View source for Bengal cat

{{short description|Breed of cat}}
{{redirect|Cashmere cat|the musician|Cashmere Cat}}
{{distinguish|Bengal tiger}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox cat breed
| name = Bengal Cat
| image = Paintedcats Red Star standing.jpg
| imagecaption = A female Bengal cat with tricolored rosettes and a clear coat
| altname =
| nickname =
| stock = <!--DO NOT CHANGE THIS without citing a reliable source! -->[[Egyptian Mau]], [[Abyssinian cat|Abyssinian]], and others (domestic); [[Asian leopard cat]] (wild)
| country = [[United States]]
| fifestd = https://fifeweb.org/app/uploads/2023/10/BEN.pdf
| wcfstd =  http://wcf.info/WCF-EN/library/BEN_en_2010-01-01.pdf
| cfastd =  https://cfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/bengal-standard.pdf
| ticastd=  https://www.tica.org/phocadownload/bg.pdf
| gccfstd = https://www.gccfcats.org/Portals/0/Bengal.SOP.Template.pdf
| acfastd = https://acfacat.com/Breed%20Standards/BENGAL.pdf
| acfstd =  https://www.acf.asn.au/notices/notices/standards/Group%20Three/Bengal.pdf
| ccastd =  https://www.cca-afc.com/documents/BreedStandards/BENGAL_20160804_230122.pdf
| nzcfstd = https://nzcf.com/sop/SH-30-BEN-2017.pdf
| otherstd =
| note =
| x = [[Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis]]
}}
The '''Bengal cat''' is a [[List of cat breeds|breed]] of [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] cat created from crossing of an [[Leopard cat|Asian leopard cat]] (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') with [[domestic cat]]s, especially the spotted [[Egyptian Mau]]. It is then usually bred with a breed that demonstrates a friendlier personality, because after breeding a domesticated cat with a wildcat, its friendly personality may not manifest in the kitten. The breed's name derives from the leopard cat's taxonomic name.

Bengals have varying appearances. Their coats range from spots, [[Rosette (zoology)|rosettes]], arrowhead markings, to marbling.

==Etymology==
The breed’s name derives from that of the [[Asian leopard cat]] (''Prionailurus bengalensis''), from which the Bengal cat was originally hybridized.<ref>
Cat Fanciers’ Association. "Bengal Breed Profile". ''Cat Fanciers’ Association''. Retrieved {{CURRENTYEAR}}.
</ref> The species epithet ''bengalensis'' is a Latin geographical adjective meaning “of Bengal”, referring to the [[Bengal region]] of [[South Asia]].<ref>
Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In: Wilson, D. E. & Reeder, D. M. (eds.), ''Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference'' (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0801882210.
</ref>

== History ==
=== Early history ===
The earliest mention of an [[Asian leopard cat]]&nbsp;× domestic cross was in 1889, when [[Harrison Weir]] wrote of them in ''Our Cats and All About Them''.<ref>{{cite book |first=Harrison William |last=Weir |author-link=Harrison Weir |url= https://archive.org/details/ourcatsallaboutt00weir |title=Our Cats and All About Them: Their Varieties, Habits, and Management |publisher=[[Houghton, Mifflin & Co.]] |date=1889 |page=55}}</ref>

=== Bengals as a breed ===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Jean Mill holding a Bengal cat.jpg|thumb|left|Jean Sugden Mill holding a Bengal cat in an undated photo.]] -->

