New Bengal Kitten
Ashmiyah On Safaree X S*KungsgardenCats Fernando
⬇️Bengal Kitten | rare Clouded pattern
Click the photos to navigate her albums
Clouded Bengal Coat Pattern @ 9 weeks of age
Clouded Bengal Coat Pattern @ 6 weeks of age
The Clouded Bengal Coat Pattern Explained
So what exactly is a true clouded pattern in Bengals?
It is a rare and highly valued variation of the spotted or rosetted coat, inspired by the markings of the clouded leopard. Instead of smaller, separate spots, you see large, stretched cloud-shaped markings with dark outlines that fit closely together, almost like puzzle pieces. Because they interlock so tightly, there is very little background colour, often called acreage, showing between them. The result is a pattern that flows continuously from the shoulders toward the tail, with a look that is often compared to snakeskin.
What really sets a true clouded coat apart is the density, definition, and the way the markings interlock. They do not sit as separate rosettes. Instead, they are clearly defined and closely fitted, leaving only small areas of open ground colour. This gives the coat a connected, cohesive pattern. It is also difficult to achieve consistently, even in quality Bengal breeding programs, which is why breeders and Bengal enthusiasts value it so highly.
It also helps to know the difference between a true clouded pattern and a semi-clouded look. Semi-clouded markings usually appear as larger, more separated rosettes, with more background colour showing between them. A true clouded pattern is tighter, with the markings sitting closer together and very little open acreage. When a kitten has a well-defined interlocking clouded coat, it is one of the more distinctive expressions of the Bengal’s wild heritage.
Our Little Miss is a very distinctive treasure that we’re incredibly proud to have bred.
Update: Our Clouded Princess is 9 weeks old
Well, here we are… Little Miss is now 9 weeks old, and she is truly blossoming into a rare prize, both in personality and in her distinctive pattern.
I’m completely in love with this little princess. She is full of cuddles, Bengal cheekiness, and the cutest antics. She stays by my side wherever I go, and when I stop, she dramatically throws herself at my feet and rolls over for tummy pats. She has even taken to sitting on top of my shoe while I’m doing the dishes or cooking.
While I’ve been unwell over the past week, she has happily become my little bed companion. I’m pretty sure she’s now addicted to Netflix 😊
6 weeks old - New genetics and phenotype at play
Looking at her now, it is amazing to think back to what she looked like when she was first born. That thick black coat completely hid what was underneath, and I could never have imagined just how unusual her pattern would become.
As her coat has changed and cleared, her incredible Clouded Pattern has gradually revealed itself and at six weeks old, we are finally starting to see what was hiding underneath all that fur.
I am kicking myself for not taking photos of her in the first few weeks. I’d thought it was pointless as she was just so hairy and dark.
Even in the Bengal fuzzies now, she has retained an exceptionally clear coat, and it should only become clearer as the fuzzies continue to lift over the coming weeks. A good Bengal coat doesn’t lose its quality during this stage as the clarity and pattern simply continue to emerge and improve as the kitten develops.
Fernando and Safaree become parents for the 1st time
It took me a few weeks to work out what this little princess would look like. I’ve watched a lot of kittens develop over the years and only a handful have presented so differently that they’ve made me guess my sanity 🙂
Her early development was anything but predictable. Born covered in an unusually thick layer of long black fur, her pattern was almost completely hidden. At four weeks, that long coat began to fall away, leaving behind a flat, dull-looking Bengal kitten with bright orange colouring on her head, face and ears, while the rest of her body remained muted and muddy. At that stage, I honestly had no idea what she was going to turn into. And that was only the beginning of her transformation.
We are thrilled to announce an upcoming litter of new Bengal kittens here at Ashmiyah Bengals of Australia!
The sire is Fernando, our new Swedish import. He’s a big solid boy with a proper wild cat gait. This is exactly the kind of male we want behind our Bengal kittens. Safaree is no different. Same size, great body length, and same wildcat movement. They suit each other well.
These new Bengal kittens will be Brown Rosetted. We’re expecting strong coat clarity, clean rosetting, glitter, good solid body structure, and a reduction in ear size. This is something we’ve been working toward, and this cross should deliver some really nicely cupped ears.
We’ll be watching the baby Bengal boys closely as they grow. If the right male comes along, he’ll have a place in our program. We’re equally open to holding back a girl, but she’d need to genuinely complement the stunning good looks of our Bengal studs, Phoenix and Santanna.
This is a fresh pregnancy confirmation. We’re at the start of the wait, everything is tracking well, and Safaree is doing great. We’ll update as things progress.