# Bengal Cats (Leopard hybrid) **pics**



## shmurmer4 (Dec 27, 2008)

Anyone else on here have one? Just curious.

I used to be a dog person, then I bought one.

They are absolutely amazing animals, and incredibly intelligent.

Here is Ozzy.





































[doing a line of catnip]

and a baby shot of his belly...


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

what a cutie! i love his markings. very nice kitty, no i dont' have one though. I thought I heard that they were mean? Guess not, because Ozzy looks like a sweety!


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## shmurmer4 (Dec 27, 2008)

They are how you raise him, he is incredibly nice, unless he doesn't like you.

He tried to shoot my friend...:| Good thing he wasn't strong enough to turn the safety off.

But the blue bengal, next to him in the first picture, she was feral so she wasn't that nice.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

oh ok!! very sweet cats


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## shmurmer4 (Dec 27, 2008)

couple more kitten shots


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## Salty_alydaR (Mar 24, 2008)

those cats are awesome!

defintatley more interesting than mine haha!


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## Mike_User (Oct 24, 2006)

I _love_ big cats. Yours are awesome looking! They aren't hypo allergenic by any chance, are they? I know some rare cats are...


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## shmurmer4 (Dec 27, 2008)

Administrator said:


> I _love_ big cats. Yours are awesome looking! They aren't hypo allergenic by any chance, are they? I know some rare cats are...


actually yes they are, they have different type of fur and most people who are allergic to cats are not allergic to them.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

How big do they get?
I've always been interested in large house cats like the Maine ***** but have only had barn cat rejects. The Maine **** has always been a bit furry for me, I prefer a short haired, but would like a large bodied cat that can stand up to my Scottish terriers.


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## shmurmer4 (Dec 27, 2008)

Vidaloco said:


> How big do they get?
> I've always been interested in large house cats like the Maine ***** but have only had barn cat rejects. The Maine **** has always been a bit furry for me, I prefer a short haired, but would like a large bodied cat that can stand up to my Scottish terriers.



When on all 4's they are an inch or two taller than a normal house cat.
On their hind legs they can reach the door knob on the average door. Mine opens doors pretty often.

They definitely can stand up to your terriers, they are known as the pitbull of cats. Mine has actually been chased by 2 pitbulls, turned around and started chasing them. They have an advantage that normal cats don't have, their claws are pretty much razors. They can definitely fend for themselves, you would just have to watch your dogs because I had a german shepard and mine always stalked him and pounced on him and such, they were just playing though. Sadly enough the bengal would win in a true fight though.


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## TaMMa89 (Apr 12, 2008)

Aww how adrable cats! I love cats


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## Mike_User (Oct 24, 2006)

shmurmer4 said:


> actually yes they are, they have different type of fur and most people who are allergic to cats are not allergic to them.


I had heard that cat allergies were actually related to a protein in cats' saliva more than anything to do with their fur, and that some cats don't have this protein in their saliva which makes them hypo allergenic. I really don't know much about it, though. Maybe bengals lack this protein, too?

That's awesome that your cat can open doors!


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## Gingerrrrr (Feb 12, 2008)

aww. im sure there expenisve! im not a big fan of cats but there cute!


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## shmurmer4 (Dec 27, 2008)

Administrator said:


> I had heard that cat allergies were actually related to a protein in cats' saliva more than anything to do with their fur, and that some cats don't have this protein in their saliva which makes them hypo allergenic. I really don't know much about it, though. Maybe bengals lack this protein, too?
> 
> That's awesome that your cat can open doors!


I was told that it was the dandruff that people were allergic to, so I guess yours is a bit more detailed. I'm honestly not sure on that


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

I breed and show bengal cats and have been breeding for 7 years now. 

They are NOT bigger than normal cats and they are not leopard hybrids. They are decendants of Asian Leopard Cat hybrids (huge difference there - big wild cat vs. small wild cat). The Asian Leopard Cat is a small wild cat that is about the same size as your average house cat (7-15 lbs with males being larger than females). A bengal is not a bengal until its 4 generations from the original cross. At that point it is considered a domestic and registerable with several cat registries, the most common being TICA. Generations 1-3 are called Early Generation or Filial and are not considered domestics and males are usually infertile. A domestic female bengal typically is going to be 6-10 lbs and a bengal male will be 9-18 lbs and the standard calls them a "medium to large, but not quite as large as the largest domestic breed". 

As to if they are hypoallergenic - that answer is, it depends. Both of you had the "partial" answer. The proteins in the saliva creates the dander in the cat's fur when they clean themselves its the residue left behind. Due to the bengal's history, their proteins tend to be altered a bit due to the ALC blood. Some people who are allergic to normal cats are not allergic to this altered protein. There is no gaurantee, so they are not "hypoallergenic" per se for all, but I do know some people who can't even pick up a domestic, but can live with a bengal no problem. The best thing to do is go to a breeder's house or another person who owns one and see how you react.

The other bengal advantage is the fur is a smoother lying fur and is typcially called a "pelt" because there are some differences between them and other breeds. The smoothness prevents the dander from holding and building up in the coat. So if someone allergic to the cat picks it up - they aren't going to get a face full of dander. 

I'll post pics in a bit...


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Bengals come in browns or snows (seal lynx point, seal mink, seal sepia) or silver color. They also come in either spotted or marbled patterns. My cattery specializes in the marbles, so that is what I will mostly be posting. 

Chardonnay: 









Lady Rajah (She is an F2):









Renegade: (1/2 brother to the 2005 international best bengal)










Aziza:









And I just love these:


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

No, I don't have one but I have always thought they were beautiful. All but 1 of mine are from the animal shelter. There are not many rare cat breeds available here. As for standing up to a dog, it just kinda depends on the cat. I had a small gray tabby many years ago named Suzie. She would whip the crap out of any dog that messed with her. She had all ours so terrorized, they would try to hide when she walked through the barn. LOL


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## shmurmer4 (Dec 27, 2008)

How big is renegade? 

He just looks pretty small from his picture...


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

My bengals rule the dog. Its quite funny when they decide to take over the dog's bed. My boxer mix just sits there and whines to me. LOL. 

smrobs - if you are ever interested in a bengal there is a bengal rescue network set up with bengals across the US. There are purebred and mixes that are being held in foster homes. I currently have a bengal mix here for the bengal rescue adn I know they have plenty - including in TX. 

Bengal Rescue Network, a Maryland Not-For-Profit Corporation

http://www.greatlakesbengalrescue.com/
Plus many breeders are looking for retirement homes for their adults. These would be 3-6 year old cats and you can get a higher-quality cat for a cheaper price, usually just the cost of spay/neuter.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

shmurmer4 said:


> How big is renegade?
> 
> He just looks pretty small from his picture...


Last time I weighed him he was 15 lbs and he has grown a bit from then. His Daddy was 18 lbs in his show-weight.


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## shmurmer4 (Dec 27, 2008)

ah, so he is pretty good sized.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Yup, my males tend to be bigger and the females a bit smaller. The photo is probably misleading since he was younger in that photo - not quite a year - and there is no background reference. I need to get more photos of him! I lost most of them when my other computer crashed.


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## moomoo (Feb 21, 2007)

A friend has two, I want to have a photoshoot with them because they are gorgeous little things!


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## RusticWildFire (Jul 6, 2008)

Pretty cats!!!


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