My husband Randy and I live in the country between Stockton and Linden, in the heart of California's San Joaquin Valley.  Since our two-legged children have ventured out on their own, we find that we have time to devote to our four-legged children who are also members of the family.

All our lives we have been cat lovers.  When we had only been married a couple of years Randy came home with a cat that had been given to him by a lady that begged him to take the kitty off her hands.  It was a scrawny, white 7 month old female who was suspicious of everyone and everything.  We named her Shadow.  I wish I could say that we all grew to love her and she loved us, but unfortunately she always looked at us as though we were bothersome intruders that she only needed for an occasional meal.

A shaky start in our cat adventure!

We have been breeding and showing Maine Coons for many years, and our lives revolve around planning and caring for our cats.  We have constructed a large out-building about 20 feet from our home to house the males.  We also have an outside run for the girls so everyone can spend time in the sun and fresh air, while still protected from animals or other dangers.  Our home is a cat gymnasium.  Cat toys, hammocks, and a variety of cat friendly resting places and scratching posts are the decor.

Still there is much to learn.  We have to know about cat care, nutrition, breeding, genetics, picking the brains of other cat people, showing, health needs, grooming, behavior, and we have barely dabbled into the world of the internet, web pages, and getting the message out.  Are we up to all this?  YES!  We love our kitties, it's all very exciting and makes the whole adventure worth while.