BEA's Bengal Cats Blog

Pumpkin, Declawed, abandoned and saved

2010-09-27T23:17:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin came to my home crying, she was very hungry and immediately got you a can of food, she rapidly gobbled and politely asked by another. Well, since asked you well I met and gave some hard food too. She ate all poor girl. I had fed him in the next few days and I kept saying "no kittens, only feed him out". Well this was well, until they came down to zero on my railing deck and saw that she was no front claws. What how could someone throw this little girl with no way to defend themselves!? She went to the veterinarian the next day for tests and vaccines.

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Why cats flip for pumpkin?

2010-09-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

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If you've ever watched as a cat "flipped" over fresh catnip perhaps you've been struck with the question; "what causes Catnip to affect cats that way?" Catnip is indeed an unusual phenomenon among cats, it has the ability to alter your cat's behavior like nothing else can. So what exactly is the reason for what scientists have coined as "the Catnip effect"?

Unfortunately for such inquisitive minds the exact reason of why Catnip affects cats

in such a manner remains mostly a mystery. There is however much that we do

know about Catnip and cats even if we don't have the ultimate answer of exactly

"why?" yet answered.

The Science Stuff

Catnip is scientifically classified as Nepeta cataria and is a perennial herb from

the

mint family and is in fact also referred to as "Catmint". It is a plant indigenous to

Europe but has been exported and is now found all over including the United States

and Canada.

The active ingredient in Catnip is an oil; Nepetalactone, which is found in the leaves

of the plant. This is the reason you are able to find Catnip in a bottle or spray form

in some pet stores.

Other Uses For Catnip

Catnip is not only good to stimulate activity in cats, it can also be used by

humans

as an herb for a medicinal tea which may soothe toothaches, help against coughs,

and may also perform as a sleep aid. Furthermore, Catnip can be used as an herb

on salads or other foods as has been the case for centuries in France. Lately Catnip

has also been garnering favor as a natural insect repellant rivaling the effectiveness

of many store bought varieties of repellant.

Catnip and Kitty

Catnip affects approximately half of all cats. What determines whether or not

a cat

will react to Catnip is a genome that is inherited (or not inherited as the case may

be) at birth. Kittens, regardless of whether or not they carry this genome, do not

react to Catnip until reaching about 3 or 4 months of age and becoming sexually

mature. Older cats are also more likely to have a diminished or non-existing

reaction to Catnip, which leads scientists to believe that the Catnip effect is based at

least partially on sexuality and that the reaction may be something like an

aphrodisiac. Further adding to this belief is the similarity of a sexual pheromone

found in the urine of the male cat to nepetalactone (the active product in Catnip).

Cats that can be traced to regions where Catnip is not indigenous appear to be

unaffected by Catnip. The domesticated housecat is not the only cat that may be

affected by Catnip. Larger cats can also be affected by the Catnip effect, felines

such as the bobcat, lynx, tiger and even lion are known to react much the same way

the common housecat would. It is interesting to note that while Catnip can act as a

stimulant when a cat sniffs it, it can conversely act as a relaxant if ingested.

Therefore, you may see a different, nearly opposite result depending on whether

your cat chooses to eat the Catnip you provide for him/her or merely sniffs it (the

latter being the more typical behavior).

How to Use Catnip With Your Cat

Catnip can prove to be a very useful tool for a few common problems with

your cat.

If you are lucky enough to have a cat that does react favorably to Catnip then here

are a couple of ideas for you and your furry little friend.

Catnip and Lazy Cats:

Catnip can be used to get a lazy cat off his or her butt. Some cats are

notoriously

lazy, choosing to sleep much of their day away in a nice golden patch of sunlight on

the living room carpet, only waking up to eat and gather some necessary attention

from their indulgent owners. If this sounds like your cat, you may soon see (if you

haven't already) that your cat is becoming more and more round. This is generally

not a good thing. Catnip may be able to help. Presenting catnip to your cat

encourages activity (of course provided the cat sniffs rather than eats the herb).

Many adult cats will respond to Catnip in a manner that resembles their childlike

kitten hyperactivity, jumping, playing and running around as if it was given an

injection of kitty adrenaline, which in essence, is the case. The effect of Catnip on a

cat can last somewhere between two and fifteen minutes. If the latter is the case,

then this is a decent amount of exercise and will help keep your cat a little more

svelte than without a Catnip treatment. Furthermore, if you leave the Catnip out for

a few hours then your cat may return to the herb later (an hour or two after the

effect has worn off) and again react in an energetic fashion. So in this sense you

may consider Catnip sort of like a kitty energy drink.

Catnip and Cats That Scratch Furniture:

If you have a cat that seems bent on the destruction of your furniture then

Catnip

may again be able to come to the rescue. Cats can be frustratingly picky about just

about anything under the sun including where they want to sharpen their furniture

destroying claws. It is not uncommon for a cat to damage or destroy a piece of

furniture just because the owners finally gave up on trying to redirect their cat to

the unused cat scratching post that set them back anywhere up to a hundred dollars

and more. A good way to attempt to change this frustrating and expensive behavior

is to rub some Catnip or Catnip oil on a scratching post that you are attempting to

get the cat to use. Introduce your cat to the newly "Catnipped" scratching post and

see how he/she reacts. If all goes well, your cat will sniff and inspect the post and

then begin clawing at it. After a few times (you may have to re-Catnip the post)

hopefully kitty will be trained to use the post rather than the sofa.

