About PawPeds

The domain name pawpeds.com was registered by Ulrika Olsson in 2000, for future use as a site for information about the history of the pedigree cats, and to educate cat breeders about the need for genetic variation and what the situation is in their breed. In order to do this, we are publishing databases with pedigree information for different breeds, with functions for calculations of the inbreeding coefficient and pedigree analyses. We also publish articles related to these topics. Along the way, we will probably add articles about other health issues and breeding issues as well, for the education of breeders.

Databases

Although the databases are published by us, they are maintained by different people who are specialising in a particular breed (or breeds). Initially it worked so that the database maintainer had his/her own database locally, in which information were entered. Every now and then a textfile was generated from this database, and this was then sent to us. We entered the new, updated file into the database that was shown online, and then you all could see it. Some database maintainers still work according to this system, while others are working in our new system: They have an account on our server, where they enter info in a database that is kept there. This allows for more than one person to enter data at the same time.

About the program

For the online databases we use a program which generates html directly from a simple database. The program was first written by Kjell Högström, and it is now mainly maintained by Peter Olsson. This program is still under development and it might be changed frequently to test new ideas and correct problems (and sometimes end up introducing new problems :-)). Please send comments and bug reports to Peter.

We are now in the process of making some of our new visions for PawPeds come true! To achieve this, we were in need of more people than our "old" programming team of two. See below to meet the people involved in this new project!

About the people

Ulrika Olsson - The Spider (e-mail)
Ulrika is the spider in the middle of the net in the PawPeds project. She is also taking care of the genetic issues in the project, developing suitable pedigree analyses for the different breeds and generally working with the education and information about genetic health. Ulrika first started the online Maine Coon database, thanks to Kjell Högström and his programing, in May 1997. She is still maintaining the Maine Coon database, now together with some other dedicated people (see below). Ulrika is breeding Maine Coons with the cattery name Ylletrollets. She is living in Sweden with her husband Peter, their daughter Vendela, their son Eskil, and the cats - Maine Coons and Turkish Vans.

Misha Peersmans - Co-Spider and the Maine Coon database (e-mail)
Misha joined the team of Maine Coon database maintainers in August 2004, and very soon she was also deeply involved in developing the entire PawPeds project further. She is living in Antwerp, Belgium, with her dogs and cats. Misha is breeding Maine Coons, since 1991, under the cattery name The Dorsai.

Lies Klösters - Co-Spider, The PawAcademy, and the Maine Coon Heritage Site (e-mail)
Lies Klösters is working with the PawAcademy project, she is the webmistress for the Maine Coon Heritage Site, and she is the database maintainer for the Hollandse Smoushonden database. Lies says about herself: "After having worked as an animal caretaker in the past, my education in animal-care and -management made my interest in this direction continue. So when I was asked to lend a helping hand for PawPeds, I gladly agreed." Lies's cattery name is Kindred Spirits, and she lives in the Netherlands.

Diana Verhaegen - The Maine Coon Ancestors Gallery (e-mail)
Since 2001 Maine Coon breeder. I live in a very small village Schelluinen in The Netherlands. Together with my husband Paul I raise two adorable daughters, Miranda and Jacky and... of course our sweet Maine Coons. I started breeding domestic shorthairs in 1997, but I soon wanted to breed more responsibly. During our search for which breed we than want to breed, we fell for the Maine Coon. Health, pedigrees and other breeding aspects are very much a part of my life. So PawPeds is the one thing I can't live without anymore. I breed under the cattery name The Haecoon.

Ewa Klingberg - The PawAcademy (e-mail)
I live in the countryside not far from Jönköping in Sweden. Cats have always been a part of my life. Together with my daughter I run a Maine Coon cattery namned S*Birkalunden's. I joined the CBEN-team in September 2006 and I'll mainly work with education.

Database Maintainers

Eva Gunnarsson - The Siberian Cat database (e-mail)
I have been breeding Siberian Cats since 2001 under the cattery name of S*Nikopeja's. I am one of the founders of the Siberian Cat association in Sweden and have been building up a database for its members. During the fall of 2003 I visited Krasnoyarsk in Siberia and had the oppurtunity to meet "real" Siberians :-)

Tina Dodge - The Maine Coon database (e-mail)
Tina started to work with the Maine Coon database in 2006. She is living near New Haven in Massachusetts, USA, where she is breeding Maine Coons with the cattery name Fogcity.

