Click here to read more on Sharon's Blog

Updated August 22, 2010

 

8/20/10 - We took our eligible cats to Tufts University in North Grafton, MA to participate in their Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) study (see below).  We're happy to report that all of our breeding cats continue to have normal healthy hearts.  While no breeder can guarantee with 100% certainty that HCM won't present itself in their cats, heart ultrasounds are still the best way of screening for this disease.
8/17/10 - Tufts University is conducting a study on the effects of nutrition on heart disease in the Maine Coon.  If you have a Maine Coon over the age of two years, you may be eligible to participate. Cats can be with or without known heart disease.  Owners must be willing to bring their cat to Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, MA for a single 1-2 hour visit.   This includes registration, examination, echocardiogram, x-ray, blood pressure, and blood tests (including DNA testing for MYBPC3 mutation).  This is an incredible value both in what the client is getting for free and the benefit to the Maine Coon breed as a whole.  Eligible Dracoonfly cats will be going in for their exams this Friday, August 20th.  Hopefully, all Maine Coon breeders in the area will participate, but pet owners of Maine Coons are encouraged to take part also.  For more information, contact:  Dr. Lisa Freeman 508-839-5395 x84696 or lisa.freeman@tufts.edu Read more on the Maine Coon Breeders and Fanciers website here
8/10/10 - This past weekend we attended the TICA Northeast Regional Awards Show in Boxborough, Mass.  Quill (since retired) earned the title of 8th Best Allbreed Kitten.  Trifle was 19th Best Longhair Champion and Finn (owned by Tereasa Brainerd) was 6th Best Allbreed Alter.  Finn has been an International Winner and/or a Regional Winner for the past three years, giving him the additional title of Lifetime Achievement Award Winner.  To read more about Finn, see Sharon's Blog.  Visit the Dracoonfly show cats, past and present, on the Show cats page.
Finn's owner Tereasa Brainerd	Making a mockery of Quill and Trifle's rosettes
6/16/10 - Introducing Luckypaws Downeaster of Dracoonfly!  Sharon flew to Florida and back yesterday to bring home this little love muffin with the incredible ears.  Click here to see Downy's page.
6/6/10 - We made the big time!  Well, not big, but bigger than we're used to in our neck of the woods.  Sharon, Bugger, and his 10-week-old son Boston were interviewed on an NECN show called "The Secret Life of Animals".  It can also been seen online. Click here to watch.  If the link doesn't work, go to NECN.com, scroll down to the bottom of the page, click the link for The Secret Life of Animals', then scroll through the previous shows to look for Bugger's big head.
Not only TV, but Bugger went for his first professional photo shoot last week in NYC.  He'll be in a print ad for Arm and Hammer Cat Litter, due out next month.  As if Bugger's head wasn't big enough already......
3/25/10 - Dr. Karen Brown did her annual cattery inspection, giving us perfect scores and continuing our certifications as a TICA Outstanding Cattery and a CFA Cattery of Excellence for the 6th consecutive year. Our next cat show will be in Ansonia, CT on April 23-25.  Come visit!  Click here for more details.
3/10/10 - Sharon attended the TICA show in Providence, RI this past weekend.  Quill has been neutered and was shown for the first time as an alter.  He got 6 finals and is now a Quadruple Grand Champion Alter.  Quill and Ess-C will be leaving together for their new home soon in Massachusetts.  Gargoyle had professional photos done by Helmi Flick so be sure to check her out on the Females page.
2/21/10 - We have spayed and retired two adult females, Ess-C and Kinsey.  They are both now available to a qualified home, separately or together.  Check the Kittens page for their pictures and more information.  "Then and Now" is now called "Pictures" on the button links.  I have replaced the Pictures page which had kittens from several years ago with the more popular and up-to-date Then and Now pages.  This way there is a direct link to Then and Now (called just "Pictures") and I didn't have to rehash all the cute little links at the top and bottom of each page to fit in a new button. I have decided to stop adding names to the waiting list for the time being.  It is pretty long and in the event that after the next litter is born, there are more kittens to go around than potential owners, I'll open it up again.  I don't like to let people get their hopes up for getting a kitten from an upcoming litter when in fact Trifle won't give birth to 15 kittens.
