The Bengal cat stands out from the crowd because it is a cross of domestic and wild cats rather than simply one breed. The domestic cat chosen for this breed was the most popular breed in the United States, the American Shorthair. The selected wild cat was the Asian Leopard Cat, which roams throughout Asia, from Russia to Japan and various parts of Southeast Asia. It was a lady named Jean Sugden Mill who developed the Bengal cat. A feline enthusiast, she wished to breed a domestic cat with wild cat traits and a domestic cat’s calm demeanor.
Initially, she had yet to create an entire breed of cats. Instead, she needed an attractive domestic cat with the leopard’s beautiful coat to use in her breeding program when working with the leopard cat to transfer their Asian Leopard cat to a domestic cat, but it was not our goal. Jean knew she was breaking new ground in developing this unique hybrid breed. So, she discussed her goal with cat fancier friends Pat Chauche and Mike Wilford, who convinced her that the result was spectacular and, more importantly, the cats had very unusual loving temperaments. They then proposed a joint venture to create a new breed to be recognized by the World Cat Association.
This decision to further Jean’s goal to produce a small number of cats with the leopard’s beautiful coat but possessing the excellent temperament of the domestic cat led to a plan to create a new breed. They may have iterated but made this decision lightly, resulting in the Bengal. After this decision, they aimed to create a breed with a docile temper like a domestic cat but with a vivid coat resembling the leopard, and the combination of these traits within a breed could be achieved by no better method than crossing the Asian leopard with a domestic cat. A small number of cats with the “look” were placed in adoptive homes, and the relationships formed the foundation from which the breed.
Origin of Bengal Cats
In the early 1980s, the Bengal breed was in a state of significant development in the USA. Bengals were attaining more and more interest throughout the USA, and Jean Mill’s Bengals acquired a reputation for having an amicable but independent nature. The Bengals were more expensive in those days when they were fewer and were quite close to their wild ancestor in looks and how they acted. At that time, Bengals might have been the sparked conversation during anyone’s visit to a vet.
Jean named the female cat they had bred from the leopard cat Suki. Suki had a litter of kittens called hybrids, and Jean was satisfied with what she saw in them. Unfortunately, the Bengals’ early years were fraught with more failures than successes. It was challenging to establish a new breed because of many allergies, the deaths of many Bengals, and the growing academic complexity surrounding Bengals and their hybrids as separate species. Bunny Stonestreet further developed Bengals using hybrids created by Jean and other cats.
The Bengal cat has a fascinating history. It started in the USA in 1963 when Jean Mill was given a leopard cat (Prionailurus Bengalensis) by the name of Malaysia, which had been bred with a black domestic cat to amalgamate the Asian leopard cat’s beautiful coat with a domestic cat’s personality. Jean had reasons for wanting to breed a domestic cat with the leopard cat; she was trying to create a cat with a wild look but a domestic cat’s temperament. This interest in Bengal dates back to the 19th century when the leopard cat was trendy in Italian and Belgian art.
Breeding of Bengal Cats
A rare spotted domestic cat breed, the Bengal cat is descended from ancestors of domestic felines and spotted Asian leopard cats. The original motivation for breeding a domestic cat with a wildcat was to preserve the wild look of the leopard cat but the temperament of a domestic cat. In 1963, Jean Sugden of California purchased a female Asian Leopard Cat named Malaysia. Malaysia to male domestic cats. The hybrid female offspring were bred with a male domestic cat to further the hybrid line.
By the early 1980s, several hybrid breeders were active. Still, the ultimate development of the Bengal cat began in earnest when breeder Dr. Willard Centerwall, wanting to study the effects of a Leukemia-like virus specific to the Asian Leopard Cat, bred the cats to domestic cats to place the offspring in homes. Diesel, a female cat acquired from Centerwall, later became the foundation for the Bengal breed and was bred exclusively to a black Persian. Leopard-like kittens resulting from this union caught the interest of Jean Mill, a California breeder who sought to create a new breed by ridding the hybrid cat of its wild, unpredictable nature and instilling a domestic cat’s friendly, dependable temperament.
To alleviate health concerns, Mill selected second and later-generation cats possessing only the desired characteristics of a dependable temperament and a truly resembling wild appearance. With this selection process, the Bengal looked too distinct to be considered a mere hybrid; it was, in fact, a new domestic breed.
Recognition of Bengal Cats
In 1983, the International Cat Association (TICA) officially recognized the Bengal cat. The UK’s Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) formally recognized Bengals in 1992. Although not all North American cat fancier groups acknowledge the specific criteria of the Bengal breed, others do accept Bengals. Other cat fancier organizations in North America accept Bengals, but not all recognize the specific enough standard of the Bengal breed.
Bengal cats have made notable progress in the pet show circuits. Their participation in many shows gradually expanded, and in 1991, Bengal Cats championship status. Surprisingly, only thirty years ago, the Bengal was considered an unacceptable choice for a domestic pet.
The real story regarding the recognition of the Bengal cat lies with Leopa. This cat is unregistered and appeared brown/black spotted with a harsh coat. In the early days of Bengal breeding, Jean Mill had several contacts within the cat fancy arena, notably Alice Frieman. Alice eventually acquired a pregnant rescued pure street Asian leopard cat and produced several uniquely hybrid kittens, leading to a tempting offer from Jean to have precisely one of the pure Asian leopard kittens be used to produce F2 hybrids through the donation of Leopa. Compiled with the cross and several early Filial generations, Leopa has inspired and laid the foundation for recognizing the Bengal cat.