[[Jean Mill]] of [[California]] is given credit for the modern Bengal breed. She made the first known deliberate cross of an Asian leopard cat with a domestic cat (a black California tomcat).<ref name="Jones" /> Bengals as a breed did not really begin in earnest until much later.<ref name="Hamilton">{{cite news |last1=Hamilton |first1=Denise |title=A Little Cat Feat: A Covina woman's efforts at cross-breeding wild and domestic felines are paying off handsomely. |url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-03-10-ga-32170-story.html |access-date=January 27, 2019 |page=2 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=March 10, 1994 |archive-date=April 17, 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220417154054/https://www.latimes.com/archives |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Cat registries ====
In 1986, the breed was accepted as a "new breed" by [[The International Cat Association]]; Bengals gained TICA championship status in 1991.<ref name="Bengal Breed">{{cite web |title=Bengal Breed |url= https://tica.org/bengal-breeders?view=article&id=824:bengal-breed&catid=79 |work=TICA.org |publisher=[[The International Cat Association]] |date=August 13, 2018 |access-date=March 8, 2019 |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200726195616/https://tica.org/bengal-breeders?view=article&id=824:bengal-breed&catid=79 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Governing Council of the Cat Fancy]] (GCCF) accepted Bengal cats in 1997.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bengal |publisher=[[Governing Council of the Cat Fancy]] |url= https://www.gccfcats.org/Cat-Breeds/Bengal |website=GCCFCats.org |access-date=April 11, 2019 |archive-date=April 11, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190411202106/https://www.gccfcats.org/Cat-Breeds/Bengal |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Fédération Internationale Féline]] (FIFe) in 1999 accepted the breed into their registry.<ref>{{cite web |title=Breed standards |url= http://fifeweb.org/wp/breeds/breeds_prf_stn.php |website=FIFe |access-date=April 11, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151220123955/http://fifeweb.org/wp/breeds/breeds_prf_stn.php |archive-date=December 20, 2015 }}</ref> Also in 1999, Bengals were accepted into the [[Australian Cat Federation]] (ACF).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.acf.asn.au/history.php |title=Moments in History of ACF |website=ACF.asn.au |publisher=[[Australian Cat Federation]] |access-date=January 10, 2018 |archive-date=February 24, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180224021705/http://acf.asn.au/history.php |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Cat Fanciers' Association]] accepted the Bengal in CFA's "Miscellaneous" in 2016, under the restrictions that "it must be F6 or later (6 generations removed from the Asian leopard cat or non-Bengal domestic cat ancestors)".<ref>{{cite web |title=Bengals Take Their First Step in CFA |url= https://www.showcatsonline.com/x-sco/bengals-take-their-first-step-in-cfa.shtml |website=ShowCatsOnline.com |access-date=April 10, 2019 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200807181413/https://www.showcatsonline.com/x-sco/bengals-take-their-first-step-in-cfa.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Charcoal Bengal.jpg|thumb|A charcoal Bengal kitten, with white "goggle" markings, and black [[Rosette (zoology)|rosettes]]]]
{{clear left}}

==== Early generations ====
Bengal cats from the first three generations of breeding ([[F1 hybrid|F1, F2, and F3]]) are considered "[[Foundation stock|foundation]]" or "early-generation" Bengals. The early-generation males are frequently infertile. Therefore, female early-generation Bengals are bred to fertile domestic Bengal males of later generations.<ref name="Jones" /><ref>{{cite journal |first1=Brian W. |last1=Davis |first2=Christopher M. |last2=Seabury |first3=Wesley A. |last3=Brashear |first4=Gang |last4=Li |first5=Melody |last5=Roelke-Parker |first6=William J. |last6=Murphy |title=Creation of Interspecies Domestic Cat Hybrids |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |volume=32 |issue=10 |pages=2534–2546 |ref=Mechanisms Underlying Mammalian Hybrid Sterility in Two Feline Interspecies Models |pmc=4592343 |year=2015 |pmid=26006188 |doi=10.1093/molbev/msv124}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=March 29, 2019 |title=From F to G for Better Understanding |url= https://www.bengalcats.co/bengal-cat-generations-explained/ |access-date=January 28, 2021 |website=Bengal Cats |archive-date=February 7, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210207025442/https://www.bengalcats.co/bengal-cat-generations-explained/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Nevertheless, as the term was used incorrectly for many years, many people and breeders still refer to the cats as F2, F3, and F4, even though the term is considered incorrect.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.bengalcat.co.uk/asian-leopard-cat/ |title=Asian Leopard Cat Cross to Bengal, Prionailurus Bengalensis |date=June 4, 2018 |access-date=January 17, 2020 |archive-date=April 30, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200430115637/https://www.bengalcat.co.uk/asian-leopard-cat/ |url-status=live}}</ref>{{clarify|date=January 2024|reason=This appears to be a non-sequitur. "Nevertheless" seems to have no referent. Which term is "the term ... used incorrectly for many years"? What does "F2, F3, and F4" have to do with the previous material about F1, G2, and G3? What term is "the term [that] is considered incorrect", after a list of three terms? "Considered" by whom, on what basis?  It seems that either some intervening material of some importance to the context has been deleted, or someone who doesn't know what they're talking about has been writing here.}}
{{clear left}}

