A little information about Silver coloration Normal coloration in cats occurs through two types of melanin production, one in the range of black and the other in the range of reds (gold, red, and browns).  Some cats have lighter coloration than others and you see a vast range of differences in bengal coat colors from snows and browns to melanistic black colored cats.  All of these cats have the genetic capability to produce red phase coloration.  Some of them are even silver colored as they have very little reddish brown melanin and we call these cats 'charcoals' or 'silver colored', and 'tarnished silvers' . A true Silver cat does not have the ability to produce the red/brown type of melanin.  These cats have an absence of color, and the hairs without melanin appear to be silver in color.  Silver cats actually carry a special gene, known as the "I" or "inhibitor" gene which prevents them from being able to produce the red/brown pigmentation anywhere on their bodies.  This "I"gene is rare, but it is also dominant.  If a cat carries the "I" gene then the cat must be Silver.  A cat  must be a Silver to pass on silver genes to it's offspring. How do you tell a 'true' genetic silver cat? Sometimes it can be very difficult to tell if a cat is truly genetically silver versus silver colored, especially since kittens pelts change so much as they grow older.  There are a few things to look for that will help you identify a true genetic silver bengal: 1.  To be identified as a 'silver' the cat's eyes at maturity must be green or gold.  All kittens are born with blue eyes, but their eye coloration will begin to change at about 12 weeks but may not stabilize until they are up to 8 months old.  Looking at the eyes doesn't always help unless the cat is an adult. 2.  The pads of the kittens feet must be black in color - not pink, not brown, not gray.  Silver bengals must have black skin on the pads of their feet.  Once again, skin pads may darken as they grow older. 3.  Most important is pelt coloration - Silver bengals may have various shades of silver to black coloration across the tops of the pelt hairs; however, when you part the fur to the skin (try blowing on it) the roots of the pelt hairs (even in the black spotted areas) will be snowy white if the cat is a true silver.  Silver colored cats may look silver on the top (do they have a silver lining?) but the roots of the hairs will be pink, brown, gold, gray or dirty white - they will not be snow white.  This occurs because the hair of the bengal is considered to be 'agouti' banded which means that each hair has the ability to have various shades of coloration between the root and the tip.  In non-silvered cats, the roots of the hairs are usually of lighter coloration than the tips, but they do have some coloration.  In Silver bengals, the roots have no pigmentation and therefore appear to be snowy white. 4.  Ask to see the parents - one of the things I have learned about bengals is that often their colors are misclassified or the cats coats can actually 'Fade' as they age.  At a recent TICA genetic's seminar, this fading in bengals was discussed as a possible mutation which may cause early aging of the black melanin producing cells in the hair follicle.  This results in a cat whose high contrast coat fades as they get older.  This can happen in all bengal colors and this mutation (identified as the X-color mutation) is not well understood.  We  know of an altered eight year old retired show stud who had faded to a beautiful reddish brown with darker brown spotting.  The only actual black areas on his body were the tip of his tail and the top of his spine and face.  The rest of his spots were a medium sorrel brown while his base coat was ruffus red.  He is still a beautiful cat, but there is a great chance that he passed on his X-coloration to any kittens in his lineage.  Until such time as the X-mutation becomes a recognized trait among bengals, those interested in showing cats may wish to avoid any lineage that may carry it. In addition, bengal cats pelts change with age and some even change with seasonal temperatures (like the flame-pointed snows).  The ability to see the adult parents of a kitten and even to see pictures of them as they grow is invaluable.  I believe it is always better if you can see the parents on site whenever possible.    How does a silver change over time? In the years I have had silver bengals, I have been amazed at how much their coat changes as they grow from kittens into adulthood.  First, it seems like their fuzzies last alot longer than other bengal colors.  I have seen kittens who have been born with beautifully contrasted white and black coats turn into fuzzy, longhaired, ticked, pale tarnished adolescents who then grow into absolutely stunning silver cats.  In example, here are some pictures of Kashmira and the changes she has gone through in the past year: 3 days old with big charcaol black spots   3 months old - lighten up and very ticked with large amorphous blobby spots   6 month - spots are breaking open into rosetted mosaic patterns and she is getting darker contrast 7 months - the ticking is transforming into a platinum bakground for her stunning rosettes and the rosettes themselves are getting darker and more complex.  Notice the stunning snow white undecoat on her neck which is exposed when she turns her head