I guess its only fitting that the most beautiful domestic cat in existence should have a homely period. Personally I don’t consider it all that bad but it is tough on folks trying to pick out their first Bengal. Often they will wonder if the kitten they had originally picked out is the same kitten they brought home or if it will ever live up to the breeders claims.

The fuzzies are a period in a Bengals life where they grow a form of camouflage that mutes their markings. Its part of their wild heritage and its natures way of giving them an edge over predators during the first eight months of their life.

When first born their markings are beautiful, clear and crisp. This lasts about three weeks which is approximately the time they would have been hidden in their mothers den. At the end of the first 3 weeks they start wandering out and exploring a bit and so mother nature helps hide them. What happens is they grow these little white tipped hairs that effectively put a hazy cloud over their entire body. This starts around three weeks and lasts until they are approximately 8 months old.

That is part of the charm of raising a Bengal. They are beautiful at all ages but as they grow they literally evolve right before your eyes. Around the eight month mark their coat suddenly becomes much more defined and the colors intensify, sometimes substantially.

If you are interested in owning a Bengal do not judge a breeders kittens by the colors you see during the fuzzies. In fact if the fuzzies are hard on anyone it is probably the breeder as it makes it more difficult to place kittens. Novice buyers tend to compare the kittens they are looking at to the adult cats they have seen and they will very rarely compare well.

If you are considering a Bengal kitten you need to know that you have no options here. You will have to live though the fuzzies but the cool part is its like watching a fine fruit ripen. It just gets better and better until it reaches perfection.

Actually, when you think about it, the fuzzies are just one more thing on a long list that make the Bengal special and that’s kind of cool.