Is the Bengal cat from Bangladesh!?

To those in the cat fancy the question in the title seems odd. Even stupid but there is a little bit of truth in it. I'll explain.

Some cat fancy afficionados might say that, of course the Bengal cat is not from Bangladesh. The Bengal cat is a wild cat hybrid created by an American Jean Mill in America in the 1960s to 1980s by crossing domestic cats with the Asiatic leopard cat (aka leopard cat). She was living in Yuma, Arizona at the time. The Bengal cat is therefore from America. 

It was actually quite a complicated and extensive process with a number of foundation cats as shown in the picture below.

Foundation cats for Bengal cat breed. Image: MikeB

It was created during a time when there was a keen interest in creating through selective breeding novel cat breeds including wild cat hybrids which are domestic cats with some wild cat DNA within them.

RELATED: Bengal cat - comprehensive page.

The leopard cat is a small wild cat species about the size of a domestic cat and fiercely independent. Not actually that good a choice from which to create a wild cat hybrid to live with people as a pet. 

But the point is this, the leopard cat has a wide distribution in Asia including Bangladesh. 

We can say therefore that although the Bengal cat comes from America, within each individual Bengal cat is the DNA of the leopard cat to varying amounts depending on its filial (generation from the leopard cat).

And therefore, there is a connection to Bangladesh and the other Asian countries where this species is found.

RELATED: Bengal cats refused entry into Hawaii.

What kind of Bengal cat wins cat show competitions?

If you want to know the kind of Bengal cat which wins cat show competitions, you need to look at the breed standard (CFA or TICA) and while reading that have a look at a couple of photographs of two Bengal cats who have won competitions. This is exactly what I've done for this page. I welcome the views of cat breeders and judges etc. Please comment as much as possible.

Importance of the coat

Below you will see two winners. When I look at these photographs the most outstanding aspect of the anatomy which catches my eye is the coat and the nature of the markings. This is a high contrast coat and the rosettes and doughnuts ('donuts' in American English), as they are called, are very pronounced and sharp. The patterns are interesting and exotic. I think a lot rests on the quality of the markings.

Overall appearance

A cat that wins Bengal cat shows is going to be medium-to-large in size with a sleek, muscular build. The hindquarters are slightly higher than the shoulders and the "boning is substantial". This cat has a thick tail with a rounded tip. The head is expressive with a "nocturnal look". The markings are stunning with a wild appearance. The cat should be alert and active with an air of inquisitiveness but at the same time have a dependable disposition. Males are usually larger than females.

CFA cat show winner. Image: CFA

Glittering

The quality of the Bengal cat coat is unique to the breed. It is close lying, soft, silky and luxurious. Ideally it should be glittered. I've discussed that on another page (see below). The coat genuinely looks as though it is glittering as if it's been sprinkled with stardust.

RELATED: Bengal cat glittering.

Bengal cat glittering. Image: PoC.

Coat types

The CFA standard mentions two types of Bengal cat patterns and colours: rosetted/spotted tabby pattern and marble tabby pattern. The former is a coat covered in rosettes and spots with a horizontal flow to their alignment. 

The contrast between the pattern and the ground colour or background should be 'extreme' in the words of the CFA. The rosettes can be of many different shapes such as a round doughnut, open doughnut, pancake, paw print, arrowhead or clustered. These are preferred to single spotting. 

Other markings

The markings around the eyes and on the face should be strong and bold. The backs of the ears have a thumbprint. The colour of the chest and belly should be lighter than the other parts of the coat. The CFA likes horizontal shoulder streaks, spotted legs or a rosetted tail. The belly must have spots on it.

Bengal cat that has won at CFA cat shows. Image: CFA.

The marble pattern is sometimes called a blotched tabby pattern and is full of swirls. There should be high contrast between the markings and the background as for the rosetted coat. There should be sharp edges between the markings and the background. The markings are two toned. 

They say that there should be no resemblance to the classic tabby pattern and circular pattern or bull's-eye is undesirable. They are emphasising the fact that the tabby pattern of the Bengal cat is superior or different to the standard tabby pattern on a standard tabby cat. They prefer a random pattern and the more random it is the better. They like a stained-glass effect.

