20/10/2025
What does “F1, F2, F3 and F4” mean?
The abbreviations F1-F4 are the abbreviations Bengal Cat breeders use to differentiate one generation of offspring from another.
However, there are no F2, no F3 and no F4 Bengal Cats, using the accepted definitions of science and law.
The “F” in the abbreviation stands for “Foundation” or “Filial,” and the following number represents the generation in which the feline belongs to.
Therefore, if a Bengal Cat breeder says a kitten is an F1, then that son is the first generation of an Asian Leopard Cat (ALC) crossed with a domestic Bengal cat parent.
It is appropriate to either use the existing scientific nomenclature or a naming system developed by TICA’s Bengal Cat Breed Committee that prevents confusion and accurately describes the pedigree. TICA’s Bengal Cat breed committee agreed to use 2G and 3G to more precisely identify the generations removed from a non-domestic feline of any cat. Thus, the correct terms in the breeding strategy for producing an SBT Bengal Cat becomes:
Asian Leopard Cat X domestic cat = F1
F1 X domestic cat (B, C or SBT Bengal) = 2G
2G X domestic cat (B, C or SBT Bengal) = 3G
3G X domestic cat (C or SBT Bengal) = SBT
What does “Filial” or “Foundation” mean for Bengals?
The terms “Filial” and “Foundation” are words commonly used when referring to a specific group of genes in the hybridizing process.
Hybridizing is the act of taking two similar species and crossbreeding them to create a hybrid species, with the hopes that both genetic variables with be present in the offspring.
The two different species that were paired together in the hybridizing process are referred to as the Foundation generation.
So when we look at the Bengal cat breed, the Foundation generation would be the Asian Leopard Cat and the domestic cat.
The offspring that these “Foundation Bengals” produce are then characterized as the “filial” generation, as filial derives from the Latin word filius, which means “son.”
In other words, the sons or generation following the parents, and all generations to come are to be referred to as the “Filial Bengal Generation.”
The foundation and first three generations of filial Bengals are not true Bengal cats, therefore, these felines are not technically classified as Bengal cats.
The first three filial generations, abbreviated F1, F2, and F3, result in infertile males paired with an entire litter of felines that are more Asian Leopard than domesticated cat.
The F1-F3 generations also require specialized care as health problems affect these primary generations more than the true Bengal, which is generation F4 and later.
The fourth hybrid generation is recognized by the International Cat Association (TICA) as a true domestic Bengal Cat, studbook tradition (SBT) and deemed show ring eligible.