Hello,

My name is Kaitlyn i am the owner/operator of Granite State Cattery a Old Style Siamese cattery in NH. i recently had the opportunity to purchase a Pregnant Bengal Queen from another cattery and i seized the chance because i have always been fascinated by the breed and would like to try my hand with a more widely recognized breed (my cats are registered with major organizations but very few registries recognize the old style breed standard) I have been trying to familiarize myself with the breed as much as possible but I would love to find a mentor who could help me show my Bengal girl and choose which kitten i should keep for exhibition and why. I am very familiar with the Breed i specialize in but i feel like a newbie in the Bengal world.

Thank you
Kaitlyn

Have you went to any cat shows in your area? I have been to one in my area when I was planning to start breeding and I found three breeders that were willing to mentor me!!! Its also a great way to get a head start with being able to recognize good features. Do you have a goal that you wish to accomplish with your breeders? For instance to you plan for large rosettes spots? What color? I would think you need to deide what you are planning to breed for as a start and go to a few shows so you will be able to get help from those breeers that have the same thing they are working for!!! Also the best lines are going to be health screened for HCM and PK-Def. Have you screened your current queen for either of those?

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Brandi BB & Mochi

Have you went to any cat shows in your area? No i have not gone to any nearby shows, i would like to speak with an experienced exhibitor who can give me advice BEFORE i go to a show
Do you have a goal that you wish to accomplish with your breeders? For instance to you plan for large rosettes spots? What color? I would think you need to decide what you are planning to breed for as a start and go to a few shows so you will be able to get help from those breeders that have the same thing they are working for!!! no i have not decided what i plan to breed for or in fact if i plan to breed Bengals at all, carpe diem when the opportunity presented to buy Jelly i took it, i had in fact been talking to the breeder about another breed entirely when out of the blue she let me know that Jelly was for sale. i negotiated down to a very agreeable price and took her home with me. i want to learn about showing Bengals and i think the best thing to do would be to learn all about the different types before selecting a specialty
Also the best lines are going to be health screened for HCM and PK-Def. Have you screened your current queen for either of those? she came with all of the appropriate screenings, my vet saw her right away and was very impressed by her health

thank you for your input i am hoping to find someone who will educate me about showing this beautiful breed

I suspect bkilgore meant you should go to a show without your cat, in order to meet bengal breeders/exhibitors who may be willing to help you. I don't think you'll find a mentor on this forum, as besides the fact that most of us are in the UK, I don't think many of the current active posters are experienced at showing.

Thanks for clearing that up Paiviaso!!! That is exactly what I meant!!! You said that you got your girl from a breeder!! I would think that breeder would be more than happy to point you in the right direction if not mentor you! I would suggest looking at other websites to find what the breed standard is so you are familiar. You can also look at other breeders sites and at their Ch cats to see what they are and what it is that you like about that particular cat. Going to shows should be a fun learning experience, you don't have to out yourself as a new breeder when you walk through the door! Plentyof cat lovers go to just look at the beautiful cats!!! I LOVE the breed so I went to one just to see the other Bengals!!! For instance, the best breeders select show quality cats for their program and know what that line would benefit from when breed to a certain other cat. If that makes sense,like a cat that has large ears,should be bred with a cat that has smaller ears to achieve the standars look for Bengals. A marble that has great color but doesnt have a good flow to their marble should be bred with a marble that has a good horizontal flow. If you want large rosettes you should choose lines that carry donut rosettes and not spots! There is a lot of "specialty" breeders out there that are improving the breed one good trait at a time and that should be your goal as well! Anyway I would say the best way to learn what a Bengal needs to be a show cat is not something that someone can help you along with faster than you can learn yourself! The best way to learn is through TONS of online research and going to see the show cats!!!

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Brandi BB & Mochi

Thank you all for your responses, I am actually a very experienced breeder of old style Siamese, i just have no experienced showing or with Bengals

yes I plan to go to some shows, I was looking for a mentor because Jelly Bean came to me bred to the woman's supreme grand champion stud and I would like to have some input from a experienced exhibitor on picking which of the three females most closely fits the breed standard