Is it just me who finds that a lot of (especially newer) breeders are becoming lazy in their search for new additions to their programmes? It seems (from what I have seen anyway) that new breeders advertise everything and anything as "show/breeder quality" and sell their kittens to fellow new breeders who, in turn, sell everyhting as the same. The cats usually don't last long on the bench or in programmes but the same people appear to be doing it non stop. Is this a new trend or is the net just making it all more viewable from the 'outside'?

For me, it is a huge decision when we decide to bring in new blood and I am amazed at some folks fairly constant turnover of cats. How can they be creating a line or know the traits/health within the lines if they have this constant conveyor belt?

I was speaking to a judge yesterday who is becoming perplexed with what he thinks is the new 'trend' of buying and selling within our breed. He commented that he'd spoken to a few southern breeders (not trying to hint at anything here - this was a Scottish judge at a Scottish show) and each time he sees them they are trying with another cat and never something of their own. He asked one where their fabulous cat was that he judged previously and if their current cat was offspring but it wasn't - just another new addition.

What happens to all the previous ones from these catteries? Why does it seem that so few breeders have a "goal" other than (try) to either sell or win as much as possible?

For me, being a breeder is about creating a strain and through that knowing what you can expect in terms of quality and health. Tweaks and removals need to happen now and then and new blood is required to maintain diversity but there are breeders who have been operating longer than us with hardly any cats of their own breeding.

Is there a reason for this type of breeding? Has it always gone on?

Steven

_________________
Best Wishes,
Maddy

I feel that so many people in Bengals are not true breeders, they do not even purport to be. They buy cats breed them together sell the kittens for as much as possible and move onto the next cats, therefore "new for 2012" listing all new cats is common.

I agree the internet has had a big impact, it has opened the door to what other breeders are doing and has made popular lines available to everyone. Just about all breeders can import cats from the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, Malaysia, Australia etc, but instead of opening up pedigrees with new lines, it appears to have constricted the gene pool, as everyone clamours for the same popular lines. So the cats may be new, but just about all are just a different mix of the same "wow" cats.
Instead of breeders sticking with cats who they know breed well and are healthy with great temperaments, they throw it all away in the race for "showing" perfection by merely buying what they need from another cattery. Instead of using that potential and gene pool to further their own cats they again ditch it when they see another cat that has another "wow" trait. To some showing is more about personal glory than showing off what they can breed themselves. They can now buy that glory quite easily by hunting the internet.

Of course some of those with popular "wow" cats, will sell kittens knowing that they carry or even have all sorts of faults, the same faults that their parents have but no-one says anything. These faults may not be apparent till the new owner breeds them or the kittens grow up, and often kittens produced will again be sold on to another unsuspecting breeder. All in all it makes for unhealthiness, increased chance of infection and poor temperament in the breed.

Culling, by that I mean removing and not killing, is essential if the breed progresses healthily. A true breeder has to be ruthless and only chooses the best to breed with. Too often cats with problems, ie poor mothering, medical diseases, poor mobility, pyometra, poor fertility, etc are allowed to breed, some of these end up being at the head of a dynasties of "wow" cats, but all that does is store up problems for pet owners, other breeders and most importantly for the cats themselves.

I think it is the culture of Bengal breeding, little mentoring, little thought regarding "who am I selling this breeding cat to", and little responsibility taken as no personal line to protect. "How would I know, as I didn't breed the parents!"
The internet has also done its bit as many feel that they need little mentoring as they know all about it, by reading on the internet. Thus some of the hands on experience is lacking. I am not saying older breeders know everything either, some have based their whole careers on hearsay and things they have heard at shows so are totally unreliable too.

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