A Strange Glitter Gene Is Making Some Cats Sparkle Like Diamonds
Bengals are one of the most sought-after cat breeds in the world, in part due to a genetic trait that gives many of them shiny, almost 'glittery' coats.
It turns out that this trait is a deviation of the Fibroblast growth receptor 2, and actually comes from the domestic part of the genetic tree rather than the wild Asian leopard half.
As the costs of bengals skyrocketing, breeding these creatures is rife with exploitation, and the animals remain illegal in some municipalities.
Having been domesticated 30,000 years ago, dog breeds display a remarkable amount of genetic diversity—after all, Great Danes and chihuahuas are somehow the same species. Cats, on the other hand, all look relatively similar to their wild ancestors (long hair and smooshed noses, aside). But while many cat breeds look similar to one another in both size and overall coloring, some breeds hide absolutely fascinating genetic secrets. And one of the most sought-after cats—the Bengal cat—may hide one of the most dazzling secrets of all.
Although their leopard-esque coats hint at an ancient ancestry, Bengal cats are genetic newcomers. Created by a California cat breeder in 1963, the Bengal is a cross-breed between the domestic cat (Felis catus) and the Asian leopard (Prionailurus bengalensis). Although the Asian leopard looks remarkably similar to your average feline, the two species' common ancestor lived some six million years ago—that's more genetic distance than humans and chimpanzees (don't Google 'humanzee'). After two decades, the The International Cat Association (TICA) officially recognized the breed in 1986.
However, after cross-breeding Bengals, a peculiar trait began to emerge—some of their coats sparkled like glitter (which you can see up-close here). To dig into exactly why this special shine showed up, scientists from the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology studied 3,000 DNA samples from Bengal cats and determined that this derived from an alteration of the Fgfr2 (Fibroblast growth receptor 2) gene. Contrary to what you might expect, this trait doesn't come from the wild Asian leopard, but is instead a very rare condition in domestic cats. They published their work last year in the journal Current Biology.
'Fgfr2 is a gene found in all mammals that is important for embryonic development and organogenesis,' geneticist Kelly McGowan, a co-author of the study, said in a press release in 2024. 'Our results show that while a complete loss of Fgfr2 is lethal, a moderate reduction causes a desirable trait to manifest mainly in the hair.'
This trait isn't present in all bengal cats. According to the pet DNA site Wisdom Panel, of the millions of cats in its database, only 5,513 carry this altered 'glitter' gene. But, as McGowan and her team explain in their research, the gene is present in around 60 percent of the Bengal population.
And this isn't the only trait that sets Bengals apart from other cats. For one, bengals tend to be much more active than other types of cats. They also tend to eschew the typical feline aquaphobic stereotype and instead love to play with water, similar to other savannah cats and hybrid breeds.
Of course, with Bengal breeds runnings thousands of dollars, the Bengal breeding industry can be ripe for abuse, and because of their more wild origins, some experts believe keeping Bengals as pets isn't such a good idea due to their increased need for stimulation (compared to domestic cats). In New York City, for example, a Bengal cat needs to be six generations removed from its wild ancestor to be a legal pet.
Bengal cats may be incredible creatures with glittering coats, but the jury's out if they're really suitable companions for a human's more sedentary, indoor lifestyle.
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