"GLITTER"
~*~ Bengals appear to be sprinkled with a bit of Pixie Dust! ~*~
Glitter on a Brown Bengal
What is Bengal "Glitter"?
I get this question all the time. Believe it or not, not all Bengals are lucky enough to have "glitter". Here at Smithpoint Bengals all of our cats and kittens are bred from the finest pedigrees from all over the world to ensure they all have this amazing "glitter".
BROWN BENGAL GLITTER
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SNOW BENGAL GLITTER
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Basically there are two distinctly different types of bengal glitters:
Mica (Gold-Tipped) Bengal Glitter
This glitter affects the tips of the hairs only and produces its effect in reflective hair-tips. If you look at the hair under a microscope, you will see that embedded right inside the very tip of each Bengal hair are what you would swear are tiny flecks of a reflective silicate crystal called mica.
Satin (Hollow-Air) Bengal Glitter
This glitter looks just like mica, but in this case it affects the whole hair shaft, refracting light and giving the coat a pearly effect which is also known as "oyster". Satin hair shafts contain many little pockets of air along their length which not only refract light all the way through but also give the coat a smooth, soft silkiness unlike any other cat fur you've ever touched. These air pockets can become elongated which makes the fur even softer and silkier.
This glitter affects the tips of the hairs only and produces its effect in reflective hair-tips. If you look at the hair under a microscope, you will see that embedded right inside the very tip of each Bengal hair are what you would swear are tiny flecks of a reflective silicate crystal called mica.
Satin (Hollow-Air) Bengal Glitter
This glitter looks just like mica, but in this case it affects the whole hair shaft, refracting light and giving the coat a pearly effect which is also known as "oyster". Satin hair shafts contain many little pockets of air along their length which not only refract light all the way through but also give the coat a smooth, soft silkiness unlike any other cat fur you've ever touched. These air pockets can become elongated which makes the fur even softer and silkier.
Glitter is a highly sought-after feature! The glitter that our Bengals have on their coats and produce in their offspring is truly magical!!