The Silver Bengal is one of the rarest varieties of this unique and one-of-a-kind cat species. One of the reasons for their appeal is the stark and unique appearance of their markings. Despite being mixed with other Bengal colours, the Silver variation may also be melanistic or totally silver in color. This article will provide you with all of the information you need about the Silver Bengal cat.
The hybrid breed was responsible for the production of Silver Bengals in the 1990s. They are the offspring of a Bengal reared in the United States with a feline with an American short hair coat. Even though the great majority of people consider silver as its own hue, color specialists see it as a lack of color. This is due to a gene that suppresses color activity.
The Silver Bengal Cat’s History
The Bengal cat’s parents are the domestic cat and the wild Asian Leopard cat, known technically as Prionsailurus bengalensis. They resemble wild cats in appearance, but their size and attitude are more akin to domestic cats. Harrison Weir, a British artist known as “The Father of Cat Fancy,” wrote about a potential kitten consisting of a domestic cat and an Asian leopard cat in 1889. Weir’s book “Our Cats and All About Them” included the name of this cat. This cross was also mentioned in a scientific journal published in Belgium (1924). This cat has not yet been given the name “Bengal.”
Jean Sugden Mill began mating Asian Leopard cats with domestic cats in 1960 with the goal of generating the famous Bengal cat. People were enthralled by the thought of having a domesticated cat that resembled a wild animal yet acted like a domesticated cat. This led to an increase in the popularity of the kittens that resulted from this experiment.
Bengal cats have only brown or golden fur throughout their early growth. Silver Bengals were not introduced until the 1990s. Judy Sugden, Jean Sugden Mill’s daughter, mated a Bengal cat with a silver domestic cat thought to be an American Shorthair. Silver Bengals were produced, and their distinct coat color quickly became popular.
Silver Bengal Cats Are Officially Recognized
The International Cat Association (TICA) recognized Bengal cats as a breed in 1986. In 1997, the Cat Fancy’s Governing Council was formed. In 2016, the Cat Fanciers Association recognised the breed.
The original Bengals, on the other hand, were brown. Because silver Bengals were not developed until the 1990s, they were later admitted into the Bengal breed. TICA officially recognized Silver Bengals in 2004.
Any Bengal cats available for purchase now are from later generations. This implies you will not be obtaining a kitten that is the direct offspring from a domestic cat mating with the Asian Leopard cat. You are obtaining a kitten from the mating of two domestic Bengal cats.
Don’t be tricked by their wild appearance or history; they are tamed – they are no tigers! Silver Bengal cats, like their Bengal brethren, are kind and laid-back. They are loving youngsters that like demonstrating their adoration to their adoring parents.
However, you should not keep them as pets on your lap since they do not like to sit still for very long periods. They are highly energetic cats that like playing around. They are fantastic climbers and would love to scale the house’s doors, bookshelves, and other surfaces if they could. They will perceive your home to be a dense jungle. As a result, don’t be surprised if your for babies knock over stuff that you haven’t properly cat proofed.
If you want your Silver Bengal cat to be well-behaved and not damage your stuff, you should get her a cat window perch, a cat hammock, or a cat tree. Set them arranged in such a way that your cat can climb from one platform to the next.
Silver Bengal Cat Varieties
Bengal hues have gotten increasingly variegated since their introduction at the end of the previous century, and there is little doubt that this tendency will continue as breeders continue to experiment.
The phrase Silver Bengal refers to an umbrella category that comprises four basic divisions, one of which is further subdivided:
Silver Snow Bengals
These snow Bengals have the silver Bengal inhibitor gene. When they are both young, it is said to be difficult to visually distinguish a young snow Bengal kitten from a juvenile silver snow. However, as they mature, the silvery-gray background on the fur of the latter becomes more visible.
Snow Bengals are classified into three subspecies:
Seal Lynx
Seal Lynx Benglas are the snow Bengal cats with the lightest coat color, which contrasts sharply with its darker markings. The fact that they always have blue eyes distinguishes them from other Bengals.
Seal Mink
The Seal Mink Bengal has a white or brown background and is generally darker in color than the snow lynx. Any color may be used for the markings, and the eyes can be blue or blue-green.
Image Credit: https://www.lapleopardbengals.com/genetics-of-breeding-bengals.html
Seal Sepia
Seal Sepia Bengals are frequently darker and more of a “sepia” hue than normal Seals. They don’t have blue eyes; instead, they have green or orange/gold eyes.
Image Credit: Djat Dream Cattery
Blue Silver Bengals
Blue silver Bengals combine ‘blue’ features, such as mild blue-grey background color fur and deeper bluey-grey fur markings, expressed by the silver gene to achieve a more silver appearance. Blues are known to have’peach’ undertones, which are notably lighter in this variety of silver blue Bengal cats. The tail tips are dark gray, and the eyes are green orange/gold or hazel.
As with snows, distinguishing between a silver and silver blue kitten may be difficult since the silver feature takes some time to manifest.
Charcoal Silver Bengals
Silver charcoal Bengals are feasible because the charcoal characteristic is transmitted independently of color. These have a darker backdrop than conventional silvers, with dark/black markings that seem more like a marbling pattern than rosettes owing to the little amount of space between the outline and the inside section of the spot.