== Popularity ==
The Bengal breed was more fully developed by the 1980s. "In 1992 [[The International Cat Association]] had 125 registered Bengal [[Breeder]]s."<ref name="Jones" /> By the 2000s, Bengals had become a very popular breed.  In 2019, there were nearly 2,500 Bengal breeders registered in [[The International Cat Association|TICA]] worldwide.<ref name="TICA" />
{{clear left}}

{{Bar chart
| title       = The Growth of Bengal Breeding
| label_type  = Year
| data_type   = TICA registered Bengal Breeders
| bar_width   = 35
| width_units = em
| data_max    = 2500
| label1   = 1992<ref name="Jones">{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Joyce |title=The Pet Cat That Evokes the Leopard |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/20/nyregion/the-pet-cat-that-evokes-the-leopard.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 20, 1992 |access-date=January 23, 2019 |archive-date=March 21, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190321021956/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/20/nyregion/the-pet-cat-that-evokes-the-leopard.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
| data1    = 125
| label2   = 2019<sup>*</sup><ref name="TICA">{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=TICA Registered Cattery Names |url= https://tica.org/owners-breeders/registered-catteries |work=TICA.org |publisher=[[The International Cat Association]] |access-date=February 1, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190202041909/https://tica.org/owners-breeders/registered-catteries |archive-date=February 2, 2019 }}</ref>
| data2    = 2,492
}}
{{in5}}<sup>*</sup> The 2019 number only represents the breeders who use the word "Bengal" in their cattery name.

== Appearance ==

=== Markings ===
[[File:Best Stalk.jpg|thumb|left|A brown Bengal cat stalking. This cat displays rosettes and spotting typical of the breed. Bengals have longer rear legs and carry their tails low.]]

==== Colors ====
Bengals come in a variety of coat colors.<ref name="YCA">{{cite web |title=Bengal Breed |url= https://tica.org/breeds/browse-all-breeds#bengal |website=TICA.org |publisher=[[The International Cat Association]] |access-date=January 5, 2020 |archive-date=September 27, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170927102615/http://www.tica.org/cat-breeds/item/301#bengal |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=So, Do You Think My Cat Is a Bengal? |url= https://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/is-my-cat-a-bengal-cat/ |work=WildcatSanctuary.org |date=2019 |location=Sandstone, Minnesota |publisher=Wildcat Sanctuary |access-date=January 23, 2019 |archive-date=January 24, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190124041836/https://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/is-my-cat-a-bengal-cat/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[The International Cat Association]] (TICA) recognizes several Bengal colors: brown spotted, seal lynx point (snow), sepia, silver, and mink spotted [[Tabby cat|tabby]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Alan |last=Brown |url= http://www.bengalcat.com/aboutbengals/bengal.php |title=Bengal Cats & Kittens |publisher=The International Bengal Cat Society |work=BengalCat.com |access-date=September 12, 2013 |archive-date=September 22, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130922151123/http://www.bengalcat.com/aboutbengals/bengal.php |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Spotted rosetted ====
The Bengal cat is the only domestic breed of cat that has [[Rosette (zoology)|rosette markings]].{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
==== Marble ====
[[File:CattiCartano Hemlock -Hemppa- BEN n 22 at the age of 4 months.JPG|thumb|right|A brown marble Bengal being judged at a TICA show (2013)]]
Domestic cats have four distinct and heritable coat patterns – ticked, mackerel, blotched, and spotted – these are collectively referred to as tabby markings.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Barsh |first1=Greg |last2=Kaelin |first2=Christopher |title=Tabby pattern genetics – a whole new breed of cat |journal=Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research |volume=23 |issue=4 |pages=514–516 |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |doi=10.1111/j.1755-148X.2010.00723.x |pmid=20518859 |year=2010 |s2cid=7082692}}</ref>

