Sheeba

by Mohammed S. Alo

The Bengalcat is a distinct, unique breed of spotted domestic cat derived from the ancestral crossing of a domestic with an Asian Leopard Cat. What is believed to be the first documented cross in the United States is recorded as 1963: however, there  are references to domestic and wild crosses in earlier literature. The Bengal of today was first recognized in 1984 by The International Cat Association (TICA) and must be four generations away from the Asian Leopard Cat.

Some Bengalcat Kittens from Akerrs Bengalcats, in Delaware, Ohio.

The domestic Bengal makes a loving, intelligent housecat with normal litter box habits. Curious and entertaining, some even enjoy playing in water and bathing with their owners. They enjoy the companionship of both adults and children and adapt to other family pets. While some owners regularly walk their Bengals on leashes; exercise, nutritional and immunization requirements are the same as for all domestic household cats.

There are several colors (brown and the snows) and patterns (spotted and marble) available in the Bengal breed.

To the right is our kitten, she is about 4-6 weeks old in this picture. She is a brown marbled pattern Bengalcat. We have decided to name her after the Queen of Sheba, or just Sheba for short. however, she has elected to spell it Sheeba, with an extra "e."

Sheeba is very playful and has a distinguished personality. She loves water and loves to play with all sorts of toys. We have become accustomed to her and can't imagine what we'd do without her. When you wake up in the morning she is waiting at the door to greet you by jumping and trying to climb up your legs. Then she parades around you and purrs incessantly. Nowadays, she keeps my feet warm at night. She has found a nice lil spot by my feet to curl up against.

She has one of those nice cat trees that she likes to sleep in. She is on her blanket that she used when she was with her mother. It smells like her mother and it makes her feel at home. She loves climbing up, jumping down, falling throuhg the hole, and then climbing back up again.

Our kitten was acquired through Libbie Kerr at Akerrs Benglacats. Libbie takes very good care of her kittens and works very hard at providing only the best quality kittens. Her kittens come with blood tests, all shots, and she will even spay them for you. When we were considering getting a Bengalcat we searched all around the Midwest and could not find a reputable cattery. They all seemed to be poor quality mom and pop outlets. I visited Libbie's cattery and was impressed by the cleanliness, by the care, love, and attention that each kitten receives, and by the over all professionalism that Libbie requires. We were given a pedigree with a full family tree of our kitten and her parents. It turns out that our kitten's mother is the Champion, Serendipity and her father is the Supreme Grand Champion, Laser Light. These cats have been featured in many books and magazines due to their superior color and patterns. Serendipity is a brown marbled cat, while Laser Light is a brown spotted cat. If you are considering a Bengalcat, I highly recommend going through Akerrs Bengals. You can find Libbie's homepage at www.akerrsbengals.com. Akerrs Bengalcats are the best around. In fact, Sheeba's sister lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in one of the palaces with the Prince. That Bengalcat is a relative of our kitten. Libbie gives you books to go along with your kitten so that you may learn about cat behavior prior to receiving your cat.

Hopefully you have learned something.

More pictures of Sheeba are available.
Sheeba in her playful mood.
Sheeba after playing.
Resting after play.
Cleaning up after having too much fun.