Jaana Jyrkinen - The European Shorthair database (e-mail)
I have collected pedigrees already before I started breeding European Shorthairs in 1997. My cattery name is FIN*Castlemoor's. At the end of the year 2004 I asked Ulrika about starting a European database in Pawpeds. After some months' work we finally decided to publish it in September 2005. I'll continue my work as a maintainer of the database.

Natasja Hannink - The Maine Coon database (e-mail)
Having had shelter cats for years, Natasja and her husband Paul te Bokkel (see the programming team) came into contact with the cat fancy and the Maine Coon in particular in 2002. Motivated by their mentor and close friend, they started breeding soon afterwards, leading them into - amongst other things - studying pedigrees and PawPeds. They are now can openers for their feline companions, a mixture from F4 to outcross Maine Coons, which share the attention with the domestic shorthairs. They live in the middle of The Netherlands, where they can see their cattery name: A Nice Moon.

Tony Batchelor - The German Rex database (e-mail)
I first met Rex cats in 2000 when I came away from a show with a Cornish kitten from a friend! At that show my wife and myself joined the Danish Rex & Sphynx Klubben, and in 2001 I made a website for the club and became the webmaster. Putting together the information for the website we became fascinated in all the breeds, so quickly made part of our family first a Sphynx, and then a Devon. Now at last I am able to get a German Rex. Our cattery name is DK Snugglebugs and we moved from England to Denmark 10 years ago. Ilona Jaenicke is helping with information for this database.

Leif Dollert - The Cornish Rex database (e-mail)
Leif Dollert is maintaining the Cornish Rex database at PawPeds since its beginning in November 2002. Leif has bred Cornish Rex since 1993 with the cattery name Vågens. He lives in Solna, a town just outside Stockholm, with his Cornish Rexes and Norwegian Forest Cats.

Brigitte Schoemaker - The Ferret Database (e-mail)
I live in Heerlen in the south of the Netherlands. I joined the Pawpeds project in September 2005. I have 2 cats, 1 Maine Coon and 1 European shorthair. I have also 2 dogs, 1 Dalmation and 1 mixed breed from a Whippet and German Sheppard. I maintain the ferret database at pawpeds.

Corine Lundqvist - The Azawakh, Sloughi, Galgo Español, and Pixie-Bob databases (e-mail)
Corine is a high technician in agriculture and is breeding Azawakhs sighthounds (and collecting all kind of informations about this breed) since 1988 with the kennel name Garde-Epée, Maine Coon cats since 1997 and recently also Pixie-Bob cats under the cattery name Jarnac. She is living in France with her daughter Solène, the dogs, cats and ferrets (Solène's hobby breeding).

Anna Peltovuori - The Bengal database (e-mail)
I have had Bengal since 2001, so I am quite new to this. However, I think Pawpeds is a very important tool to use, so I will be doing my part contributing to the Bengal breeding community. I have just started (first litter born in June 2003) breeding Bengals under the prefix S*Merope's.

Hanny Olsen - The British Shorthair database (e-mail)
Hanny started to publish the database for British Shorthairs in October 2003. She is living in Vaggeryd, Sweden, with her husband Bengt and their cats. They are breeding Turkish Vans, Turkish Angoras, and Scottish Folds under the cattery name S*Wi'nte Sams.

Anne McCulloch - The Ocicat Database (e-mail)
Anne McCulloch is one half of the cattery known as Catiators Ocicats. Once in Ocicats, the limited genepool became very apparent, yet it seemed to be something about which little was known. With Wendy Neuhofer, a database was established to provide pedigree information to all breeders. However, no analysis was provided with this on-line database. With introduction to Ulrika through the Maine Coon database, permission was granted for the Ocicat to have access to the formidable tools of that database. It is so pleasant to be involved in promotion of a healthier Ocicat, and of all breeds of cat.

