Valkyrie Maine Coons

15/07/2025

10/07/2025

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰? 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨! 🏆🎉

Although we won’t be attending SACC COTY this year due to unforeseen circumstances, I’m thrilled to announce that 𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟, 𝑆𝐴 𝐻𝑜𝑛, 𝑇𝑟𝑝𝑙 𝑆𝑝 𝐶ℎ & 𝐾𝑖𝑡 𝐶ℎ 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑦𝑟𝑖𝑒 𝐴𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝐷𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑎𝑘𝑎 𝐶ℎ𝑒𝑤𝑖𝑒, has also qualified for SA Indie Cat 2025, the national event hosted by the Independent Cat Clubs of South Africa, and we will be there!

Our handsome stud has had a phenomenal year on the show circuit, and we are so proud that he has earned his place among 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢’𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘴.

It’s such an honour to see him recognised for his achievements, and we can't wait to stand alongside so many other passionate exhibitors and beautiful cats at this year’s event.

💙 We’re looking forward to a fantastic day filled with beautiful felines, wonderful friendships, and shared memories. Let’s go, Chewie! 🐾✨

06/07/2025

As the time gets closer, the excitement is reaching new heights! 🎉😻 Keep an eye on our announcements for more details about the highly anticipated SA Indie Cat 2025! 🐾✨

📍 Venue Alert:
United Church, 28 Bright Street, Somerset West 🐱🎪

📅 9 August 2025
🕘 Open to the public from 9am to 1pm — don’t miss the feline fun! 🐾🎉💫

04/07/2025

This past Saturday, we took our glorious Maine C***s to an Independent show with a total of 131 show entries, to compete against 15 other Maine C***s and 111 other cat breeds — and what a day it was. The hall was full of magic, whiskers, and wonder ✨🐾

One of the true stars was our beloved 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨. Already a Master, SA Honourable, Kitten Champion and SA Triple Supreme Champion, he showed his class once again with 3x Excellent 1, 3x HP, and a fantastic 2nd place in the Adult Double Master Ring. He never fails to impress — steady, soulful, and so special.

𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘉𝘺 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘦, a true flame in feline form, also brought home 3x Excellent 1 and 3x HP. Already an SA Honourable and Triple Supreme Champion, she carries herself with the grace of a queen — fiery, feminine, unforgettable.

Then came our rising star, 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢 *𝘙𝘜 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘦 (𝘐𝘮𝘱), co-owned by Nicole Rawlins and bred by Yuliya Makarova. At just 10 months old, she claimed 3x Excellent 1, 3x CAC, and became a Champion – also placing 7th in the Adult Ring among seasoned competitors. This girl has presence beyond her years 🍏

𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘩’𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮, owned by Herlien van Rooyen, swept the judges away with 3x Excellent 1 and 3x CAPJ, earning her title as Double Junior Premier. Her journey is just beginning, and the sky’s the limit. ☁️

And finally, the charming 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬, our little talisman of joy, who earned 3x Excellent 1 and 3x CACJ, becoming a proud Double Junior Champion. A sprinkle of love, a dash of luck, and a whole lot of attitude ✨

Thank you to everyone who made the day so special — judges, stewards, friends and fellow breeders. These shows remind us not just of the wins, but of the journey — the passion, the partnership, the purpose.

📸 Photo credits: Guiddo Gray, AristoCub Cattery & Herlien van Rooyen – thank you for capturing our moments so beautifully.

02/07/2025

🚨 𝕀𝕞𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕄𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕠𝕟 𝔹𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤 & 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤 🚨

At the FIFe Judges Seminar on 31 May 2025, Dr. Leslie Lyons, BS, MS, PhD (Professor of Comparative Medicine and Genetics at the University of Missouri), spoke on key genetic and health concerns in cat breeds — especially Dominant Blue Eyes, Waardenburg Syndrome, hip dysplasia, and DNA tests. This post is a simplified summary of Prof. Leslie Lyons’ lecture during the Seminar.

For full context, you can watch the original presentation here (long, but well worth it):
👉 https://www.youtube.com/live/s68zeJimVAM

📌 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘦: 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢. 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘭𝘢𝘣 𝘰𝘳 𝘷𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵.

📚 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒕 𝒈𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒇. 𝑳𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑭𝑰𝑭𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒓, 𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔. 𝑨𝒏𝒚 𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍.

15/06/2025

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲!

Yes, even the ones who swore, “We’re NOT getting another cat.” 😹
We see you. We salute you. We know your camera roll is 90% fluff.

📸 Note: This image was created using AI and is intended purely for creative purposes and to bring a smile.

**nDad

09/06/2025

What an honour! 🏆

This year, two Valkyrie-bred boys have qualified for Cat Of The Year 2025, South African Cat Council’s most prestigious feline event! ✨

Only 8 entire (intact adult) cats across all breeds in the entire Western Province are invited to COTY, and we are thrilled to share that:

🔹 Dbl Sp Ch Valkyrie Always Dreaming NQ ranked 6th Entire
🔹 Gr Ch Valkyrie Casanova Kid of Highlanders (owned by Carol Middleton) ranked 4th Entire

Unfortunately, due to unexpected circumstances, neither of these boys will be able to attend this year’s event. 💔

Still, we’re incredibly proud and grateful for this recognition, and will be cheering from the sidelines for the WPCC qualifiers — especially the stunning Maine C***s who made it through!

📸 Photo Credits: Ursula van der Riet Photography

***s **nMagic ***s **nSouthAfrica

07/06/2025

𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐒 – 𝟑𝟏 𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 | 𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐁... 𝟐𝟑 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰.

We’ve held off posting our show results while waiting for the professional photos by the talented Ursula van der Riet Photography, and they were definitely worth the wait!

