1 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: Hey, and welcome to the short stuff. I'm Josh, there's Chuck. 2 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: Jerry's here too. Dave's not, but Jerry's here for Dave. 3 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: You know, the whole rigamar role. It's time for short stuff, 4 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: so let's go. Yeah, so, Chuck, I'm glad you did 5 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: that because I think that was a really great segue 6 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: into this episode on a specific kind of. 7 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:26,760 Speaker 2: Cats, that's right, we're talking about the Bengal cat. If 8 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 2: you've ever seen a Bengal cat, or if you look 9 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 2: up a picture online now when it's safe, it looks 10 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:35,160 Speaker 2: like a cross between a leopard and a house cat, 11 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 2: because that's what it is. 12 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, full stop. I mean, it's kind of nuts, but 13 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: there is a small wild leopard cat out there in 14 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: southern and Eastern Asia, Priona ilrius bengalisis bengalensis. I got 15 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: it in there somewhere. Maybe Jerry can chop all that 16 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: up and edit it into the correct pronunciation. But it's 17 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: a tiny little cat that looks a lot like a leopard, 18 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: and it is a wild cat. It's not a leopard. 19 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: It's not even related to the leopard, but it's one 20 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 1: half of this type of hybridized breed of cats. That 21 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: people keep as pets today. 22 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, that people pay a lot of money for I imagine. So, yeah, 23 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 2: they are very wilful, athletic cats, and we'll kind of 24 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,399 Speaker 2: get to their behavior later. But let's go back about 25 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 2: six million years to talk about how cats came to be. 26 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 2: There were a couple of groups of felines that that 27 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 2: parted ways. There was a very you know, just sort 28 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 2: of a regular, small bodied cat that was eventually the 29 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 2: common ancestor of both of these groups. One became the 30 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 2: one that you talked about, the Prionelaris. Nope, yeah, I 31 00:01:54,560 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 2: mean those close touris. Okay, maybe Bengalensis. No, Bengalensis. 32 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: You just did what I do. You added a whole 33 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: bowel in there. 34 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 2: Well, why don't you take the next one because that. 35 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: One's easy wild leopard cat. 36 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 2: Well, no, I meant the other lineage. 37 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: The house cat Felis cattus. 38 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. So those are the two lines. The Felis 39 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 2: cattus is what we most of us have in our 40 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 2: home set have cats. But that other one, that leopard 41 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 2: cat is lives in southern and eastern Asia. Like you said, 42 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 2: it's a wild cat. It prowls the forest and grasslands. 43 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,639 Speaker 2: And stuff like that. And they're not huge. They're six 44 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:37,920 Speaker 2: and a half pounds to maybe fifteen and a half pounds. 45 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 2: And although they look like a leopard, they're you know, 46 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 2: like you said, they're clearly not they're they're they're small 47 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 2: by comparison. 48 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 1: No, but like a leopard, they're covered in rosettes. That's 49 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: what leopard spots are called. And then the little the 50 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: little plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called agltz. 51 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: You know those two. 52 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 2: Common crossword clue by the way, agletz great. 53 00:02:58,400 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: But yeah, if you know those two things, you don't 54 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: need to know anything else in the world because they'll 55 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: just kind of open up all the doors you need 56 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: from that point on. 57 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 2: That's right. 58 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: But rosettes there the little patches of for the little 59 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 1: spots that leopards have, and that's one of the main 60 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:18,079 Speaker 1: characteristics of the Bengal cat hybrid breed. Do you want 61 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: to take an early break or do you want to 62 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 1: keep going? What do you think? 63 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 2: I say, we keep going. We're only a few minutes in. 64 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,079 Speaker 1: Okay, well, let's talk about Willard center Wall. Then. 65 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, this is a guy that is initially responsible for 66 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 2: this crossbreed. Because in nineteen seventy one, when he was 67 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 2: a professor at Lomlinda University in California, he was working 68 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 2: on trying to solve feline leukemia, and apparently that Bengal 69 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 2: cat is resistant to feline leukemia. So he started working 70 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 2: with hybridizing these cats to see what he could learn 71 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 2: about this scientifically speaking, to help save cats. 72 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we should say, I mean, there's a lot 73 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: of people who are very not happy with the idea 74 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: that people are highizing cats and creating designer cat breeds 75 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: when there's tons of shelter cats that need to be adopted. Wow. Yeah. 76 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: Willard center Wall, though he seems to have just did 77 