Christopher Kaelin, a [[Stanford University]] [[geneticist]], has conducted research that has been used to identify the spotted gene and the marble gene in domestic Bengal cats.  Kaelin studied the color and pattern variations of feral cats in Northern California, and was able to identify the gene responsible for the marble pattern in Bengal cats.<ref>{{cite web |last=Conger |first=Krista |title=How the cheetah got its stripes: A genetic tale by Stanford researchers |url= http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2012/09/how-the-cheetah-got-its-stripes-a-genetic-tale-by-stanford-researchers.html |website=Med.Stanford.edu |date=October 30, 2007 |publisher=[[Stanford University]] |access-date=March 10, 2019 |archive-date=January 10, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190110071024/http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2012/09/how-the-cheetah-got-its-stripes-a-genetic-tale-by-stanford-researchers.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:BEN Russicats White Angel (5274194975).jpg|thumb|left|A snow Bengal, with "mascara" markings (horizontal striping alongside the eyes)|alt=|219x219px]]
[[File:Bengal Color dna test.jpg|thumb|right|A UC Davis Bengal DNA test showing a cat carrying three recessive colors]]

== Legal restrictions ==
In [[Australia]], G5 (fifth-generation) Bengals are not restricted, but their import is complex.<ref>{{cite web |title=Guidance on the import of live hybrid animals |website=Environment.gov.au |publisher=[[Australian Government|Commonwealth of Australia]] |department=[[Department of the Environment (Australia, 2013–2016)|Department of Environment]] |url= http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/live/import-list/hybrid-animals-guidance |access-date=March 28, 2020 |archive-date=February 20, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200220125100/http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/live/import-list/hybrid-animals-guidance |url-status=live}}</ref>

Bengals were regulated in the [[United Kingdom]]. In 2007, however, the [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]] removed the previous licensing requirements.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Dangerous Wild Animals Act&nbsp;1976 (modification) Order&nbsp;2007 |date=November 4, 2014 |website=Legislation.gov.uk |url= http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/1437/schedule/made |access-date=April 2, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160531162938/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/1437/schedule/made |archive-date=May 31, 2016}}</ref>

