Bengals are definitely not your common house cat. Descended from the Asian leopard cat, they demonstrate the only successful cross-breeding of a domesticated feline with a wild one. Exceedingly graceful -- even for a cat -- Bengals are energetic, water-loving, and very vocal.
And they are beautiful; its coat is one of its distinguishing characteristics. Luxuriously dense and incredibly soft, the Bengal coat is often also "glittered" -- a naturally occurring trait that gives every hair shaft a shimmery, reflective quality.
Meet Thor, a Bengal living in Belgium. He has his own Instagram and Facebook page, administered by his "servants."
Bright green eyes like Thor's are common in Bengals; those with white coats, known as "snows," often have blue eyes, similar to Siamese cats.
The distinctive pattern on the Bengal's coat is another indication of its wild heritage. The dark markings can take the form of a swirled marble pattern, or the more common spots, either plain or rosettes.
Rosettes are spots of a darker color than the main coat outlined by an even darker color; plain spots have no outline. Most of Thor's spots are rosettes.
Bengals cats are known to be extraordinarily playful, and Thor is no exception. He entertains his humans -- more than 42,000 of them following him on Instagram and Facebook -- every day with his antics. PetMD advises Bengal owners to keep breakables off of open shelves, especially the highest ones.
"They are often quite naughty and can be a handful," warns Bengal Cat World. "They are not for the inexperienced or nervous cat owner!"
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