For our first Maine Coon breeder interview, we’re thrilled to welcome Jasmina Waltz, of Star-Studded Cattery located in Colorado. In this insightful chat, Jasmina shares her passion for Maine Coons, explains the journey that led her to become one of America’s most respected breeders, and offers valuable advice for anyone considering these magnificent cats as companions.
Jasmina is also a contributor to the highly-rated book, The Complete Guide to Maine Coons: Finding, Preparing for, Feeding, Training, Socializing, Grooming, and Loving Your New Maine Coon Cat. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
All images included in this article are of Jasmina’s beautiful Maine Coons.
Jasmina, thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview, please tell us a bit about yourself and your cattery.
We are a family-run cattery, just outside of Colorado Springs. I am a German native, with a lifelong love for astronomy, hence the name Star-Studded.
The latest big achievement for our cattery was a Supreme Grand Champion title for our homegrown StarStudded Han Solo, which is the highest achievable title for a show cat.
Congratulations, on the win! Tell me, how did you get started becoming a Maine Coon breeder?
After 20 years of rescue and fostering, we decided to fulfil a long dream of getting a Maine Coon pet. At that point we didn’t think about a cattery, but he made us fall in love with the breed, which eventually led to the decision to start our own cattery.
What is it you love most about the Maine Coon breed?
Maine Coons are beautiful, no doubt, but it’s their personality that is most captivating. They are great companions, loyal, smart, curious, very sociable, with a dog-like disposition.
Many people even value them as emotional support animals, and they can be beneficial for special needs kids. They are nicknamed “Gentle Giants”, because of their gentle nature, and larger-than-average size.
Maine Coons are often still playful and kitten-like long into adulthood, and they also have a goofy side, which makes us laugh every day. It’s a great breed for families with kids, and other pets. Typically, they make quick friends with dogs too.
We also love how flexible and confident they are. You can take them for walks with a harness, camping, out to pet-friendly stores etc, if you start getting them used to it early.
It is a breed that prefers being with their family, so they often follow you around the house, from room to room.
Tell us about the cat breeder associations. Are you a member of any of these? Why do you consider them important?
We are a member of TICA, one of the largest cat registries, and also a member of our local TICA-affiliated cat club, Garden of the Cats (Garden of the Gods is a local natural attraction). Our local club puts on TICA cat shows, where cats get judged in competitions. All of our currently active breeding cats hold championship titles, and we are actively involved in the cat fancy and competitions.
Having a registered cattery, and registering every litter is the only way for a kitten buyer to validate that they are actually getting a real Maine Coon. A cat is only a Maine Coon if both parents are registered Maine Coons. There are unfortunately many backyard breeders, but also shelters and rescues, that sell domestic longhair cats as Maine Coons.
Being a registered cattery gives the buyer confidence, but the registry also gives us breeders guidelines, and a breed standard. The breed standard outlines how a Maine Coon is supposed to look like, and breeders use the standard to make decisions for their breeding program.
How would you describe your breeding philosophy?
We carefully select each cat in our breeding program. Health, temperament, and type are our most important considerations. Breeding is done to preserve, and improve a breed, and for conformity in type and temperament.
We also strongly believe that the well-being of the cats comes first. This means no overcrowding, no overbreeding, and early retirement if it’s in the best interest of the cat.
What are some of the ways that you ensure the health and well-being of your cats and kittens?
Our cats are our pets and family members first, breeding comes second. They live with us as regular pets in our home. We are retired, and are able to be home with them, giving them the love and care they require and deserve.
We purposely have a small cattery, with 4 active girls and one stud, plus our neutered domestic rescue Freddie. This gives us the ability to properly take care of the adults and kittens.
Cats get stressed in overcrowded situations, so we make sure to keep our numbers small. We groom our cats ourselves regularly, which is very important for this breed, since they can get mats otherwise, which are painful.
Each queen gets one litter per year, making their health and condition our first priority. Giving them enrichment, playtime, climbing shelves, different toys, lots of cuddle time, and a catio are part of everyday cattery life. We do not have any kennels or cages.
A quality, high protein, meat-based diet is very important for cats, and we love providing the best food and variety for all of our cats.
Our kittens get handled from the very first day, socialized by adults and kids, which results in well-adjusted, very confident kittens. They do not leave until around 14 weeks old, after two vet visits, vaccines, and enough time with mom and litter mates to ensure proper socialization.
Any good Maine Coon breeder performs health screenings and genetic testing on their cats – what kinds of tests do you perform on your cats?
We utilize DNA testing, heart echocardiograms, and hip X-rays for all breeding cats, and PCR testing to check for viruses and parasites. It’s important to note that testing only minimizes risks, we don’t have absolute control.
So far, we have been fortunate with good health, but we always recommend having a plan in place, for any accidents or health issues. This can be health insurance or savings. Vet care can be very expensive, and it’s best to be prepared.
Tell us a bit about the environment where your cats are raised.
We do not have a separate facility, all of our cats and kittens are in our home. The adults live like any other normal pet cat with us. The stud lives on a different floor than the girls, since you can’t keep intact males and females together (it can cause many problems, and would also result in overbreeding our girls).