In the [[United States]], legal restrictions and even bans sometimes exist at the state and municipal level. In [[Hawaii]], Bengal cats are prohibited by law (as are all wild cat species, and all other hybrids of domestic and wild animals).<ref>{{cite web |title=Non-domestic Animal and Microorganism Lists |website=HDOA.Hawaii.gov |publisher=[[State of Hawaii]] Plant Industry Division |url= http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/pq/import-program/pq-non-domestic-animal-and-microorganism-lists/ |access-date=January 28, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190130000544/http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/pq/import-program/pq-non-domestic-animal-and-microorganism-lists/ |archive-date=January 30, 2019}}</ref> In [[Connecticut]], it is also illegal to own any generation of Bengal cat.<ref>{{cite report |last=McCarthy |first=Kevin E. |title=Bengal cat laws |website=cga.ct.gov |date=2000 |publisher=[[State of Connecticut]] |url= https://www.cga.ct.gov/2000/rpt/2000-R-0680.htm |access-date=March 17, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210609002739/https://www.cga.ct.gov/2000/rpt/2000-R-0680.htm |archive-date=June 9, 2021}}</ref> In [[Alaska]], Bengal cats must be four generations removed from the Asian leopard cat. A permit and registered pedigree that indicates the previous four generations are required.<ref>{{cite web |title=AK – Exotic pets: Possession of wolf and wild-cats hybrids prohibited |date=July 20, 1998 |series=Animal Legal & Historical Center / Administrative |publisher=College of Law, [[Michigan State University]] |website=AnimalLaw.info |url= https://www.animallaw.info/administrative/ak-exotic-pets-5-aac-92030-possession-wolf-and-wild-cat-hybrids-prohibited |access-date=March 17, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220417154352/https://www.animallaw.info/administrative/ak-exotic-pets-5-aac-92030-possession-wolf-and-wild-cat-hybrids-prohibited |archive-date=April 17, 2022}}</ref> In [[California]], the code of regulations Title&nbsp;14, section&nbsp;K, Asian leopards are not specifically listed as a restricted species. In [[Delaware]], a permit is required to own Bengal cats.<ref>{{cite web |title=Title&nbsp;3 900–903 |series=Administrative Code |publisher=[[State of Delaware]] |url= https://regulations.delaware.gov/AdminCode/title3/900/903/.shtml |access-date=March 15, 2022}}{{dead link|date=September 2023}}</ref> Bengals of the [[F1 hybrid|F1–G4 generations]] are also regulated in [[New York (state)|New York state]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Massachusetts]], and [[Indiana]]. Various cities have imposed restrictions; in [[New York City]], Bengals are prohibited,<ref name="Saulny">{{cite news |last=Saulny |first=Susan |date=May 12, 2005 |title=What's up, pussycat? Whoa! |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/12/fashion/whats-up-pussycat-whoa.html |access-date=November 21, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160113034327/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/12/fashion/whats-up-pussycat-whoa.html |archive-date=January 13, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Title IV Environmental Sanitation, Article 161 Animals |work=Health Code of the City of New York |date=2000 |publisher=[[New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene|Department of Health]], [[New York City Government|City of New York]] |via=Yumpu.com |url= https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/11786671/health-code-of-the-city-of-new-york-title-24-nycgov |access-date=February 28, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190228130503/https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/11786671/health-code-of-the-city-of-new-york-title-24-nycgov |archive-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> and there are limits on Bengal ownership in [[Seattle, Washington]], and in [[Denver, Colorado]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Alessio |first1=Kristine C. |title=Legislation and your cat |url= http://www.bengalcat.com/flier.pdf |website=BengalCat.com |publisher=The International Bengal Cat Society |access-date=January 22, 2019 |url-status=live  |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190123080933/http://www.bengalcat.com/flier.pdf |archive-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref> Except where noted above, Bengal cats with a generation of G5 and beyond are considered domestic, and are generally legal in the US.

In New Zealand's [[Southland District]], the Bengal cat requires a permit to own and is completely banned on any off-shore islands including [[Stewart Island]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rosenberg |first1=Matthew |title='High-risk' Bengal cat sales monitored |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/southland/%E2%80%98high-risk%E2%80%99-bengal-cat-sales-monitored |access-date=7 June 2024 |publisher=[[Otago Daily Times]] |date=20 April 2024}}</ref>

== Health ==
=== Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) ===
[[File:HCM Screen Jordan 2014 Completed copy copy.jpg|thumb|left|Example of a completed HCM report]]
[[Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy]] (HCM) is a major concern in the Bengal cat breed. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease in which the heart muscle (myocardium) becomes abnormally thick (hypertrophied). A thick heart muscle makes it difficult for the cat's heart to pump blood.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy |url= https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20350198 |work=MayoClinic.org |publisher=[[Mayo Clinic]] |access-date=January 22, 2019 |archive-date=September 15, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180915073912/https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20350198 |url-status=live}}</ref> 

