Sixteen years ago, I met my first Maine Coon cat. His name was Andy, and he was the most magnificent cat I had ever seen. He was a patient at Clemson Animal Hospital in Clemson, S.C. where I was an employee/student on my way to veterinary school. After seeing Andy, I decided I had to have my own Maine Coon. As luck would have it, my boss hired a new receptionist that also happened to breed Maine Coon cats. Shortly thereafter, I brought home my own Clemson Tiger named Eliot. Eliot grew up to be a 20 plus pound gentle giant. He now resides at my new cat hospital in Charlotte, N.C. where I can keep a close eye on him in his geriatric years.
I fell head over heels in love with this breed! I established my own cattery in 1994 and named it after the Clemson pep squad, the Rally Cats. I have gone on the show and/or produce 3 regional winners with top 10 national breed wins. I have granded many others.
I do not believe in keeping an abundance of cats, so many of my cherished babies have been retired and moved on to permanent homes where they are living out their lives as spoiled rotten pets. Of course, I have my favorites that will live here forever, like Eliot, my first boy, and Kokopelli, my foundation male, courtesy of Grace Cox of the Big Meow Cattery in Atlanta, Ga.
Grace started breeding Maine Coon cats at about the same time I did and we have continued to work together to promote and protect the breed. This helps us to keep our numbers low and still have genetically out crossed lines to use with our homegrown lines.
As a feline veterinarian, health and temperament have always been priorities for me. Overcrowding increases a cat's mental and physical stress. My cats are screened for HCM, SMA, hip dysplasia, feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus. They are thoroughly vaccinated, dewormed, socialized and spay or neutered before leaving my watchful care at 13 weeks of age.
Nancy T Moses, DVM
4 Seasons Cat Hospital in Charlotte, N.C.