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: this innocently, like he wasn't trying to create a new 78 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,919 Speaker 1: designer breed of cat that he could sell. He was 79 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: doing it for scientific research. Enter another breeder, Gene Mill, 80 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:27,600 Speaker 1: who actually was a purposeful breeder of this new hybrid 81 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:31,479 Speaker 1: breed of cats what became the Bengal cat. She collaborated 82 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: with center Wall, and she was a conservationist. And that 83 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 1: won't make any sense for a little while, but will 84 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: I'll bring it in now. The reason that she, a conservationist, 85 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 1: was involved in creating a hybridized cat was because she 86 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: thought that if you got little cats out there that 87 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:55,119 Speaker 1: looked like leopards, it would make people more empathetic toward 88 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: leopards in the wild, and hence would dry up the 89 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: market for leopard skin coats and may even help conserve 90 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:07,719 Speaker 1: wild leopard populations because people adopted like what looked like 91 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: a little baby leopard at home. 92 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it has not lost on us that her 93 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 2: last name was mil Save your email and we'll mention 94 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 2: one more guy before we break. A breeder named Bill Engler, 95 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 2: who is a zoo keeper and animal importer, worked a 96 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 2: lot with exotic animals, and he had a leopard cat 97 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 2: named Shah in the early seventies, and he breeded them 98 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:36,159 Speaker 2: and created a bunch of Bengal kittens. And I don't 99 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 2: believe this, but people have surmised, because his name was 100 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 2: Bill Engler, that the name ben Ingele came from b Engler. 101 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:48,280 Speaker 2: But I think it's clearly from that Asian leopard cat's name, so. 102 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 1: Much so that I don't know why people even came 103 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: up with the other idea. Agreed, I think that's break time. Huh, Yeah, 104 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: let's do it. We'll be right back. 105 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 2: So these cats, even though I'm completely against this kind 106 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 2: of thing and selling pets like this at like for 107 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:38,479 Speaker 2: too grand a pop. They're amazing looking. They're incredible. They're gorgeous, 108 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:44,040 Speaker 2: little tiny leopards. The rosettes can take various forms. They 109 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 2: can be kind of pointy, they can kind of look 110 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 2: like arrowheads. They can be more circular, they can look 111 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 2: like pawprints. The marble coated Bengal is one of the 112 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:58,599 Speaker 2: coolest looking cats I've ever seen. But again, I don't 113 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 2: want to sound like I'm endorsing this kind of thing, 114 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 2: you know, no. 115 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 1: But I mean, like, these things do exist, and they 116 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: are beautiful to look at, and they do seem like 117 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: pretty interesting cats as far as cats go, their personalities 118 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: and what they demand from you. I was gonna say require, 119 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: but it seems like a demand. They're also different colored. 120 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: They have different colored coats beneath their rosettes too, all 121 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 1: the way up to white, which imitates snow leopards, so 122 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 1: it looks like a mini baby snow leopard essentially running 123 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: around your house. They also have like brown, golden, charcoal, gray, silverish, 124 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: and all these different rosette combinations with different coat combinations 125 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: means that there's an infinite variety of Bengal kittens just 126 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: waiting to be bred. 127 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, they are muscular, they're very athletic. Apparently their hind 128 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 2: legs are a little taller than the shoulder, so they 129 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 2: look even a little different than your regular house cat. 130 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 2: They weigh just sort of like the ones in the wild, 131 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 2: eight to fifteen pounds, which is and be small for 132 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 2: a cat. And they're, like I said, they're very energetic. 133 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 2: They like to take walks. They don't lay around and 134 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 2: sleep all day like other cats. Apparently they like to swim, 135 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 2: which is very unique for cats. 136 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 1: Right. Yeah, they're into water related activities like swimming, showering 137 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: with their owners. Yeah I had wakeboarding. 138 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 2: But yes I stepped on it. That was even better. 139 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 1: I stepped on yours too, So there. 140 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 2: Although kneboard a knee boarding cat. Maybe that's the best joke. 141 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: I thought in kneeboarding too. I workshopped it very briefly 142 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 1: with myself and said wakeboarding, So the way do you go? 143 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: The thing is is a lot of people buy these 144 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 1: things and they're like, uh, it's gonna go with my purse. 