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When it comes to the breeding of Bengal cats and what to look for, breeders have differing ideas on what they are looking for and what they want to accomplish. In this post, we will try and cover the following in order to answer the question .
When it comes to the size of a Bengal’s head as compared to other domestic breeds, they have relatively smaller heads. Most breeders are trying to achieve a head that resembles that of its Asian cousin, the Asian Leopard cat. If you look at the Asian Leopard cat, you’ll see that they have a very fine-boned face. This can often be a distinct disadvantage for Bengals because they don’t always inherit all of the characteristics of their wild cousins.
Often, when breeders try to get their Bengals to look more like the Asian Leopard, the result can be ears that are sometimes way too big and pointed. In turn, their eyes will often be way too small and slanted. So, when a Bengal has ears that are big with slanted eyes, they end up resembling an Oriental shorthair cat and not an Asian Leopard cat.
Because of the issue of creating too big of ears, some breeders prefer to let their Bengal cats have coarser head types than those of the
Right now you can find several different types of Bengal cats that exist who have variations in their head shape. Some are the product of breeders who insist on keeping the wilder look of the Asian Leopard, resulting in long and fine-boned faces which often results in larger ears. Other breeders aim at preventing the oriental look and try to achieve small ears and more oval-shaped eyes. Their foreheads will also be more rounded.
There are some breeders that ignore the shape of the eyes as well as the size of the head and ears and prefer to focus on their coats and patterns instead.
The most common body type you’ll find for a Bengal will be a neck that is very long and muscular compared to other domestic cats. However, in some cases, especially males, you can find them with shorter necks that are still very muscular. This will give the Bengal a stout look. Even though this can look impressive, it doesn’t conform to the more supple look of the Bengal. They also have muscular shoulders that are pronounced and give you the impression they are rolling when Bengals are moving around.
A Bengal’s legs are solid and heavily-muscled with big, rounded feet. Their legs are also long with their hind legs being longer than their front legs. This helps to strengthen the rolling movement of their shoulders that gives them their unmistakable stalking walk. Their tails most often are medium in length, have a rounded tip, and are quite thick. They carry it low to the ground which accentuates the length of their bodies.
Overall, Bengals are extremely athletic and muscular. The males are often larger than the females, generally weighing several pounds more. Females are not only smaller than the average male, but they also have a more elegant look to them.
If you’re looking for the ideal Bengal look, you will want a Bengal that has a long, egg-shaped profile and a nicely-rounded forehead. The nose should be big and brick red in color and their cheekbones should be high and well-pronounced. The ideal Bengal will have eyes that are big and ovular and ears that are small, broad at the base, and rounded.
For breeders looking for that ideal look, the shape and the setting of the ears are sometimes more important than their size. When the ears are high-set and pointed Bengals will resemble ordinary house cats and they will have lost their wild look. Their ears should be broad and need to be set as much on the side as they are on top of their heads.
Another common thing to look for when trying to find the ideal Bengal look is their whisker pads which need to be very large and pronounced. If the whisker pads are pulled back, they seem to disappear because they are fleshier. It’s important that there’s the right expression on their face and their facial markings are highly-contrasted, including what looks like a thin mascara line on the outer rim of their eyes. The face along with the ears is best when the markings are multicolored and there is a lot of contrast between the colors.
As you can see, the ears of Bengals tend to vary and will often depend on the breeder and what they are looking for. However, when it comes to the ideal look of a Bengal, the ears will always be smaller.
So, does this help answer any questions you might have regarding the size of Bengals ears? Please let us know what you think by leaving us your thoughts and comments.
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