The Bengal is a man made breed, developed by crossing an Asian Leopard, Prionailurus Bengalensis to a domestic cat, felis catus. The first 3 generations are classified as a "hybrid Bengal Cat". The 4th generation is recognized as a "Domestic Bengal Cat", that is allowed championship status in the Canadian Cat Association.
The first hybridizations took place at university institutes for cancer research. Apparently the Asian Leopard cat is immune to Feline Leukemia, a deadly cancer-killing decease found in cats. Therefore through hybridizing, researchers were able to follow the genetics of the immune system of the f1 hybrid offspring. After the study was completed, the hybrids were placed in family homes. The Bengal breed evolved out of these original hybrids...and the rest is history! Presently, hybridization does exist in some private Bengal breeding programs.
The goal of the Bengal breeding program is to as nearly as possible replicate the appearance of the wild leopard cat while maintaining the dependable temperament of the domestic cat. The Bengal is medium to large, sleek and very muscular. The head is egg-shaped with substantial back-skull on a long neck. The face is contoured like an hourglass having a wide bridge with a thick nose leather and prominent whisker pads. The ears are medium in size with a wide base and rounded tips. The eyes are large, round, and set wide apart. The coat is pelt like with gold glitter, and the spots should be random or aligned horizontally on a contrasting background. Rosetting is defined as broken circle of spots on a rufus background, different from the base coat. Rosetting is highly desirable. Stomach must be spotted and on a cream to white background, white being the ideal. The most preferred tail is thick at the base WITHOUT tapering to the tail tip. Tail tip should be blunt but this is not mandatory.
Bengal come in 2 coat patterns: the spotted pattern and the marbled pattern. And they come in 4 colours: the brown tabby, seal-lynx tabby, seal sepia tabby and the seal-mink tabby (the last 3 are commonly referred to as "snows").
Since the Bengal breed is derived from a "wild cat", breeders selectively chose the most friendly and most outgoing offspring to be used in their breeding programs. Because of this, the domestic Bengal is an extremely friendly, social animal, which loves human companionship!