The Bengal cat, leopard cat or Prionailurus bengalensis, It is probably the wild feline with more implantation in the Asian continent. It is an animal of extreme beauty and although it is called leopard cat, the disposition of its spots, and the grayish-reddish brown color of the bottom of its mantle, remind more of the ocelot (a beautiful cat of medium size that lives from Mexico to the south of Brazil).
In we will inform you about the most relevant characteristics of the Bengal cat, such as its character, diet or its customs. Everything you need to know about Bengal cat or Bengal cat. Which by the way, is not a threatened animal. Discover if the bengal cat is a wild cat or not in this article.
Distribution of Bengal cat
The bengali cat or Bengali cat is distributed from the central part of eastern Russia to Korea. He also lives in southern China, the Himalayas (up to the 1000 m), all of Southeast Asia, the coastal area of India and the Indian islands. Depending on the habitat where you live, the leopard cat varies the length of your hair and the definition of their macules.
The leopard cat can live in multiple habitats, although it has a preference for dense forests and jungles. However, they are also found in the endless steppes of Mongolia, or in the foothills of the mountain ranges of Pakistan, or in the Himalayas themselves.
There are 11 subspecies, all of them adapted to the environment. There are leopard cats from cold climates: Mongolia, Manchuria, parts of Siberia, or Himalayas. These subspecies have a longer hair than the subspecies jungle. Its color is brownish-olive and the spots are scarcely marked.
Another characteristic that differentiates the Bengal cat from cold climate, from that which lives in subtropical places, is that the first one is bigger and heavier.
The subspecies of the Bengali cat that inhabits the temperate forests and tropical forests of the Asian continent and the large islands such as Borneo, Sumatra, Java and Indonesia have much shorter fur and their spots are more variegated. Own of the predators that hide between the frond of the thick foliage to the lookout of the passage of their prey.
These subspecies are extraordinarily beautiful, and the breeders of domestic cats strive to cross both species to create new animals that serve as very exclusive pets.
For this reason, the headline of this article: Is the Bengal cat a wild cat? The doubt exists because there are pet breeders who have achieved reproduce several mutations of extraordinary beauty, thanks to the hybridization with this and other species of wild cats.
Bengali cat character
If you are thinking about adopting a bengal cat you worry about its character or feral behavior it helps you with useful information about its behavior:
- The Bengal cat It’s a lonely animal so a home with many other pets is not the most appropriate. However, if adopted from a very young can be carried wonderfully with dogs and cats for example. We emphasize that once mated, the Bengali cat is paired for life.
- We must take care to protect pets such as birds and rodents.
- You can develop a nocturnal behavior since in the wild it usually hunts at night. Remember that Bengal cats are hybrids of wild cats. It will depend on each case.
- They adapt well to rural environments because there they have more freedom of movement and are closer to a “natural” environment. To avoid having an upset he recommends you castrate your cat. If you do it will not leave during the heat and you will avoid the appearance of some diseases.
- The Bengal cat is an excellent climber you should be prepared for a possible broken curtain in your home.
- He is also a surprising swimmer, the Bengali cat loves water.
You can learn how to teach a cat to walk on a leash and take him to a river to enjoy the water.
- As with all living beings, each specimen It has its own personality. For that reason some will enjoy more with human company, others will be more lonely, playful, quiet or curious.
- It is very important that you have a good deal with your new pet, a simple one. It will not be enough for a behavior that we do not like, we will always use positive reinforcement and never physical force.
- They usually live approximately 13 years in captivity, remember that when you adopt you become responsible for the life of the animal, if you will not be able to maintain it during this time it is better not to adopt him now.
The Bengal cat It is not a wild feline Although some individuals may develop feral behaviors, it will depend on each specific case. If you have any serious behavior problem, you should contact a veterinarian or ethologist.
Bengal cat feeding
The leopard cat in the wild is a predator that hunts on the lookout, camouflaged between the dense jungle jungle or hidden in leafy branches. Suddenly surprise its victims whom he holds with his sharp claws and bites them until his death.
The Bengali cat he does not play with his prey, as other small cats do. The fact that his diet includes a significant number of birds, forces him to capture his victims without hesitation and prevent them from escaping. In addition to birds, it feeds on: rodents, reptiles, batrachians, insects, herbs and eggs.
At home we can keep it well fed with a good quality feed for cats.
More things about the Bengal cat
If you really want to adopt a bengal cat, it advises you to report well and keep surfing to know everything about the Bengal cat.
It will also be useful to review Bengali cat diseases to know in advance what problems may affect you and what veterinary costs this beautiful and wonderful specimen can suppose.
If you want to read more articles similar to Is the Bengal cat a wild feline?, we recommend that you enter in our section of What you need to know.