I've given you a flavour of how the survey relates to the coat pattern of the Bengal cat. It is complicated. There are lot of features to the coat that they are checking on. It is perhaps the most important aspect of the Bengal cat in terms of appearance.

There are many types of Bengal cat in terms of the coat type from blue mink smoke to black melanistic. I would recommend that you have a look at the CFA breed standard.

Negatives

On the negative side, the CFA disqualifies Bengal cats if the belly is not patterned when the cat is a rosetted/spotted tabby, marble tabby, charcoal tabby and snow tabby. They also disqualify when there is a distinct locket on the neck, chest, abdomen or anywhere else. If the tail is kinked or deformed the cat is disqualified. A cat with crossed eyes and 'cow hocking' with also qualify for qualification.

Just short of disqualification, Bengal cats will be penalised if the rosettes or spots run together vertically forming a mackerel tabby pattern. They'll be penalised if he or she has a circular bull's-eye pattern for the marble tabby. And if a snow tabby patterned Bengal cat has a "substantially darker point, as compared to colour of body markings" that cat will also be penalised.

Is this Bengal cat really pink or is this photo-editing?

I want you to tell me in a comment. I have not had a proper comment on this website for a decade!! Or that is what it feels like. I believe that this Bengal cat, bred in Penza, Russia, has a pink background colour to their coat but it is not as pink as we see despite the fact that I have photo-edited the image myself to reduce the pink tint. But if I do it more the hand and wall colour starts to look wrong.

 

Pink Bengal cat with glorious spots. Photo: Sergey Kurenkov.

Bengal cats just don't have pink coats. It's just not right. It's never been seen it before. And I'm not sure what the genetics are to produce this colour. It is entirely unnatural for a cat to have a pink coat! That's obvious because a coat is meant to provide camouflage and pink is not camouflage. In fact, it is the opposite to camouflage because browns and greens are the colours of the landscape.

Russian cat breeders tend to do some extraordinary things. They love their cats and there are quite a few cat breeders in Russia. In the West we don't get much of a chance to discuss Russian cat breeder and their cat fancy. I think we are missing out.

Another nice thing about this cat is the brown doughnut spots are a kind of rusty-brown which integrates well into the pink background. However, I wonder whether this rusty-brown appearance is because the image is photo-edited slightly pink.

If there is any genuineness about the pinkness of this Bengal cat then I would have to say that this is a unique cat, in which case there should be a lot of people talking about it but there are not. The picture comes from a Facebook page concerning the breeding of cats, the members of which are breeders and a lot of them are from Russia or Russian satellite states as I understand it.

CLICK FOR SOME PAGES ON THE BENGAL CAT COAT

Rainbow of colors and patterns of Bengal cats

 This is a nice photograph from F1 Savannahs in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is described by them as "all the colours of Bengals". It actually isn't but it is a damned good photograph nonetheless. These cats are amazing in their variety of colours and patterns. You have super-high contrast solid spots and donuts (doughnuts - spots with holes in the middle) with a three silver cats and three golden brown cats of different shades. Awesome breeding. 

Rainbow of colors and patterns of Bengal cats. Photo: F1Savannahs

At least some of them look like second filial Bengal cats which means they have a lot of wild cat Asian leopard cat DNA in them, if I'm correct. They may all be F2s but I am not sure.

I have a full page on the Bengal cat and many other pages on this popular cat breed so I won't go over the same ground here. If you'd like to explore more please click here (a range of pages on the Bengal cat coat) and here (a single comprehensive page) and here for a range of pages on the breed. Thanks.

I am not affiliated to this breeder. I just like the photograph. I am not keen on cat breeding of any sort to be honest as in this world were there are too many unwanted cats in rescue shelters it seems wrong to me and many others. But it is democracy and capitalism and we have to respect it. 

Bengal cats everything about purchase

The title describes a book for sale on Amazon.



In my humble opinion you don't need to buy a book about buying a Bengal cat or taking care of a Bengal cat. This is because taking care of a Bengal cat is no different to taking care of any other cat and there is a pile of free information on the Internet about that. There is lots of information about that on this site alone!

