Sunday, May 5, 2013

Artattack Bengals Make The Perfect Addition To Any Family

By Alison Wilcox


The Artattack Bengals cattery in New South Wales, Australia gives its name to the beautiful cats bred there by sisters Helena and Renata. Bengal cats are hybrids, resulting from cross-breeding of Asian Leopard Cats (or ALCs for short) with domestic felines. The first record of these hybrids was in 1889, but official confirmation of their existence was first scientifically verified in Belgium in 1934.

Asian leopard cats (Latin name felis or prioailurus bengalensis) are distantly related to leopards. They are similar in size to domestic cats although more lean. ALCs have webs between their toes and are long in the leg. Their preferred environment is in forested areas of Indonesia and the Philippines in the south, throughout the Indian subcontinent, across Indochina and the peninsula of Korea and into Russia's Far East. In China they are hunted because traditional medicine prizes their body parts, as well as for their pelts.

A license is normally required to keep an ALC as a pet, but the hybrid offspring from matings with domestic cats are typically exempt from licensing. Pet Bengal cats should be at least four generations removed from their wild Leopard Cat ancestors. Today, over 60,000 Bengal cats are registered with The International Cat Association (TICA).

TICA recognize five individual colors in this breed; mink, silver, seal lynx point, brown and sepia. They can have marbled or spotted markings. Only brown and silver Bengals are bred at this upmarket cattery. Classic characteristics of an Artattack cat include: a muscular but slender long body similar in shape to their wild forebears; large "mascara" striped eyes; two-tone rosettes, particularly those outlined in black; wild-looking faces and small, rounded ears.

Many Bengal cat pedigrees have bloodlines that were developed by Jean Mill or Greg and Elizabeth Kent. Artattack cats are bred from imported champion pedigree bloodlines. The cattery's priorities begin with healthiness, happiness, a gentle nature, large rosettes and contrast.

Sisters Helena and Renata regard their felines as pets. Every kitten receives heaps of warm and frolicsome attention on a daily basis. The cats split their time between the family home and the open air and sunlight of the external catteries. Artattack Bengals are socialized with the whole family and presented with stimulating playthings aplenty. They mix well with dogs and almost any other pets.

Bengals enjoy water and are fond of getting into sinks, baths and showers with their human companions. They love fishing and often drop their toys into water bowls purely for the enjoyment of reclaiming them. They are intelligent cats that learn fast; they like to play fetch and will walk on leashes.

Artattack Bengals have all the necessary registration papers and are health checked. All kittens are completely vaccinated, litter box educated and micro-chipped. Would-be new owners must put their names down on the waiting list and accept that a home visit might be required before they can be accepted as fitting buyers for such superior kittens. Breeders ask new owners to sign a stringent contract to safeguard these special, exceptional kittens.




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