Archive for the ‘About bengals’ Category
Ulcerative Planum Nasale of the Bengal Cat
Ulcerative planum nasale of the Bengal cat is a rare and distinctive skin disease characterized by fissures, crusts, and ulcers of the planum nasale seen only in Bengal cats. A defect resulting in high epidermal turnover and reduced thickness of the stratum corneum was hypothesized.
Dry nose of the Bengal Cat
An inherited disorder is strongly suspected as all affected cats have been Bengal cats. The disease has been seen in Sweden, Italy, the United Kingdom, and in the U.S.A. (2 in Northern California).
Clinical features: scaling progressed to adherent crusting overlying erosions and ulcers. Pruritus or pain were not noted. Bleeding can occur.
Progression: disease is gradual in onset in Bengal cat kittens or young adults.
Signalment predilections: age of onset was between 4 months and 1 year of age.
Differential diagnosis: the disease is visually distinctive.
Therapy: oral prednisolone and topical salicylic acid were palliative in some cats. Topical tacrolimus (Protopic®) was very effective in a small number of cats. Lesions in some cats may resolve spontaneously.
Breed-Based Skin Diseases
Peter J. Ihrke, VMD, DACVD
School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
Davis, CA, USA
http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WSAVA2008&PID=23958&Print=1&O=Generic
unique dermatitis affecting Bengal cats
The purpose of this report was to describe a unique dermatitis affecting Bengal cats in Sweden. Forty-eight Bengal cats were presented to DjurAkuten between 1999 and 2003. Six cats (four males and two females) exhibited a unique dermatosis characterized by fissures, crusts, erosions and ulcers limited to the nasal planum. No other skin or internal lesions were noted, except for a heart murmur in one cat. The age of onset varied between 4 months and 1 year. The skin disease did not appear to be contagious. Fungal cultures were negative in four subjects, and haematology and serum chemistry results were unremarkable in two cats. In one patient, histopathology revealed marked epidermal parakeratosis and crusting, and a moderate mononuclear and neutrophilic dermatitis with periadnexal plasma cells. Five cats were treated with antibiotics without noticeable improvement in nasal lesions. Prednisolone administration resulted in complete remission in one cat and partial, short-term improvement of lesions in another. Topical application of salicylic acid improved lesions in one of two cats. Finally, tacrolimus ointment led to a rapid decrease in lesions in four patients. Follow-up varied between 4 months and 3 years. One cat remained in complete remission with prednisolone, partial improvement was maintained in one cat with salicylic acid, and marked improvement of lesions persisted with topical tacrolimus in four patients. The cause of this unique dermatitis remains elusive. The occurrence of skin lesions in one breed suggests a heritable cause. The response of lesions to immunomodulators suggests of an immune pathogenesis.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-3164.2004.411_25.x/abstract
History of the Bengal
History of the Bengal Cat:
Originally christened the Leopardette, the Bengal is a hybridisation of domestic cats & Asian Leopard Cats (a small wild cat). In 1963 Jean Sudgen of Yuma, Arizona purchased a female Asian Leopard cat (named Malaysia) from a pet store. Believing the cat to be lonely, she put a black domestic cat in her cage for company. The animals mated & produced two kittens, a male & a female called KinKin. Sadly, the male was fatally mauled by Malaysia but KinKin was safely removed & raised by a Himalayan queen.
Jean contacted Cornell University who predicted that KinKin would be sterile. This proved to be incorrect when KinKin was mated back to her father and delivered two kittens. A black female & a spotted male. Due to the sudden death of her husband this project was abandoned.
In 1980 Jean contacted geneticist Dr Willard Centerwall who was working on a breeding programme which involved crossing Leopard Cats with domestic cats. This was part of a study of Feline Leukaemia. Jean Sudgen (now living in California & remarried as Jean Mill) obtained several F1 (the F stands for Filial) hybrids from this programme.
While in India in 1982 Jean & her husband came across a tailless feral domestic male with markings similar to that of the leopard. He had been living in a rhino enclosure at Delhi zoo. Jean imported this cat (named Millwood Tory of Delhi) back to the United States & he was mated with the female hybrids. Other domestic breeds were used in the breeding programme including Ocicats, Egyptian Maus, Abyssinians, Bombays & British Shorthairs. The breed obtained official recognition with TICA in 1984.
Appearance of the Bengal Cat:
The Bengal cat is a medium to large cat with a long, muscular body with robust bones. It’s hind legs are slightly longer than the front legs, the feet are large & oval. The head is broad modified wedge, which is longer than wide, with small ears & pronounced whisker pads. Eyes are black rimmed & almond shaped. The tail is thick, tapering to a black tip. The coat is thick, beautifully sleek & soft feels more like a pelt than fur. The belly is whited & should also have spots.
There are two Bengal patterns. Spotted & Marbled.
Spotted: The spots should be dark & clear, with a crisp outline with a good contrast to the background colour. The spots can be either solid, arrow shaped or as rosettes. Spots should be found on the body, including the belly, the legs will have spots & or stripes. Spots should be random or horizontal in alignment.
Marbled: The marbled pattern consists of contrasting horizontal swirls along the side of the cat. The contrast must be extreme.
Glitter: Bengal cats have a gene known as the glitter gene. It is believed this came from the kitten Jean Mill imported from India. It is a recessive gene & is highly desirable in the Bengal. It looks as if a handful of gold has been sprinkled over the coat.
Bengal Cat Temperament:
Bengals are intelligent, active, energetic cats. Due to their ALC ancestry many Bengals have a love of water. They are agile, love to climb & can be vocal with a distinctive voice . They get along well with other pets & people. Bengals enjoy high places & are enthusiastic climbers. Many Bengal owners have trained their cat to walk on a harness, so they can enjoy the great outdoors in safety.