Here's what our Valkyrie cats achieved:

𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟎𝟎𝟖:
𝘋𝘣𝘭 𝘚𝘱 𝘊𝘩 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘕𝘘 𝘢𝘬𝘢 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘦
🏅3x Supreme certificates
🏅2x Nominations for Best In Show

𝘚𝘱 𝘊𝘩 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘉𝘺 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘬𝘢 𝘚𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘺
🏅3x Supreme certificates

𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 & 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟎𝟏𝟏:
𝘊𝘩 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢 𝘒𝘪𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴, owned by Carol Middleton
🏅3x Grand Certificates
🏅3x Nominations for Best In Show
🏅Now a Grand Champion
🏅Qualified for Best In Show
🏅5th best adult cat on show

𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 & 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟎𝟏𝟓:
𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢 *𝘙𝘜 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘦 (𝘪𝘮𝘱) 𝘢𝘬𝘢 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘢, co-owned by Nicole Rawlins and bred by Yuliya Makarova
🏅2x 2nd places,
🏅3x Champion certificates
🏅 Now a Champion,
🏅“Judge’s favourite” award with the loveliest report. 💐
We are so proud of her, as she is 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 old enough for the adult class now, and is immature for this class at such a young age.

𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 & 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟎𝟏𝟕:
𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘬𝘢 𝘗𝘪𝘹𝘪𝘦
🏅2x 1st places in her class.

𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟎𝟐𝟏:
🌧️ 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘩'𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘢𝘬𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘢, owned by Herlien van Rooyen
🏅2x 1st places in her class.

🏆 We're bursting with pride at not only the show results, but the honour of having 𝘵𝘸𝘰 Valkyrie cats, 𝘿𝙗𝙡 𝙎𝙥 𝘾𝙝 𝙑𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙮𝙧𝙞𝙚 𝘼𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝘿𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙉𝙌 and 𝙂𝙧 𝘾𝙝 𝙑𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙮𝙧𝙞𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖 𝙆𝙞𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 qualify for COTY for the second year in a row.🔥

💫This is what dreams (and dedication) are made of.✨

🙏 𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜𝕤
💼 To the Western Province Cat Club Committee – for your tireless work behind the scenes and for benching our cats together, which made the day extra special.
📸 To Ursula van der Riet Photography – thank you for capturing our cats so beautifully (we know what a daunting task it can be!).
🎓 To the judges, stewards, and admin team – for generously donating your time and expertise.
🎁 To all the sponsors – from food suppliers to rosette donors, your support makes these shows possible.
💖 To Herlien – thank you for showing Maya with such love and care.
💖 To Carol Middleton – for presenting Casanova so beautifully. We’re so proud of what you’ve achieved together! 🫶
💖 To Carine Pelser – for handling Maya during the "fun" litter class!

25/05/2025

She’s growing up so quickly… 🥹

Our "little" girl, Kit Ch & SA Jnr Ch Valkyrie Alittleloveandluck, affectionately known as Pixie, is already 8 months old — and blossoming into something truly special. ✨

Yesterday, she “helped” inspect the new bedding materials we’re prepping for our queens and their kittens. It might not be our usual colour, but warmth and softness matter more than aesthetics when tiny toe beans and baby bellies are involved.

Watching Pixie step into her future role feels a bit like watching your child try on your shoes. It’s bittersweet, and it makes us so proud 🤎🖤🧡🤍

**nSouthAfrica

22/05/2025

Me: “What a majestic boy…”
Chewie: Completely loses his marbles over his own tail.
I stand corrected...

11/05/2025

🌺 𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘔𝘰𝘮𝘴! 🌺

Today, we celebrate the true superheroes – the moms who love fiercely, nurture selflessly, and always seem to know where the lost socks (and the mischievous cats) are hiding. 💖🐾

To my own incredible mom – thank you for always being there, for teaching me kindness and resilience, and for making every day a little bit brighter. Your love is a gift I treasure, and I am endlessly grateful for you. 🌷

To all the amazing cat moms out there who understand that a soft purr is the highest form of love, and to every other kind of mom who makes the world a brighter place – you are cherished beyond words.

Wishing you a Mother’s Day filled with cuddles, purrs, and all the love you so richly deserve. 💖🐾

10/05/2025

𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞, 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠...!

❗️ “𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘏𝘜𝘎𝘌!” – Oh, if I had a Rand for every time I heard that… 🙄

Let’s set the record straight: 𝗦𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴! (And no, I’m not just saying that to make my smaller cats feel better!) 😎

📏 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝘇𝗲: No responsible breeder can guarantee you a “giant” Maine C**n. Genetics are a bit of a gamble, even with large parents. For example, I have a healthy 4.6kg female whose parents were 9kg and 7kg – but she’s perfect just as she is!

❤️ 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁: Maine C***s are known as “gentle giants” not just because of their size, but because of their affectionate, playful, and loyal nature. Would you really trade a sweet, healthy companion for an unhealthy, oversized cat?

🧬 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲: Look for breeders who prioritise health: DNA testing for HCM, PK-Def & SMA, heart scans, and hip x-rays. A big cat with a long list of health problems is not what you want.

💡 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗕𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹: If you want a giant for bragging rights, I hear inflatable dinosaurs are a thing. But if you want a healthy, happy, and well-bred Maine C**n, you’re in the right place. 😉

🐾 Follow Valkyrie Maine C***s for ethical breeding, adorable fluff, and a dash of sass.

🐾 Valkyrie Maine C***s – Bred for Excellence. 🐾

📌 Website: https://valkyrie-cattery.weebly.com
📌 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValkyrieCattery
📌 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valkyrie.mco/