My journey with Maine Coons began in 1999 when a graduate school professor brought in a kitten one day. I was captivated by the kitten’s beauty and charm, and from that moment on, I was hooked. In 2001, I adopted his younger brother and started attending cat shows with the professor, soon realizing my interest in showing cats. Although my new kitten didn’t enjoy the show circuit, I adopted another Maine Coon, and before long, I was fully immersed in both the world of cat shows and the incredible Maine Coon breed. This led to the birth of my cattery, Chemicoons.

The name Chemicoons is a blend of my two passions—chemistry and Maine Coons. As a chemistry professor, I name my cats after elements, compounds, famous scientists, and all things chemistry-related.

Over the years, I have been an active participant in Maine Coon breed groups and have served in various leadership roles. I was Vice President of the Maine Coon Breeders & Fanciers Association (MCBFA), a four-term elected member of TICA’s Maine Coon Breed Committee, and chaired the committee twice. I also served as TICA's Great Lakes Regional Director for three terms and have been involved in feline health research and other aspects of The International Cat Association (TICA). My primary focus has always been to breed healthy, beautiful, and gentle Maine Coons—affectionately known as “gentle giants”—for both my own home-based breeding program and for other cat lovers.

All my cats are screened for healthy hearts and hips and are DNA negative for known genetic mutations such as HCM and SMA. They are fed a high-quality diet consisting of dry, canned, and raw foods. You can find more details about the diet on my “Links” or “About My Kittens” pages.

I was elected TICA Great Lakes Regional Director for consecutive terms in 2016, 2019, and 2022. In late 2023, I was honored to be elected Vice President of TICA.

In 2019, I married my breeding partner, Emmons Brown of LAPD Maine Coons. Sadly, he passed away in early 2023 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease, marking the end of LAPD Maine Coons, but his legacy lives on in our shared love for this remarkable breed.

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