Hi, I have two pictures of melanistic bengals and I read that melanistics can also be marbled or spotted. I don't know much about bengals yet as I just recently became interested in them. I plan on getting a bengal in the near future, though, as everything I have read about them makes them seem like the perfect cat for me. The pictures are from someone who is actually selling bengals and I might drive up there to look at them, not sure whether I want a melanistic or another bengal, looks will not be the main factor for my decision in the end, I want to feel a connection to the cat also. My question however is are these two marbled melanistics, I am not sure what the cat on the left would be? I also read they are just "black" cats.
Thanks in advance!
Nadine

With melanistics, it's difficult to tell unless you are up close. From the pictures, it appears one may be rosetted and one marbled! What should matter is the personality of the cat. Make sure the breeder socializes the cat with her family. Bengals are bred to have a sweet temperament. These are both beautiful kitties. The cat will choose you!

The thing with melanistic bengals is you are going to have to look very close at paperwork and the kittens parents. Many MANY people try to pass off black cats as melanistic bengals. I have seen too many ads to count of domestic short hair black cats being sold for hundreds of dollars because they are "bengals" or "bengal mix" when in reality they are neither. Just be careful and make sure the breeder is a reputable breeder and not a backyard breeder.

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My daughter has a cat that looks much like the one on the left. While he is a beautiful boy, he is certainly not a Bengal. I agree with bkilgore. You will need to check paperwork to be certain.

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~ Kyenta

I can't tell if they are Bengals or not from the photographs but it's a pity the breeder didn't send you better images. They don't look very professional and that would put me off to be honest.

Not saying they are not but how would you know going by the photos. I would as others have said check the paperwork carefully.

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Oscar and Jasper (or one ear and two ears as dh calls them) black rescue mogges

RIP my sweet baby Dexter, Snow Bengal 19/5/14 to 5/3/15 and my lovely dear old friend Muskey, Brown Burmese put to rest aged 15 on 14/11/15.

Debbie