1/12/10 - Teri from New Jersey sent in this picture of her cat Killian, formerly known as Rikki (out of Cassie).  How cool is this cat?
1/6/10 - Happy New Year to the Dracoonfly followers (affectionately known as Site Stalkers).  Thanks to all the
new photos that flooded my inbox over the holidays, I had a LOT to add to the Then and Now pages.
Keep those cute photos coming in and don't hesitate to remind me if you don't see your cat pictured.  I waited to do them all at once and may have inadvertently overlooked yours (either that or I had a problem with the photo).  If you have a Dracoonfly kitten or cat and did not receive a Holiday email from me, then that means I probably need your new email address. New Jersey Kitten Buyers!  I'll be at the TICA show in Parsippany this weekend.  Come visit!
10/12/09  Introducing our new breeding female......Aderondak Gray Ghost of Dracoonfly
Her call name is Gargoyle and she comes from our Rastafarian friend Mary Braunlich of the Aderondak Cattery in upstate New York.  Gargoyle is another deviation from our traditional red and brown tabbies;  her color is blue smoke tortie.  She brings us solid, silver, dilute and masks the mackerel pattern...all in one little kitten.
6/9/09   We had cat photographer Helmi Flick take pictures of Quill, Trifle and Kinsey at the Mysticats show this past weekend.  Check out their pages!
5/26/09  Introducing our new breeding male......Howlyn Quill Gordon of Dracoonfly
Quill comes to us from our good friends Lynn and Howard of Howlyn Cattery in New Jersey.  After much debate, it was determined that Quill's color is now a red-silver, but what we love is his size and type.  Quill also contributes the silver gene and possibly solid.  Our gratitude goes out to Lynn and Howard for their generosity with this love bug.
SIRE:  IW, SGC Koontucky Kactus Jack of MaineVu
DAM:  Howlyn Gorky Park
A big congratulations to our winners for the 2008-2009 show season!
Photo by Helmi Flick
IW SGCA Dracoonfly Finbar Conneff TICA's Tenth Best Allbreed Alter Internationally TICA Second Best Alter in the Northeast Region TICA's Best Maine Coon Alter Internationally Dracoonfly Cattery's First International Winner
Owners:  Tereasa Brainerd and Tom Peterson
SIRE:  RW SGC Codycats Hendrickson of Dracoonfly
DAM:  RW SGC Dracoonfly Cosseboom, OD
Already a Grand Premier in CFA, a Regional Winner and Supreme Grand Champion Alter in both CFF and TICA, this year Finn and his dedicated owner, Tereasa hit the show trail running and earned the title of International Winner with points to spare.  Finn is going on 4-years-old and exemplifies the fact that Maine Coons only get better with age.  Finn's story began when he appeared the day AFTER the rest of his littermates so he was referred to as the "Bonus Boy".  Finn still has the most glorious deep red coat on a Maine Coon EVER (hey, it's my website, I can say what I want).  Not only is Finn beautiful, he's a real sweetheart too.  Many, many thanks to Tereasa for never giving up and showing Finn to perfection and also to the judges for recognizing a great cat.
RW SGC Tanstaafl Mickey Finn of Dracoonfly TICA's Eleventh Best Allbreed Champion in the Northeast Region TICA's Fourth Best Longhair Champion in the Northeast Region
Breeder:  Beth Hicks Owners:  Sharon Stegall/Marge and Phil Berger
Sharon has started a blog chronicling the joys and frustration of living with a bunch of cats, a dog, a husband, two teenagers and now baby chicks! Click here to read more on Sharon's Blog
March 4, 2009   Dracoonfly has earned the CFA recognition of Cattery of Excellence and TICA's Outstanding Cattery with perfect scores for the fifth year in a row.  This designation requires an annual inspection by our veterinarian, Dr. Karen Brown as proof of our adherence to a high standard of animal husbandry to raise happy, healthy pedigreed cats.  Our thanks to Dr. Brown of Stonington Veterinary Hospital for being our partner in quality cattery care.
Myra is published!  Look for Myra pictured 3 times in a new children's book called "CAT" where her tail will move with a pull tab. The book is written by Matthew Van Fleet, photography by Brian Stanton and due for release on February 10, 2009.  The book features photographs of many beautiful pedigreed cats.  Click here to see a video on Amazon.com demonstrating the book under Check Out Related Media.  Click Back on your browser to return.
Myra as seen her new book "Cat" Photo by Dragonfly Design, Inc.
Check out the Pictures page to see past kittens from each dam's respective litters.
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