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Barring - tabby-striped markingsThe following definitions describe common Bengal cat terms Bengal cat - refers to the domestic breed of cat resulting from the mating of a leopard cat to a domestic cat. The domestic Bengal cat has no relationship to the Bengal tiger.
Break- an indentation of the nose at about eye level or between the eyes
Concave - curve shaped like the inside arc of a circle
Conformation - refers to how well a Bengal cat fits the Bengal Standard in terms of the body structure.
Convex - Curve shaped like the outside arc of a circle
Crossbreed - refers to the breeding of a Bengal with any cat other than the leopard cat or another Bengal. It takes three generations from the initial out cross before these cats are recognized as full Bengals again.
Filial - refers to the generation or the sequence of generations following the parental generation. For example an F-1 is a domestic Bengal cat having a leopard cat parent; an F-2 is a domestic Bengal cat having a leopard cat grandparent and so forth.
Flank - The part between the ribs and the thighs on either side of the body
Foundation or foundation cat - refers to the ancestor cat from which the breed is derived, in the case of the Bengal, thetrue and only foundation cat is/are leopard cats. The leopard cat is the only allowable out cross for the Bengal breed.
Fuzzies - refers to the temporary stage of coat development in which some Bengal kitten's coat looses contrast and takes on a dull appearance. This stage of coat development may start as early as 4 weeks and persist until up to 16 or so weeks of age.
Glitter - refers to the tips or upper portion of the hair shaft that glistens and reflects light like a prism, giving the appearance of the coat being sprinkled with gold or crystal dust.
Ground color- The area of color on the lower part of the hair shaft, also the agouti area between the markings in the tabby patterns
Hybrid - refers to the offspring produced from the mating of two individuals of unlike genetic constitution, in other words the offspring of two different animals, or species.
Jowl - refers to the muscular area along the lower jaw that is often prominent in un-neutered male cats.
Leopard cat - refers to cats of the ORDER Carnivore, FAMILY Felidae, and Genus Felis. Leopard cats are small, shy, nocturnal non domestic cats weighing in between 5 and 20 pounds at maturity. Leopard cats are indigenous to the jungles of southern Asia, India, China, Korea, and certain regions of the former Soviet Union. The leopard cat is the true and only foundation cat for the domestic Bengal cat.
Locket - refers to a single white hair or a patch of white colored hair located any place within the coat. If a cat exhibits a locket most often they are located on the neck or groin, but the white hair may appear anywhere in the coat.
Muzzle break- change of direction between the muzzle and the cheekbones
Ocelli - refers to the virtually white or light colored thumb-print shaped horizontal marking on the back of the ear
Out crossing - refers to the producing of offspring from individuals usually of different breeds but of the same species.
Pelt or pelted - refers to the unique texture of the coat of a wild animal. Some Bengals have this unique plush, unusually soft texture to their coats.
Pet - refers to a cat or kitten without breeding privileges or a cat or kitten that has been spay/neutered.
Rosette - refers to a spot within a spot. These two or three toned markings may be of various shapes such as doughnut shaped, arrow head shaped, paw print shaped, etc.
Rufinism - refers to the ocher yellow ground or background color of some Bengal coats.
'Snow' Bengal - layman's term used to describe seal lynx, seal mink, or seal sepia spotted or marbled Bengals
Sturdy - stocky, solidly built, thick set.
Ticking - refers to the banding of different colors of the hair shaft. Bengals with multiple color bands along the length of the hair shaft usually exhibit less contrast as the markings are dull or less defined. Bengals exhibiting poor contrast with multiple bands of color along the hair shaft are also referred to as having a 'salt and pepper' coat.
Torso - refers to the trunk of the body
Type or typey - refers to Bengals which closely approximate the Bengal Standard in terms of body structure or conformation.
Whippy - referring to the tail, long, tapering, giving the effect of slenderness and length
Whole - refers to a male or female that has not been surgically or chemically spayed or neutered.
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