Is she really a bengal mix?

libby'smom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 17, 2007
Messages
122
Purraise
1
Location
GA
I'm not too sure, but I figure the experts might know. Can you give any insight to what my young cat is?





And finally this one:



She is very active. I need to play with her for at least an 1hr 30 minutes at least. She's not very vocal though. She doesn't quite meow, I don't know what I would call it kind of a purr/brrr sound. She's very active in the morning. She'll come in the room around 3 a.m, will sleep on the bed, but will dose on and off until about 6, and then she is very active, she'll rowl like a question almost like are you awake yet? I go to the gym in the morning, but after I get home I take a quick shower, wash her food and water bowls out, refill and then I get ready for work. I eat and get partially dressed (dress slacks), I then I scoop out the litter box and then I play with her from usually 6:40 until 7:30 before I go to work.

My husband usually gets home from work between 9-11 and then he plays with her for 15-20 minutes. When I come home I get out of my work clothes, and while I'm cooking dinner I squeeze in playtime with her. At 6 ish I set out her wet food. I usually eat and hop onto the computer until around 8ish or so, then I play with her for another half-hour or so before I get ready for bed.

I know this is probably too much info, but I just want to illustrate some of the playtime we have with her.
 

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
She's a very nice dark brown classic tabby domestic SH. She doesn't look like she has any Bengal in her. She's what I call a black-brown tabby vs the warmer shade of some brown tabbies. She is pretty


What makes you think she has Bengal in her?
 

siggav

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
1,327
Purraise
22
Location
Scotland
Could you post a picture of her side when she's somewhat stretched out (or atleast not sitting or curled up) to give a better look at the pattern on her sides?

The short answer is that it's pretty much impossible to tell. There's a cat pattern called "classic tabby" which looks pretty much like her pattern, you can see more examples here: http://images.google.com/images?q=cl...=1&sa=N&tab=wi

There is a bengal pattern similar to the classic tabby, it's called marble but is more chaotic and usually tricoloured as well, i.e the dark swirls have black edges and a paler brown inside which is darker though than the background colour of the cat.

You can see a marble bengal in the photo here: http://www.hdw-inc.com/likita1.jpg

Anyway she's definately not a full bengal, I wouldn't say with 100% certainity that there's no bengal in her at all but it's very hard to tell. Bengals are very active cats so her being active as well makes it a bit more likely that she's a bengal mix. However there's plenty of active cats that aren't bengals so that's no proof either.

In the end though she's gorgeous and sounds like a very fun cat to have around the house
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

libby'smom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 17, 2007
Messages
122
Purraise
1
Location
GA
Our friend said she is a Bengal mix. I guess the original owner was told she was a mix. All I do know is that the mother was feral, and the kittens we're around humans from a young age. I just kept reading about how Bengals are, and I figured that she didn't sound like a Bengal at all. Since I don't know a lot about cats, I figured my friend was right. That's why I had to ask.

Good so now I can start researching on Tabby's!
 

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
Tabby is NOT a breed - its a pattern description. You basically have 4 types of tabby markings (1) classic or bullseye or blotched (like yours is); (2) mackeral - stripes are vertical like the fish striping; (3) spotted - round spots like an Ocicat or a Bengal (tho a lot of mackerals can have broken stripes that look spotted; and (4) ticked - as in a wild bunny's fur or an aby cat. The coat is banded in different shades or "ticking".

Maybe your friend is equivalating a "feral" cat as a wild cat and confusing it with the Bengal that has wild cat in the background. But I see no Bengal at all in your kitty.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

libby'smom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 17, 2007
Messages
122
Purraise
1
Location
GA
Here are some more shots of her:





 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

libby'smom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 17, 2007
Messages
122
Purraise
1
Location
GA
Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Tabby is NOT a breed - its a pattern description. You basically have 4 types of tabby markings (1) classic or bullseye or blotched (like yours is); (2) mackeral - stripes are vertical like the fish striping; (3) spotted - round spots like an Ocicat or a Bengal (tho a lot of mackerals can have broken stripes that look spotted; and (4) ticked - as in a wild bunny's fur or an aby cat. The coat is banded in different shades or "ticking".

Maybe your friend is equivalating a "feral" cat as a wild cat and confusing it with the Bengal that has wild cat in the background. But I see no Bengal at all in your kitty.
See how much I know about cats.


So she's a Domestic Short Hair. About my friend, I don't know. She told me that's what the first owner was told. She probably doesn't know what a real Bengal is, she does have a cat named Boo that looks like my cat, and she said that he is part Bengal, so I honestly believe that she is told by whomever she got him from that he is part Bengal, so she believed them.
 

kai bengals

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 5, 2005
Messages
3,931
Purraise
17
Location
North Carolina
You have a very pretty cat...honestly a nice looking cat. Is she part bengal? I doubt it, but anything is possible.
Does it matter? Nope.

All bengals are tabby cats and many tabbies have some bengal-like traits. Tabby's are popular because of their look and many think that their Tabby's are bengal mixes.
Usually this isn't true. There aren't many bengal mixes around.

Hope you enjoy that beautiful cat!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

libby'smom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 17, 2007
Messages
122
Purraise
1
Location
GA
Thank you all! It definitely doesn't matter if she was part Bengal or not. I just wanted to know what she might be so I could do a little research on her.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #12

libby'smom

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 17, 2007
Messages
122
Purraise
1
Location
GA
Thank you all for your help!
 
Top