‘Zorro’ marks may be seen on a silver charcoal Bengal. These are made up of a black face’mask’ that leads into a similarly dark ‘cape’ that runs down the back. The sword is not included.
Smoke Silver Bengals
These are silver versions of’melanistic’ cats, with black markings on black backgrounds. This is similar to a black Panther, which is a melanistic Leopard. At first look, they seem to be a single solid color-black. However, if you examine them more closely, you will see marks of a slightly different… black. These are referred to as ‘ghost’ marks, which is strange since ghosts aren’t normally black…
Silver Bengal Cats Are Hypoallergenic – Really?
Is it true that Silver Bengal cats are devoid of allergens? The answer to your question is “yes and no.” Yes, they may be called hypoallergenic; but, in order to fully interpret this response, you must understand that “hypoallergenic” does NOT indicate “free of allergens,” but rather “relatively unlikely to elicit an allergic reaction.” Why are Silver Bengal cats less likely to cause allergic responses in people than other cat breeds? The following explanations lay out why this is so.
The allergen that affects the majority of persons who are described as allergic to cats is fel d 1, a protein found in cat saliva, skin cells, and urine. This protein is transported into the environment by cats’ hair and dander. The weight of the allergens in dogs leads more people to respond to cat proteins than to dog allergens. When a person allergic to cats enters a room with cats, the allergen (Fel d1) has a higher chance of entering their lungs since it is so light and may persist in the air for a longer amount of time (Konkel). Because it is also incredibly sticky, it will linger on the surfaces of a house even after some time has passed.
What Did I Mean When I Said They Were Not Actually Hypoallergenic?
Despite what you may have heard elsewhere, no cat, silver or otherwise, has been clinically confirmed to be hypoallergenic. There is anecdotal data from some who report they have had less or no response to Bengals, but there are others who have.
The only definite method to tell whether a person is allergic to a certain cat or breed is for that person to spend time with that cat or breed.
Related Questions
The Silver Bengal is a cat breed that is regarded to be one of the most unusual and rare in the world. They are a mix of Asian leopard cats and another kind of cat. These cats have a silver coat like a Bengal, but they have leopard-like markings.
As a consequence, the price of a cat is affected by a number of variables. A Bengal cat’s price is influenced by a variety of characteristics, including its age, color (deposits), and ancestry; nevertheless, it is crucial to note straight away that there are no hard and fast rules for calculating the optimal price for a certain breed of cat. There are no documented guidelines for calculating the appropriate pricing for a certain breed of cat.
Breeders often categorize their kittens into three categories: show quality, breeder quality, and pet quality. Bengal cats with eye-catching patterns and dazzling colors, a strong contrast between their markings and the background color, short ears, and excellent health are the most appealing. As a result, Bengals with show-quality pedigrees might fetch $1,000 or more, depending on their physical qualities and the breeder’s reputation. Bengals suited for pets often retail for less than $1,000. If you are looking for a Silver Bengal Cat, a good resource is the Cat Fanciers Association, who also have a breeder directory.
The response is nearly invariably “no” since silver Bengals shed so little. They shed extremely little, in fact, some shed so little that it seems they don’t shed at all. They seem to shed less than domestic cats, but they still do.
Another point to consider is that domestic cats will shed far more than Bengals. It doesn’t really matter whether this is because of their pelt-like coats or anything else; it only adds to the awe of our beloved Bengal.
Bengals might even be consider the least shedding cat breed. Even the tiniest Bengal shedder may sometimes begin shedding significantly for a short period of time.
Even though each Bengal cat is unique, some of them may form a deeper attachment with a certain member of the family, especially if that person spends the most time with them and attends to all of their needs. Despite this, children have the capacity to form ties to a bigger number of people with time.
Simply due to the fact that cats can often be left by themselves for longer periods of time than dogs, many individuals decide to acquire a cat rather than a dog. However, what about Silver Bengals? The problem is, as you’ll see in the following paragraphs, Bengal cats can’t be left alone for as long as other kinds of cats can.
Bengal cats may be left by themselves for a few hours, which is equivalent to an average work day, but they should not be left solitary for hours at a time on a daily basis. This is because Bengals are gregarious creatures who thrive best when they have companionship. To put it another way, they are not as self-sufficient as other cats.
It is essential that you do a thorough risk assessment before leaving your Bengal cat home alone, even if you will only be out for a short amount of time. Plastic bags, cables and cords, and other tiny things that your pet might potentially choke on are all potential risks. Because Bengals are very inquisitive and have impressive jumping ability, it is essential to conduct a comprehensive examination.
In Closing
Bengals are famously finicky and labor-intensive pets. They create strong relationships with their families and can be rather demanding of attention, which is precisely what many people like… but this is not for everyone and may drive some owners insane!
If you’re searching for a really unique feline, go no further than the Silver Bengal cat. Bengals have been declared the most well liked cat breed for the past three years in a row by the International Cat Association.
Finding a Silver Bengal Kitty Near You
We’ve got a directory with an exhaustive list of catteries and breeders that specialize in Bengals. Some of these are bound to have a silver variety available, but you may have to call around since they tend to be in high demand.
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