As to buying a Bengal cat, I would prepare a series of pertinent questions primarily about cat health and telephone three local Bengal cat breeders. I would make them local so that you can visit them. By local I would mean within reasonable driving distance. Judging by the answers I would visit the best one.

• How long have you been in business?
• Are you registered with a cat association?
• Do you have champion cats? (cat show champions)
• What is your policy on cat breeding? Do you breed for health as well as appearance?
• Do you check your cats for HCM? (HCM is a heart disease hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that can affect Bengal cats).
• What filial are you buying? SBT cats are 4th generation from the wild - remember that the Bengal cat is a wildcat hybrid. Price follows filial and quality. Quality means the cat follows the cat association breed standard. Prices are in the order of $500 (2011) but will vary depending on quality.
• These are purebred cats aren't they? (some breeders are back street breeders and are not breeding purebred cats). You don't want a Bengal cat mix as these are moggies.

You'll need to visit to inspect the conditions of the cattery. Most are hobby breeders so it will be a person's home as well as a breeding establishment. But does it seem smart and clean? Are there untoward odors?  Are the kittens confident and coming up to you without fear? Do the kittens look healthy? If one doesn't and you ask what is wrong what kind of answer does the cat breeder give? Is it plausible? Brushing off an eye infection with a casual remark is not good enough. Personally I would not proceed if one kitten was ill. If one is ill the others might be ill because many viral diseases are very contagious.

On the phone before visiting I would ask if she can provide a couple of recommendations from other customers. I would go on the Internet to check out the website; is it professional looking and does it work well? Search for complaints posted online. Sometimes there are discussions on forums about certain breeders.

Ask for a copy of the contract of purchase up front in the post so you can study it (it might be online on their website which would be a good sign incidentally). Make sure that all the necessary health checks are carried out by the seller before purchase. These should be in the contract. I would consider having your vet check out the health of the selected cat. A binding contract should be subject to that check. In other words the contract becomes effective provided the cat passes a health check by your vet. That might be a difficult one to get the breeder to agree to but a sick cat can cost you thousands of dollars or pounds over time. This is because you will become instantly attached to your new cat and will want to help. Some illnesses are serious and prolonged and difficult to cure.

The kitten that you select should ideally be confident, bright eyed and not frightened of you. You might find that the kitten selects you. That is what happened to me. Although I wasn't buying a Bengal cat but adopting a unwanted moggie!

HCM Testing at Cat Shows

HCM testing at cat shows is something that I have only recently picked up (I know I am being slow). But it seems to me to be a wonderful idea. You've got a lot of cat breeders all in one place showing their cats with long pauses with nothing much to do in between. And the cost is a very modest $90 (that used to be about £45 in the UK). This is a perfect combination and presents little obstacle to getting the test done, something that may have been put off for various reasons.

A big cat show where this service is being offered is the Thunderkatz Show April 24-25 in Oklahoma City (OKC) , USA. The service, as I understand it, is being run by PetSafe Diagnostics. People can book a slot at the show from their website (the link goes to their website). PetSafe Diagnostics specialize in Veterinary Ultrasound Imaging. HCM is tested through this method. Screenings for the OKC show take place on the 24th April (Friday) after 3 pm and on the next day between 8 am and 4 pm (I think!). They are also attending The Cats Unlimited Store (presume in or near Dallas) on Saturdays April 4th between 8 am and 5 pm.

Although any cat can at least potentially develop HCM, a heart disease found in cats and people (and other animals, I presume) some cat breeds are predisposed to the disease. Two that come instantly to mind are the Bengals and Maine Coons. Some Bengal breeders think there is a need for a more open approach by the breeders to the problem of HCM. What they mean is that all breeding cats and their parents (going up the breeding line) should be tested and the results published. Only in this open and collective manner can the disease be removed from this extremely popular breed of cat. Not all breeders want to follow that route, sadly. I am for it because it benefits the cat.

