I didn't plan to breed Maine coon when Pillo moved in the summer of 2004. I might have looked forward to him becoming a father to a few kittens, if that looked promising, nothing more… To breed Maine coons in my own name was not what I had in mind when I was looking for a kitten. Well well, I was looking for a classic tabby without white too, but that was not what I got either. So...
S*Maine Orchid - registered name in SVERAK 2007-06-13
Maine Orchid - registered name in CFF 2014-02-03
My name as a breeder is connected to one of my other interests, namely orchids. I name each litter after an orchid genus, following the alphabet in descending order with each litter. Each kitten within a litter is named after a specie of that genus…
SVERAK vs CFF
I started out as a registered member of SVERAK/FIFe, but since 2014 I’m registered in Cat Fanciers' Federation (CFF) in the USA. Why? Well, above all I don't identify myself with the standard of the breed in FIFe any more. I prefer the look of the Maine coons from the USA that belongs to CFF or CFA (Cat Fanciers Association). CFA is represented in Sweden, so at first they seemed like the obvious choice for me. However, in CFA I’m limited to use only cats with five known generations or more in my breeding, CFF give me some more space to work on with accepting cats with only three known generations. Several of the cats behind Pillo are in fact registered within CFF, so it felt like a good choice. I have not turned my back on SVERAK, it’s just that as the standard is written today I do not feel I belong there. Should they change the standard again to resemble the ones from CFF or CFA, then I may very well return to them as a breeder.
My breeding
Well, as I mentioned above, I have an interest in the genetic diversity of the breed, hence the use of new foundation or less common lines in my breeding. Why I made that choice is fairly obvious to me if you read the text on Their heritage in the health-menue. To be honest, the way I choose to breed don't always generate cats that are 100% according to the breeding standard, even if that's what I strive for. For me it is not the end of the world if the ears are sett a little bit off, if the health aspects I am looking for in the parents are as I want them to be. I am hoping we will have years to correct those ears, as long as we have healthy cats to breed with in the future. This don't imply that the cats I breed shouldn't be shown, not at all. But I do think it is best for the buyer to remember that the cats probably will have more success in a CFA show than one of SVERAKs or WCF here in Sweden, even with the ears correctly positioned…
Health...
Health is important and it’s the main focus I have in my breeding. The day I no longer put health of the cats first, that’s the day I stop breeding.
I once worked as a veterinary nurse at an animal hospital in Jönköping (south of Sweden) for a few years. My experience from that is something I still rely on today in my breeding and when I talk to other people about feline health. Along with that I have a master in biology to fall back on, more precise an education in biotechnology (you know genes and stuff). On top of that I also have a PhD in pathobiology and work as a researcher in feline genetics.
Since 2008 most of my spare time has been more or less engulfed by the work with PawPeds feline health programmes against HCM and HD. Today I hold a position as co-ordinator and administrator of these health programmes. It is a very interesting and rewarding job to have, even if it’s done without any form of financial compensation, and even if my family thinks it takes too much of my time sometimes...
Contact info
Åsa Ohlsson
Vangsbyvägen 67
740 20 Vänge
Sweden
Tele: +46 (0)736-242431
Mail: asa.ohlsson80@telia.com