The Bengal a unique breed

Conformation

Head type

The Bengal has a relatively small head, compared to other breeds. Ideally, the head of the Bengal closely resembles that of an Asian leopard cat. The Asian leopard cat has a quite finely boned face, which on a Bengal can have a distinct disadvantage: a Bengal cannot always have all the wild characteristics of a leopard cat. The ears are often too big and pointy, and the eyes are often too small and too slanted. A finely boned face would make a Bengal with too large ears and slanted eyes look like an Oriental shorthair very quickly. Therefore some breeders prefer to let their Bengals have a coarser head type than the Asian leopard cat possesses. At this moment, several types of Bengal exist who are very different in head shape: some breeders aim for the wild look of the ALC, and indeed breed for a very long and fine-boned face. Others have chosen a more solid type, to prevent an oriental look, but still aim for small ears and oval eyes, and a long forehead with rounded contours. And still other breeders have chosen to breed for coat and pattern rather than type, and the heads of their Bengals can look very different, with larger, high set ears, slanted eyes, short foreheads and muzzles, and a thick short neck. These Bengals look more like other pedigree breeds than like an ALC, and even a lot of domestic cats have a wilder look than they have.

The ideal Bengal has a long, egg-shaped profile, with a well rounded forehead. The nose is big, and the noseleather is brick-red. The cheekbones are high and very pronounced. The eyes are large and oval, the ears are small, rounded and broad at the base. The shape and setting of the ears are almost more important than their size. Highly set, pointed ears resemble a housecat very strongly, and do not look wild at all. The ears should be broad and set as much on side as on top of the head. Lighter spots on the back of the ears, also called ocelli or nighteyes, are very desirable.

The large, pronounced whiskerpads are also very characteristic for the Bengal. When the whiskers are pulled back, the whiskerpads seem to disappear, because they are fleshy. Very important for the right expression are the highly contrasted facial markings, consisting of light spectacles, dark lightning shaped streaks on the cheeks, and a chin strap. The eyes have a very thin mascara line on their outer rim. Above the eye, light vertical stripes enhance the expression. Whiskerpads, chin and throat are lighter coloured, preferably white. A Bengal should have one or more unbroken necklaces around its neck. On the forehead, the markings consist of dark stripes, that thicken towards the back of the neck and that run up to the shoulders. The facial markings are multicoloured with black, ivory, white reddish brown and darkbrown tones. The more contrast between the different colours, the better. Foundation generation Bengals often have the most highly contrasted facial markings.

Important for the expression of the Bengal is a firm chin. In profile, the lower jaw must lie in the same vertical line as the upper jaw.
The lower jaw must also possess a certain thickness. Weak chins can become a real problem for the Bengal breed, because the broad whisker pads make a weak chin look even worse. All wild cats have a very strong chin, and a weak chin is very harmful for the required wild expression and gives the Bengal a vacant, sullen expression. Although the chin is only a very small part of the Bengal, it is very important that it will be monitored very closely, lest the Bengal loses its typical, wild expression.

Body Type

The neck is quite long and muscled. Some Bengals, especially males, have a short neck combined with heavy musculature. This gives a very stout look to these Bengals, that although it looks very impressive, does not conform to the supple, wild demeanor of the Bengal. The muscled shoulders are very pronounced, and give the impression of rolling when the Bengal is moving. The legs are solid and muscled, with large round feet. The Bengal has quite long legs, with the hind legs somewhat longer than the front legs, which strengthens the rolling movement of the shoulder to give the cat a unmistakable stalking gait. The back is long and straight, the hindquarters are strong and muscled. The tail is of a medium length and thick, the tip is rounded. It is carried low, and in this way accentuates the length of the body.

The overall impression of a Bengal is athletic and muscled. The males are generally quite large, weighing 5 or 6 kilos or even more. Females can be quite a bit smaller and more elegant than males. The foundation generations are usually somewhat heavier than the later generations. Their heads are also smaller in proportion to their bodies. A Bengal is a lot heavier than it appears to be, probably because of the heavy musculature and solid boning. Despite this, a Bengal does not appear ungainly for all its size, its demeanor is more of controlled strength and natural grace.

On a catshow, a Bengal looks at its best when it is stretched, because then the length of the body is displayed. The flowing pattern also looks at its best when the cat is stretched to its full length. The Bengal seems to know this, because it likes to lie completely stretched at home or in the garden. In the afternoon sun, or on top of something, with one paw hanging down casually. Flat on the belly with legs sticking out in the front and the hindlegs folded under its body is the favourite position to show off rows of spots along the spine. Especially when seen from behind, this makes for a spectacular view.