Ray du Soleil - Our Story
We would like to welcome you to our small Maine Coon Cattery located in the windy city of Chicago, Ray du Soleil (translates to: Ray of the Sun). For over twenty years, cats have been part of our lives and to us they are the greatest companions. For seventeen years, we were very fortunate to provide an exciting and spoiled life to our beloved cat Niunius. He was a red tabby part persian cat, who had many great adventures. It was very hard for us when he left this world.

We were always fascinated with the beauty and nature of the great Maine Coon. When we brought our first Maine Coon Vinnetou from Europe, we fell in love with this breed and this is when we decided to create a cattery of our own. For our first breeding Maine Coon cat we selected a red tabby, and named him Fiji, like the island and bright as the sun! He's our handsome lion stud, sweet, grand in size, with a wonderful laid back temperament.

It has become our passion to raise this magnificent breed and meet cat fanciers from all around the world. Known as the “Gentle Giants” these cats are very sociable, fun, extremely intelligent, and have exceptionally sweet personalities. We strive to breed Maine Coon cats that represent the ideal characteristics of the breed. Participating in our daily lives, our cats are raised under foot (cage-free), they are part of our family. Kittens are handled from birth in their nursery, and they stay with their mom until they are three months. They are exposed to sounds and everyday life, to make sure they are properly socialized. We treat our cats as children, and we have created the optimal environment for them to develop and grow. Check out the photo gallery and see how our cats live: http://www.raydusoleil.com/slideshow2/sellfolio.html

Our breeding program includes top European and American GrandChampion lines that are healthy, friendly, ideal in type, and have extraordinary personalities. We specialize in browns, silvers, reds, creams, torbies, with and without white, mostly classic tabby pattern, and occasionally solids (black, white, tortie). The Maine Coon is the only breed that comes in such a wide variet of colors and we're proud to carry them all. We show our Maine Coons in TICA (The International Cat Association) and CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Association) throughout the Midwest region.

Our cats are under the care of Dr. Peter Warcholek at the Touhy Animal Hospital in Park Ridge, IL. Dr. Warcholek is an expert in animal care, and very compassionate human being, along with his wonderful staff they provide great services. Regularly vaccinated and tested, all of our cats are kindly welcomed at his facility. Our cats are clear of FeLV, FiV, HCM, and screen hearts (echocardiogram). Our felines enjoy holistic nutrition to stay healthy, strong, and live a long, happy, and fun life!

From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank our loyal friend Joanna Purta, for her boundless aid and kind care over all of our cats. Joanna is a devoted humanitarian towards all animals. Not only does she rescue cats but also finds good homes for them. She is always happy to help at any time, giving us advise, and at home medical care for our cats. We are very lucky to know Joanna.