HCM testing at cat shows greatly facilitates the testing of cats and cat shows are a great forum to discuss these issues too. I think the cat show should also be a place where seminars and talks can be given to discuss these very important issues. This does not happen as far as I know. See HCM in Bengal Cats.



HCM Testing at Cat Shows to Home Page

Photo of cat at Montreal cat show is by appaIoosa and published under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs creative commons License -- this site is for charitable purposes in funding cat rescue.

Is Cat Registration Worth It?

How valid is cat registration? Is cat registration worth it? Purebred cats need to be registered with a cat association to provide the cat's owner with evidence that the cat is a purebred cat. Really, the situation is quite complicated. This is because there is a subtle difference between a purebred cat and a pedigree cat and would expect very few people outside the cat fancy to know or be bothered to know the difference. The point though is this. Unless the rules that govern whether a cat is purebred and indeed pedigree are enforced precisely and the whole thing is managed professionally, the entire purebred cat scene/business will come tumbling down, much like the banks. We thought the banks were a kind of institution, almost a public service. We thought that the people who managed the banks were "professionals". They were but being professional does not mean being good, moral and proper etc.

As I say on the Moggie cat page of the website, if we are to say that we live with a pedigree cat we will need to prove at least 3 generations of the cat have been registered with the cat association in question. The CFA wording is this: A Certified Pedigree will be issued only when three or more generations of ancestry are registered or recorded with CFA. A Certified Pedigree will be issued on an individually registered cat only, not on a litter. {I have taken liberty to quote verbatim for the sake of accuracy}.

Rather confusingly, a purebred cat need not be registered unless we want to prove the cat is purebred in which case we need to prove that the cat in question has parents and grandparents to three generations of the same breed. And of course the breed in question has to be a recognized cat breed. That would normally be achieved by a pedigree registration, it seems.

OK, these rules seem pretty good and thorough. But we don't need to register with the established cat associations. There are, though, what appears to be lesser or what one breeder has called "private registration groups". These organisation exist, it seems to me to get a cat registered for sale and to avoid the more sensible and stricter established cat association registration process. In America the established cat registries are the CFA, TICA and ACFA. The CFA (the largest) charges $20 for certified pedigree, 3 generation registration.

One "fringe" registry is the NORTH AMERICAN PUREBRED CAT REGISTRY. Their requirements for registration are:

• All purebred cats can be registered.
• They will register any cat that is already registered with another registry using the registration papers that are already supplied (what is the point?).
• Even if the purebred is not registered with another registry the cat can be registered provided either (a) if the person is 100% certain of the cat's breed a form needs to be filled out as best as the applicant can ("fill out the information you know and put unknown on the places you do not know") and (b) if the person is not sure about the cat's breed he or she should, "send a side view picture with the application". Is that it?!
• They charge $10 (attractively half price).
  

Clearly, the standard is dramatically lower. It is non-existent, in fact. This would seem to be a license for unscrupulous breeders to sell to innocent individuals a cat that is claimed to be purebred when it is not. This weakens the whole process of purebred cat registration and undermines the cat fancy generally, surely. No one seems to mind except perhaps the innocent buyer.

One experienced breeder says that a breeder (and a buyer, I would say) should insist on TICA or CFA registration and for shipping out of the country and if shipping or selling a Bengal or Savannah, TICA regisration is probably essential. Note, he used the word, probable. He was not sure about ACFA registration. Too vague for me.

Is cat registration worth it? Yes, but only if it is with a major and established cat registry with rules that apply a proper standard.



Is Cat Registration Worth It? to Collective Responsibility of Cat Breeding

The Collective Responsibility of Cat Breeding

Does the collective responsibility of cat breeding outweigh the individual cat breeder's self interest in personal success? The answer depends on whether we think short or long term. The answer depends on whether we think that short term financial gain is the best way to do business or whether long term thinking and a more stable long term but less spectacular financial gain is the better route.