Marie Jensen - The Devon Rex database (e-mail)
My interest for pedigrees of Devon Rexes started in 1995 and since then I have collected and sorted peds out. The Devon Rex is a really young breed, founded in 1960, and due to important health issues regarding the breed, the database kept by Ulrika and Peter have made it possible to view peds in a total different way. To be able to calculate inbreeding coefficient and make future testmatings is absolutely a wonderful power tool for us. I breed Devon Rexes under the prefix Q-T-Curls.

Yvonne Karlsson - The Ragdoll, Aby/Somali, and Norwegian Forest Cat databases (e-mail)
Yvonne started working with the Ragdoll database in 2002. She and her family and cats lives in Deje, Sweden. They have a small breeding of Ragdoll and Norwegian Forest Cat under the cattery name My Friend. Yvonne is also the maintainer of the Ragdoll Ancestors site, the photo gallery connected to the Ragdoll database.

Sussie Sohlberg - The Norwegian Forest Cat database (e-mail)
My name is Sussie Sohlberg, and I am maintaining the Norwegian Forest Cat database since June 2004. I have bred Norwegian Forest Cat with the cattery name S*Okeechobee's since 1988. I have always been interested in linechasing, so this is a good opportunity for me to combine important work with pleasure. A few years ago we started a society for those of us who like to linechase on cats, Raskatthistoriska föreningen, and we maintained pedigrees in our own computers for different breeds. If I'm not playing with my cats, I'm also interested in computers, producing websites, and health etc. I have been working with computers for about 18 years. I started on a old Commodore 64 with my first database program for dogs.

Anneli Häggblom - The Norwegian Lundehund database (e-mail)
My name is Anneli Häggblom and I breed the Lundehund under the kennel name Eriksro. Me and my family are living at the Åland Island which is located between Sweden and Finland. I got my first Lundehund in 1998 and have found out that it is a nice breed to own and breed. I have always been fond of pedigrees and I think it is very important that we have a database for the breed due to the breed is so rare and it is important to know the inbreeding when you plan to do a mating and it will hopefully be a help to all the Lundehund breeders around the world when they are planning their litters.

Lina Lindström - The Sphynx database (e-mail)
I have been owned by cats since childhood and got my first pedigree cat 1990. My cattery name S*Azoo was registered in 2002 and my breeding is focusing on Sphynx, Peterbald and Oriental Shorthairs. I'm very interested in health and genetics and love breeding and showing. Beside the cats I also have Toy Poodles, Chickens and Guinea Pigs for show, breed and pleasure! I'm a professional dog groomer and have my own business in Helsingborg, Sweden close to were I live. So it's no lie to say animals make my day. :-)

Susan & Shorn Hartwell - The Bichon Frise database (e-mail)
My husband Shorn and I have been breeding Bichon Frise dogs since 2001 under the prefix name Sonshanley, which was made up from our three sons' names Mason, Shannon and Riley. My Husband and I along with our three sons are located in Queensland Australia. I have always been very interested in pedigrees, and I feel that it is important to have a database available, especially for breeding purposes. We also breed the Siberian cats under the same prefix name Sonshanley.

Nathalie Bent - The Pixie-Bob database (e-mail)
Hi! I'm a web conceptor/designer and have a small cattery dedicated to the pixie-bob. I've been working from the very beginning with the breed founder, Carol Ann Brewer on the build of a pedigree database on www.pixie-bob.info ... Which is a must when you want to breed for the very best!

Serina Filler - The Selkirk Rex database (e-mail)
Serina is maintaining the Selkirk Rex database. She is a real "cat-person", spending most of her time with her cats, also cares for strays and doing some university research on the topic. She is breeding Selkirks with the kennel Pointilistic and looking forward to her vet degree.

Berit Rosenfeldt - The Cairn Terrier database (e-mail)
Breeding and showing Cairn Terriers in Denmark under the prefix Lachleen. I have been interested in pedigrees before I even started my own breeding program. With the coming of computer programs it became a big hobby of mine to collect and store data. The result is the Cairn Terrier Database now available through PawPeds. The visitor counter on the page proves it is a very popular service. Updates are now mainly done by my dear friend Kevin Durkin from California, with me taking care of only the Scandinavian input now.