HCM is a common genetic disease in Bengal cats and there is no genetic testing available as of 2018. In the United States, the current practice of screening for HCM involves bringing Bengal cats to a board certified veterinary cardiologist where an echocardiogram is completed. Bengal cats that are used for breeding should be screened annually to ensure that no hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is present. As of January 2019, the North Carolina State University is attempting to identify genetic markers for HCM in the Bengal Cat.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Meurs |first1=Kate |title=Genetics: Bengal Cat Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Study |url= https://cvm.ncsu.edu/genetics/bengal-cat-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy-study/ |work=CVM.NCSU.edu |publisher=College of Veterinary Medicine, [[North Carolina State University ]] |access-date=January 22, 2019 |archive-date=January 24, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190124051420/https://cvm.ncsu.edu/genetics/bengal-cat-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy-study/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

One study published in the ''Journal of Internal Veterinary Medicine'' has claimed the prevalence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Bengal cats is 16.7% (95% CI = 13.2–46.5%).<ref>{{cite journal |title=Myosin-Binding Protein C DNA Variants in Domestic Cats (A31P, A74T, R820W) and their Association with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy |date=January 17, 2013 |doi=10.1111/jvim.12031 |pmid=23323744 |volume=27 |issue=2 |journal=Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine |pages=275–285 |pmc=3602388 |last1=Longeri |first1=M. |last2=Ferrari |first2=P. |last3=Knafelz |first3=P. |last4=Mezzelani |first4=A. |last5=Marabotti |first5=A. |last6=Milanesi |first6=L. |last7=Pertica |first7=G. |last8=Polli |first8=M. |last9=Brambilla |first9=P. G. |last10=Kittleson |first10=M. |last11=Lyons |first11=L. A. |last12=Porciello |first12=F.}}</ref>

=== Bengal progressive retinal atrophy (PRA-b) ===
Bengal cats are known to be affected by several genetic diseases, one of which is Bengal [[progressive retinal atrophy]], also known as Bengal PRA or PRA-b. 

=== Erythrocyte pyruvate kinase deficiency (PK-deficiency or PK-def) ===
[[PK deficiency]] is a common genetic diseases found in Bengal cats. PK deficiency is another test that is administered by the breeder. Breeding Bengal Cats should be tested before breeding to ensure two PK deficiency carriers are not mated. This is a test that a breeder must do on their own. A breeder uses a cotton swab to rub the inside of the cat's mouth and then mails the swab to the laboratory.

=== Ulcerative nasal dermatitis ===
A unique form of ulcerative [[dermatitis]] affecting the nasal planum ([[rhinarium]] or nose leather) of Bengal cats was first reported in 2004.<ref name="Bengvall">{{cite journal |last=Bergvall |first=K. |title=A novel ulcerative nasal dermatitis of Bengal cats |journal=Veterinary Dermatology |date=2004 |volume=15 |page=28 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-3164.2004.411_25.x |doi-access=free}}</ref> The condition first presents between the ages of 4–12 months, beginning as a dry scale and progressing to crusts and fissures typical of [[hyperkeratosis]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Newton |first=H. |editor-first=Kimberly S. |editor-last=Coyner |title=Clinical Atlas of Canine and Feline Dermatology |date=2019 |publisher=[[Wiley-Blackwell]] |isbn=978-1-119-22633-8 |page=363-373 |doi=10.1002/9781119226338 |s2cid=243624855 |url= https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781119226338 |access-date=26 March 2023}}</ref> The exact cause remains unclear; it is considered hereditary and incurable, but can respond favorably to topical [[steroid]] treatments such as [[prednisolone]] and [[tacrolimus]] ointment.<ref name="Bengvall" />
=== Life expectancy ===
A UK study looking at veterinary records found the Bengal to have a life expectancy of 8.51 years compared to 11.74 years overall.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Teng | first1=Kendy Tzu-yun | last2=Brodbelt | first2=Dave C | last3=Church | first3=David B | last4=O'Neill | first4=Dan G | title=Life tables of annual life expectancy and risk factors for mortality in cats in the UK | journal=Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery | volume=26 | issue=5 | date=2024 | article-number=1098612X241234556 | issn=1098-612X | doi=10.1177/1098612X241234556 | doi-access=free | pmid=38714312 | pmc=11156239 }}</ref>