The bankers of this world (the ones who used to be the masters of the universe) took the former route. Their primary interest was in promoting self (personal) interest. How much can I get out of the bank? This is what ultimately caused the credit crunch. The bankers at the top, the directors, wanted to grow the banks as fast and as big as possible to benefit them personally by way of the value of their share holdings and bonuses etc. What they failed to notice was that long term it was against the interest of the share holders generally, to whom they were responsible. The end result, we know about. When individuals in authority act in a way that is too focused on personal gain within an environment where there is a collective responsibility all can be the losers.

The same principle applies to everything we do. In the cat breeding world of Bengal cats there is a responsibility to oneself to make money. There is also a collective responsibility to the Bengal cat breed as a whole. If the breed suffers then all Bengal cat breeders, in the long term, suffer. A balance needs to be struck. In respect of cat health, and I am thinking mainly of HCM, which affects the Bengal cat (a genetic disease inherited throughout the breed to varying degrees). The long term communal gain (including the gain for the cats, most importantly) of dealing with the disease openly and collectively is bigger than dealing with it on an individual basis.

Individual cat breeders will naturally pull in different directions on this. Do they disclose HCM in their breeding program? Will that hurt business (yes, I guess). Do they keep quiet and ignore it? Does that mean that the breeders continue to breed from cats that have HCM and therefore continues to spread and entrench the disease more? The latter method will eventually hurt the Bengal cat breed as a whole and future cat breeders. It will probably, though, be the better course of action on a short term basis for the individual breeder.

Looking at the bankers we know what "shortermism" can do. It can undermine the bedrock of the business. For stability, long term reliable growth, moral wellbeing and above all the wellbeing of the cats, all cat breeders should think collectively and long term whilst balancing personal needs and gains. And someone needs to take charge of that and the only people to do that are the associations, which in the case of the Bengal cat is TICA. All Bengal breeders should be required to provide a test certificate that their show cat is HCM clear (negative) before showing.

The number one criteria for show cats should be health and character and it is those cats that should be the Grand Champions even if they look less good as a result. This will benefit all Bengal cat breeders and they will feel better for it too. It is also worth mentioning to, I think, that when people work together in a positive way there is a general sense of wellbeing amongst the group. The great difficulty is getting people to do it as it is against human nature, hence the many problems in the world.

The Collective Responsibility of Cat Breeding to Bengal Cats for Sale

What Price a Bengal Cat?

What Price a Bengal Cat? I am talking about the price emotionally and financially. And I am talking about show cats and cat breeders and the whole darn thing. Cat breeders have a difficult time and a great time. But when we take a hobby (a love of cats and keeping cats) and turn it into a business, do we ruin the hobby? Does money always get in the way of what is fine and beautiful?

Take a fabulous Bengal cat called Thriller. Here he is, this star of a boy cat stud:

THRILLER -- Outstanding Sire, International Winner, Regional Winner, Supreme Grand Champion Bengal Cat --- OS IW RW SGC

You can see more of the Bengal cat breed on this page, lots more, and some more individual cats too: Bengal Cats For Sale.

Back to Thriller (an apt name). You can read about his stream of show awards if you click on the link above or his picture. Here is the dilemma. The breeder is retiring as I understand it. What does a cat breeder do when they retire. I guess they can't keep all their cats, can they? It is just not practical. Maybe they are moving, downsizing etc. Some breeders have quite complicated set ups as far as I can see, with outside pens and oodles of space. And the cost of keeping cats that were once breeding cats for the breeder is probably prohibitive. That means selling Thriller, a stud boy who has served his time well, very well as he has sired many a beautiful Bengal cat, which have been valuable in their own right and become breeding stud boys themselves, I expect. In short Thriller has thrilled his "owner" cat breeder and made a decent amount of money for him or her.

So, on the one hand is the need to be practical and think money; to sell Thriller for a tidy sum as a pet (altered). In other words Thriller retires as well and waves goodbye to his cat breeder. Or he is sold as a breeding cat if he is still up to it. On the other hand the cat breeder feels a sufficient debt of gratitude to Thriller (and any other cat that has served their time well and made money for the breeder) to be unable to sell him and so keeps him and cares for him in retirement. Here we have that terrible dilemma with cat breeding, it seems to me. We are mixing money, profit and finance with emotion and lives; the lives of cats one has become attached too and what does one do to reconcile the two?

