Sun O'er Sea Maine Coons
Sun O'er Sea Educational Course I
Preserving the Maine Coon: A Breed History
Oct 7 & 14, 2024 7PM EST
Understanding the origins of the breed informs the present. The Maine Coon Cat began ingloriously as a Northeastern American farm cat, spanning regions of Maine through the Northeast to Pennsylvania in the 1860s. The North American domestic longhair was a likely precursor to the breed's development and some speculation among those in veterinary care is that every so often a Maine Coon would arise (bigger, stronger, sweeter) than its siblings-- a true gem as a working cat on Northeastern farms, especially dairies. Nowadays, we see a rise in misinformation; every cat being labeled "domestic" or "non-Maine Coon" as the breed becomes infamously "European" in type--dominated by the influx of Russian and overseas lineage in the bloodlines (where American breeders notoriously were tough to place bloodlines, overseas breeders quickly capitalized on an untapped market and sold often poorer quality/untested lines in mass to the highest bidders, resulting in pop-up catteries). Not every European breeder, however, was unethical and this course also informs its students about responsible programs, what to look for, how to measure a program's merit, and what health tests should be verified for prospective buyers. We ran this course twice in the early winter months of 2024.
Please e-mail us if interested in course sign-up for Fall 2024 and remit payment via Venmo prior to course start date; the course is also recorded for those that cannot attend. TEAMS is our online platform and all course materials, including links to textbooks, are provided.
Our course is capped at 20 students.
Previous Spring Course Materials
Fall 2024 Sign-Up Sheet
Sun O'er Sea offers a wide spectrum of information and formal courses at the collegiate/enthusiast level for the breed.
Courses begin at $40/person and range up to $100 for more specialized content; we recognize that you cannot monetize expertise and course costs simply go toward the amount of time and effort to gather and collect information from a variety of sources. We, always, recommend attending cat shows and utilizing PawPeds courses. These offerings are simply our own enthusiasm.
Sun O'er Sea Educational Course II
Inheriting a Legacy: Reputable Breeding
June 16 & 23, 2024
Everyone has heard the hype of Cat Breeder Sensei, which is basically a marketing guru who has taken pop-up catteries by storm. But really, what is a reputable breeder and what does the reputable breeder do in a program?
In this course, students learn about the practicalities of breeding, of networking, and the basics of genetics. We will explore Pawpeds and learn how to calculate inbreeding coefficients. We will examine CFA standard and explore what makes a good Maine Coon.
Do you have the eye? Do you even know what "the eye" is?
We'll talk ethics, we'll take practices, we'll talk commonalities, and we'll discuss what a cattery should not ever do. We'll discuss scale, common husbandry issues, and solutions to feeling overwhelmed.
Sit back, sip some wine, pet your cats-- it's all going to be okay.
$80/person
Capped at 10 (breeders or enthusiasts looking to breed, only)
Sign up: here.