Beardwood Maine Coons

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About us

Beardwood is a small cattery, breeding for type and temperament, run by Norrie Crook, with a little assistance from her husband, Eric!

Norrie, now retired, was a hospital teacher in her spare time, while Eric is a retired  accountant. We live, with our cats, in an old stone cottage on the edge of Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.

We first became interested in Maine Coons in 1989,after our much loved moggie was run over. We had three Cavalier K.C. Spaniels at the time and we decided to look for a breed which got on well with dogs; we thought that a Maine Coon sounded ideal.

There were very few breeders in the UK then, but we found Sandra Smith, (now Wilkinson), of Belujondra Maine Coons near Morpeth, and fell in love with a blue tortie tabby and white kitten called "Perdie", who took over the house and has ruled us all ever since. We let her have a litter and before we knew what was happening we were showing cats, acquiring new queens, making lots of friends and were well and truly hooked on the breed.

Five years later, we felt that we needed our own stud cat and decided to import one from America. After some research, we decided that we liked the wild look of the Coonquest cats, bred by Vickie and Larry Fisher, of Albuquerque in New Mexico.

GCH Coonquest Barefoot Coontessa		SGCH Meunerie Thaddeus Carver

 They were a bit reluctant to let us have a kitten because of the quarantine laws, but finally agreed to let us have Oscar, for which we shall always be grateful.

Oscar emerged from quarantine in August 1995, became a Champion in March 1996 and then a Grand Champion in September 1996, at Wyvern, where he was also Best Semi-Longhair in Show . In all, Oscar was shown 8 times in Grand Classes, gaining 6 Grand Challenge Certificates, before we permanently retired him from the show bench in 1997. He was mainly at private stud, although we allowed our friends to use him on selected queens.

His offspring, both first and second generation, inherited both his wonderful temperament and the " Look ". He looked fierce and wild but he was the gentlest cat imaginable and did not know how to bite or scratch.

Oscar helped to popularise the Maine Coon Breed by starring in a Ch4 TV programme, called Family Pet Rescue, in August 1999. He persuaded a couple who were looking for a pedigree cat, that a Maine Coon kitten would be ideal for them. He did this mainly by his laid back temperament and by towing the husband around our garden on the end of his lead!!!

Sadly, Oscar had to be put to sleep to save further suffering, at the age of almost 13 years, when he developed a fibro-sarcoma of the hard palate. He is very sadly missed because we thought the world of him.

We now have Theo, Katie and Janie who are descended in direct line from Oscar, and also Angus and Ayla to bring  new blood into our lines. We hope to have some wonderful kittens  in due course.