"Pawpeds" is a database where you can research pedigrees. Well over 16000 Maine Coons pedigrees are present, many of which have pictures. The website has been created to provide information on outcross, inbreeding, and health issues for today's Maine Coon breeders, to ensure a healthy genetic heritage for tomorrow's kittens.

Breeding Glossary By PawPeds

• Inbreeding: The mating between animals that are more closely related than the average relationship in the breed. In common usage, inbreeding refers to matings between close relatives, such as father to daughter, brother to sister, and half-brother to half sister. Planned breeding programs often use this strategy of breeding to concentrate desired genes in the breeding stock, and fix a "type", or "look". It is a process that exposes both the good and bad qualities in the stock. If the strain does carry a mutant, recessive gene (harmful or beneficial), it is more likely to become apparent sooner with inbreeding. The school of thought is that, although this might result in a high rate of defective kittens in the short term, the negative trait's exposure (and elimination from the program) in the long term is in the best interests of the breed.

• Line-breeding: In common usage, matings when there are common ancestors within the first 4 or 5 generations, generally matings less close than inbreedings.

• Inbreeding Depression: Loss of vigor due to the homozygosity of an increasing number of genes. The inter-breeding of related cats, generation after generation, increases the probability that the offspring inherits identical genes, over and over again. This may result in an individual with a smaller variety of different genes in it's makeup. This in turn leads to the immune system becoming less effective. Cats can only produce antibodies with the genes they have, the smaller the number of different genes, the smaller the number of different antibodies produced. The ability of an animal to generate antibodies is drastically reduced if it loses its genetic diversity, in other words, comes from a small gene pool. There may be greater proneness to illness, with longer recovery times. Kittens may be smaller, lethargic, with poor growth, or stillborn. Reproductive performance may be compromised. Article about Inbreeding Depression

• Outcross: Mating cats of different bloodlines. Close inbreeding for three or four generations usually leads to fixing of type, after which further improvement becomes more difficult. At this point the vitality of the strain may begin to suffer. There could be increased reproductive problems or a weakened immune system. Many breeders find it wise to bring in new blood. This produces an "outcross litter" and the resulting kittens may show an improvement in health and vigor from the time they are born.

• Foundation Cat: A foundation cat is one whose parents, as far as we know, have contributed to the gene pool only through that particular cat. For example, Bridget, parents, unknown x unknown, is a foundation cat. Her parents may have contributed other cats to the gene pool, but are assumed not to have, if there no evidence to the contrary. A "foundation cat" by this definition has a relatively unique combination of genes to offer, relative to other cats of the breed. The foundation cats referred to on this site are those which established the Maine Coon breed before the stud books were closed, as opposed to "new foundation" cats, which are introduced into an already established gene pool. Bringing in new foundation blood is a lengthy and difficult process involving several generations and registries. For example: An F1 foundation cat is often a first generation native Maine Coon found occasionally running loose in Maine and neighboring states. ACA has its stud books still open so when a breeder finds a cat that so resembles our purebred Maine Coons, they can then register that cat as F1 in ACA. The parentage is unknown and marked as such, and date of birth is usually estimated. Sometimes a native MC can be found on a farm whereas the parent cats are known and living, and date of birth is known, so sometimes an F1 cat has this info available. Once it is registered in ACA, the cat is bred to other foundation cats (or full ped) and the kittens are then litter registered in ACA as F2. ACA only registers up to F3, so then kittens are litter registered in CFF. CFF doesn't take kittens with less than an F3 pedigree so it works out well. TICA and ACFA will register F4's and up so it is up to the breeder if they want to go with them or stay with CFF. Once a pedigree is up to F5, CFA will register them but they cannot be shown. CFA calls that 'recording' a cat. Although a recorded cat cannot be shown in CFA, they are treated in all other ways as full pedigreed cats and their offspring are then full pedigreed and have all CFA rights. So any cat with a pedigree of 6 generations or more, they are then considered a full ped cat.

• Gene Pool: The collection of alleles available among reproductive members of a population.

Breed Information By PawPeds

• Article Collection A collection of Maine Coon Specific articles

• Outcross Cattery List A list of Outcross Catteries

• Foundation Cat List A list of Maine Coon foundation cats

• Methuselahs A list of Maine Coons that reached the age of 15 years or more.

• Foundation Cat Documentation Cats that are used as foundation animals in the Maine Coon breed

• About Maine Coons in 1903 Article about the Maine Coon 1903

Picture Galleries By PawPeds

1. Cats that lived 15 years or longer A picture list of cats who lived 15 years or more.

2. Pictures of 100% New Foundation Cats A list with pictures of 100% New Foundation Cats

3. Pictures of historic Maine Coons A list with pictures of historical Maine Coons

4. Pictures of Registered Maine Coons A list with pictures of Registered Maine Coons

5. Pictures of Maine Coon Breeders A list with pictures of Maine Coon breeders.