Bengals and Dutch Legislation – Update Effective July 1, 2024
As of July 1, 2024, the Netherlands has introduced a new list of permitted domestic and hobby animals. Under this regulation, only 30 mammal species may be kept as pets. The list was developed by independent experts with the aim of improving animal welfare and ensuring public safety. As a result, the keeping, breeding, and trading of exotic mammals will no longer be permitted.
This change has raised understandable questions among Bengal breeders and future owners. To obtain clear guidance, inquiries were made with the Dutch RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency). The following clarification applies specifically to Bengal cats.
From July 1, 2024, the wild ancestor of the Bengal (the Asian Leopard Cat) and the first four hybrid generations (F1–F4) may no longer be bred in the Netherlands. Animals from these generations that were already present in the country on January 1, 2024, or whose mothers were pregnant on that date, may still be kept, but breeding with them is no longer allowed.
Bengals from the fifth generation onward (F5 and higher) are legally regarded as fully domesticated cats (Felis sylvestris catus). These cats may continue to be kept, sold, and bred in the Netherlands after July 1, 2024.
In summary, Bengal cats are permitted as pets from the F5 generation onward in the Netherlands, as well as in Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region.
The Bengals bred in our cattery are from the 10th generation and higher. From the sixth generation onward, Bengals are referred to as SBT (Stud Book Tradition).
