Picture of Bengal cat with arrowhead markings

This is a lovely Bengal cat with clear arrowhead markings. There are many different types of coat markings for this breed. The arrowhead is not the most common. However, it is easy to identify as the shape is clear. The arrow always points towards the rear of the cat.

It seems to me that if the dark markings of the arrowhead form a circle or a near circle the marking becomes a donut (doughnut). If the dark outline is somewhat fragmented and in the general shape of a circle the marking is called a paw-print.

Asian leopard cat

The photo below of the wild cat half of this wild cat hybrid, the Asian leopard cat, has arrowhead markings mixed with paw-print markings and dark spots.

When I first saw the photograph of the Bengal cat I thought of the clouded leopard, a medium sized wild cat species. This is because the rosette markings of the Bengal create an appearance which is not dissimilar to that of the clouded leopard’s coat although the wild cat’s coat is even more impressive.