CFA BENGALS
COAT
Coat: Worth 45 Points - 100 Points
In this section, we are addressing the various aspects to the Bengal Coat (or Pelt).
2016 - 2019 CFA Bengal Standard:
COAT DESCRIPTION: With qualities unique to the breed, the Bengal coat is short, close lying, soft, luxurious, and ideally glittered. Allowance for slightly longer coat in kittens.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Bengals head, expressive nocturnal look, and stunning markings give the breed a wild appearance. The coat is like no other: short, silky to the touch, luxurious, and preferably glittered.
Click the buttons below to go to their appropriate webpages:
Worth 10 of the 45 points for COAT
Worth 10 of the 45 points for COAT
Worth 15 of the 45 points for COAT
Worth 10 of the 45 points for COLOR
Breed Council Change Considerations:
NOTE: Rose highlight indicates a "Strike-through" of wording in the Bengal Breed standard to be removed. Gold highlight indicates an "underline" which is new wording being proposed to add in to the Bengal Standard.
1. Remove pattern descriptions under the sub-heading of "Pattern" as they are already detailed within the description portion of the standard.
PATTERN (25)
Pattern-Specific Point Allocation…………15
Contrast……………….............................………..……………10
Pattern-Specific Point Allocation…………15
Rosetted/Spotted Pattern: Two Tone Markings
Marble Pattern: Two Tone Markings
Charcoal Pattern: Mask, Goggles, and Cape
Snow Pattern: Two Tone Markings
Rationale:
A. Cleans up our Point allocation section by removing unnecessary pattern descriptions. They are already under the pattern descriptions and don't need to be repeated.
B. No longer necessary to be part of this section of the standard as the current version has been in place for a long time.
C. Moves "Pattern" to the top of the section as it is worth the most amount of points and should be emphasized accordingly.
D. If we choose to pass "Charcoal Pattern Effect", then it would be better to remove these as it could confuse the reader.
E. There are often more than 2 tones/colors for rosettes - even Snows can have more than 2 tones if their rosettes have the gradual shading for their inner part of a rosette.
PROPOSAL #22 for the 2019 Ballot. Results: 41 Yes, 27 No - 68 votes needs 41 votes to pass. PASSED Council. Also, PASSED BOD vote on 2/1/20 and will be part of our standard.
2. Remove "Rosetted/Spotted, Marble" and "Rosetted/Spotted, Marble, Charcoal" from all color descriptions.
Rationale:
A. The pattern options are already addressed under the "BENGAL PATTERNS AND COLORS" section. Repeating pattern options here is not necessary.
PROPOSAL #23 for the 2019 Ballot. Results: 44 Yes, 25 No - 69 voters need 42 votes to pass. PASSED Council. Also, PASSED BOD vote on 2/1/20 and will be part of our standard.
3. After the section titled “BENGAL PATTERNS AND COLORS”, create new sub-heading underneath for “BENGAL PATTERNS” centered and underlined if possible. Also, rename the section called "ROSETTED/SPOTTED TABBY AND MARBLE TABBY COLORS" simply "BENGAL COLORS"
Rationale:
A. It makes sense to have two subsections after this title - One for "Patterns" and one for "Colors". The extra wording is not necessary.
B. Simple titles for the subsections will help illustrate where these sections start and end. (Currently, the title is so long that you can't tell is a sub section under the main title as it's the whole length of this line).
PROPOSAL #24 for "BENGAL PATTERNS" for the 2019 Ballot. Results: 41 Yes, 27 No - 68 voters needs 41 "yes" votes to pass. PASSED Council. Also, PASSED BOD vote on 2/1/20 and will be part of our standard.
PROPOSAL #25 for "BENGAL COLORS" for the 2019 Ballot. Results: 41 Yes, 27 No - 68 voters need 41 "yes" votes to pass. PASSED Council. (as #24 also passed) Also, PASSED BOD vote on 2/1/20 and will be part of our standard.
NOTE: Proposal #25 is only able to pass if #24 does. Proposal #24 can pass on it's own.
4. Change the word "COAT" to "PELT" in most places within the standard. (Excluding the Long haired/Cashmere Bengal where Coat is probably the best word to use)
Rationale:
A. When judges use the word "Pelt" while handling a Bengal, there is a reverence to the word and the cat. It seems to draw them in the beauty of our breed.
B. The Coat/Pelt on a Bengal has currently 4 separate "Defining Traits": Pattern, Texture, Glitter and Oscelli. The wild nature of the word "Pelt" better exemplifies this and separates our Coats/Pelts from other breeds.
C. While it is true that the would "Pelt" can mean the skin/fur of an animal, it is also the same with the word "Coat". In fact, the word "Coat" is more often used to describe the outer piece of clothing that we use to protect us from the outdoor elements.
Obstacle:
A. At least two council members believe that the word "Pelt" is too tied to the skinning of animals.
PROPOSAL #26 for the 2019 Ballot. Results: 20 Yes, 49 No - 69 voters need 42 "yes" votes to pass. Did not pass.
5. ONLY if proposal #24 passes, Change the name of the section titled “ROSETTED/SPOTTED TABBY AND MARBLE TABBY COLORS:” to simply “BENGAL COLORS”.