Kevin Durkin - The Cairn Terrier database (e-mail)
I owned my first Cairn Terrier when I was fourteen years old. Ever since then I have had a deep love and affection for the breed. Several years ago I became fascinated with pedigrees and genetics and their impact on breeding healthy dogs. I was fortunate enough to meet Berit Rosenfeldt who was creating an international Cairn Terrier pedigree database. She brought me on board and for the last couple of years, she and I have been working together. I exhibit and breed under the kennel name of Greatscot.

Tuija Aaltonen - The Manx & Cymric database
I had domestic cats as a child, also one natural born stumpy. I got my first breed cat, Birman, in 1993. At the moment I have five cats, three Birmans, one housecat and one Cymric. I don't have any female cats or a breeding name, instead I have breeding males. I live in Finland. I am very proud of Birman database and since I knew many others had dreamed about MAN/CYM database but none else had started to do it, I did. I had only one pedigree (of my own cat) when I started, but with the huge help of breeders the database is as large as it is.

Kirsten Huinink - The Russian Blue and Nebelung database (e-mail)
I started breeding Nebelung under the Cattery name Sereb Haze in 2002. Although the Nebelung is a separate breed we are allowed to mix in Russian Blue cats. That's why this database contains both breeds. However both breeds interest me as phenotypically, according to the Nebelung standard, the Nebelung has the same looks as the Russian Blue with one exception hairlength, which is semi-longhaired. The Nebelung is recognized by the TICA, TCA, WCF and the independent cat societies who recognize the Nebelung as a semi-longhaired Russian Blue.

For all those breeders involved in this database for years breeding blue, black, or white Russian Blues, I hope some of the cats bring back fond memories, for those newer breeders, we hope this helps research the background and history of your cats.

Elisabeth Thors - The Bombay database (e-mail)
Elisabeth started to publish the database for Bombays February 2006. She is living in Umeå, a University town in the north part of Sweden, with her fiance Micke and their bengal and bombaycats. They are breeding Bombay cats under the cattery name af Thors.

Petra Weijmans - The Lundehund database (e-mail)
I am Petra Weijmans and live in Eindhoven, Holland. I live there together with my husband, our son and 4 dogs: 2 Norwegian lundehunden and 2 Jack russell terriers. I have had dogs all my life and am very pleased with them as housemates. I breed Norwegian lundehunden under the kennelname in pursuit of glory. I love to own and breed the Norwegian lundehund and I was thrilled to see there is a database. It's hard to find a good combination with little inbreeding without this database. Thats why i am willing to do my best to get as many dogs as possible in the database so everybody with interests in breeding can find the best match for their dog.

Roos de Graaf - The Maine Coon database (e-mail)
Roos de Graaf is working with the Maine Coon database. She is breeding Maine Coons since 2003 mentored by Misha Peersmans. Her cattery name is Rose's Lovely and she is living in the city of The Hague in Holland. Her main breeding ambition is to get strong and healthy cats with a lovely character and great looks.

Jennie Blomgren - The Griffon database (e-mail)
The interest for pedigrees I have always had. When I was a little girl I thought it was very exciting sitting and study our dogs' pedigrees and compare and look for relatives etc. When I got older and Internet became a little more easily accessible I could sit and look after relatives to our dogs and search for pedigrees a few generations back. 2001 I bought my first Norwegian Forest Cat, which became the start of my breeding, S*Sjöliden's. With this, the interest for pedigrees, line chasing, genetics and everything else around got even bigger, and it's just growing. After getting to know the dog breed Griffon, I have decided that I want such a dog, but still I wait for the "right one" to be born. Except for the interest for animals, I have a big interest in computers (software), and especially web design. And it is in Informatics I have my education and hopefully what I'm going to work with after I've been on maternity leave.

Marcia Owen - The Singapura database (e-mail)
Marcia has been breeding Singapuras since the 1990's under the Goldlay prefix and has always maintained a breed database. She felt that it would be of use to breeders worldwide when exchanging lines, so approached Ulrika with a view to hosting the database on Pawpeds. She is hoping that other breeders will help to expand this database over time. Marcia lives in the UK with her Singapuras, Birmans and Burmese.

