Bengal
Extremely active, intelligent, and curious, the Bengal looks like it just stepped out of the jungle. But while wild in appearance, this lovable, but independent breed, acts like a domestic cat.
A glimmer as to the possibility of such a wonderful combination occurred in the 1970’s when the first North American hybridization of the Asian Leopard cat and a domestic cat was documented. Then years of hard work and concerted effort began. The Asian Leopard cat was bred to hand-picked domestic cats. Generations of chosen offspring were selectively paired to produce the exotic coat color, pattern, and conformation coupled with the domestic disposition. Finally, the mid-1980’s saw the Bengal breed emerge – a strikingly wild looking cat mimicking the appearance of the Asian Leopard cat with the tame temperament, a cat that gets along well with other breeds of cats, as well as other animals.
Bengals have luscious, dramatic coats that can glimmer in the light, as well as intense eyes of varying color. Coats can be spotted, rosetted, or marbled. All Bengals must have a black tail tip, but body color can range from black on silver (charcoal) to chocolate brown on orange (sorrel), to pastel on white (snow) with blue eyes. About the same size and shape of a domestic cat, adult cats weigh 8-15 pounds. Bengals use litter boxes and require no special licenses or permits.
Breeding Bengals was the main focus of Select Exotics in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Since we have branched out to working with the other hybrid breeds, we have drastically cut back on our Bengal program. Although we are only producing a few Bengal litters a year, the quality is extraordinary.
The price range for Bengal kittens are as follows:
| Pets |
$500 - $1,500 |
| Breeders |
$1,000 - $2,000 |
Kittens will sometimes be priced out of the given ranges
See the FAQ’s page for additional information.
