The first three Bengal generations hybrids are called foundation generations or foundation Bengals and are listed as F1, F2, and F3. The F designation comes from the Latin word “filius” which means son and refers to a sequence of generations following the parental generation.
F1 females are fertile however, male are infertile. F2 females are also fertile and males unfertile. F3 females are fertile and almost all males are infertile.
F1 F2 F3
F1 = ALC + domestic Bengal
F2 = F1 + domestic Bengal
F3 = F2 + domestic Bengal
F4 = F3 + domestic Bengal
F4 (females and almost all males are fertile) and later generation Bengals are classified as domestic cats and are eligible to participate in cat shows. F1 to F3 are known to have unpredictable behavior, which is one of the reason why they cannot be shown.
F4 SBT
F4 and later generations are referred to as SBT or Stud Book Tradition by The International Cat Society (TICA).