Linda van Duijn - The American Curl database (e-mail)
My name is Linda van Duijn, and I live in Velsen Noord (NL), about 27 km of Amsterdam. Breeding American Curl and Devon Rex under the catteryname 'Morning Star', registrerd on october 5 2005. The American Curl is a very young breed, founded in 1981 in Lakewood, California. Curls were first accepted for CFA registration in 1986 and achieved Provisional status in 1991 followed by their advancement to the Championship Class in February 1993, setting a precedent in CFA by being the first breed to be admitted to the Championship Class as one breed with two coat lengths. I think it's very important to know the background of any breeding cat, which explains my interests in pedigrees and my involvement in the PawPeds project of course. ;) Besides my cats, I also have 6 ferrets.

Donatella Mastrangelo - The Korat database (e-mail)
I live in Roma, Italy and breed Korats since 1994. I've been collecting korat pedigrees since the beginning and always found this activity interesting and definitely important. When the Korat breed had to face the terrible GM Gangliosidosis problem some years ago, the study of pedigrees have been of fundamental importance to both breeders and scientists involved in the DNA test research. My cattery name is FIFe registered and is called "JADEYE". I'm also a FIFe judge for cat. III (shorthairs) and cat. IV (Siamese/Orientals). At present, I'm the appointed FIFe Korat Breed Council Secretary. Last important thing: I want to express my immense gratitude to all Korat breeders that helped me building this database during the years. Some gave me really huge collections of data and papers! This great online PawPeds publication has been possible also thanks to their help. Thanks a lot!

Jean-Claude Supatto - The Berger Picard database
I discovered the PawPeds databases thank to my spouse and her Maine Coons and I have been able to appreciate its great usefulness. I was a dog breeder in the 80s of "bergers picards" under the kennel name of Columelle. I decided to fill up a database for this little (in number) French sheepdog race to give a tool that I think indispensable for all breeders and enthusiasts of this dog in France, in Europe as well as in northern America where this race can also be found. We live close to Paris (France). In our home beside kids, also live our cats (Maine Coons and others), our dogs: a schnauzer bitch and Urk a male "berger picard" born in Holland and a descendant of our first dogs Saba and Siegfried!

Monica Molinder - The Siamese & Oriental database (e-mail)
My name is Monica Molinder and I am breeding Balinese and Oriental Longhair under the cattery name S*Jijumas. I have always had cats and my first Siamese I got in the beginning of the 90s. I love their personality and temperament. We got our cattery name in 2002. We live in the middle of Sweden in Timrå. We is my self and my kids, Julia, Jimmie and Tintin. In the summer 2006 I joined the database with SIA/OSH/OLH/BAL/SYS/SYL and Foreign White.

Stefanie Könemann - The Maine Coon database, orphan research (e-mail)
In Spring 1996 the Forestsprite Maine Coons entered my life on not so silent paws. I had no idea then, that 3 forest sprites should change my life fundamentally. Especially Charly - our goldbear who died with not even 10 years. Very early he created my desire to learn as much as possible about him and his family and ancestors.

Triggered by the "advanced training programs in health issues", prescribed to me by our 3 forest sprites, soon the subject family research arose to unexpected dimensions: I decided to make our experiences availabe for other cat enthusiasts - if nothing else, because I found out that all too often bad and painful information is kept secret. Thus started my linechasing interest.

Monika Wernli - The Tonkinese database (e-mail)
My name is Monika Wernli, and though I've always had cats, Tonkinese entered my life in 2002. I completely fell in love with the sweet personality of these cats and decided to breed them. My prefix Nashira's is registered with FIFé, and I live with my cats in the Northern part of Switzerland. I'm also a member of the Interessengemeinschaft Tonkanesen & Tibeter.

As the Tonkinese is still a rare breed, inbreeding can be a problem. I started collecting pedigrees in order to find out which lines are related to each other and to chase the different lines to their parent breeds, Siamese and Burmese. I am grateful to all the people who have already kindly submitted the pedigrees of their cats and also to Ulrika and Peter for agreeing to host the database on PawPeds in Spring 2007. My long-term aim is to get the Tonkinese breed recognized in FIFé.