If you are out a lot of the time it is recommended that you get your Bengal a companion so that he/she doesn’t become lonely.
Words used to describe Bengals include: active, playful, wilful, energetic.
Bengal Cat Colours:
Traditional Tabby colours: Brown Spotted & Brown Marbled.
Sepia Tabby Colours: Seal Sepia Spotted Tabby & Seal Sepia Marbled Tabby.
Mink Colours: Seal Mink Spotted Tabby & Seal Mink Marbled Tabby.
Silver Information & a Brief Guide to Genetics
In recent years, Silver Bengals have taken off over in the USA & United Kingdom. Here in Australia some breeders have started breeding silvers & have been concentrating on producing top quality silver Bengals.
The silver colouring is the result of an inhibitor gene (I) that takes out the yellow pigment in the coat of a full colour cat.
It is also possible to produce silver snows.
Silver is dominant, so in order to produce a silver kitten, one or both parents must be silver. It is also possible for two silver parents to produce brown kittens if neither is homozygous for the silver.
Silver can be homozygous (II) or heterozygous (ii), cats with either of these combinations will look silver, but the heterozygous cat will carry the non inhibitor gene (I) as well. Two homozygous silver cats will produce all silver kittens, who will also be homozygous for silver. Two heterozygous silver cats will be capable of producing silver or brown offspring.
On average:
25% homozygous silver (II)
25% brown (ii)
50% silver (li)
but capable of producing brown offspring, ie: heterozygous.
A homozygous silver crossed with a heterozygous silver will produce on average:
50% homozygous silver kittens (II)
50% heterozygous silver kittens (Ii)
If the inhibitor gene is not working properly then some kittens will have a tarnished look, ie: brown colouring breaking through.
When choosing brown spotted/marbled cats to breed with, current information advises using browns with clear coats and very little rufous colouring to lessen the chances of tarnished kittens.
It will be more difficult to identify silvers in snow breeding programmes & is not advisable unless carried out by a very knowledgeable breeder.
About Bengals
Asian Leopard Cat
The Bengal cat is a distinct, unique breed of spotted domestic cat derived from the ancestral crossing of a domestic cat such as an Abyssinian, American Shorthair, Burmese or Egyptian Mau with an Asian Leopard Cat. The wild Asian Leopard Cat is a beautiful, small, wildcat approximately the size of a domestic cat. The Asian Leopard Cat can be found in twenty-one Asian countries, throughout Southeast Asia, including Taiwan, China, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Laos and the Philippines.
The name “Bengal” is derived from the Latin name of the Asian Leopard Cat, Feline Bengalensis.
Above, this beautiful Asian Leopard Cat photo is also from BengalBreeder.Net
The domestic Bengal has inherited the exotic, stunningly wild spotted pattern from the Asian Leopard Cat, found in the wild in central Asia. This beautiful breed of cat is very loving, affectionate, playful and friendly while retaining the wild look of it’s ancestors.
The first hybridization with the intention to create a pet “leopard” was accomplished in Japan according to the 1941 Cat Fancy publication. It was not until 1960 that any records exist in the United States of breeding Leopard Cats todomestic cats.
The well-known Asian Leopard Cat named Taro, above Owned by Grace Lush of Bundas Cattery
The chief credit for this breed is given to Jean (Sudgen) Mill of the USA. Jean Mill crossed a black shorthaired domestic cat with a female Asian Leopard Cat in 1963. Offspring were produced proving that a secondgeneration was possible. Further experiments were interrupted due to a death in the family.
The little Asian Leopard Cats became very well known in the late 1960′s and early 1970′s when it became fashionable to wear leopard furs. It would take over 200 leopard pelts to make just one fur coat! These little leopards were almost wiped out of existence to meet the demand for fur. Thanks to concerned scientists, animal rights activists and the union of Nations, the hunting and trading of Asian Leopard Cats across international boundaries was banned and is still in effect today under CITES.
In the 1970s, the domestic cat population was seriously threatened by Feline Leukemia. At that time, there was no vaccine or cure. It was discovered that Asian Leopard Cats did not get the disease. A study was started to find out if this immunity would be passed on to the hybrid kittens of the Leopard Cat bred to domestics. As a result of this study, in 1975 Jean Mill acquired eight female hybrids from the geneticist, Dr. Willard Centerwall.
Jean Mill began again to further the new breed. Jean felt that if people could own a domestic little leopard as a beloved pet that they would be less likely to either buy Asian Leoapard Cats for pets OR to want to wear leopard fur! She hoped this new breed would help protect the shy, but beautiful, Asian Leopard Cat.
In 1984 the domestic Bengal became recognized by the International Cat Association (T.I.C.A.) and was then eligible to be shown.There are also many colors within the breed.
You’ll find that Bengals come in two distinctly different patterns as far as coat is concerned.
The spotted variety and the marble variety. Both types exhibit all the other Bengal features and it is not unusual to have both spotted and marbles in the same litter.
There are also many colors within the breed.
The spotted and marble varieties both come in these colors:
Brown
Seal Mink
Seal Lynx
Seal Sepia
Silver
Blue (not a color recognized by TICA)
Melanistic (not a color recognized by TICA)
The spotted variety also come with different formations of the spots and are distinguished by the following terms:
Typical Spotted: Solid black or brown spots on a lighter background
Rosetted: Spots are formed by two colors. Lighter color in the center with a darker or black outline to the spots.
Rosettes come in a variety of patterns: Closed or doughnut rosettes, Open rosettes forming an arrowhead or
paw-print pattern. Combinations of both.
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