== Bengal blood-type ==
The [[University of California, Davis|UC Davis]] Veterinary Genetics Laboratory has studied domestic cat blood-types. They conclude that most domestic cats fall within the AB&nbsp;system. The common blood-types are A and B and some cats have the rare AB&nbsp;blood-type. There is a lack of sufficient samples from Bengals, so the genetics of the AB&nbsp;blood-group in Bengal cats is not well understood.<ref>{{cite web |title=AB blood group in felines |url= http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/abblood.php |publisher=Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, [[University of California, Davis]] |website=VGL.UCDavis.edu |access-date=January 23, 2019 |archive-date=January 24, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190124041328/http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/abblood.php |url-status=live}}</ref>

One Bengal blood-type study that took place in the U.K. tested 100&nbsp;Bengal cats. They concluded that all 100 of the Bengal cats tested had type&nbsp;A blood.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Feline blood transfusions: A pinker shade of pale |journal=Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery |publisher=[[Sage Publishing]] |first=Danièlle A. |last=Gunn-Moore |date=January 1, 2011 |volume=11 |issue=10 |pages=826–828 |doi=10.1016/j.jfms.2009.03.008 |pmid=19423375 |pmc=11135508 }}</ref>
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== Shedding and grooming ==
Bengals are often claimed by breeders<ref name="BI">See, e.g., this breeder-operated Bengals portal: {{cite web |title=Bengal Cats—Are They Hypoallergenic? |work=BengalsIllustrated.com |date=2012 |publisher=Award Winning Publications / The International Bengal Cat Connection |url= https://www.bengalsillustrated.com/2026/bengal-cats-are-they-hypoallergenic/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170711022522/https://www.bengalsillustrated.com/2026/bengal-cats-are-they-hypoallergenic/ |archive-date=July 11, 2017 |access-date=April 7, 2019}}</ref> and pet adoption agencies<ref name="Dhir">{{cite news |last=Dhir |first=Rajeev |title=Suffering From Allergies? You Can Still Adopt a Cat |url= https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/Cat-Allergies-Consider-Adopting-Siberian-Clear-the-Shelters-386655901.html |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160720164529/http://www.necn.com/news/national-international/Cat-Allergies-Consider-Adopting-Siberian-Clear-the-Shelters-386655901.html |archive-date=July 20, 2016 |access-date=January 23, 2019 |work=NECN.com |publisher=[[New England Cable News]] (NBCUniversal Media)}}</ref> to be a [[hypoallergenic]] breed – one less likely to cause [[Allergies to cats|an allergic reaction]].  The Bengal cat is said to produce lower than average levels of allergens,<ref name="Dhir" />{{better source needed|date=April 2019|reason=This is WP:MEDRS material, and this summary of uncited information from elsewhere is actually factually wrong on at least one thing (pet dander isn't dried skin flakes, it's dried saliva from grooming). This IS a good WP:ABOUTSELF primary source for the fact that pet adoption agencies make such claims, though.}} though this has not been scientifically proven as of 2020.

