The past:
Our desire to breed with “new” foundation lines was ruined with the occurrence of the mask factor (point gene). After a colour point litter arose in this line, this (for the standard) unauthorised recessive gene could also be detected with our foundation cats using gene testing (Laboklin).
Similarly, a very significant deformity in the form of skeleton bone deformities in connection with severe PL and HD had occurred.
We drew the conclusion, removed the animals from the breeding stock and had them neutered so that the mask factor and the bone deformity that our foundations carry are no longer passed on in the Maine Coon gene pool.
Now, lots of neuters live with us, too many to breed. But they all belong to our family and we will not be separated from them under any circumstances. Further breeding would only be unnecessary stress which we will not subject our cats to. We therefore decided to first of all take a long break in breeding.
Back to the present:
During our break from breeding, I fulfilled my long-harboured wish of training as a cat psychologist and behavioural therapist. After successfully passing my exams, I now practise as a trained cat psychologist and behavioural therapist.
Breeding has started again. The bad experiences we have had with new foundation lines have reinforced our decision to breed the old, original Maine Coon type with its typical wild look, on the basis of proven, old American lines and in the extreme feral type, a type that has unfortunately almost completely disappeared nowadays.
However, this is only possibly through careful selection of our breeding animals, relevant line knowledge and targeted mating. We have set this goal for ourselves!
To stay true to our goal, we have chosen a path where we will forego new foundation lines and lines with this background. We will also not let ourselves be influenced by the current trend towards animals and lines from particular fashionable breeds. We are going our own way!
Our breeding cats are regularly HCM screened and are gene tested for SMA, PKD and HCM (or come from parents who have already been tested). Likewise, our animals are also tested in advance for the point gene. We do not breed with point carriers!
I would be happy to provide you with information if you have any questions regarding the point and on the deformities that occurred with our foundations.
