The phenomenon of natural hybrization of cats has been happening for a few thousand years in regions of the world where human settlement had taken place and where domestic cats already existed. Yet, records show that the first attempt at deliberate man-made hybridization of Felis Catus and Felis Silvestris only happened in the late 19th century with the showing of a hybrid between a spotted Jungle cat and a domestic cat at the Crystal Palace in London. One had to wait until the 1970ies for more systematic hybridization when Dr Centerwall started breeding Asian Leopard Cats (Felis Prionailurus Bengalensis) to domestic cats for his own immunology research purposes. Although at first the F1 (first generation) males produced turned out to be sterile, continued breeding finally led to the emergence of what is now known as the Bengal. It is worth noting that the breed was finally recognized thanks to the efforts of genetics researcher Jean Sugden Mill who strove to establish the Bengal as a domestic cat and successfully got the Bengal cat recognized by The International Cat Association (TICA).
The official pet Bengal needs to be separated by at least four generations from the original crossing between a domestic feline and an Asian Leopard Cat. The percentage of wild genes in F4 and later generations is extremely small, only a few percent and these cats have wholly domestic temperaments. Bill Engler is supposed to have been the first person to use the appellation “Bengal”. He was a zookeeper and at first an importer of exotic cats. He later started breeding them. He claimed that his goal was “To create a small exotic cat that was beautiful and that had the disposition that was suitable for a pet house cat, that had a greater resistance to disease of civilization than his jungle-bred cousins, and that would readily reproduce himself”. This goal has definitely been reached now with the forever increasing popularity of the Bengal as a house cat. It has the physical characteristics of its wild ancestor: the athletic build (long back, long legs), the coat with “rosette” spots and stripes on the forelegs, white or lighter shade belly, "mascara" markings alongside the eyes. Some exhibit a beautiful glittered coat.
As for its personality, the Bengal is energetic, intelligent and interactive. It is also said to be very adaptable and affectionate, with a sweet disposition when reared in a nurturing environment. However, some Bengals still retain a “wild” streak as shown in the extract form the Bengal Cat Rescue Website mentioned in John Bradshaw’s Cat Sense: “This breed has a strong and sometimes dominant personality and although affectionate, lots are not simple lap cats. They can respond aggressively to discipline and to being handled”…
References:
Alan Brown, Bengal cats & kittens
Bruce Fogle, Cats
Sarah Hartwell, Domestic X wildcat hybrids
Clive Roots, Domestication
Roger Tabor, Cat Behaviour