His Maine Coon Won 'Best Kitten' in World Cat Show

Clint Brian Peck, operations manager of Krazy Garlik, has been a cat lover for as long as he could remember. "I would bring home stray cats during my grade school years. At one point, we had over 20 cats. Each one had a name," he shares.

Years passed, and most of these cats have since crossed over the rainbow bridge. A few are still living, including a 14-year-old "puspin" who resides at their family home.

It was only in 2018 when Peck decided to own a cat again at his own place when he went through a period of depression. His doctor diagnosed it as a chemical imbalance. Thankfully, cat breeding helped correct the issue.

Five-month-old Max won Best Kitten at the 1st World Cat Federation Show held in Makati.

Gentle giants

Before owning a cat, Peck researched the different breeds and the kind of care that they require. "I researched their behavior and temperament and I found out that although Maine Coons look intimidating, they're actually very calm and gentle," he observed.

"That was a major consideration for me because I also have three dogs. I was worried they might fight. But I was so amazed because as soon as I put the cat down, it's incredibly clingy with the dogs. Maybe because of the Maine Coon's size, the dogs think it's one of them."

One of Peck's award-winning Maine Coons

His felines are also very playful. "They're like dogs in a cat's body. Minsan nagugulat ako pag umuulan, tatakbo pa yan sa labas to play. They like to play with water. They even play fetch; if you throw a crumpled piece of paper, they will fetch it."

Peck started with one kitty, which he bought from Russia. Eventually, he also got one from Ukraine and another from Germany. Now, in his sixth year of cat breeding, he owns a total of 22 Maine Coons. They practically occupy the entire third floor of his home, which has a nursery for the kittens, a room for the male adults, and another for the females.

They come in different colors like orange (red in Maine Coon parlance), black, white, and gray (referred to as blue). His five-month-old red Maine Coon, Max, which won "Best Kitten" at the recent 1st World Cat Federation Show in Makati, was bred by Peck himself.

The cat show featured about 120 breeds and was judged internationally by esteemed judges, and the proud fur dad couldn't be happier. "In a cat show, the judges check the cats' profile—from the snout and proportion of the nose, to the shape and size of the ears, the proportion of the body, and the size of the tail," says Peck. Max was very well-behaved during the judging and charmed everyone who wanted to hold and pet him. "Hindi siya nagre-react, nakatingin lang siya. It was actually his first time to go out."

Joining cat shows give Peck so much joy. "Nakakatuwa lang na as a single person, when you join them in cat shows, parang anak mo ang nanalo," he says. Once one kitty achieves certain accomplishments, he starts developing another cat.

What it takes to be cat dad

To breed a quality cat, one needs to own a male and female cat with great profiles, says Peck. "Kung hindi masyadong maganda ang profile ng female cat mo, pero maganda ang profile ng male, you can still breed beautiful kittens," he says.

The biggest challenge in having Maine Coons, or any pet for that matter, says Peck, is the long-term commitment and responsibility that come with it.

"Maine Coons have a huge appetite because of their size. My cats eat four times a day," says Peck. They consume about 20 kilos of raw chicken breast in a week. These are stored in the freezer for three to five days to kill bacteria and parasites. "It's important to maintain the correct food temperature of raw food to avoid the growth of bacteria," he says.

Another beauty from Peck's cattery

Besides raw chicken breast, mixed with some chicken heart and liver, they also eat premium wet and dry cat food. Since Peck has a day job, he hired someone to take care of his cats when he's at work.

"Owning 22 Maine Coons is really challenging. Para akong may limang pinag-aaral ng doctorate," he laughs. But the joy they bring into his life is priceless.