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Dear Bill & Cathy,
Greetings once again! My retirement has given me very little
time. I thought when you retired you were supposed to have all the
time you need to do the things you always wanted to do, but didn’t
have the time! Nope! Doesn’t work that way! I need to find me a job
so I can get some rest. Have been so busy with the cats (and our
daylily garden) that I have had no time for myself. Did get time to
go to the TICA annual show in Syracuse, NY. Long, long way from the
Heart of Dixie (Alabama).
We have been truly blessed with kittens. Since the first of June
we have had five litters and another one is expected any moment –
really! There was a high of 7 in one litter and a low of only 1 in
the last. We expect to be keeping one or two for our program.
The demand for Bagheera Bengal kittens remains high and we have
made many homes sweeter and happier by placing a Bengal in their
midst. If you think you might want one, or another one, you might
want to check out our kittens page.
| Some Cat Stuff |
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The standing of cats in human history runs the gamut from
the worship of cats by the Egyptians to the execution of
people who housed cats in the Middle Ages - a particularly
rough period when cats were associated with evil. It took a
major disaster, The Black Plague, to redeem cats in the eyes
of humans. They were heros - they killed off the rats infested
with plague-carrying fleas.
When you find your cat glued to the window intently
watching a bird, making a strange chattering noise and
clicking his or her jaws oddly, your cat is merely acting on
instinct. What your cat is doing is directly related to the
killing bite that all cats (both domestic and wild cats) use
to dispatch their prey.
There is little doubt that the elegance and dignity of cats
are the consequence of their sojourn in the temples of the
Egyptian gods, where their attitudes and movements were
regarded as divine prognostications. In any event, it is
obvious that the cat's wealth of expressions make it an ideal
candidate for such a role. Unlike the dog, which either wags
its tail or does not wag its tail, the cat possesses a wide
range of means to convey its emotions: It arches its back,
makes its fur stand on end, meows, rubs itself against
furniture and against humans, purrs, lashes its tail, spits,
and hisses. The priests of Bacht, therefore, had ample
material for interpretation.
According to Harlan Bennett, your cat thinks, “My brain is
walnut-sized while yours is the largest among primates. Yet,
who leaves for work?”
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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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Q: Why does a cat raise its rump when scratched?
A: The cat's rump is very sensitive because there
are lots of nerve endings in the anal-genital area. Scratching
the cat at the base of the tail is stimulating and he leans
into it; by raising his rump. For a few cats, it is so
stimulating that they may swat or bite. It is nothing
personal; he is just so excited he must do something!
Q: Why am I always on the wrong side of any closed door?
A: You may just be a cat!
Q: How can I get my parents to let me have a kitten?
A: Start out by asking for a horse.
Q: How often should I bathe my cat?
A: You should not ordinarily need to bath a cat.
Cats are normally very good about cleaning themselves, and for
most cats, that's all the bathing they will ever need. Reasons
for giving them a bath are:
- The cat has got something
poisonous on its fur,
- It doesn't take care of its coat as
normal cats do,
- You are allergic and need to bathe it to
keep allergens down,
- The cat is a show cat and about to
be shown,
- You are giving it a flea, tick, or lice
dip,
- It is unusually dirty for some reason.
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| What is a Bengal Cat? |
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Many people dream of owning a wild cat? Maybe a tiger,
leopard, or some other “wild and exotic” cat? Unfortunately
many legal and practical difficulties (not to mention the real
dangers), make owning a truly wild cat unrealistic. However,
if you are looking for a wild look in your cat, then the
Bengal is just the cat for you! The very unique genetic legacy
of the Bengal, together with rigorous breeding programs have
produced a breed of cat with a singular, distinctive, wild
look, exceptional personality and atypical behavior. It is
this special personality and behavior, coupled with their wild
visual appearance that make the Bengal so desirable.
The typical Bengal cat is medium to large in size with a
sturdy, muscular body. The males are slightly heavier and
larger than the females. The head is relatively small, with
large eyes, a broad nose with prominent whisker pads, and
short rounded ears. The tail is medium in length, thick and
carried low, balancing the overall look of the cat.
Bengal cats have a striking appearance that reminds one of
a wild cat. However, the Bengal is not a wild cat! It is a
domestic breed of cat created by selectively breeding the
small (10-pound), forest dwelling, wild Asian Leopard Cat
(ALC), (felis bengalensis, indigenous to the jungles of
Southeast Asia), with several domestic breeds. The domestic
cats used in the cross included, among others, the Egyptian
Mau, the Abyssinian, the Ocicat, the Burmese, and the Domestic
Short Hair.
The objective of this cross-breeding was to combine the
exotic leopard look of the wild ALC with the sweet disposition
the much loved domestic cat. Therefore, the domestic Bengal
cat does retain a strong physical resemblance to the
beautiful, wild ALC together with the gentle sweetness of the
common house cat.
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Fasinating Cat Facts |
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FACT # 1: It is a common belief that cats are color
blind. However, studies have shown that cats can distinguish
between red and green; red and blue; red and gray; green and
blue; green and gray; blue and gray; yellow and blue, and
yellow and gray.
Fact # 2: The top two rows of a cat's whiskers can
move independently of the lower two rows. This allows maximum
perception of the cat's immediate surroundings.
Fact # 3: The lightness of a feline's tread can be
attributed to the fact that they walk on their toes--the soles
of their feet rarely touch the ground. The pillow-like balls
of their paws allow them to prowl noiselessly in the wild.
Fact # 4: The first animated cat was Krazy Kat, a
cartoon strip drawn by George Herriman that made the
transition from paper to film in 1916.
Fact # 5:Cats have twice as many smell- sensitive
cells in their noses as we do, which means they can smell
things we are not even aware of.
Fact # 6: "Catnip" is the common name for a
perennial herb of the mint family. It is native to Europe and
is an import to the United States and other countries. The
catnip plant is now a widespread weed in North America.
Fact # 7: Glitter is a highly desirable,
translucent, sparkling effect of the cats coat unique to the
Bengal. The plush pelt appears to be sprinkled with Tinker
Bell’s pixie dust displaying a gold or pearl sparkling effect.
It gives the cat it's shimmering, golden appearance in certain
lights. Glitter is not mentioned in the breed standard and
thus is not required in a Bengal, however it enhances their
exotic quality. See our available kittens! Click
here . . . |
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