Our queens have a nursery, which is dedicated for deliveries, and raising kittens until after their first vaccines.
What are some of the ways you socialize your kittens to prepare them for their new homes?
Our kittens get handled from their first day. They are exposed to different adults, and kids, and stay with their mom and litter mates until 14 weeks old. We have a busy house, with lots of noise, music, kids, cleaning… the perfect environment for kittens to get used to the world.
They get played with daily, and we get them used to getting their nails clipped, using a scratching post, and they are litter box trained. We even carry them around in a little kangaroo pouch sometimes.
What is the typical process for someone interested in adopting one of your kittens?
People reach out to us, typically per email. We send an application back, and if everything fits, we add them to our waitlist. When we have a kitten available that fits their preferences, we reach out and see if they are interested.
Our kittens get reserved when they are around 6 weeks old. We do a video chat before they decide. This gives the buyer an extra layer of protection…they can make sure the kitten is real, and ask us questions, and we get to know them a little as well.
There are many scam websites and Facebook pages, made by people that are usually not even in the US, and that don’t have a cattery or kittens. Always do a video chat before you send any money for deposits.
A contract is signed and we require a deposit when someone commits to a kitten. After that we stay in contact with the buyer, we provide updates after vet checks, and they also get a lot of helpful information for when the kitten moves to them.
Pickup is at our home, they get to meet the parents of their kitten, and we can spend some time answering questions and giving tips.
We meet people at the airport for pickup if they are flying in from out of state, since most have a same day return flight.
Are there any specific criteria or requirements that potential adopters need to meet?
I can’t go into too much detail, because people might change their application based on my answer. We love families with kids, and other pets, but it’s not a requirement. We don’t allow any mistreatment, bad living conditions, and no backyard breeding.
What are some of the ways you support new owners after they adopt a kitten?
For us it is really important to build long-lasting relationships with our kitten homes. Many of our kitten buyers even become friends. We are available every day. Kitten families can ask for advice about grooming, dental care, preventatives, supplements, vaccines, introduction to other pets, medical issues, nutrition, and behavioral questions.
I stay current on research, and we have access to fantastic veterinarians. We are here for support and advice whenever someone needs it.
Getting pictures, videos, and updates is very much appreciated.
What advice would you give to someone considering a Maine Coon as a pet?
Do it! You won’t regret it. A few things to keep in mind… this breed does need grooming regularly to avoid mats. You would have to be willing to invest the necessary time. It doesn’t really take a long time, but it’s something you need to stay on top of.
Also, this breed is not for people that prefer a cat that needs little attention, or a cat you don’t notice. They need to be engaged, played with, and they prefer to be with their people.
Maine Coons, especially males, do get bigger than your average domestic cat, so you will need to get cat trees, carriers, beds etc that are larger. We just buy carriers and beds for medium-sized dogs.
Are there any common misconceptions about the Maine Coon breed you’d like to address?
One common misconception is that they all get extremely big. Females are on average 8-15 pounds, males 15-25 pounds (around 18-20 is very common). It’s actually a health concern if you try to breed for XL sizes, since very large cats have a higher rate of heart and hip problems. Most Maine Coons are overweight if they have 30+ pounds.
It’s also not correct that they grow until they are 5 years old. Their growth plates are closed by two, so they can’t get any longer or taller at that point. They can still fill out a little after two, and add some weight, but those are going to be small changes.
Another major misconception is that many think domestic longhair cats are part Maine Coon. Even shelters, rescues, and vets often contribute to the confusion, since people assume cats are like dogs, mixes of different breeds, which is not the case. Long hair is a normal occurrence in the domestic cat population and is not at all a breed indicator.
Only 1-3% of all cats belong to a breed, with over 70 recognized breeds. The rest are domestic cats without any breed background. Pedigreed cat breeds were actually developed from domestic cats, but we are not allowed to mix Maine Coons with other breeds or domestic cats, per the registry rule.
Kittens leave breeders either already altered or with strict alter contracts with huge fines that require altering before puberty. And breeders are extremely careful, since most invest 30K+ to start a small cattery, so they make sure cats don’t get out to breed with strays (would be a major health risk too). If you see a large, fluffy cat it’s a domestic longhair cat, unless the cat comes with a pedigree from a cat registry.
Do you have upcoming litters or other events you’d like to mention?
We have about 3-4 litters per year, and post updates and pictures mostly on our Facebook page, but also on our website. If you’d like to see what’s happening in the cattery, definitely follow our cattery page.
You can also always find us at local cat shows in Colorado… we love to chat, and you can meet our cats, and see many other breeds as well. Cat shows are open to the public, and you can find them in most states. Here is the show calendar for TICA cat shows.
Jasmina, thank you so much for your time! How can people get in touch with you for more information?
Our Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/starstuddedcoons
Our website is https://star-studdedcoons.com/
And our email is starstuddedcoons@yahoo.com
Please feel free to reach out anytime, and ask any questions you might have.
