We (Sheila and John Haskins) live southwest of Dallas, Texas in the most southern part of Grand Prairie. Our home is near I-20, and is very convenient when traveling to cat shows.
John has devoted over 35 years to the insurance industry, and brokers insurance for commercial businesses through our own company, JH General Agency, Inc. I just write the paychecks for our 50+ agents, and manage the office . I really prefer to stay away from the office and just play with our kitties! We also own 4 horses, which we keep only 3 blocks from our home. We visit them twice a day. Weekends, when we are not at cat shows, we try to spend a little time with the horses.
I (Sheila) grew up 18 miles southwest of Nashville, Tennessee, in a town called Franklin. I've raised 4 beautiful children (3 girls and 1 boy). My daughters have graced me with 6 wonderful grandchildren that are living in Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee. Now that they have lives of their own, I felt a need to fill another space in my life. When I discovered that my husband loved cats as much as I do, we decided to attend a cat show. After doing this, we realized showing cats would be something that the two of us could do together. While we were at the cat show, we fell "head over heels" in love with the Maine Coon Cats. They stole our hearts. We purchased many books on the subject, as well as a vet book for illnesses. We knew this was not going to be a "fly by night" venture, but a life long commitment.
One evening, we tried hard to think of what we would call our cattery. John, realizing that I have always loved Country-Western music, came up with the name. Music has always been a part of my life for I enjoy trying to play various string instruments, piano, flute, harmonica, and will soon start the bagpipes. The cats should love that! I have collected all of these instruments over the years. So, my love of music was "instrumental" in the decision to call our cattery CoonOpry.
CoonOpry's Maine Coon Cats live in our home, and allow us to live with them in their world. Although, they have a wonderful, private room, with a picture window view of our garden, and 9 foot cascading waterfall, with pond, they also have the run of the house, i.e. 3,000 square feet of play area. Our kitties are now part of our family, and like children, their health and welfare are very important to us.
We screen each of our Maine Coons, whether breeders or alters, for HCM, HD, PKD, and Feline Leukemia. Our boys and girls also receive all other necessary screenings and innoculations for their protection.
We also believe, for the protection of future kittens, that it is important to do our best to breed for healthy lines. Before purchasing a new kitten, we verify the COI (Calculation of Inbreeding) of that pedigree to make sure it will benefit our program, and then, we do a Mate Testing in the Maine Coon Database found at www.pawpeds.com . Until the "Mapping of the Cat" is completed in 2007, we breeders need to do our best to work with whatever is available to prevent such dreaded diseases as HCM, HD, etc. Although breeding for low COIs is not yet a proven factor, doing so has resulted in a significant decrease of these problems. CoonOpry is not breeding kittens for the market, rather we are breeding to develop a healthy cat which will, hopefully, contribute to healthier lines.
If and when we have kittens available for sale, we will also insist on screening the prospective new owner thoroughly before the kittens leave our home. If a kitten is going to a new home as a pet, it will have received all necessary shots, and health record. Pet owners will be allowed to pick up their new kitten between 14 to 16 weeks of age, and will be required to sign a contract. Certified registration will be withheld until written proof of spaying and/or neutering of kitten(s) is signed by a certified Veterinarian. We request that the kitten(s) not be altered until they have reached the age of 5 to 6 months. This is for the health and protection of the kitten.
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President of North Texas Cat Club (2004/2006)
(a CFA affiliated Cat Club)
I wish to thank you for visiting this
website.
This year is the start of Maine Coon
Foundation breeding for our cattery.
We will be experiencing the same trials
and errors, as well as, the glory that
other Foundation Breeders have been
through.
We have three other breeding females,
from show lines, that will start their little
families in the near future.
Each of us have a goal and try hard
to follow it as closely as possible. I
consider health the most important issue
in breeding, along with a warm loving
temperament and type. My beautiful
girls and boys come from wonderful
breeders that are strong believers, as
I am, in testing their cats. They are
examined by a Veterinarian , specializing
in the field of Feline Medicine, before
becoming members of the CoonOpry
Family. Test for HCM, HD, PKD, Feline
Leukemia, and all other necessary testing
are done before any of the girls are bred,
to make sure they are healthy, in hope of
producing healthy babies. The Sire of the
kittens will have also been tested and
pedigrees examined.
I consider myself extremely lucky to
have found such wonderful breeder friends in the cat fancy. Not only do I consider them breeder friends,
but also dear friends. They have helped me greatly, and I will always appreciate them, their advice and their
knowledge.
This is a continuous learning experience. Whether one has been breeding 2 years or 20 years, there is
always something new to learn.
The year of 2004, I was voted as President of North Texas Cat Club (NTCC), and feel very honored
to be their President.
NTCC is a very old Cat Club. It holds the #2 charter in the American Cat Fancier's Association.
NTCC has been promoting cats and producing shows since 1964 in the Dallas area. In the early 80s,
the membership voted to join CFA. We officially became a CFA Club in 1985.
