Libby Cook-Toppan, one of Bermuda's only breeders of purebred Maine Coon cats, knows well the healing powers of animals.

Ten years ago a love for animals helped the publisher of Homes & Gardens magazine recover from a terrible bike accident.

"I was riding my bike and was hit from behind by two cars," said Mrs. Cook-Toppan.

While learning to walk again she shed many tears with her beloved family dog Roxy and cat Portia.

"Animals provide company, support and healing energy. When you feel a human might not want to be burdened with your troubles, animals can provide an invaluable 'shoulder' to cry on – and I did shed a lot of tears back then."

The accident meant that she could never again ride horses. But she has rechanneled her passion for horses into a love of cats.

"The cats help me," she said. "Cats know when you are in pain. I strongly believe in the healing power of animals."

She said she has often found that her cats have an uncanny knack for finding exactly where you are hurting.

"My neck and shoulders go frequently because I am always on the computer with work," she said. "The cats will come and lie on those areas. You almost feel the energy. Ten years ago I never would have considered this to be a possibility."

Mrs. Cook-Toppan, her husband Lorris and young son Tyler now have quite a menagerie including cats, dogs and rabbits. They are one of Bermuda's only purebred Maine Coon cat breeders. "We recently made history by producing the first all-Bermudian Maine Coon kittens on the island," said Mrs. Cook Toppan. "We were lucky enough to find a stud boy locally."

The stud boy Wychwood Jack Daniels, was bred by Gail Griffiths. He is now retired and living with his daughter.

The Cook-Toppan family recently sent a litter to lucky new homes, and is busy with a second litter.

Mrs. Cook-Toppan first decided to get a Maine Coon cat after her husband's cat Jazz passed away. "That year there were no kittens at the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)," she said. "There was a long waiting list. I had a friend with a Maine Coon cat, so I decided to get one."

"We ordered our first boy from overseas and we were very lucky that he was a great cat, but because he was raised in a cage, he actually had sociability issues."

She said it took about a year to get her first boy out of his shell.

She said they breed Maine Coons so that others don't have to go through the crapshoot of ordering from overseas, sight unseen.

They never had any intention of breeding, but then decided to at the urging of some breeder friends.

"I called the breeder about obtaining a breeding female and she said the timing was unbelievable. She had to leave for England and had to rehome her animals in a hurry. "She said, 'I'll send you two girls'.

I was like, 'two?' 'wait'. They got here and within two months, we didn't know what we were doing. She sent me half of her library. I still don't understand why she was so good to me. I believe it is because this is what we were meant to do. This is the path we were supposed to take."

Mrs. Cook-Toppan often has to answer the question why spend $1,500 on a cat when you can get one for next to nothing at the SPCA.

For one thing cat breeding is not cheap. She said that by the time she finishes feeding a mother and eight kittens (an unusually large litter) over a period of 12 weeks it can add up to thousands of dollars. And that doesn't include vet bills and other expenses.

"We're lucky to make any money at all on this," she said.

Giving the cats names like Fluffy Cattra, Michelle My Belle, Ob1Coon Obi and Jar Jar Linx is the fun part.

Unfortunately, a lot about breeding cats is not fun.

"It is absolutely not easy," she said. "It is so important to spay and neuter as early as possible.

"Our house has a couple of target areas from my boy and that is the price to pay in order to allow him to roam in our house.

"When one of my breeding boys destroyed the television, my husband said, 'that's it' and he had to be neutered."

She said that when cats are not spayed or neutered they can be very unpredictable when the breeding season hits.

"Our stud male can be a puppy dog one minute and be ready to take my arm off the next minute," she said. "It is not him, it is the hormones. The hormones change their whole personality.

"With the girls it is the same thing. And Maine Coons are forest cats. When they go into season they have this ungodly howl that goes on for weeks. They are forest cats which means they are meant to be calling a mate across the forest."

She was very relieved to discover there is actually a birth control pill for cats.

Mrs. Cook-Toppan said animals in need are naturally drawn to her. She recently took in a stray kitten that someone brought into the vet's office.

One of her nursing mothers adopted the black and white kitten now named Tuxedo. They are now trying to find a good home for Tuxedo.

Tuxedo is free, but Mrs. Cook-Toppan's purebred kittens sell for between $1,200 and $1,500.

"This is a ridiculous deal," she said. "You get to pick your babies. They are home raised. They are not growing up in cages. They are climatised as well because we are breeding next generation.

"We do discounts for when they go in pairs. It doesn't help us, but it helps the kittens."

Mrs. Cook-Toppan does not sell her kittens to people who are thinking of breeding them.

She said they were looking for potential owners who were interested in cats for cats, and not as trendy possessions.

"Yes you can get an SPCA cat," she said. "Please don't forget to adopt them they are special and need homes. But this is for those people who just want that special cat. They really are worth every penny."

She wanted dog and cat owners to be aware that these animals are deathly allergic to onions, lilies, and essential oils, and many house hold cleaners.

"We use Murphys oil because it is vegetable oil based," she said. "My new best friend is hydrogen peroxide. If your animal has had an accident on the floor, pour hydrogen peroxide, it makes clean up easier. If is dried to the floor pour hydrogen peroxide on it and it will get it right up." For more information see her website at http://www.bermudacoons.com

For a less costly feline friend contact the SPCA at 236-7333 or the Bermuda Feline Assistance Bureau (BFAB) at 291-1737.