Colors & Patters Commonly Found in Bengal Cats

Colors & Patters Commonly Found in Bengal Cats

Gold & Copper

Bengal kittens go through a lot of changes in their coloration and pattern during the first 5 months of life. The pattern change is most evident on the Marbled Bengals. The same principals apply to spotted patters. The dark pattern gets further apart as the kitten grows. It takes an experienced eye to guess how a pattern will develop. Often some of the dark hair will shed, showing a lighter background shade and warmer shade inside the rosettes. 

                   

   

This is a picture of a kitten 5 days old, 2 weeks old and 7 weeks old. 

Fuzzy Stage

Most Bengals go through a fuzzy camouflage stage. This is likened to their wile ancestors. This happens when Bengals are starting to explore their surroundings. The Muted color and pattern on the the fuzzy coat act to hide the kitten from potential predators. This is most evident on tail and body, where the hair is a bit longer. The kittens look their worst between 7 and 12 weeks old. 

Looking at a new baby, there may be very little rich coloration visible. The first place you will see a hint of future background color is between the eyes and ears, on the forehead. As the kitten ages this warm color shows on the short hair of the legs and down the spinal area. Eventually this warm background tone will spread to the rest of the body. 

On TICA Registration Papers you will see few color descriptions. This is because TICA is a genetic registry and the color named used is genetic or Genotype, not the shading you are seeing or Phenotype.  These are most of the color descriptions you will see for names used for Bengals. 

• Brown Spotted Tabby
• Brown Marble Tabby
• Seal Lynx Point Spotted Tabby
• Seal Sepia Spotted Tabby
• Silver Spotted Tabby
• Blue Spotted Tabby

Gold Brown Spotted Tabby

Brown to Black pattern on warm light gold tones. This cat has a perfect Bengal Head with wide puffy whisker pads, large round eyes and smaller rounded ears. Head is small in proportion to its body, with nearly straight profile and large rounded back-skull. It has lots of white accents on the face and chin, and the undersides of the legs and tummy. Also has a short plump tail, that is usually carried low. 

Light Gold 

Medium Shade

                                                               
                                                                     Copper/Sorrel

Bright Copper Brown Marble Tabby

Marbled Bengals should have horizontal flowing pattern in the irregular shapes. They should not have a Bulls Eye pattern. Notice the outlining around different shades of background color. The Pattern continues to change for several months as the black hair sheds out into more intricate designs. It has the desired long lean body type with back legs slightly longer then front legs. 

Charcoal

This is a very cool colored Bengal. Genetically it is a Brown spotted, this look is often referred to as Charcoal. If you push the hair back and look at the roots they will be more Rufus (red) then the outside coat, or they will be grey. If hair roots are "white: it is not brown, it is a "genetically Silver" color. People often mistake Charcoal color for Silver.  

gray/brown hair roots means Genetic Brown  white hair roots means Genetic Silver TICA and ACFA Registered Genetic Colors for Lighter Shades of Bengals  A mixed litter of "Snow Leopard Colored Bengal Kittens" Seal Lynx Point, Seal Mink and Seal Sepia The Lighter Warm Shades of Bengal. Often referred to by the slang term "Snow Leopard" Seal Lynx Point: Spotted or Marble Bengal  Born pure white, spots come later often get darker Points with age blue eyes, only on Lynx Point Seal Mink and Seal Sepia: Spotted or Marble Bengal born off white with brown markings spots get darker with age Mink, med brown pattern with adult eyes aqua or green Sepia, darker brown pattern with adult eyes yellow to gold eye color on Mink and Sepia can be reversed Marbled Mink Snow gene is recessive to Brown; Marble genes is Recessive to spotted. Both parents must be, or must carry Snow and/or Marble to Produce them.

** I do not claim this information OR pictures**