It depends (bottom line) on the bottom line; how much we need the money. If the money is not a major issue (i.e. the money gained in selling Thriller) then in my opinion we pay back that gratitude by keeping him and loving him in retirement. After all he is used to the place and he has bonded with his cat breeder. It seems unfair to dispense of him and force him to readjust in a new home and most of all it seems unfair to put a price on him at this stage of his life.

What price a Bengal cat who has been so good for the "owner" and breeder? No price and not the price of feeling that one has done wrong in selling him to the highest bidder.

Update: The concept of collective responsibility is a factor here. Should all Bengal cat breeders become involved with Thriller? After all, the important stud cats that have fathered many important kittens that go on to become fathers themselves affect the breed as a whole and Bengal cat breeders generally. Should he be dealt with in retirement on a collective basis? Might there be a retirement home for top breeders, for instance? I feel strongly that there is not enough working and pulling together in the cat breeding business and that this hurts the business. See Collective Responsibility of Cat Breeders.

What Price a Bengal Cat? to Home Page

Bengal Cat Sundog

Bengal Cat Sundog, the very well known Bengal cat of Julie Gracie Moseley of ZenDada Bengals - Austin TX , has a wonderful classic (blotched) marble tabby pattern:


Photo copyright Helmi Fick -- click on the link to see this image in large format.

Sundog, in fact, is one of the best known Bengal cats in the world. I guess Julie Gracie Moseley is one of the best known Bengal cat breeders. You can see more of her work here: Marble Bengal Cat.

What is surprising is that the gloriously high contrast and high quality pattern has, in places, a 3-dimensional appearance. The hair of the pattern is slightly longer than the background. Julie Grace Moseley calls this 3D Spine Lines:


Bengal Cat Sundog. Photo copyright Julie Grace Moseley. This photo came from an email published on the Marbled Bengals Yahoo Group. I have made a decision to publish it here as it is the first time that I have seen a picture of these 3D Spine Lines. The picture was taken with a camera phone. I have provided a link to her cattery: Zendada Bengals.

On a simple level, all this means is that the dark patter fur is longer than the background. But it goes further. Is the hair finer? Does it feel different? I'd like to know. It must make the experience of stroking this cat a little special. Also, is this typical of all Bengals with a marble pattern. I am sure not. So what happened with Sundog? Lots of questions. I hope someone can leave a comment to answer them.

Apparently the King Cheetah has a similarly raised pattern. See more on the King Cheetah.

Bengal Cat Sundog to Bengal Cats for Sale

Bengal cat Canada

People search for Bengal cat Canada, what does it mean? Ans: Canadians want to find a Bengal cat of course! Canada being next to the home of the Bengal cat is well placed I guess. I made a posting on Bengal cat adoption. This linked page has lots of links on it to breeders and rescue centers etc. You name it you'll probably find it there. I hope anyway. One of the best links is probably the rescue center link which takes you to perhaps some unexpected areas. That is not to say there isn't a place for good Bengal cat breeders. 

Photo: Helmi Flick

UPDATE: ALL THESE BREEDERS ARE NOW OUT OF BUSINESS! THE POST WAS WRITTEN ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO. THAT'S THE NATURE OF CAT BREEDING. IT IS A HOBBY AND IT DOES NOT ENDURE MUCH BEYOND 10 YEARS (OR LESS). SORRY.