Cat geneticist Leslie Lyons, who runs the [[University of Missouri]]'s Feline and Comparative Genetics Laboratory, discounts such claims, observing that there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic cat. Alleged hypoallergenic breeds thus may still produce a reaction among those who have severe allergies.<ref>{{cite web |last=Schmitt |first=Kristen A. |title=There's No Such Thing as a Hypoallergenic Cat |url= https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/theres-no-such-thing-hypoallergenic-cat-180968819/ |work=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|SmithsonianMag.com]] |publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] |access-date=January 27, 2019 |archive-date=January 30, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190130053133/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/theres-no-such-thing-hypoallergenic-cat-180968819/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Bengal Longhair (Cashmere Bengal) ==
[[File:Cashmere.png|thumb|Bengal longhair kitten]]
Some '''long-haired Bengals''' (more properly, semi-long-haired) have always occurred in Bengal breeding. Many different domestic cats were used to create the Bengal breed, and it is theorized that the gene for long hair came from one of these [[backcrossing]]s. [[University of California, Davis|UC Davis]] has developed a genetic test for long hair so that Bengal breeders could select Bengal cats with a recessive long-hair gene for their breeding programs.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Long-Hair Test for Felines |url= https://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/cat/CatLongHair.php |work=VGL.UCDavis.edu |publisher=Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, [[University of California, Davis]] |access-date=January 23, 2019 |archive-date=January 24, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190124041604/https://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/cat/CatLongHair.php |url-status=live}}</ref>

Some Bengal cats used in breeding can carry a recessive gene for long-haired. When a male and female Bengal each carry a copy of the recessive long hair gene, and those two Bengals are mated with each other, they can produce long-haired Bengals. ''(See [[Cat coat genetics#Genes involved in fur length and texture]].)'' In the past, long-haired offspring of Bengal matings were spayed or neutered until some breeders chose to develop the long-haired Bengal (which are sometimes called a Cashmere Bengal).

Long-haired Bengals are starting to gain more recognition in some cat breed registries but are not widely accepted. Since 2013, they have "preliminary" breed status in the [[New Zealand Cat Fancy]] (NZCF) registry, under the breed name '''Cashmere Bengal'''.<ref name="NZCF minutes">{{cite web |title=Minutes of Executive Council Meeting, August 2013 |url= http://www.nzcatfancy.gen.nz/downloads/EC+minutes+August+2013.doc |format=Microsoft Word |publisher=[[New Zealand Cat Fancy]] |access-date=December 22, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150113151123/http://nzcatfancy.gen.nz/downloads/EC%20minutes%20August%202013.doc |archive-date=January 13, 2015 }}</ref> Since 2017 [[The International Cat Association]] (TICA) has accepted the '''Bengal Longhair'''<ref name="Bengal Longhair breed information">{{cite web |title=TICA cat breeds |url= https://www.tica.org/breeds/browse-all-breeds#bengal-longhair |publisher=[[The International Cat Association]] |work=TICA.org |date= July 31, 2018 |access-date=May 27, 2021 |archive-date=July 17, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210717233737/https://tica.org/breeds/browse-all-breeds#bengal-longhair |url-status=live}}</ref> in competitions.

== See also ==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
*{{Vanchor|Derived breeds}}<!--This anchor has incoming links.--> (mostly experimental):
**[[Bramble cat]]
**[[Genetta cat]]
**[[Highlander cat]]
**[[Jungle Curl]]
**[[Mojave Spotted]]
**[[Pantherette]]
**[[Punjabi cat]]
**[[Serengeti cat]]
**[[Toyger]]
{{col-break}}
*Hybrid cat varieties involving other species:
**[[Chausie]]
**[[Kellas cat]]
**[[Savannah cat]]
*[[Ocicat]], a spotted breed that is not a domestic–wild hybrid
*[[List of cat breeds]]
**[[List of experimental cat breeds]]
{{col-end}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{Commonscat-inline|Bengal cats}}

{{Mammal hybrids}}
{{Cat nav}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bengal (Cat)}}
[[Category:Cat breeds]]
[[Category:Cat breeds originating in the United States]]
[[Category:Domestic–wild hybrid cats]]
[[Category:Intergeneric hybrids]]