I think I was born bearing the cat in myself, probably to the prejudice of my relationships with human beings, though my passion for cats allowed, and allows me yet to meet people whose path I never would have crossed, would not have been the cats...

The Maine Coon came later on, after many years shared with cats we then called Siamese, I know now they are house cats looking like the nowadays Thai. My childhood has been rythmed by the twice a year litters of my cat. We always found homes for her babies (fortunately there was another "Siamese cat" in the neighbourhood). I never lost the desire for kittens.

After many long years without any cat, I took a black and white one year old house cat in a shelter. He's now dead. Some months after this adoption, came back the longing for kittens. I then decided to buy a pedigreed cat instead of giving birth to house cats : nobody knows what happens to them if you don't find the right home and shelters are full of them. I then never would have thought that one litter (may be two) would become numerous litters... and a cattery. After visiting a lot of cat shows, I stayed hesitating between the Maine Coon, the Siberian (then not recognized by the FIFe) and the Norwegian Forest Cat. Some day a Swiss cat fancier put a big, big Maine Coon male in my arms. She did not guess then, and neither did I, what she had started...

At the same time, I entered the Cat Club de l'Est, in order to learn about breeds and standards. I here thank Fabrice Calmès and Louis Coste, International Judges FIFe, then at the head of the Cat Club de l'Est, who taught me the differences between the Maine Coons types and thanks to whom my first Coon, Brindille de Mainrita (nearly 12 years old), is still "up to date".

I thank as well the breeders who helped me when I began  :

-        René Abbey, who then bred with the the cattery name ‘’Mainrita’’. He sold me Brindille and Dan ar Braz ,

-        Angelika Kneifel, ‘’Noah’s Ark’’, who advised and helped me, 

-        Richard Herrmann, successful breeder of wonderful ‘’Sweeson’s’’ Norwegian Forest Cats, for his everyday support,

-        Marianne Simon, who bred with cattery name ‘’Masaïtana’’, for her friendship and trust.

Of course, I cannot quote all my friends names here, you will find most of them in my link page. Others will forgive me..

I have joined to my cattery the second pole of my existence, Brittany, using as my cattery name some words of a poem written by Yann Ber Kalloc’h, a poet born in Isle of Groix, dead as well as many Brittons during the huge slaughter called ''first world war''. This poem has been sung by Dan Ar Braz with the "Heritage des Celtes".

"Me zo ganet e kreiz ar mor e bro ar vro" means "I was born in the middle of the sea in the country of the ancients". Surprisingly I am now living in Reunion Island, which could as well be called "the middle of the sea". I moved here in 2003, with my Coon family, to join my companion, met thanks to Coons. We now breed together. His cattery is called "Seizh Avel".

Concerning my opinion about the Maine Coon and breeding in general, please contact me...

Elisabeth Morcel

NB: our breeding cats are screened for HCM and PKD, they are tested for HCM1 (DNA test). HD and SMA on going.