.
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Penalize
Spots on body running together vertically to form
tabby pattern on spotted cats.
Circular bulls-eye pattern on marbled cats. Substantially darker point colour in
snows. Any distinct locket on the
cat (a locket is a group of white
hairs).
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Withhold all Awards
Belly not spotted. Paw pads not consistent with the colour
of the cat, or not all the same colour.
(Note that TICA are currently considering an
amendment to their rules to lift the restriction on the colour of the paw
pads)
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Disqualification
Temperament must be unchallenging – any sign of
definite challenge shall disqualify.
The cat may exhibit fear, seek to flee, or complain aloud, but may
not threaten to harm.
A cat that bites, a cat showing evidence of intent
to deceive, adult whole male cats not having two descended testicles, cats
with all or part of the tail missing, cats with other than five toes on
each front foot and four toes on each back foot, visible or invisible tail
faults, crossed eyes, total blindness, markedly smaller size not in keeping
with the breed, depression of the sternum or unusually small diameter of
the rib cage.
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