Please ID: Is this a bengal?

This is one of the kittens I foster. I noticed this cat is very aggressive, hisses a lot, and in general, is different than the others. He's a good boy though. He has beautiful markings. He has symetrical circles on both sides as you see in the photos below. I know nothing about these cats, bengals. Could it be he is a bengal bred with a domestic cat? Any help?

If he is, is there anything I need to know? Will he have special needs? Thanks all!

Looks like a classic tabby domestic shotrhaired moggy (mixed cat). Unless you saw the parents mate, there's no way of knowing (I doubt it has bengal in it, as to the best of my knowledge, they have spots instead of stripes).

Thanks. I am doing some looking around. If he is a part bengal he would be what they calll marbled.

I don't know if this comes across from the photos but his markings are particularly dark, or, high contrast. Also, very unusual, to me anyway. With those circles on either side of his body being so symetrical.

If he is a bengal or even mixed I will want to let the owner know this so they can expect a little bit more unusual behavior this one is already exhibiting. Maybe tomorrow I will show him some running water and see if he wants to swim...

One question. What about the spots on his belly, as compared to stripes?

I figured I would ask the experts though.

Originally Posted by Vik61

Thanks. I am doing some looking around. If he is a part bengal he would be what they calll marbled.

I don't know if this comes across from the photos but his markings are particularly dark, or, high contrast. Also, very unusual, to me anyway. With those circles on either side of his body being so symetrical.

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There are quite a few moggies with those markings. Him having them does not mean he is a bengal. It's not uncommon for tabbies to have spotted bellies (to the best of my knowledge. My tabby has a pale orange belly with grey spots on it.

I'm not ego involved with him being or not being a bengal. I wouldn't even have thought to ask were it not for his slightly unusual behavior coupled with the woman who came over tonight to adopt a kitten suggesting it. Here is another picture. Have you ever seen circles like this on a tabby / tabby mix? He has one of these on both sides of his body in the same place, very symetrical and pretty.

Originally Posted by Vik61

I'm not ego involved with him being or not being a bengal. I wouldn't even have thought to ask were it not for his slightly unusual behavior coupled with the woman who came over tonight to adopt a kitten suggesting it. Here is another picture. Have you ever seen circles like this on a tabby / tabby mix? He has one of these on both sides of his body in the same place, very symetrical and pretty.

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I have seen markings like that on a moggy. They were very symmetrical on him as well

Tabby isn't a breed so he wouldn't be a tabby mix. He is just a DSH Tabby and white I think it would be called. I wouldn't even have thought Bengal at all. His behavior is possibly because maybe his mother was feral or semi feral or just simply not given enough human contact.

My ginger tabby and white has markings like that on each side, they are lovely actually. I wouldn't say anything like a Bengal, they normally have sleek shiny looking fur, that looks completely different to a moggie. I have seen quite a few tabbies with spotty bellies, everyone assumes they must have Bengal in them, but I doubt it, so I would say it is quite normal.

While fully agreeing with the unliklihood of it being a bengal, it is possible for him to be a marbled, but i'm almost certain they have very asymmetrical markings. He doesn't look bengal, his face shape and coat isn't right, however he is adorable and i hope he can be socialised and placed in a loving home. Any ideas on his age?

Zissou has a belly just like that! She's a silver too, the only difference is the white paws and the classic tabby pattern instead of mackerel tabby.

Her tummy had very very pronounced spots when she was that age. They've faded a little bit now, and where she was shaved for her spay grew back in all white but is starting to have the spots in it again now.

In my experience, tabbies have a higher contrast in their tabby colors when they're babies and then sometimes it sort of fades a little bit, and then some tabbies barely look like they have a pattern and it grows in brighter.

What an adorable kitten! Is he about 2 months?

I had a cat that had those type of circles on each side.Tabby type tiger cat he was.

He's a mitted mackeral tabby. An adorable DSH kitten.

Well thank you all SO much!

cata-mint, he is probably about 8 weeks? I wish I could say more. I picked up four more yesterday, and get no history of any type. They told me, "three females and one male," and that is all. They are spayed/neutered but haven't had any other type of treatment at the vet's where I gather them up.

My new kitten has those same markings. Her's are very high contrast and very beautiful. She's just a simple marbled tabby, but she's a beauty all the same.

He's just gorgeously handsome. Today I took him off by himself and showed him some running water. He didn't want anything to do with it.

I was reading last night that the bengals seem to hold a fascination with running water, though my own baby just loves to play in running water, always has. She doesn't want to be IN it however.

Many bengals, I guess, are even known to love swimming...not this little guy.

Also, a little attention goes a long way with this pretty guy. Have been enjoying him and getting to know the other new ones which haven't been adopted yet.

Brown classic tabby and white bicolor domestic shorthair, a moggie.
Not a mackerel tabby, they are the tiger striped pattern.

I've seen all 4 tabby patterns on tons of moggies, though less common for a moggie to be a spotted tabby or a ticked tabby, but it happens.

He's a gorgeous little guy, I hope he finds the purfect forever home.

Bengals as a breed really don't have a mean temperment like you described.It sounds more like an issue of the kitten not being properly socialized. Also, the patten you've shown is a classic tabby patten and not a marbled bengal pattern at all. The marble bengal pattern should NOT have the bullseyes circle on the sides. It should look more like an ocelot or boa constrictor pattern. Also, the marble pattern is never symetrical on both sides. Look at my signature of what a marble pattern should look like. "Stormy" is a marble bengal. Very distinct and different then a classic tabby pattern. On my website at http://www.littleleopardcats.com there is a whole page that describes the marble pattern. There are picture examples.
BTW, it is not uncommon at all for non-bengal tabbies to have spots or spotted bellys.

bengalbabe, I've already been convinced the little guy was not a bengal.

I think, from an ignorant person's perspective, he looked more marbled than spotted, since he didn't have spots. But I've been looking at a lot of black and brown tabby pics--I've just never seen such a symetrical pattern on a kitten. His markings seem kind of unusual, to me. And, bengal kittens have been known to turn up in shelters. I thought I'd ask and I was easily "educated." Your cattery looks like an amazing habitat!

I like what wookie said, "he is a mitted mackeral tabby." Very precise description of him!

I'm glad I did some reading on bengals though, I'm intrigued, and would love to see some in real life.

Yes, the little tabby was very quick to hiss, lots and lots of that. But he was running around in a 12 x 12 foot room with eight other kittens and there was a lot of rough housing, especially from him.

But pull him aside and he was such a lovey dove. I'm relieved he got such a good owner. Five to go until next weekend.

A good classic tabby will have markings the same on both sides. That's what the breeders strive for

I would never go with whether a cat likes or doesn't like water as to a "breed". Turkish vans and rexes like playing in water. I've had many other cats (mixed) that liked it, so you can't judge by that fasination.

I've also had mixed breed bicolors that breeders would kill for on the pattern. Sometimes mother nature makes a "perfect" cat