Coongrats to Connie and Champ !!!
TICA's NEWEST SUPREME GRAND CHAMPION

SGA Coonpanion Champagne of Cozycoons

WOO HOO!!! KITTENS!!!

Coonpanion Nightpool delivered seven (7) healthy kittens!

It's always hard to say goodbye.

When she came to us, she was so tiny.  A little ball of brown fur that latched on to our hearts and never let go.  Through the years, she grew up to be a lithe, dignified lady with the most amazing dexterity I've ever seen in a cat.  It was like her paws had an extra joint that let them bend in ways that could be truly amazing.

She has been so sweet the last week or so.  I was running out the door on Sunday to spend yet another day here at my shop and she was out on the living room couch.  She saw me and squeeked her cute little meow - and I just had to take ten minutes to go over and pet her and let her know I loved her.

I'm glad I did, since she was saying goodbye.

The vet tells us that she had taken some sort of puncture wound in the past few weeks - probably a claw or a bite playing with one of the other cats - and it abcessed.  Instead of moving to the surface, however, it moved deep.  And cats, they are amazing, they will fight off infection for the longest time, until they literally have used up all their resources - the end can comes quickly after that.

There was no external sign - as I said I had handled her just two days before (and several times after that - but not as thoroughly), and I always look for lumps, scabs, other signs like that - but she stopped coming for food, separated herself from the rest of the cats.  We know those signs and rushed her to the vet.  But it was too late - the cyst was too large and one of her lungs was compromised.  We said good bye to her last night and made sure she had a familiar presence with her when she went to sleep.

I just got off the phone with her breeder, letting her know what happened and the decisions we made.  We still have to call Jaime and let her know - she lives in Florida now.  But she was the one Max originally chose as her person, so that will be a particulary difficult call - we are waiting until after she gets off work to make this call.  Fortunately, she doesn't read my blog.

Life is a series of choices - you can open yourself to them, or close them away.  I'm in pain right now - death is something I never have dealt with well.  The emptiness in my heart that was filled by a brown shape and a sweet meow aches with a pain that cannot be assauged.  Yet I have those 10 minutes from Sunday, and the minutes and hours reaching back 5 years and more to remember - happy memories of a companion who gave to us all her love and asked very little in return.

Such a small price to pay, in the end. 

Farewell, sweet Max.  Wait for me at the rainbow bridge with all our other companions.  We'll see each other again, in the end.

D.

I'm pleased and relieved to announce that the following Coonpanion cats have been tested HCM free using the genetic test:

SGC, SW Holdermaines Mac Tabulous (our current stud)
CH Pinecoons Obsidian of Coonpanion (retired stud male)
RW Sarajen Highlander of Coonpanion (retired stud male)
CH Quasarcats Silvana of Coonpanion (breeding queen)
Antarcin Dark Angel of Coonpanion (breeding queen)
Coonpanion Juliet (breeding queen)

Any of the kittens that we have sired using a breeding combination of these cats will be free of the specific HCM mutation they have been able to develop the test for - the caveat being that there may be more than one mutation that causes this disease.

Still, this is a relief! :)

Ummm ... Doug's been a bit busy? :)

I'm pleased to announce that on January 23rd, Annie presented us with another healthy litter of kittens. Three. A red classic tabby boy, a red-silver (yes, a pink kitten!) mackerel tabby boy, and a lovely silver classic girl. Sorry for the delay in the announcement. :D

For those that have been following the Maine Coon lists, the genetic test for HCM is out. We have suspended all breeding until the results are back in for for our cattery. We should have news shortly.

I do know that some of Mackie's offspring have been tested, and tested clear - so we are pleased about that. However, we are also very anxious - there has been a lot of chatter on the grapevine and it's looking to be a pretty black year for Maine Coon breeders ... least-wise the ones that are concerned enough about the health of the breed to be testing for HCM.

Happy New Year! :) Believe it or not, this website is starting it's 8th year!

We are very happy to announce the RW,SGC Holdermaine's Mac Tabulous passed his two-year hip check. His hips were X-Rayed by the Rock Creek Veterinary Clinic and were evaluated by the OFA as 'Fair'.