Tail

Worth 5 of the 20 points for Body - (100 Points Total)

The tail of a Bengal is another favored feature of our breed. The medium length in contrast to their longer bodies is intriguing. Thick and sightly tapered with a rounded tip that when is set low, it truly showcases the Bengals hunting nature.

2016 - 2019 CFA Bengal Standard for TAIL:

Thick, tapered at the end with a rounded tip. Medium in length, in proportion to body.

Examples of IDEAL BENGAL TAILS - Set low, Medium Length, Thick, Tapered, Rounded & pleasing patterns:

M Adult "NN" - Thick & Med Length

M Adult "NN" - Thick & Med. Lngth

M Adult "MM" -Thick & Med Lngth

Medium length and Thick

M Adult "MM" -Thick and Med Lngth

M Kitten "E" -Thick and Med Lngth

M Kitten "E" -Thick and Med Lngt

M Adult "E"

F Mink Adult "N" - Thck/Med Lngth

F Mink Adult -Thick and Med Lngth

F Adult Mink "V"

Examples of ideal Bengal tails that compliment Bengal as a whole:

F 8 mo Mink "N"

M 16 mo "E"

Adult Male "NN"

Examples of THIN TAILS, TOO LONG TAILS or TAIL FAULTS - All un-desirable.

Visible Kink "SS"

Missing Prtl Vrtbr "HH"

Side of the Tail showing partial light color section letting us know that the cat does not have a full last vertebrae.

Missing Prtl Vrtbr "HH"

Outside of the tail.

High Set, Thin Tail "TT"

Tail too thin "UU"

Set too high, too thin "WW"

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. Move the parts regarding the tail within the "GENERAL" description part of the standard into the "TAIL" description part of the standard that are not already addressed.

Rationale:

A. Judges can't easily see it when they check the standard for "tail" because it is only in the "General" part of the standard.

B. the "General" description is where we try to paint a picture of the breed rather than describe specific parts. Part/Pieces descriptions belong in the Parts/Pieces sections of the standard.

WITHIN PROPOSAL #21 for the 2019 Ballot. Results: 24 Yes, 45 No - 69 voters needs 42 "yes" votes to pass. Did not pass.

2. Our Bengal tail is not "in proportion to body" - It is desired to be "medium length" which on a long bodied Bengal is shorter than a cat's tail would normally be in other breeds. Therefore, it is not in proportion.

Remove: "In proportion to body".

Rationale: Housekeeping Change

A. Judge at 2017 CFA Int'l Show made the observation that it is not correct.

B. Correcting a mistake in wording within this part of the standard.

C. To shorten the wording in our breed standard as a whole.

INCLUDED WITHIN PROPSAL #21 (together with the above section) for the 2019 Ballot. Results: 24 Yes, 45 No - 69 voters needs 42 "yes" votes to pass. Did not pass.

Breed Council Change Considerations for 2019 that did not get on the Ballot:

A. Add language that addresses the fact that the vertebrae in the tail of Bengals are longer and more rectangular than square (like other CFA cat breeds). These vertebrae are often loose which is not a fault in our breed.

Rationale:

A. CFA judges may believe that there are tail faults where there aren't any.

B. The elongated vertebrae of the Bengal is one of our defining traits.

Obstacles:

A. It could cause judges to feel the tail vertebrae a bit too harshly which if done 12 times over a weekend, can be detrimental to the cat.

ONE COUNCIL MEMBER BELIEVES THAT THIS SHOULD BE PART OF OUR TAIL DESCRIPTION. I HAVE NOT ADDED IT TO THE CURRENT BALLOT BECAUSE OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ALREADY BEING ADDRESSED. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE THIS QUESTION PROPOSED IN THE 2020 BALLOT.

B. Proposal: Change the "Tail" section of the standard from:

"Tail: Thick, tapered at the end with a rounded tip. Medium in length, in proportion to body." to:

Option A: "Tail: Set low, thick, medium length, tapered at the end with a rounded tip. (Removing "in proportion to body").

Option B: Tail: Set low, thick, tapered at the end with rounded tip. Medium in length. (Removing "in proportion to body").

Option C: "Tail: Set low, thick and with rectangular vertebrae. Medium in length, tapering at the end with a rounded tip.

Rationale:

A. Puts all the tail descriptors in a single location and adds verbiage regarding a defining Bengal trait - Their elongated spine and vertebrae.

B. Changes a few words from the "General" portion describing the tail "Carried low" because the Bengal tail is often held high if they are happy. What I believe we were trying to say here is that the base of the tail is set lower on the hind end of the Bengal vs other domestic breeds. We can see the difference in a tail set lower vs. higher even in happy cats with tails up high out of joy on the judging table. We don't want happy cats inappropriately penalized because their tails are up.

Obstacle:

A. Using "Option C" could result in judges possibly over manipulating the tail and therefore causing the cat stress and possibly damage psychologically as well as physically.

NOT SPECIFICALLY PART OF THE CURRENT BALLOT BUT SOME ASPECTS ARE WITHIN PROPOSAL #21. I WOULD LIKE FEEDBACK FROM THE COUNCIL ABOUT THEIR THOUGHTS FOR THIS - ESPECIALLY IF PROPOSAL 21 DOES NOT HAVE 60% APPROVAL FROM THE COUNCIL.