Brian...sorry, but your list of what does or doesnt make a good breeder in YOUR eyes was pretty black and white. You say there isnt a "check list" of what makes or breaks a breeder as reputable, yet you pretty much wrote one. To me, there are certain crucial factors that should be placed of greater importance than other factors (ie....I dont care if a breeder shows, nor do I care how they choose to advertise. I DO care if their cats and kittens are proven to be genetically sound, healthy and well socalized)
I DO plan on getting on board with the show circuit. First, I have to have a show quality cat. Do I have $5k or more this second to buy a show quality kitten to start with? Nope. My Suri is a darling and her coat pattern is beautiful and quite unique...but she wouldnt exactly be winning any ribbons or titles at a show. The new queen is also quite pretty, well marked, and has decent lineage, but shes also not a show winner compared to those Ive seen win titles. The KITTENS she throws could easily be show quality though. Her previous litters have been amazing.
If you read my comment, I flat out stated I will NOT advertise on CL. There are far better sites than that junk page. But yes, I will still have to advertise. I have NO friends or family here, so its not like they can spread the word. I could attempt to network with my queen's breeder and other bengal breeders/showmen I have become friends with online, but that seems like a stretch. As Ive never produced kittens, its impossible to have a waiting list and clientel lined up, right? As I will only have one queen for the time being, there is truly no need for a full blown webpage at this point. It would be a pretty boring page.
Should I decide to continue this endeavor, yes I absolutely will be working my butt off to improve and further the bengal breed. Not only do I truly adore bengals and wish to contribute to this amazing breed, but I would also never risk my own reputation by producing inferior quality cats. Yep, that means investing in the best cats I can find, importing if I have to. (which I have done before with dogs) I FULLY intend to always keep lines clean, have all my (future) queens and studs undergo all necessary health screenings and coat testing. I know without a doubt in my mind I would go from "beginner" to extremely accomplished breeder in 5 years time. Ive done it before while breeding and showing other species, even showing (and winning) at a national level repeatedly.
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