Balinese Cats

Family: Felidae

Common Name(s)
    Balinese Cat, Oriental Longhair (Australia), Balinais (France), Balinesen (Germany), Longhaired Siamese (former name before they were called Balinese).


Description
     The Balinese has the same body type as the Siamese, except for its medium to long coat and plumed tail. It has a long, slender, medium-sized body. The head is a long, medium-sized tapering wedge shape. The eyes are almond shaped, medium-sized, and slant towards the nose. The ears are quite large, pointed, and wide at the base. The nose is long and straight. The neck, legs, and tail are long and slender like the rest of the body. It weighs 6 to 11 pounds.
    The coat length is medium to long. It is longer on the body, belly, and tail. The fur creates a plume on the tail, which is a prized characteristic of the Balinese. The coat is fine and silky, with no undercoat. The Balinese is accepted in the same colors as the Siamese. These colors include Seal Point, Chocolate Point, Blue Point, and Lilac Point. If they have other color point patterns, such as Red Point and Cream Point, they are known as Javanese. However, in the UK, this separation is not made, and all color points are considered to be Balinese.


Care and Feeding
    Balinese cats are not picky and require no special diet

Bengal Cats Bengal, Bengali

Family: Felidae

Common Name(s)

    Bengal, Bengali

Background

     The creation of the Bengal breed began in 1963, when Jean Sugden, an American geneticist of Yuma, Arizona, crossed her female Asian Leopard Cat with a black short-haired domestic male in hopes of combining the wild physical characteristics of the Leopard Cat with the friendly disposition of the domestic cat. Though matings between domestic and wild cats usually produce only infertile offspring, the females from this cross were fertile. A female of this litter, named Kinkin, was bred with her father, and produced a litter of both plain and spotted kittens. This breeding project could have been the beginning of the Bengal breed, but it was abandoned after the second mating, when Mrs. Sugden was widowed. However, later in1973, another geneticist, Dr. Willard Centerwall of California, began a new breeding project with Leopard Cats and short-haired domestic cats in order to determine the Leapord Cat's resistance to feline leukemia. He gave eight females to Jean Sugden, now Jean Mill, after her remarriage, and she used them to start a new breeding program. 

    In 1983 the International Cat Association (TICA) accepted the first Bengal for registry. His name was "Millwood Finally Found". The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) currently does not recognize the Bengal. 

This breed's name was derived from the Asian Leopard Cat's scientific name, Felis bengalensis. It has no affiliation with the commonly known Bengal Tiger. Many different domestic breeds have been used in breeding programs for the Bengal, including the Siamese, Burmese, Egyptian Mau, Ocicat, Abyssinian, Bombay, and British Shorthair.

Care and Feeding

    The Bengal requires no special diet.