Ashanti Bengals

When Bengal enthusiasts and breeders speak of “type”, they mean the unique physical body structure or conformation which should make a Bengal resemble “a small forest dwelling wild cat”, and not another breed.  Here are photos of a Oriental Shorthair (oriental type) and a Manx (cobby type).  Even if they had highly contrasted Bengal spots or rosettes — they couldn’t be mistaken for an Asian Leopard Cat!

To help bengal breeders work towards the breed goal “a cat resembling a small forest dwelling wild cat”, cat registries set breed descriptions.  In our opinion, the registry, TICA, has the most reactive, detailed and progressive standard, rewarding “wild-looking traits”.  We feel that this pushes breeders to continue striving ever harder to bring the breed  closer and closer to resembling it’s ALC ancestors even with Bengals that are MANY generations removed from the wild.Open the TICA bengal standard HERE so that you can read what is written compared to the photos below.  Note, in the TICA Bengal standard, the theoretical “perfect” Bengal has 100 points. 35 points are alotted JUST for the head; 30 points are for the body; and 35 are for the coat/texture/pattern.  Therefore a total of 65 points out of 100 or 65%  of “the perfect Bengal” should be TYPE, and 35% should be coat/texture/pattern. 

Head in Profile: (comparing the Asian Leopard Cat “Stonehenge Idol” to “Ashanti Victory Dance”)

Head Full Frontal: (comparing an Asian Leopard Cat to “Awagati Shakti”)

Body:  According to the TICA standard the torso should be “long and substantial, not oriental or foreign.  Medium to large (but not quite as large as the largest domestic breed).”  Legs should be “medium length, slightly longer in the back than in the front”.  Feet are “large, round with prominent knuckles”.  Tail is “medium length, thick, tapered at the end with a rounded tip”.  Boning described as “sturdy, firm; never delicate”.  Musculature “very muscular, especially in the males, one of the most distinguishing features”.

In conclusion, in the search for your OWN version of the “perfect bengal”, remember that while the beautiful rosetted wild coat of a bengal is surely the first thing people notice, the cat you choose will be forever captivating if you pick one who’s type is like a wild animal BENEATH the “paint job” too!