145 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: I'm gonna carry this cat around whenever I have my 146 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: purse and then probably ignore it the rest of the time. 147 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: I have it they're buying these cats for their looks essentially, 148 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: which is I mean the kind of one of the 149 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: things that that they're bred for is their looks. The 150 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: problem is, even if they're expecting, like this is a 151 00:08:57,360 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: cat I'm going to take care of, most people are 152 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: totally unprepared for just how different Bengal cats are from 153 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: your average cat. Like you said, all the stamina, all 154 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: the If they get bored, they're very aggressive. So you 155 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: don't want them to get bored because just say bye 156 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 1: bye to your Aaron's rent furniture, right, yeah, Like you're 157 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 1: like you are, You're you're in for it. If you 158 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: buy a Bengal cat and take it as your own, 159 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 1: you it's just going to be way more work than 160 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 1: the average cat, which can usually amuse itself. So a 161 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 1: lot of people buy two to keep them busy with 162 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 1: one another. 163 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, uh yeah, And I guess they have a lot 164 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:38,600 Speaker 2: of money because I saw that snow leopard version can 165 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:39,960 Speaker 2: go for like two grand. 166 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: I'm surprised, that's all. 167 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess I could. 168 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 1: See breeders charging way more than that. I'm really surprised. Yeah, 169 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:50,479 Speaker 1: that's a value. 170 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 2: Apparently if they have wild parents or grandparents, it's even 171 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 2: worse and they require even more socialization than you know, 172 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:02,600 Speaker 2: which makes sense than the ones who are further removed 173 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 2: from that wild lineage. And I looked up online because 174 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:08,439 Speaker 2: this article from how Stuff Works. I'm not sure when 175 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 2: it was, but it said like Hawaii as a state 176 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 2: has put a band on breeding and ownership, and then 177 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 2: so I looked up and there there are quite a 178 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:20,720 Speaker 2: few states that either have outright bands on ownerships or 179 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 2: bands on breeding or both, or if they don't have bands, 180 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 2: they have a lot of like you have to have 181 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:27,959 Speaker 2: a permit and like hoops you have to jump through 182 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 2: to get one of these things right. So, yeah, people 183 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 2: are kind of standing up and or you know, cat 184 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:37,080 Speaker 2: rescue organizations are obviously standing on their podium and screaming like, 185 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 2: please don't support this kind of thing. Do not buy 186 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:40,960 Speaker 2: hybrid cats. 187 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, if you ever drift drive past a strip mall 188 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:47,200 Speaker 1: and it says cats or puppies or something kittens on 189 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: a sign, you want to keep driving. 190 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 2: Oh well, unless it's uh they're doing like an adoption 191 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:54,920 Speaker 2: event on the sidewalk, it's. 192 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:57,439 Speaker 1: A little different. I'm talking more like a permanent sign. Yeah, yeah, 193 00:10:57,520 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 1: sign I try to put up like on the shopping 194 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:00,560 Speaker 1: centers directory. 195 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah. I just wanted to draw that distinction because 196 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:05,120 Speaker 2: that's what they will often do, is set up in 197 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:06,319 Speaker 2: front of like pet COO or something. 198 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 1: Yeah you mean. And I were looking once at a 199 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:13,240 Speaker 1: pet co before we got MO, and there was there 200 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 1: were dogs they had. It was so sad. They had 201 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 1: dogs that had all different kinds of special needs or handicaps, 202 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 1: kind of sequestered off from the other dogs. And among 203 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: these dogs there was a little Chihuahua and apparently the 204 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: only thing unusual about him was that he couldn't retract 205 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: his tongue, so his tongue was always sticking out and 206 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 1: you had to keep a tongue moist. Yeah, it looks 207 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:39,600 Speaker 1: super cute like it was. That's just always stuck with me. 208 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, there's there's a breed of dog that 209 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:45,840 Speaker 2: has that tongue out full time, right. I don't know that. 210 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 2: I think that like the supposedly ugliest dog on earth, 211 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,320 Speaker 2: that breed whatever it is that is like patchy hair 212 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 2: and looks kind of crazy and has it. I think 213 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 2: they have their tongue permanently out. 214 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 1: They have a non retractable tongue. 215 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 2: I guess, so I'll look at should do a short 216 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:02,440 Speaker 2: stuff on that dog because I don't like some calling 217 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 2: an animal the ugliest whatever. 218 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,440 Speaker 1: No, that sounds kind of Internet clickbaity, you know, Yeah, 219 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: I agreed. All right, Well I think we're at the 220 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: end of Bengal cats. Eh. Yes, okay, see you guys, 221 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 1: Short Stuff's out. 222 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 2: Stuff You Should Know is a production of iHeartRadio. 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