Bengal Cats:are they hybrids or are they true domestic cats?

On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 14:48:32 -0700, "Cat Protector"
wrote:

I can see where they might be fearful of some breeds. I myself would rather
have an Ocicat than a Bengal.

Why? Out of curiosity......



Orchid
See Orchid's Kitties! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/bengalpage
Want a Purebred Cat? Read This! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/orchid

I think they are cool looking cats and seem to have an energetic
disposition. Of course I am still partial overall to Bombays & Japanese
Bobtails.

--
Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com

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"Orchid" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 14:48:32 -0700, "Cat Protector"
wrote:

I can see where they might be fearful of some breeds. I myself would
rather
have an Ocicat than a Bengal.

Why? Out of curiosity......



Orchid
See Orchid's Kitties! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/bengalpage
Want a Purebred Cat? Read This! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/orchid

Cat Protector wrote:
I think they are cool looking cats and seem to have an energetic
disposition.

Hm I'm not sure the above statement says something about Ocicats that's
not true of Bengals...!

S.

On 23 Feb 2005 21:22:31 -0800, "Troy Mangum"
wrote:


Cat Protector wrote:
Bengals are supposedly a cross between an Asian Leopard and a
domestic cat.
According to one Site I found they are more like domestic cats than
those of
their wild cousins. Of course all cats are wild as they are predators
and
also have natural hunting instincts. While humans may call them
domesticated
because they live amongst humans you can also look at them and say
they are
intelligent and beautiful creatures which have many of the instincts
that
cats in the wild do.



Would you consider the Bengals to be somewhat analogous to the wolf x
dog hybridization popular among some canine enthusiasts?

My (probably naive) impression is that the wolf-hybrids are far more
wolf-like than the Bengals are "Leapard"-like.


Our little Bengal is a wonderful animal.

He's very like a domestic cat: loving to humans, playful, happy around
his adopted older brother.

Yet there are so many precious differences. His personality is just
slightly different than a house-cat.. hard to describe, but he is a
predator living with humans, a jungle cat living inside during a
Minnesota winter. He NEEDS to be up high, and in any room will be
scanning for and attempting the highest spot available.

He smells different - more of a musky ferret-smell than that of a DSH.
He moves differently - slinking, head and tail low, seemingly with
extra vertebrae that make him rather snake-like.

Obviously, if you've seen pictures or visited a Bengal, he is quite
beautiful in a distinctive way. The ticked coat, so un-housecat-like,
is like shimmering gold. And those spots..

The voice is unique - as expressive as a siamese but in a completely
different dialect. It's hard to believe a 9 lb cat can make as much
noise as Louis does - if I come home after a longer absence I can hear
him from the street.

Louis is absolutely a domesticated cat. Adopted as a kitten, he's
formed a beautiful bond with our mutt, 10 years his senior. He
interacts with us as equals.

But he's not a lap-cat. Though I've heard that other Bengals will
cuddle easily, so this may be a feature of his own personality.

The most remarkable yet frustrating trait he exhibits is his feral
intent on slaying our new adoptee, twice his size. Perhaps this is
typical cat-socializing, but I've never seen it personally.

After 15 years of adopting strays, when Tiger's last companion died,
we knew we needed a playful friend, and felt we had a karmic
dispensation to consider a purebred. Bengals are reknowned for their
energy and playfulness. It was a good choice.

Louis has fit the bill to a "T".

Oh, and if you've never had a cat hop in the shower or bath with you,
you're missing a rare and precious irritation. =)

BLink