It is important to remember the Bengal cat’s strong muscular body means vertical as well as horizontal movement to enable them to move well, carpeted and sisal wrapped climbing trees provide hours of entertainment as you watch these little athletes move through your home.

Introduce your new cat or kitten slowly to its new home. If you have other animals, don't expect everyone to get along right away. Instead, take your time and be patient. By respecting the needs of each individual you'll go a long way in becoming a multi-pet family. The average transition time for new animals in a multi-pet household is two weeks. I will work with you to assure an easy transition. In general, your new kitten will be more talkative for a few days and will need special attention.

Your new kitten will enjoy climbing areas, scratching posts, and every Bengal cat needs toys! Have a litter pan in an area that is easily accessible and food that the kitten is used to.  Any changes should be done slowly. 

ACFA Bengal Standard

General: The Bengal cat appears to walk from the wild into the show hall. Temperament is dependable, curious, intelligent, interactive and loving. Ancestral models, felis catus and prionailurus bengalensis, create patterns reminiscent of the wild as will as patterns completely new and unique to both models. The Bengal cat is athletic, sleek and muscular; medium to large in size, allowance made for smaller females. Characteristics in the appearance of the Bengal cat distinct from those found in other domestic cat breeds given special merit.

Head:
Shape: Broad modified wedge with rounded contours. Longer than it is wide. Allowance to be made for jowls in adult males.  Size:  Slightly small in proportion to body, but not to be taken to extreme. Profile:  Gently curving forehead to bridge.  Bridge of nose extends above the eyes. The line is a very slight, to nearly straight concave curve. Special Merit: Overall look gives a distinct head from the domestic cat. Chin: Strong chin aligns with tip of nose in profile. Muzzle:  Full and broad, with large, prominent whisker pads and high, pronounced cheekbones. Nose: has a very slight concave curve. Nose Leather: Large and wide, slightly puffed.

Ears:
Size:  Overall size medium. Height: Medium to medium-short, allowance to be made for larger appearing ears on kittens up to 12 months. Base: Wide in proportion to height. Tips: Rounded desirable. Placement:  Set as much on side as top of head, following the contour of the face in the frontal view, and tipping forward in the profile view.  Furnishings:  Light horizontal furnishings acceptable; but lynx tipping undesirable. 

Eyes:
Shape:  Oval, almost round.  Size:  Large, but not bugged.  Placement:  Set wide apart, back into face, and on slight bias toward base of ear.  Color:  Eye color independent of coat color except in the lynx points. Special Merit: Richness and depth of color.

Neck:
Size:  Thick and muscular, large in proportion to head.  Length:  Long, and in proportion to body

Body:
Torso: Long and substantial, but not oriental or foreign.  Size:  Medium to large.  Boning:  Robust, never delicate.  Musculature:  Very muscular, especially in the males, one of the most distinguishing features. Consideration: Smaller size allowed in females.

Legs:
Length:  Medium, slightly longer in the back than in the front.  Boning:  Large and substantial.  Never delicate.  Musculature:  Very muscular, like the body. 

Tail:
Shape:  Thick, with rounded tip highly desired.  Size:  Medium large.  Length:  Medium.

Feet:
Size:  Large.  Shape:  Round. Knuckles: prominent. Boning: Robust, Never delicate.

Musculature:
Very muscular, especially in the males, one of the most distinguishing features. Allowance to be made for the generally slighter musculature of the females.

Coat:
Length:  Short to medium.  Allowance for slightly longer coat in kittens.  Texture:  Thick, luxurious, and unusually soft to the touch. Close lying. Glitter:  Comes from a domestic outcross into the first Bengal cats. It is a simple recessive giving a metallic look to the hair and a softer texture. While unique to the Bengal cat it is not required and should not be a considering factor

Contrast:
Contrast with ground color must be extreme, giving distinct pattern and sharp edges. The ground color has agouti banding, the uniformity of this banding gives clarity to the ground coloring. Pattern that lies deep on the hair shaft gives more contrast.

Patterns:
Spotted Pattern:  Random, horizontal or diagonal.  As little as possible like the mackerel or broken classic. Rosettes: Showing two distinct colors or shades are preferable to single spotting, but not required. Shape: Paw print, arrowhead, doughnut, semi circular, clustered, or odd shapes showing pattern distinct from domestic cats. Contrast with ground color should be extreme, giving distinct pattern and sharp edges. Strong, bold chin strap and mascara markings desirable. Necklaces can be broken or unbroken. Blotchy horizontal shoulder streaks desirable. Belly must be spotted. Virtually white underside and belly highly desired. Special Merit given to unique patterning that strikes the eye as being non-domestic.

