Our Story

Welcome to ShaggyCoonz Maine Coons! We’re so pleased you’re interested our beautiful cats and kittens.

Established in 2018, ShaggyCoonz Cattery began out of love, admiration, and devotion to the Maine Coon breed. Our main goal is to provide a healthy and happy cat to people who share our feelings about these ‘gentle giants.’ Another of our goals is responsible breeding that leads to the continual improvement of the Maine Coon characteristics, which is inclusive of temperament, overall health, and of course, their stunning sweet while at the same time “wild” or “feral” looks.

A native American cat, Maine Coons were established over a century ago as a robust domestic cat capable of surviving the harsh New England winters. Maine Coon guardians (because one never truly owns a cat!) enjoy the clown-like personality, affectionate nature, and enthusiasm about helping their humans with all household activities. They make excellent companions for large active families that also enjoy having dogs and other animals. Maine Coons are typically easy going and generally get along with children and dogs, as well as other cats. Many Maine Coons are known to play fetch with their humans, just like a dog! This breed is slow to mature, and do not reach their maximum size for 3-5 years.

The important physical features of a Maine Coon are the head, body type, and ‘shag’ of the coat. The coat is heavy and water-resistant, longer around the ruff (the neck and upper chest), stomach and britches, and shorter on the back. The tail is very long and bushy. Maine Coons are seen in nearly all colors and patterns. Males, at maturity, can average 13-25 pounds; females at maturity average 9-16 pounds.

Denise DeJarnette - bio

I grew up on a farm and received my first degree in Agriculture from the University of Kentucky, majoring in Animal Sciences and Production. I also started in dogs, raising, training and grooming purebred AKC Hungarian Pulik.  After moving to Florida and having had 2 of my own children, I decided to attend a cat show.  I’ve always admired the Maine Coon and after seeing them in the ring and speaking to breeders, I knew this was the breed for me.  I originally purchased Mishka from a Russian breeder as a pet only, but soon realized my love for this breed went beyond pets only.  Please understand, breeding cats is not for the faint of heart. Cats DO NOT follow rules and you are at their mercy and on their schedule. A pregnant queen, especially a maiden queen, may not have her babies on the day she’s due.  I only breed cats part time and work fulltime as a Cardiac nurse at a local hospital. Once I decided to start my own cattery in 2020, I registered my ShaggyCoonz Cattery with The International Cat Association. My friend, Lori McGill is a kindred spirit, being both a cat enthusiast and a nurse. We met at a TICA cat show the next year where we were showing our Maine Coons and became fast friends. In 2022, Lori and I decided to partner as Co-Breeders of ShaggyCoonz Cattery and we have had much success and great fun since then! Our cats are both TICA registered and LCWW (Loving Cats World Wide) and have achieved Supreme Grand Champion, Ultimate Grand Champion, and International Winners.

Email: ddejarnett001@gmail.com

Lori McGill - bio

I have been a cat devotee my entire life, and have been the proud guardian of many rescue cats. I began going to cat shows strictly out of curiosity, and quickly developed an interest in pedigree cats, the Maine Coon in particular. I got my first pedigree cat (a Ragdoll) in 2016 and my first Maine Coon in 2019. I met Denise at a TICA cat show and we became friends. We decided to join forces and the rest is history! The cattery business is a part-time gig. I am a registered nurse of over 30 years and I hold a doctorate degree in nursing. I teach full-time in an RN-BSN nursing program.

Email: binkers@tampabay.rr.com

ShaggyCoonz cattery is a small cattery in my own home.  The kittens are never caged, rather they are raised underfoot as pets to better help them acclimate to their new environments once they go to their forever homes.

We are registered TICA (The International Cat Association) Maine Coon breeders. Our foundation lines are mostly European with some American lines mixed in. In keeping with TICA ethical guidelines, we encourage our new Maine Coon buyers to understand the breeds health and health challenges. Maine Coons sometimes develop HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), SMA (spinal muscle atrophy), polycystic kidney disease, and PKD (pyruvate kinase disease). Our breeding cats are DNA tested to ensure that only the healthiest sires and dams produce our kittens.

Our foundation sire, Elvis Shaggy Beast, is a TICA Quadruple Grand Champion. Out of those foundation lines, we have produced Regional Winner Supreme Grand Champion ShaggyCoonz Black Jaxx, 2021-2022 TICA’s  #1 Black Smoke Maine Coon.