Harry belongs to one of my neighbours, further down the street.   He is a Bengal cat.   The first time I met him he had wandered into our garden with a certain air of arrogance.   I was struck immediately by his beauty, as I approached him he started growling and hissing. then jumped into the next garden.

Over time he has settled down a bit, and is a lot more approachable, and seems to enjoy a conversation, you talk, he yowls.

He is known throughout the neighbourhood for his bold personality,   and is popular for his chattiness,  except with other cats and small dogs,  for whom the very tinkling of his bell strikes fear into their hearts,   for he is a fierce fighter and despite his wiry physique sends larger, fatter cats packing.    

He is a keen hunter.   I have never seen him with a bird, but I have heard the pitiful sounds of dying rats on more than one occasion,   accompanied by the familiar tinkling bell.

At this point I should say something about Bengal cats,  they are a relatively new breed, first appearing in the early eighties, though various breeding programs to create such a cat had started in the sixties.   They are a real 'designer' cat. For those who want a miniature leopard, a spotted cat.

There are several species of domestic spotted cats,  including the Egyptian Mau and the California Spangle cat,  but what sets the Bengal apart from all other breeds of domestic spotted cats is it's origins.

The Bengal was developed by crossing a domestic tabby with a leopard cat   (Felis Bengalensis)   which surprisingly resulted in fertile kittens.

Although Bengals have been bred to be domestic pets,  there is still an element of wildness in their personality,  and explains their huge repertoire of sounds, not normally heard in your average cat.

The background of the painting is a bit of a cliche,  but I could not resist, jungle cat in jungle.   Though the inspiration for my jungle was Kew Gardens magnificent hot houses.