Using Catnip with Multiple Cats

If you've never used Catnip before and you have more than one cat it is

advisable to

try it out individually on each cat before introducing it to all of your cats at the same

time. The reason is because Catnip affects some cats in a negative manner causing

the cat in question to become aggressive rather than merely playful. Introducing it

to your cats individually enables you to control the situation and keep a cat that may

react aggressively isolated from your other cats. This of course means avoiding a

possible catfight that could result in broken furniture, hurt kitties (possibly

requiring a vet visit), annoyed neighbors (and probably owners), or a combination of

all of the above.

Growing and Keeping Catnip

Growing your own Catnip can be rewarding as it can save you money, give you

the

satisfaction of doing something yourself and ensuring that you always get fresh,

high-quality Catnip for your cat. A word of caution however; the exact kitty

reaction you want to grow your own Catnip is something to be wary of. If you plan

on growing your Catnip out of doors and other cats can access your Catnip garden

then be prepared for unwelcome feline visitors. This may not be a problem for you

personally, but cats are by nature territorial and if you have a cat that lives alone

without the company of other cats this could prove to be an area of stress for your

cat. Even if you keep your cat inside at all times, your cat may get agitated if he/she

looks out the window to see another cat frolicking in territory your cat considers his

or her own. If you choose to grow your Catnip indoors, be careful to keep it out of

reach of kitty. Otherwise you'll likely have Fluffy jumping up on furniture even to

the most out of the way place to get access to the tempting herb. Cats are great

jumpers and not really known for respecting precious household knick-knacks. So

if you do decide to grow it indoors for a cat that reacts to Catnip, be careful to grow

it in a place that your cat won't be able to access it. A room that you always keep

closed to the cat is probably the best solution for indoor grown Catnip.

If you do find that your cat reacts positively to Catnip you should be sure to use it

sparingly so as not to dull the effect which can be the result of overexposure. A

good rule of thumb is to not treat your kitty more than once a week on average to

Catnip.

Given all the positive effects that Catnip may have on your cat you owe it to yourself

(and naturally your fluffy little ball of affection) to see how he/she reacts to this

strange and well known herb. It will provide enjoyment and exercise for your cat

and most likely an entertaining show for yourself as well. It's a win win situation.

Andy Markison is an illustrator, graphic designer, animal lover and pet owner living in Germany. His website, ZapGraphix.com, sells fun and humorous pet related merchandise.

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2010-09-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

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2010-09-27T11:27:00.001-07:00

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Description

2010-09-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

Bengal cats have "wild-looking" markings, such as large spots, rosettes, and a light/white belly, and a body structure reminiscent of the Leopard Cat.^[1]. The Bengal's rosetted spots occur only on the back and sides, with stripes elsewhere. The breed typically also features "mascara" (horizontal striping alongside the eyes), and foreleg striping.
The International Cat Association (TICA) recognizes several Bengal colors (brown, seal lynx point, mink, sepia, silver) and patterns (spotted and marbled) for competition. In the New Traits class, other colors may be shown, as well as longhairs.^[7]

[edit] Temperament

After three generations from the original crossing, the breed usually acquires a gentle domestic cat temperament;^[1] however, for the typical pet owner, a Bengal cat kept as a pet should be at least four generations (F4) removed from the Leopard Cat. The so-called "foundation cats" from the first three filial generations of breeding (F1–F3) are usually reserved for breeding purposes or the specialty pet home environment

New developments

2010-09-24T14:05:00.001-07:00

The British government agency, DEFRA, has proposed revising regulations under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 to remove licensing requirements for keeping of Bengal cats in the United Kingdom.^[6]

There are currently several varieties of domestic cat being developed from the Bengal:

The Serengeti cat: developed from crosses with Oriental Shorthair or Siamese with the aim to produce a domestic cat mimicking the appearance of an African Serval, without actually incorporating Serval genes by hybridization.
The Toyger: developed from crosses with domestic cats with the aim to produce a striped "toy Tiger".
The Cheetoh: an attempt to blend two existing domestic breeds of spotted cats with defined characteristics (Bengal and Ocicat), into a third breed.

History

2010-09-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

The earliest mention of an ALC/domestic cross was in 1889, when Harrison Weir wrote in "Our Cats and All About Them" ^[2]:

There is a rich-coloured brown tabby hybrid to be seen at the Zoological Society Gardens in Regent's Park, between the wild cat of Bengal and a tabby she-cat. It is handsome, but very wild. These hybrids, I am told, will breed again with tame variety, or with others.

