Junglefrost Bengals

Silver information and a brief guide to genetics.

Silver Bengals have existed for quite a number of years but is is only recently that USA breeders have been concentrating on producing top quality silver cats. The silver colouring is the result of an inhibitor gene ( I ) that takes out the yellow pigment in the coat of a full colour cat. It is also possible to produce silver snows. Silver is dominant, so in order to produce a silver kitten, one or both parents must be silver. It is also possible for two silver parents to produce brown kittens if neither are homzygous for silver. Here is a guide to how it works: If the (I) gene is present the cat will be silver.

Silver can be homozygous ( II) or heterozygous (Ii). Cats with either of these combinations will look silver but the heterozygous cat will carry the non inhibitor gene (i) as well.
Two homozygous silver cats will produce all silver kittens, who will also be homozygous for silver.(II)

Two heterozygous silver cats will be capable of producing silver or brown offspring.
On average :
25% homozygous silver (II)
25% brown (ii)
50% silver (Ii) but cabable of producing brown offspring.ie heterozygous.

A homozygous silver crossed with a heterozygous silver will produce, on average:
50% homozygous silver kittens (II)
50% heterozygous silver kittens.(Ii)

If the inhibitor gene is not working properly then some kittens will have a tarnished look ie: brown colouring breaking through. When choosing brown spotted/ marble cats to breed to, current information advises using browns with clear coats and very little rufous colouring to lessen the chances of tarnished kittens. It will be more diffifult to identify silvers in snow breeding programmes and is not advisable unless carried out by a very knowledgable breeder.

Browns bred in silver litters cannot carry the inhibitor gene but to avoid any confusion all kittens produced in my silver breeding programme will be registered as Junglefrost. Any Junglefire kittens will be from brown or snow cats only.

Silver information and a brief guide to genetics. Silver Bengals have existed for quite a number of years but is is only recently that USA breeders have been concentrating on producing top quality silver cats. The silver colouring is the result of an inhibitor gene ( I ) that takes out the yellow pigment in the coat of a full colour cat. It is also possible to produce silver snows. Silver is dominant, so in order to produce a silver kitten, one or both parents must be silver. It is also possible for two silver parents to produce brown kittens if neither are homzygous for silver. Here is a guide to how it works: If the (I) gene is present the cat will be silver. Silver can be homozygous ( II) or heterozygous (Ii). Cats with either of these combinations will look silver but the heterozygous cat will carry the non inhibitor gene (i) as well. Two homozygous silver cats will produce all silver kittens, who will also be homozygous for silver.(II) Two heterozygous silver cats will be capable of producing silver or brown offspring. On average : 25% homozygous silver (II) 25% brown (ii) 50% silver (Ii) but cabable of producing brown offspring.ie heterozygous. A homozygous silver crossed with a heterozygous silver will produce, on average: 50% homozygous silver kittens (II) 50% heterozygous silver kittens.(Ii) If the inhibitor gene is not working properly then some kittens will have a tarnished look ie: brown colouring breaking through. When choosing brown spotted/ marble cats to breed to, current information advises using browns with clear coats and very little rufous colouring to lessen the chances of tarnished kittens. It will be more diffifult to identify silvers in snow breeding programmes and is not advisable unless carried out by a very knowledgable breeder. Browns bred in silver litters cannot carry the inhibitor gene but to avoid any confusion all kittens produced in my silver breeding programme will be registered as Junglefrost. Any Junglefire kittens will be from brown or snow cats only.

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