BENGAL PATTERNS & COLORS
BENGAL PATTERNS:
ROSETTED/SPOTTED TABBY PATTERN:
MARBLE TABBY PATTERN:
BENGAL COLORS:
ROSETTED/SPOTTED TABBY AND MARBLE TABBY COLORS:
BROWN (BLACK) TABBY:
BLACK SILVER TABBY:
ETC.
Rationale:
A. There already is a section for Bengal colors, but there should be one for patterns as well.
B. We can now add "Charcoal Tabby Pattern Effect" to the pattern section of the standard under "Marble Tabby Pattern".
Obstacle:
A.
PROPOSAL #24 for the 2019 Ballot. Results: 41 Yes, 27 No - 68 voters needs 41 "yes" votes to pass. PASSED Council. Also, PASSED BOD vote on 2/1/20 and will be part of our standard.
Breed Council Change Considerations for 2019 that did not get on the Ballot:
A. Three changes -
1. Combine "COAT & COLOR" & "PATTERN" sections into a single section called "COAT" or "PELT".
2. Rearrange the subsections according to importance (Based on current 2019 standard point values)
3. Remove Pattern descriptions (just within the POINT SCORE section)
Rationale:
A. Pattern is also part of the Coat - It is a subset of the coat.
B. Pattern is one of our "Defining Traits" and shouldn't be the last item under "POINT SCORE". By rearranging and moving to the top of the new "COAT" section, we would showcase this aspect as the most important part of Bengal Coat.
NOT CURRENTLY ON THE 2019 BALLOT. THE CFA OCICAT ALSO HAS A SEPARATE SECTION FOR "PATTERN" IN THE SAME WAY THE CURRENT STANDARD IS WRITTEN AND IS ANOTHER SPOTTED BREED IN CFA. BECAUSE OF THE EMPHASIS THAT WE ARE PUTTING ON THE COAT, IT IS PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP THE CURRENT SECTIONS AS WRITTEN SO THAT PATTERN/CONTRAST/CLARITY GET THE ATTENTION THESE ASPECTS DESERVE.
B. If question #xx & #xx (on current proposed 2019 ballot) passes, remove the word "Coat" from "Coat Color" in the subsection of "COAT".
Rationale:
A. Since it is now under the section heading of "COAT" within the "POINT SCORE" section, we do not need to use the word "Coat" in front of "Color"
B. If we choose to move the "Eye Color" subsection within the "POINT SCORE" section, we do not need to clarity that these points are for "Coat" vs. "Eye" color. (Ties to question #17 in the current proposed ballot)
NOT CURRENTLY ON THE 2019 BALLOT AS IT "COAT COLOR" IS STILL SHORT AND GIVES THE NOTICE THAT THE EYE COLOR IS NO LONGER INCLUDED IN THIS SECTION.
C. If question #xx & #xx (on current proposed 2019 ballot) passes, remove the words "& COLOR" from "COAT & COLOR" title section.
Rationale:
A. Since it is now under the section heading of "COAT" (within the "POINT SCORE" section), we do not need to use the words "& COLOR" now that we will only be addressing only the Coat (eye color will now be moved into "Eye" under "HEAD").
NOT CURRENTLY ON THE 2019 BALLOT. THE CFA OCICAT ALSO HAS A SEPARATE SECTION FOR "COAT & COLOR" IN THE SAME WAY THE CURRENT STANDARD IS WRITTEN. BECAUSE OF THE EMPHASIS THAT WE ARE PUTTING ON THE COAT, IT IS PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP THE CURRENT SECTIONS AS WRITTEN SO THAT PATTERN/CONTRAST/CLARITY GETS SEPARATE AND DELIBERATE FOCUS.
D. Is there a way that we can work away from listing every single color combination that we have genetic knowledge for? Maybe something like this:
A. Full Color - Brown/Black and Red Bengals
B. Colorpoints (LP's, Minks, Sepias) - Have 2 colorpoint alleles which is an effect of albinism which removes color from the coat making them appear white/cream/tan for base color and darker (than ground color) pattern markings.
C. Charcoal - ALC Agouti Pattern allele that darkens colors into the black/grey/white color range.
D. Silvers - Dominant Allele that keeps Yellow (Reds/Golds) from being produced.
E. Dilute (Blues) - Two copies of this allele Dilutes the coloring of the cat in coat, skin coloring and eye color. It will dilute all colors - browns, reds, charcoals, LP's, Minks, Silvers etc.
F. Melanistic (also known as "Solid" or "Full Non-Agouti") - This darkens the color of each strand of fur and also removes banding. It is not that the Cat itself is "solid" in color as it means that each strand of fur is solid in color. The effect in a Bengal is that the cat can look like a Black Leopard/Black Panther if it is a "Full Color" Bengal. NOTE: Combining this with the color Silver creates the style known as "Smoke".
Rationale:
A. How many of us like/desire the red coloring withing the Brown color group? We breed far more cats with this color and yet it is not singled out... Why should a Blue Silver Lynx Point? It makes our colors much more difficult to work with.
B. A more simple method means that focus can be given to the color variations that really matter to most of us.
Obstacle:
Teresa Seling has checked with a few judges, and there is currently no way to avoid listing all the color variations. But - I will continue to check/work on this option as it may create an easier standard.
NOT CURRENTLY A QUESTION ON THE PROPOSED 2019 BALLOT - BCS HAS BEEN TOLD THAT IS IS NECESSARY TO HAVE ALL OF THE COLOR COMBINATIONS DESCRIBED INDIVIDUALLY.