Dagny Dickens - The Siamese & Oriental database (e-mail)
Being owned by Siamese cats for more than half a century, I joined the Pawpedestrian corps in January 2007. I got my prefix Novarita in 1974 and have been breeding Siamese cats since then, mostly in the colours seal point and seal tabby point. Started as official registrar 1979 and have done about 22.000 cat registrations up to now. Was member of Breed Commission in Sweden for about 20 years, some of them together with Ulrika the Queen. Also an Allbreed Judge since 1995, FIFe trained. As co-author together with ms Eva Minde, Norway - the Creator - I had the delight of presenting the EMS system to the FIFe GA 1990 where it was successfully accepted. I love pedigrees, line chasing and the contentment of finding the missing link. I live in Vällingby in western Stockholm, the Capital town of Sweden, together with my six cat family who all trace their ancestry back to my first tabbypoint, IC San-T-Ree Tiger Favorita, SIA n 21 (F), born 1973.

Susan Bamford - The Sloughi database (e-mail)
Susan (also known as Suze) works as a translator from French to English. She currently lives in France with her 3 Sloughis and 1 Lurcher. Her interest started in Sloughis back in the early 1990s and was first materialised in 2001 with her first Sloughia from French breeders Raïs Siyada and more recently a second Sloughia from Cité du Guerrier. Her kennel-name / affix is Doocloone (taken over from her mother) and she runs 2 web-sites - sloughi-europe website and Doocloone France.

Carine Delbaere - The Mérens and Castillonais databases (e-mail)
Carine lives in France and has a 5 years level in agriculture. Since childhood, she shares her time between horses and cats. From 2000 to 2005, she works at the national Mérens horse association, in the Pyrénées. There, she discovers the Mérens horse, his versatility and wonderful mind. She also began a small Maine Coon cattery called Le Cap Coon in 2004. And in 2006, she launches out in the great adventure of Pawpeds database for Mérens horses, to help sort out the inbreeding the Mérens deals with, for being an endangered breed in 1970. In 2008 she also started working with a database for Castillonnais horses on PawPeds.

Jill Back - The Siamese & Oriental and Birman databases (e-mail)
I have been breeding Siamese and Oriental Shorthairs since 1984 under the cattery name "La Bell". In the beginning of the 90's I also bred Balinese and Oriental Longhair. I bred the very first oriental longhair in Sweden, GIC La Bell Lancelot (OLH b) and he was born 1990. Today I only breed Siamese and Oriental Shorthairs, however we also have Sacred Birmans as my man is a Birman breeder!

The Programming Team

Peter Olsson - The Computer Slave (e-mail)
Peter is responsible for the technical stuff, programming according to the "orders" of The Spider. He also does most of the layout work. Peter is breeding Maine Coons with the cattery name Ylletrollets. He is living in Sweden with his wife Ulrika, their daughter Vendela, their son Eskil, and the cats - Maine Coons and Turkish Vans.

Kjell Högström - The Reluctant Programmer (e-mail)
Kjell is also working with the programming of the databases. He made the first versions of NetPedigree, but when he was toooo slow, Peter took it over. ;-) Still Kjell is working on yet another version of NetPedigree, and he is consulted every now and then about the tricky technicalities. Kjell lives in Sweden with his pet Maine Coons.

Turbo Fredriksson - Programmer (e-mail)
Turbo joined the programming team in the summer 2006. He and Malin (below) are breeding Maine Coons in Sweden with the cattery name S*Dagdrivarn.

Malin Sundqvist - Website Designer (e-mail)
Malin will mainly work to improve the design of the PawPeds website. She joined the programming team in the summer 2006. She and Turbo (above) are breeding Maine Coons in Sweden with the cattery name S*Dagdrivarn.

Paul te Bokkel - PawPeds Programmer (e-mail)
Having had shelter cats for years, Paul and his wife Natasja Hannink (see the database maintainer section) came into contact with the cat fancy and the Maine Coon in particular in 2002. Motivated by their mentor and close friend, they started breeding soon afterwards, leading them into - amongst other things - studying pedigrees and PawPeds. They are now can openers for their feline companions, a mixture from F4 to outcross Maine Coons, which share the attention with the domestic shorthairs. They live in the middle of The Netherlands, where they can see their cattery name: A Nice Moon.