History of the Bengal
The Bengal cat is a distinct, unique breed of Spotted domestic cat derived from the ancestral crossing of a domestic cat with an Asian Leopard Cat. What is believed to be the first documented cross in the United States is recorded as 1963: however, there are references to domestic and wild crosses in earlier literature. The Bengal of today was first recognized in 1984 by The International Cat Association (TICA) and must be four generations away from the Asian Leopard Cat.

DOMESTIC / LEOPARD CAT HYBRIDS
In the first generations of hybrid the F1 cat has an ALC parent (usually sire) and a domestic parent, the F2 has an F1 mother and a domestic sire, and the F3 has an F2 mother and a domestic sire. Males are usually infertile while the females of these generations are used as foundation stock of the domestic Bengal.

DOMESTIC BENGAL CATS
The domestic Bengal (must be four generations or more from the Asian Leopard Cat) makes a loving, intelligent housecat with normal litter box habits. Curious and entertaining, some even enjoy playing in water and bathing with their owners. They enjoy the companionship of both adults and children and adapt to other family pets. While some owners regularly walk their Bengal's on leashes; exercise, nutritional and immunization requirements are the same as for all domestic household cats.
What is a Bengal cat, and is it the right pet for you?
The Bengal is a relatively new breed of domestic cat that was originally an outcross of various domestic cats with the small, reclusive wild cat known as the Asian Leopard cat (picture). The modern Bengal is several generations out from its wild ancestors and has been bred for its gregarious and friendly disposition. Most Bengal's get no bigger than an ordinary house cat, but are highly intelligent, very active and have such wonderful traits such as the ability to fetch, walk on a lead and an affinity for water. They are very curious and desire a very high degree of attention and interaction with their humans. If you want a quiet little lap cat, then the Bengal is NOT for you. On the other hand, if your household is very active and you have a lot of time to spend with your beloved pets), then I heartily recommend this breed to you!