Marbled Pattern:  Markings, while derived from the classic tabby gene, and the horizontal pull of the non-domestic giving a uniquely different pattern with as little "bulls-eye" similarity as possible. Pattern shall, instead, be random giving the impression of marble or the impression of chaining with a horizontal flow when the cat is stretched. Vertical striped mackerel influence is also undesirable. There should be little verticality to the pattern. Preference should be given to cats with three or more shades; i.e., ground color, markings, and dark outlining of those markings.  Contrast must be extreme, with distinct shapes and sharp edges. Strong, bold chin strap and mascara markings desirable. Necklaces can be broken or unbroken. Belly must be patterned. Virtually white underside and belly highly desired. Special Merit given to unique patterning that strikes the eye as being non-domestic.

Special Note: As the interplay of genes, domestic with non-domestic and the interplay of pattern flow coming from the mackerel, classic and non-domestic unique patterns are being created that will not easily be defined as marble or spotted. As the breeders select for these unique characteristics, it is recognized that further clarification will be necessitated in the standard. Until that time, select for uniqueness and non-domestic attributes.

Colors:

Spotted or Marbled Patterns
Brown Tabby, Seal Lynx Point Tabby, Seal Sepia Tabby, Seal Mink Tabby, Seal Silver Lynx Point Tabby, Seal Sepia Silver Tabby, Seal Mink Silver Tabby

Brown Tabby:  All variations are allowed; however, a high degree of rufinism, yielding a yellow, buff, tan, golden, or orange ground color is preferred.  Markings may be virtually black, brown, tan, or various shades of brown.  Light spectacles encircling the eyes and a virtual white ground color on the whisker pads, chin, chest, belly and inner legs [in contrast to the ground color of the flank and back] is desirable.  *Rims of eyes, lips, and nose should be outlined with black, and center of nose should be brick red.  Paw pads and tail tip must be black.  Eye color: Gold to Green.

*DO NOT PENALIZE:  Cats with a T shirt white, patterned with markings underside (showing it is not the white spotting factor) if the center of the nose is not brick red and if the paw pads are other than black.

Silver Tabby: The ground color should be cold, light silver, with black markings.  Tarnish coloring is undesirable.  The rims of the eyes, nose and lips should be outlined in black. The center of the nose leather should be brick red outlined in black. Paw pads are to be black. Tail tip must be black. Belly must be patterned. Eye color the same as the brown tabby, green to gold, green preferred.

In general the seal silver coloring is colder than the non-silver seal coloring.

Seal Lynx Point Tabby:  Ground color should be ivory to cream with pattern clearly visible.  Pattern can vary in color from dark seal brown, light brown, tan, or buff, with the light spectacles, whisker pads, and chin.  There should be little difference between color of body markings and point color.  Paw pads and tail tip must be dark seal brown.  Eye color:  Blue with richness in color. Allowance should be made for incomplete markings in kittens.

Seal Silver Lynx Point Tabby:  Body ranging from ivory to pale warm beige. Tabby pattern to be brown to brownish black, distinctly separate from the ground color.  Paw pads and eye color the same as seal lynx point tabby.

Seal Mink Tabby:  Ground color should be ivory, cream, or light tan with pattern clearly visible. Pattern may be various shades of seal mink to a dark seal mink. Ivory cream spectacles encircling the eyes, and ivory cream whisker pads and chin are desirable.  There should be very little or no difference between the color of body markings and point color.  Paw pads must be dark brown with rosy undertones allowed.  Tail tip must be dark seal brown.  Eye color: Aqua [blue-green] to Green, the more richness and depth of color the better. 

Seal Mink Silver Tabby:  Body ranging from ivory to light tan.  Tabby pattern to be light medium brown to brown.  Eye color, paw pads and nose leather the same as the seal mink tabby.

Seal Sepia Tabby: Ground color should be ivory, cream, or light tan with pattern clearly visible. Seal Sepia Tabby Pattern may be various shades of seal sepia to dark seal sepia. Ivory cream spectacles encircling the eyes, and ivory cream whisker pads and chin are desirable.  There should be very little or no difference between the color of body markings and point color.  Paw pads must be dark brown with rosy undertones allowed.  Tail tip must be dark seal brown.  Eye color:  Gold to Green, the more richness and depth of color the better.

Seal Sepia Silver Tabby:  Body ranging from ivory to tan. Tabby pattern brown.  Eye color, paw pads and nose leather the same as the seal sepia tabby.

Temperament:
Temperament must be unchallenging.  Any sign of definite challenge shall disqualify.  Cat may exhibit fear, seek to flee, or generally complain aloud, but may not threaten to harm.  Bengals should be confident, alert, curious, and friendly cats.