Colors and patterns of Bengal cats
You will find that Bengal cats are born in a variety of different colors and patterns. If you are looking to get a Bengal kitten, you will want to know the varieties available to choose from. Although most of the colors are accepted by TICA and ACFA (the largest registries for Bengal cats), there are a few colors that are not accepted. You will want to keep this in mind if you are hoping to present your Bengal as a show cat. We invite you familiarize yourself with the different colors and patterns of Bengal cats.
The Brown spotted is the standard color for the Bengal cat. These cats have dark spots with a lighter ground color. The ground color can range from gray or tawny to golden to a rich mahogany. The pattern of the Brown Spotted Bengal is often referred to as the Leopard pattern. This was the first color recognized by TICA and ACFA for championship show cats.
The Seal Lynx Point Bengals are Snow Bengals. Seal Lynx Point Bengal kittens are born they are pure white. They typically do not show a pattern until they are roughly six months old. However, their full color pattern will develop by the time they reach a year and a half old. Typically the darkest sections of the Seal Lynx Point Bengals are the black tipped tail and the black paws. These cats are unique in that they are the only type of Bengal cat that retains their blue eyes into adulthood.
The Silver Bengal is the newest type of Bengal to be accepted by TICA. This color was only added in 2004 as an accepted color for show cats. These cats have beautiful silver to whitish background with black markings. Some Silver Bengals may have a slight yellowing along the spine, down the legs, or on the face, but this is still acceptable. The eye color for the Silver Bengal cats may vary. They can have gold, copper, green, bronze, brown, or hazel eyes as they grow to adulthood.
The Seal Mink and Seal Sepia are two variations of the snow Bengal. Unlike the Seal Lynx Point, neither of these types will have clear-blue eyes. The Seal Mink typically has an aqua-blue or green eye while the Seal Sepia commonly has gold eyes. The pattern for both of these cats will be visible at birth. The Seal Mink is born with an ivory, cream, or light tan ground color and will develop medium brown markings. The Seal Sepia, however, are typically born with a medium ground color and a darker brown pattern. As a snow Bengal, both of these types of cats should have brick red paw pads and nose leather.
The marble pattern is a swirling pattern that can occur on any color Bengal cat. The marbled pattern will appear along the body of the cat. The legs and face of a marbled Bengal will still have spots and stripes similar to the spotted Bengals. When the Snow Bengals have the marble pattern, the pattern takes longer to become visible. This is quite similar to the spotted Seal Lynx Point Bengals.
There are a few colors that are not recognized by TICA for championship cats. These colors included Melanistic and Blue. The Melanistic Bengal is a black cat. Although a pattern can be visible on these kittens, it becomes much more difficult to see a pattern on the adult cats. The Blue Bengals however have patterns similar to the spotted Bengals. This blue/gray color can appear in a litter of standard Bengals, but they are not desirable for those looking for a breeding cat or a show cat. However, both colors have the same personality traits of the other Bengal and make excellent pets.
