Fuzzies (fuzzy – “frizzy”, “indistinct”) is a process through which all Bengal kittens go through without exception. Fuzzies – fuzzy, blurry, vague, fluffy, fuzzy, hairy. All these definitions perfectly describe the manifestation of Fuzzies.
Those who are going to buy a Bengal kitten need to know that at about the age of one and a half to three to four months, the kitten’s color changes to “protective” or Fuzzies. This is a legacy inherited from a wild ancestor – the Asian leopard cat. Around this age, the offspring of wild cats leave the parental nest into a world full of hungry carnivores. Their bright spotted coat can attract the attention of predatory animals and thereby cause the death of kittens. To protect them from mortal danger, nature creates a patronizing color for them, which in the wild is one of the conditions for survival. Their bright coat fades and turns gray, a longer gray coat grows, which hides a clear pattern, thereby ensuring that the kitten is invisible against the background of the earth, stones and plants of wooded and semi-desert territories that are the traditional habitats of these animals. Bengal kittens from 3-4 weeks of age become “nondescript”, entering the stage of Fuzzies. By 5-6 months of age, the growing Bengal kittens will begin to return to their natural color, which will finally be established by 10-12 months old.
If you buy a Bengal kitten during the Fuzzies period in a professional cattery, do not worry – this is not a disease or cheating. This is just one of the periods of Bengal development and only time can turn the “ugly duckling” into a gorgeous cat with a clear, bright and expressive color.
But be careful if you decide to buy a Bengal kitten “cheaper”, “for yourself”, “without documents” in questionable places. At this age, “Fuzzies” can be confused with ticking. Such a kitten will never be bright and contrasting. In addition, a modest exterior is just one of the “troubles” that you run the risk of acquiring wanting to save money on buying a Bengal kitten. Remember, only a professional cattery can guarantee the purity of the breed of your future kitten, its appearance, compliance with the breed data. Do not seek to acquire an undocumented kitten. At a young age, a kitten does not always have an appearance similar to the exterior of an adult cat, therefore, it is always problematic for a non-professional to make sure of purebredness in the absence of documents. A kitten without documents is always a lottery. As a rule, kittens from cats whose owners are trying to hide either their origin or the presence of sufficiently severe genetic diseases and defects do not have documents. Experts advise against buying such animals, even at a very attractive price.
