You can keep a Bengal Cat as a pet in Georgia so long as the cat has been registered “in a national cat fancy organization as the domestic breed of Bengal cat” and “such registration shall not include any animal less than four generations removed from an Asian leopard cat.” – Georgia Code § 27-5-5.
What About Other States?
Not every state has laws that specifically address how Bengal cats should be cared for and maintained. Therefore, we are unable to include a law that is not made clear. When bringing your new cat into your home, make sure you are abiding by the local municipality’s laws.
1) At least F4 crosses (four generations apart from leopard cats) are present in the animals. 2) The animals are registered as “Bengal cats” with a nationally renowned cat fancier organization. 3) Animal owners have proof of origin of animals. 4) Animals are microchipped or permanently tattooed with identifying information that certifies the animal in question matches the one listed in all necessary documentation. 5) An animal’s appearance should typically conform to the acknowledged and specified characteristics specific to the breed. 4. If any Bengal cat does not fit any of the five requirements listed above, they must obtain a wild animal license or permit.
http://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2006/27/27-5-5.html 27-5-5. (a) The following animals are considered to be inherently dangerous to human beings and are subject to the license or permit and insurance requirements provided for in subsection (f) of Code Section 27-5-4: (1) Class Mammalia: (A) Order Marsupialia: Family Macropodidae: Genus Macropus (Kangaroos) — All species; (B) Order Primates: (i) Family Pongidae (gibbons, orang-utan, chimpanzees, siamangs, and gorillas) — All species; (ii) Family Cercopithecidae: (I) Genus Macaca (macaques) — All species; (II) Genus Papio (mandrills, drills, and baboons) — All species; (III) Theropithecus gelada (Gelada baboon); (C) Order Carnivora: (i) Family Canidae: (I) Genus Canis (wolves, jackals, and dingos); all species; except that any person possessing hybrid crosses between wolves and domestic animals on July 1, 1994, shall have until July 1, 1995, to apply for a fee-exempt permit to possess these animals as pets; provided, however, that the said hybrid is sexually neutered; provided, further, that it shall be unlawful to transfer possession or ownership of said hybrid without prior written approval from the department. Liability insurance shall not be mandatory for wolf hybrids possessed under this fee-exempt permit
Code Section 27_5_5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated is amended to remove subparagraph (b)(1)(K) about wild animals that need licenses or permits and replace it with the following: “(K) Order Carnivora (weasels, ferrets, cats, bears, wolves, etc. All species, with the exception of domestic Bengal cats (Felis bengalansis) and European ferrets (Mustela putorius furo), which are allowed to be sold, bought, displayed, or kept as pets without a license or permit as long as their owners can show proof that their pet was neutered before the age of seven months and has received rabies vaccinations administered in a manner approved by the US Department of Agriculture. Additionally, as defined in this subparagraph, the term “domestic Bengal cat” shall only refer to hybrid offspring of Asian leopard cats (Felis bengalansis) that have been recognized as the domestic breed of Bengal cat by registration in a national cat fancy organization; however, such registration shall not include any anim
1. This policy aims to make license requirements for Bengal Cats more clear. 2. Wild animals are any non-domestic species that is not indigenous to this state, according to OCGA 27-1-2. Additionally, according to this definition, any hybrid created by crossing a domestic animal with a wild animal will be treated the same as the wild animal from which it originated. The Department continues to enforce a stringent interpretation of this definition, which is crucial to preventing the selective domestic dilution that could lead to abuse of the wild animal licensing requirements. 3. The Department is not tasked with regulating or controlling domestic animals, but the definition of wild animals is codified and cannot be changed. Certain Bengal cats will no longer be regulated by the Department as wild animals, and it will decide which animals that comply with these guidelines won’t be subject to Code enforcement. If all of the following criteria are satisfied, Bengal cats will be classified as domestic breeds:
“Wild animal” is defined as any animal that is not considered wildlife and is not typically a domestic species in this state under Title 27, Chapter 1-2 (75). Any hybrid or cross between any variety of wild animal, wildlife, and domestic animal is specifically included in this term. All offspring of these crosses or hybrids that come after them are wild animals.
Why Are Bengal Cats Illegal in Some States?
Domestic cats and Asian Leopard Cats are bred to produce Bengal cats. The outcome is a magnificent large breed cat with a small leopard-like appearance. Many people think that bringing people in close proximity to wildlife in this way will heighten their awareness of the destruction of wildlife and inspire them to take action and cast their vote to protect the surrounding wildlands.
Furthermore, a lot of people dream of having a large cat (Tiger King, anyone?) Although it would be cruel to keep a real leopard indoors, a domestic cat that resembles one won’t experience the same negative health effects.
However, the waters are a lot murkier than that. Bengal cats’ unique spotted fur pattern can be traced back to their Asian Leopard Cat ancestry. Many Bengals have a living Asian Leopard Cat relative. Many people are concerned that when hybrid animals with wild blood are bred, the animals may become uncontrollable, destroy things, or harm people.
Domestication is more than a short-term behavioral modification. The fact that stray kittens’ pedigree is replete with domestic cats who grew up in homes with people means that many of them are adopted and make wonderful house pets.
This alters their innate desire, but it also affects the lessons that their mother cats would have imparted to them during their formative years. Cats that are not afraid of humans will instill that fear in their young.
Around 7500 BCE, cats were first widely domesticated in Egypt, and the cats we know today are the result of over 9,000 years of domestication. These cats differ from feral cats in both their genetic makeup and behavior because they have been separated from their wild ancestry for thousands of generations.
Because Bengals are so closely related to their wild heritage, many people are anxious. Despite being regarded as domestic cats, these are large cats that make formidable opponents. That’s why they’re regulated as wild animals; they practically are.
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