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Is This Cat A Bengal Or Tabby?
- Thread starter smrambo1s
- Start Date
I'd go with domestic tabby. Domestic being the breed and tabby being a coat pattern (not a breed).
A lot of people (I mean a LOT) will say they have a Bengal when they really have a tabby. It's a lack of knowledge about breeds or trying to "upsell" their cats. I would say that 95% of the cats you will run into in your life will be domestic cats. And that is being super generous, reality is unless you frequent shows that number is probably more like 99% will be domestic.
As a simple numbers game there are not enough purebred cats in the world or mixing with the general cat population. Most breeders only have a few cats and only a few litters a year with pets being fixed before going to their homes. If the cat doesn't have the paperwork to back up breed it is a domestic cat. My profile picture? She looks like a snowshoe and people might call her that; heck I do sometimes for ease of explaining. But she is a street cat through and through, just the right mix of genetics to get the look with zero connection to the breed. Since most purebred cat breeds are refinements of naturally occurring traits AND cat breeds are an unknown to most people it is an easy mistake.
All that said, she is a beautiful cat and will probably make a lovely pet. Bengals are a *hard* cat breed to own. They are very high energy and require a lot of engagement. I do mean a lot, some people report having to do twice daily walks and/or multiple extensive play sessions a day. They are beautiful but there is a trade off of needing engagement and interaction to thrive. If you truly want a Bengal I would encourage you to go to a cat show in your area and talk to a breeder at the show. Breeders who show will be most current on breed standards and know what to look for in a good pet quality cat. I promise you, if you try to get a Bengal from a Craigslist you will get an expensive lookalike. If you get one from a rescue or shelter, it will also likely be a lookalike without the scammy price tag. The only way to get a true Bengal is to talk to a registered breeder and to get one with pedigree paperwork
A lot of people (I mean a LOT) will say they have a Bengal when they really have a tabby. It's a lack of knowledge about breeds or trying to "upsell" their cats. I would say that 95% of the cats you will run into in your life will be domestic cats. And that is being super generous, reality is unless you frequent shows that number is probably more like 99% will be domestic.
As a simple numbers game there are not enough purebred cats in the world or mixing with the general cat population. Most breeders only have a few cats and only a few litters a year with pets being fixed before going to their homes. If the cat doesn't have the paperwork to back up breed it is a domestic cat. My profile picture? She looks like a snowshoe and people might call her that; heck I do sometimes for ease of explaining. But she is a street cat through and through, just the right mix of genetics to get the look with zero connection to the breed. Since most purebred cat breeds are refinements of naturally occurring traits AND cat breeds are an unknown to most people it is an easy mistake.
All that said, she is a beautiful cat and will probably make a lovely pet. Bengals are a *hard* cat breed to own. They are very high energy and require a lot of engagement. I do mean a lot, some people report having to do twice daily walks and/or multiple extensive play sessions a day. They are beautiful but there is a trade off of needing engagement and interaction to thrive. If you truly want a Bengal I would encourage you to go to a cat show in your area and talk to a breeder at the show. Breeders who show will be most current on breed standards and know what to look for in a good pet quality cat. I promise you, if you try to get a Bengal from a Craigslist you will get an expensive lookalike. If you get one from a rescue or shelter, it will also likely be a lookalike without the scammy price tag. The only way to get a true Bengal is to talk to a registered breeder and to get one with pedigree paperwork
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I would describe him as a brown spotted tabby Domestic Shorthair. Tabby is a coat marking, not a breed in itself. And, unless the cat comes with papers, he can’t technically be considered a Bengal, anyway.
From the pictures you posted I have to agree that this cat is not a Bengal. Check out the CFA and TICA breed standards. The head and body type don't really match the standard. Even the specific tabby pattern is not typical of a Bengal.
The kitty in the picture is a lovely Domestic Shorthair cat with an interesting mackerel or broken mackerel pattern.
The kitty in the picture is a lovely Domestic Shorthair cat with an interesting mackerel or broken mackerel pattern.
Definitely a tabby. Definitely not a Bengal. Maybe something in its far ancestry? Sure. But a Domestic Shorthaired Tabby is all you can guarantee.
