Cat breed · United States
The Bengal cat is a breed of hybrid cat created from crossbreeding an Asian leopard cat to domestic cats (Prionailurus bengalensis × Felis catus), especially the spotted tabby Egyptian Mau. Bengals have varying appearances. Their tabby coats range from domestic spots to hybrid rosettes, arrowhead markings, and marbling. The breed is selectively bred and pedigree registered with most of the major cat registries. The breed's name derives from the leopard cat's taxonomic name. The bengal cat is considered a large breed, with males reaching [dose — ask your vet] when fully mature.
Due to the recent hybridisation with their wild ancestor species, the breeding, trading, and ownership of Bengal cats is legally regulated in several countries.
History: The earliest mention of an Asian leopard cat × domestic cat hybrid was in 1889, when Harrison Weir wrote of them in Our Cats and All About Them.
Jean Mill of California, US, is given credit for the modern Bengal breed. She made the first known deliberate cross of an Asian leopard cat with a domestic cat (a black tomcat). Bengals as a breed did not really begin in earnest until much later.
