Breeders Profile

Jamcusa Maine Coons & Australian Mists

Name:

All photos courtesy of Jane Lord.

Tell us a bit about you:
I have always had a cat or cats in my life from early childhood, and I'm totally hooked on their independent and cuddlesome nature!

Why did you choose your breed(s)?
Because they are big and beautiful (just like me, haha!).  No, seriously, I found my first Maine Coon totally different from any other cat and one is never enough. I love their "dog like" quality and their intelligence, which is a total contradiction in terms as most dogs will do anything for a biscuit!

Why/how did you start breeding?
My husband rues the day he bought me my very first Maine Coon cat for Christmas in 1994, although I couldn't collect Spliff, a cute blue tabby bundle of fluff until January 1995. My family thought I was totally off my trolley to pay £200 for a "cat" but he was a very special cat, "not just your common or garden moggie," I protested. His breeder's main interest was for Burmese and she had sidestepped into Maine Coons. My kids were growing up and I was feeling redundant. In 1996 I bought my first breeding queen courtesy of Sheila Chandler of Ursella and my first litter was born in 1997. In 1998 the show career started with a home bred brown tabby male kitten. Bandit had varying success on the show bench but he was so laid back and fun to work with. Very old fashioned by today's standard but he did me proud bless him.

Why did you choose your prefix?
I wanted something unique and different and after many scribblings I came up with something very simple as my first choice and it was granted. My prefix is made up of JA (for Jane) MC (for Maine Coon) and USA (for their place of origin) = JAMCUSA. It's short and sweet and gives me plenty of scope for the quirky names my maine coon babies are christened with. They may be pedigree but to me they're too "butch" to have "prissy" names.

With regards to my Australian Mists, I've had to take a step back for the moment. More pressing family demands mean I'm not able to give Mary, the other half of the original UK Founder Australian Mist Breeders, the support she needs with their promotion to recognition and championship status. I have to leave that in the capable hands of Mary and the UK breeders who have joined the venture, namely Eddie & Rose Kitching, Tricia Bristow, Sam Atherton Ryan and our Norwegian Breeder, Hege.  I still have an enthusiastic interest in the Mists and never say never to starting again.

When were your most memorable occasions as a breeder?
- My very first litter, even though Jasper was a singleton who came into the world as a "sunroof" baby (an affectionate home term for caesarians seeing as both my daughters, who have seven children between them, both had caesarians every time).

- Then a home bred girl gaining her title, namely Ch Jamcusa Nora Battie, previously owned by Sue Chant at Sheerclasscats but now back in the Jamcusa fold.

Who were/are the most memorable cats you've had?
- Champion Rumtumtugger Indiana Jones (right), bred by Mary Stuart, who was my soul mate. He was so special to me, an absolute dream to bath and show. He had an "aura" about him that for me can never be replaced. I was only blessed with him for a short while as he died in my arms at the age of 18 months old on the day of the Maine Coon cat club show in 2003.

- My 'down under' girl TICA Ch Coonhaven's Anzac Cookie (middle right), who arrived here in the UK in December 2007, from my good friend Vicki Tuik in Ausutralia.

- My Glaswegian girl Ch Braekitz Poppie of Jamcusa (top right) from Alexis Craig. Poppie is a stunning "juggernaut" of a girl who has that lovely feral look. Almost a Grand Champion (we'll do it Pops!), who was spooked by the balcony at the Somerset Show that one year they moved it into the front hall. She's never been quite the same in the show pen since but we still fight on for that elusive third grand.

-  I have been possessed by the gorgeous Rumtumtugger Yankee Doodle, Buddy to his friends (all pictures on the left). A big bruising Blue and White tabby boy who seems to have the knack of wrapping everyone who meets him around his paw. Sadly Buddy developed idiopathic epilepsy and I felt I had to neuter him as there were no guarantees either way that the problem would carry through to future generations from him. He's still here with me as a thoroughly spoilt pet who rules my heart with his big fat paws! 

What are your hopes for the future of your breed/your breeding programme?
I hope to keep the Maine Coon as natural as possible. I try to mix old and new but that is getting more and more difficult. Personally I try to steer away from the more extreme types. I try my best to breed healthy, robust, solid kittens which will be a joy for people to share their lives with. Jamcusa kittens are well and truly bomb proofed and so far my kitten owners are well and truly hooked on Jamcusas!

Is there anything else you'd like to mention?
It's over 12 months since Mary and I collected the first two Australian Mists, Jelly (right, with her first litter) and Linaria, from Heathrow in February 2007. We've now produced another three litters between us - Jelly and Linaria kittened within a day of each other in October last year, Rumtumtugger Rosie O'Grady has had a litter of her own from Jamcusa Tim Tam and Eddie and Rose produced the first UK "home baked" litter from Jamcusa Miss All Australian Beauty and Rumtumtugger Sea Mist just prior to Rosie's litter. My Blue Marbled girl finally got in on the act producing three babies with Onyx on April 18th this year.

Jane Lord

March 2007
Updated May 2008