Ok, I'm wondering what (besides health, temprement and good physical type) people are breeding for? Personally when I get to start breeding I'd like to focus on a really nice contrast between base colour and spots/rosettes and nice well defined good sized but not huge spots rosettes. Probably sounds basic but that's the look I fell in love with when I first saw a pic of a Bengal. It had a beautiful golden base colour, rich darker russet/rust and deep black edging rosettes. To me it was just so leopard like, so sleek and beautiful, I knew I had to have one one day! So that's what I'll be wanting. That really strong contrast and a super sleek coat. I have also recently discovered silvers and am sorely tempted to divert from my first love to silver spotted, the best examples of these that I've seen are just stunning. Maybe once I'm established and know what I'm doing and thinking about a second breeding queen (don't even have 1 yet, lol). Also with silvers I know they are still working their way into GCCF so would be good to be part of that.
Any one else? What do you or do you plan to breed for? What's your "dream kitten/cat"?

I think alot of breeders are now concentrating on 'type' rememeber that its not just about putting 2 nice coated cats together, you look at the cat and think what can I improve on, example: ears too large, tail too short needs a straighter profile.

So you then look for a cat that compliments your girl, smaller ears, straighter profile & shorter tail.

So the aim is that Every litter is a improvement of the parents

Yes, I was chatting to another breeder on fb earlier and she was talking about the importance of type and how she and other breeders are striving to improve it.
Question, at what sort of age can you generally get a good idea of a kittens strengths and weaknesses for type?

Lol, that's basically what I want to do! I think I have an understanding of type, it's the physical features of the cat as opposed to the colour/pattern. So the shape, size placement of ears on the head and eyes in the face, whisker pad size and promenance, chin size, depth of jaw/muzzle, straightness of nose bridge, size of head on relation to body, proportions of leg length to body, musculature, tail length and thickness. This is general, I'm sure I've missed loads and I've not gone into the specifics of what's desirable for bengals. Am I on the right track with this understanding? The aim of most Bengal breeders is to keep as much as possible the physical type of the ALC while producing cats with great temperaments for pet ownership.

Apparently GCCF have changed their standard from Forest cats to Jungle cats - no idea why but was what I have been informed.

I think Elaines post is so true. I really do think the Bengal is what an individual interprets it to be and their preference. If you try and keep up with whats on the show bench (talking TICA) then it would be sooooooooo hard as things seem to change so quickly, for small breeders theres no way of keeping up imo.

I was at a show not long ago and some exhibitors were complaining re the cat that was doing very well - but didn't understand why it was as it didn't have a flashy coat.....but when I saw the cat I thought wow! Tear stains, the wildest look, low long body and the head wonderful strong chin - I thought omg do you not see what I see?

My idea of breeding was an all round cat and it still is, I still maintain a flashy coat with no type is nothing for me.
I agree with Taylorbaby - imo the only way to breed is to do it slowly and improve on the parents with every generation.

Breed for yourself and not others but remember why you started breeding as not to loose why.

Another illustration of a different look - sorry I do not know who produced this - found it on FB.

I think for me, because I personally find the ALC so beautiful it seems to me to be the ideal look to go for. After all, it's the original wild cat from which the breed was created. I find the term 'forest' in the breed standard to be wrong, I have a Siberian (forest) cat and then there is the, very similar, Norwegian forest cat. There are many small wild forest cats in European forests, not the look Bengal breeders are going for. I think the word 'jungle' to me makes more sense. It's not that I didn't know what type they were referring to, I just find it a better description.

I do think type is important, I'd rather take my time to try to achieve what I feel is a good all round cat, with the type of look I feel typifies a small wild 'jungle' or 'forest' cat, than to obsess over very specific traits to win points at shows. I personally think health is a huge issue at the moment, so it will be my absolute no 1 priority when I do eventually get started. I've wanted to do this for a very long time but I've always forced myself to stay well away because I knew once I got started I wouldn't be able to stop but until now the time just hasn't been right, I always wanted to be in a position to do this well and would rather not do it at all if I have to compromise on anything. I want to do this so I can spend years achieving my aims (or not, I'm aware I may never get exactly the cat I want to see) not so that I can sell kittens, of course any kittens that I can't use in my programme must be found excellent homes but I'm not in a position where I'm relying on kitten sales to be able to continue breeding or further my programme. For me coat pattern and colour are important, I know what I like and what I'd like to see on my own personal ideal cat, but it's not more important than anything else, I don't want to produce cats that look like any normal domestic cat but with pretty patterns, not my thing at all.

By obsess over specific traits I didn't mean not looking critically at the specific areas that could be improved, but more, not striving for one trait at the expense of the overall look.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I would be happy to keep producing litters of unsold kittens. I also realise that kitten sales are vital to sustaining the programme of lots of breeders. I was only talking about my own personal situation. Not producing unwanted kittens is the main reason why my breeding plans are very small, it will take me longer to develop my lines but I'd rather do it like that and not have to be desperate for homes to the point of letting them go to whoever can pay. I'm committed to the welfare of animals first and foremost. If I produce kittens I can't sell my programme will be on hold until they do have homes.

In terms of the 'forest cat' 'jungle cat' thing, I was talking more about word association, when I think forest cat I see

But when I think 'small jungle cat' I see