I'll just list some top breeders here. Rosetta Cattery This is Bengal cattery is located in Burlington, Ontario, Canada (the link takes you to a Google map). I like this website, full of information and concern. One or two of the cattery's cats have been featured in the Baron's book on the Bengal cat. The Canadian Cat Association accepted the Bengal cat for championship status in 1995 and this cattery was there, right at the beginning, showing cats - a long history. They were showing cats before than under TICA and in 1991 one of their cats, Cleopatra, won Best Bengal Champion at a TICA show. Bundas Cattery Located Mount Forest, Ontario, Canada (opens to a Google map). This is another very impressive cattery website, full of information and some great pictures of the cattery itself. You don't often see that but I can see why - this is a big cattery with plenty of space. It is run by Grace Lush. I don't know her but I would expect a lot of people do in the cat fancy in Canada. Silkenthunder Bengals Of course these are my personal views but I have seen a lot of websites and cattery websites and this one is really nice. It has a thoroughly professional feel to it. They are located on the boundary of Winipeg surrounded by golf courses and a country club! The husband must play golf. They make the point that people wishing to adopt a Bengal cat really must be prepared to interact with their cat (i.e. give over some time) as this cat is interactive and likes a bit of action. If you prefer a cat more docile there are other purebreds more suitable, Persian, British Shorthair and Ragdoll come to mind but there are others. Christacats This one is on the other side of the country near Vancouver in Abbotsford. They have a lovely home in a fine position in wide open countryside - I'm jealous. There are more catteries of course. The ones listed are at the top of a Google listing and Google found the good ones but there are more good ones too. Bengal cat Canada to Bengal cats for sale

Bengal Cat Breeders Texas

Bengal cat - photo copyright Helmi Flick

Bengal Cat Breeders Texas is another searched for term and not surprisingly. For me Texas is the heart of America and the Bengal cat is very much an American style cat. Plenty of bling basically. Very much part of the US culture but of course very popular in the UK as well. It seems though that the Americans love to have a bit more and can get it by being resourceful and inventive. That is why they are the most successful nation but they do need to watch that they don't go too far.

Anyway back to Bengal cats in Texas. One cattery immediately comes to mind because I think that the cat on the RHS of the header on the main website came from this cattery. The photograph is by Helmi Flick and the cat's name is Kattitude Jumping Jack Flash and the cattery is the first one listed:

Kattitude Bengals
If I am correct about Jumping Jack Flash, he is a fantastic cat and he was photographed by a fantastic photographer, Helmi Flick. You couldn't get a better combination. Jack Flash was on the March 2004 of Cat Fancy magazine, a fine recommendation for this cattery.

Kattitude Bengals are situated in East Texas, about 60 miles west of Shreveport Louisiana. Click on the link to see the area around Shreveport (Google maps). All other links on locations go to Google maps.

Jabari Bengals
They seem to be well established and quality. They are based in Houston, which is about 200 miles south of Dallas (for all Brits flying in to Dallas airport!). TICA outstanding cattery and TIBS (The International Bengal Society) breeder of distinction.

Spotagious Bengals
Located near Corpus Christi (not far then from Jabari Bengals - 100+ miles), this is another good looking cattery judging by the website and show brag. This cattery is also TICA and TIBS recommended.

Sea Gold Bengals
Located "40 miles south of Houston". This puts them right on or very near the coast on my reckoning, which probably accounts for the name of the cattery. Sounds a great place. This is another in this foursome of catteries in an area bounded by a major road (route 20) and the coast line of the Gulf of Mexico in the south.

They all produce that precious wild look, perfect personalities and outstanding coats judging by their websites.

Wild on Spots Bengals of Texas
This cattery has employed Helmi to photograph some of their cats. They are located 10 mins drive from Dallas airport (DFW). This is another cattery near Dallas.

Mystre Bengals
When you get to this website you hear the tiny vulnerable cries of Bengal kittens. My cat who is next to me looked around. They are on a video on the home page (as at the date of this post). They are located close to the NASA base, on the south west borders of Houston.

I think this is a good selection. I couldn't find any north west of Dallas. All these Bengal Cat Breeders in Texas are based in the south. Anyway if someone wants to be on this list leave a comment please. Thanks.

Here's 2 more, Bengal cat breeders Texas, who left comments (see below). I'd like to feature them here:

Katznjamr
Classy website, lovely facilities with plenty of space (and accolades for their breeding of about 13 years). And I like it when breeders show people their facilities. It shows confidence and a relaxed attitude I think. Located in Texas. Run by Jennifer Miller who talks about breeding Bengal cats and the heart disease HCM.

Cheetahsden
Another classy website. This is a really good website a cut above the average, which is indicative of their approach. Located in Dallas Fort Worth area. The cats are pure class.


Bengal Cat Breeders Texas to Bengal cats for sale