Feel free to take these photos for your
pedigree use.
The original home of the Bengal Cat.
Many people have asked for photos of early Millwood Bengals.
Alas, my photography skills are non-existant, and few photos were taken
in the early days. Visitors took snapshots, but I rarely was sent copies.
Also, an album of my best original photos was sent to the TICA genetics
committee when I applied for NEW BREED AND COLOR status. But it has never
surfaced again and is doubtless lost. Here are glimpses of some of the Millwood
early contributors to the Bengal breed for your enjoyment:
MILLWOOD TORY OF DELHI
"Delhi" was a domestic cat found running loose under the rhinoseros
at the New Delhi zoo in 1984. He was better spotted (NO ribstripes!) and
more glittery-rufous than I had ever seen in America. He was used mostly
with F1 queens at first (after several frustrating years of vainly trying
to breed them to F1 males), but also gave his robust blood to the inbred
traditional Egyptian Mau breed to make what was subsequently called 'Indian
Maus'. In E. Mau pedigrees, he is TOBY and is registered by CFA and TICA
as a Mau.
EARLIEST F1s at Millwood
Delhi on left with queens Millwood Praline, Millwood Pennybank, and Millwood
Rorschach. All Millwood pedigrees go back to these cats.
Millwood Pennybank
Penny was a torbie and produced O1 red males and a few torbie females, but
this dominant gene was bred out of later generations. At that time, we had
so few hybrids and so little was known about their requirements that we
had to use what was produced, regardless of faults. I had a few hybrid queens
(Favorite, Candy, Mild Miss, Raisin Sundae, etc.) but we could never get
kittens from them, or they ate them, or other tragedy struck. The 'common
knowledge' we all share now was hard won amid many tears. Pennybank and
Praline are in most Millwood pedigrees for they were excellent producers.
Pennybank gave us Torchbearer, Treasure Chest, Coin Drop, Cedar Chips, Wildfire
and Penny Ante, among others.
Millwood Praline, Foundation queen
The mother of many of my prolific earlibirds, she gave us Rosetta Stone,
Polyspot, Trademark, Destiny, Aries, Spot Check, and Sun Dapple. These were
all by Millwood Tori of Delhi (India) whom she loved.
Millwood Showbiz
Showbiz is found in most Millwood pedigrees. He was friendly and a step
ahead of his sire, Millwood Rave Review, in adding more color to the line.
But he was more sorrel than this picture would indicate.
Millwood Silk 'n Cinders
Cinders was the first Millwood kitten with a clear, rich, colorful coat;
dark spots; and lots of glitter. To my joy, he proved to be both fertile
and sweet natured. His son, Millwood Rajin Cajun, was the foundation stud
for Gogees Cattery.
Millwood Penny Ante (F2) b.1986
Penny Ante was my pride and joy. She was the first sweet-natured Bengal
to really resemble a wild cat. She purred through shows all over the world,
winning allocades in Paris, Germany, Canada, and at every TICA Incats show
throughout USA. It was really Penny's sweet temperament and sharply contrasted
dark spots on her light orange coat that established the breed with the
public and with the TICA judges. For six years she wowed people in Miami,
Seattle, LA, Chicago, Portland, San Francisco, Washington DC, and twice
at Madison Square Garden, winning the visitors' "Favorite Cat"
votes. Her photo was used in publicity for shows and on TV. It was Penny
that convinced TICA that Bengals were truly a NEW BREED and she earned our
welcome there, overcoming the advance prejudice spread by breeders of other
spotted breeds. Some of those breeders read the future and joined our ranks
by switching to Bengals; some spread fear of the 'savage cats'; others jealously
attacked and belittled the breed and me. It was an uphill and expensive
climb to recognition, but Penny was as steadfast in her good nature as I
had to be. If any one cat is to be hearlded as the queen of the Bengal breed,
it is dear Penny Ante.
Penny never had a mate that could do her justice, for we were still using
early, heavily-domestic males seeking fertility. But several of her F3 sons
proved somewhat fertile and helped the breed, including Aces Wild, Jokers
Wild and Caesar. Two of her daughters, Centavo and Petty Cash, are still
producing and have current Millwood litters. She also produced (among others)
Penny Candy, Penny Whistle, Copper Penny, and Pretty Penny that are in some
pedigrees.
Millwood Mai Thai (F1)
Mother was an Egyptian Mau, sire was Kent's ALC. Mai Thai was a rather gray-ticked
queen with a menacing temperament, but she produced numerous lovely, friendly
F2 daughters including Millwood Gold Medal (my white tummied line (Gold
Nugget and Midas Touch)).
Alas, not too many of those F2 daughters ever produced kittens.
Millwood Mirror Mirror (F1)
Mirror's extreme contrast and black markings were passed down to many F2
daughters. One has founded a lovely line for Phil Morgan in England. Another
is behind David Born's winning SGC Millwood Shanara and her littermates
Signature, Etching, and Lisa Arvay's rosetted Chrystal Clear. Mirror's photographs
in magazines have attracted many people to the breed.
Millwood Razzmataz (F2)
Razz's richly glittered coat and snowy underbelly brought OHs and Ahs from
visitors to Millwood. Razz, a daughter of M. Patticake, never understood
the birthing process, though, and ate all her kittens except two which I
rescued, M. Razzel Dazzel and M. Candlelight, both still producing little
beauties here at Millwood until into the 2000s.
Millwood Crystal Prism (F3)
This beautiful Kabuki line female was only able to produce one litter of
seven show winners (which she died defending from marauding raccoons). She
had an exquisitely soft, short dense coat that she gave to most of those
babies.
CH Millwood Rumpled Spotskin SBT male |