However in 1927, Mr Boden-Kloss wrote to the magazine "Cat Gossip" ^[3] regarding hybrids between wild and domestic cats in Malaya:

I have never heard of hybrids between bengalensis (the Leopard Cat) and domestic cats. One of the wild tribes of the Malay Peninsula has domesticated cats, and I have seen the woman suckling bengalensis kittens, but I do not know whether the latter survive and breed with the others!

The earliest mention of a confirmed ALC/domestic cross was in 1934 in a Belgian scientific journal, and in 1941 a Japanese cat publication printed an article about one that was kept as a pet.^{[citation needed]} Jean Mill (née Sugden), the person who was later a great influence of the development of the modern Bengal breed, submitted a term paper for her genetics class at UC Davis on the subject of cross breeding cats in 1946.^[4]

A Bengal cat displaying spotting and rosetting pattern typical of the breed. Rosetted spots occur only on the back and sides, with stripes elsewhere.

The 1960s was a period when many well known breeders, including Jean Sugden, produced ALC/domestic crosses, but records indicate that none of them took it past the F2 stage. Several zoos in Europe also produced a number of F1 ALC crosses. During this period there was an epidemic of feline leukemia virus and it became known that many wild cats seemed to have a natural immunity to the disease. As a result of this, Loyola University began a research program in the 1970s to investigate if this natural immunity could be bred in or replicated.^{[citation needed]}
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s there was a great deal of activity with hybrids, but there was no significant effort to create an actual breed from them. A number of Cat clubs formed that oriented on hybrids and a few oriented specifically on something William Engler, a member of the Long Island Ocelot Club and a breeder, called a Bengal.
Club newsletters were published, detailing the production of Bengals and Safaris (a domestic cat/Geoffroy's Cat cross), and members of these clubs bred some second and third generation Bengals. These were registered with the American Cat Fanciers Association (A.C.F.A.) in 1977 as experimental and were shown at several A.C.F.A. cat shows throughout the 1970s.

Around this time, Jean Mill (née Sugden) began to renew her breeding efforts.

..I deliberately crossed leopard cats with domestic cats for several important reasons. At that time, wild cats were being exploited for the fur market. Nursing female leopard cats defending their nests were shot for their pelts, and the cubs were shipped off to pet stores worldwide. Unsuspecting cat lovers bought them, unaware of the danger, their unpleasant elimination habits and the unsuitability of keeping wild cats as pets. Most of the wild kittens from this era ended up in zoos or escaped onto city streets. I hoped that by putting a leopard coat on a domestic cat, the pet trade could be safely satisfied. If fashionable women could be dissuaded from wearing furs that look like friends' pets, the diminished demand would result in less poaching of wild species.

She contacted Dr. Willard Centerwall in Riverside who had produced a number of F1s using domestic tabbies at Loma Linda University for his Centerwall project into Feline Leukemia. Once the F1s had donated blood samples for his research, he needed homes for them. He gave Jean 4 hybrids. She later received another 5 hybrids from another source, but from the same Centerwall project.
Mill did not use local domestics to create her first Bengals. She felt the ALC was a genetically superior animal and wished to avoid weakening this element. Around 1982, Mill and her husband made a trip to India where a zoo curator showed them a feral Indian Mau. This is how the famous rosetted domestic called "Millwood Tory of Delhi" came to be found in virtually all Bengal pedigrees.

A male Bengal cat. Note "mascara" (horizontal striping alongside the eyes) and foreleg striping, both typical of the breed.

Greg and Elizabeth Kent were also early breeders, who developed their own line of Bengals using ALCs and Egyptian Maus. This was a very successful line and many modern Bengals will find it in their pedigree.
Jean Mill and the Kents worked hard to popularize the breed, and when the public saw the result of their work, word spread quickly. As the number of breeders and owners grew, it led to the formation of T.I.C.A.'s Bengal Breed Section. T.I.C.A. adopted the first written breed standard in 1986 and the first Bengal Bulletin was published in Nov/Dec 1988.
Shortly after The International Bengal Cat Society (T.I.B.C.S.), the Bengal Breeders Alliance (B.B.A.) and the Authentic Bengal Cat League (A.B.C.L.) were formed. These organizations exist to promote good breeding practices, discourage unscrupulous breeders, and attempt to educate people about the Bengal breed.
Although it has became a popular breed, with over 60,000 cats registered with T.I.C.A.^[5], not all cat registries accept them - in particular the Cat Fanciers' Association, one of the largest cat registries in the world, does not accept any hybrids.^[5]

Bengal (cat)

2010-09-24T14:01:00.001-07:00

The Bengal is a relatively new hybrid breed of cat, formed by the cross of a domestic feline and an Asian Leopard Cat ("ALC").
Bengal cats have "wild-looking" markings, such as large spots, rosettes, and a light/white belly, and a body structure reminiscent of the Asian Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis).^[1] The Bengal cat has a desirable "wild" appearance with a gentle domestic cat temperament, provided it is separated by at least three generations from the original crossing between a domestic feline and an ALC.^[1]
The name Bengal cat was derived from the taxonomic name of the Asian Leopard Cat (P. b. bengalensis), and not from the unrelated Bengal tiger.