Originally Posted by shiloh

Hi Raziel

This question got me thinking so much that I contacted Jean Mill - the owner of Millwood Cattery, where the Bengal breed was first developed.

Here is her email reply:

"Well, I certainly hope not. In building the Bengal breed, we had to use
cats from the dog pound with unknown ancestry. Thus we got blue, solid,
longhair, Siamese, classic tabby, etc. I had to cull severely to make a
breed at all, so longhairs were neutered and given away as pets. Alas,
these undesirable genes still crop up in lines that have not been cleansed
of them. Then people try to pass them off as rare and desirable to get some
money for them. Nonsense. If the breed permits snows AND longhaired
Bengals, they will look exactly like a Himalayan, not a Bengal, or like a
blue Persian, etc. Some people are pushing for solid black Bengals which
don't even have spots. If anything is acceptable, then there is no breed.

Your friend is mistaken. The spotted pattern (like the marbled) is entirely
independent of the fur length. But does the world really want longhaired
Boxer dogs, or longhaired Dobermans??? Sure you can make them, but why????

Thanks for asking,
Jean Mill "

If you like I can forward you her actual email - send me your email address.

So consider carefully and do not get conned. Long-haired cats are not bengals and do not conform. They are neutered to stop this undesirable trait from being passed on; and given out as pets.

Hope this helps. Perhaps you'd like to contact Jean Mills yourself - I can pm her email address to you.

Shiloh