In the 1970's, Dr. William Centerwall bred domestic cats with
Asian leopard cats within his studies in genetics.
The Asian leopard cat gave the breed its characteristic wild appearance with rosettes and large spots, alongside light - colored bellies and a body build resembling that of a wild feline.
The name of the breed, Bengal, derives from the Latin name of
the Asian leopard cat, P. b. bengalensis.
These cats are unique because they derive from the first cats, which were the result of crossbreeding selected domestic cats with
Asian leopard cat hybrids.
Their name comes from
the Asian leopard cat's taxonomic name, Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis, since Bengals were originally bred from both domestic cats and this wild cat.
Not exact matches
These first projects improved assisted reproductive strategies and included the development of artificial insemination protocols for big
cats, such as tigers, cheetahs and clouded
leopards, and for small
cats, such as
Asian Pallas» and fishing
cats, African black - footed
cats and
Asian / African sand
cats.