We are Leigh and Lorrayne Hanks, and we live with our children, Elliot, Ollie and Lily in the seaside town of Ilfracombe on the North Devon coast. Leigh is the Station Mechanic and Deputy Coxswain for the RNLI and also runs diving trips onto the historical site of Lundy Island.
Until May 2017, I worked in a Primary School, but gave up to enjoy a slower pace of life, working at our local ceramics studio. It has always been a dream to breed magnificent Maine Coons – and thanks to Laura Whitmarsh from Coonflakes Maine Coons and her trust in me, my dreams are finally being realised.
We are a busy household, and all our cats and kittens have been raised to be completely bomb-proof.
Here is some more information about the cats that have filled our lives.
Kronburg Irwin
Our Ernie is our stud boy from the Krongburg cattery in Saint Petersburg. A huge brown and white mackerel tabby boy with the loudest purr and the strongest headbonk! A real hit with our ladies, and a sweet Romeo, producing fabulous, happy strongboned kitties with the BEST temperaments.
A show winner in CFA in Russia before he came to us, we are hoping he will have equal success and fantastic show results when we take him out onto the GCCF show bench.
Lanselot Apogeya / Kremlin
This wonderful boy came to live with us from our very good friend Karen Hancock at Romacoon Maine Coons in Bristol. As he is an entire stud boy, he lives out in his secure enclosure during the night, and in with us during the day.
Born in Russia in 2015 he is one of the largest Maine Coons I have ever met. He has the most wonderful black and brown tabby markings and a very unusual square patch of white on his nose which looks like he has been playing with Tippex! A very sociable boy, he loves nothing more than coming indoors for a cuddle and a nosey around, mainly to check if there is any food lying about! Constantly chatting and head butting for attention, he is not a cat to be ignored. He has no spatial awareness and thinks nothing of jumping on your lap just as you are about to take a sip of your drink or sitting on the edge of the bath, chirruping at you whilst you are trying to relax …
Because if you are doing it … Kremlin wants to do it too!
Loricoons Brighton Rock
Our beautiful Mabel was born in our Queen litter and has had a few litters now, all of whom have been sweet, funny and charming. Mabel loves nothing more than bedtime, where she snuggles up on our pillow and is happy to stay there all night! She has had babies with both Kremlin and Ernie and both boys have sired perfect little ones with her.
Not a fan of the show bench, she is happier spending her weekends at home chilling out in the conservatory or in the enclosed garden.
Now retired and living a life of luxury.
Loricoons Cor Blimey Brenda
This superstar was nicknamed from a kitten, as we spent most of our time saying ‘cor blimey Brenda, what are you doing there?!’. An enormous character, she makes us laugh every day with her antics and her love of dragging food from the cupboards into the bedroom, which we find when we wake up!
An absolutely fantastic mummy, she simple adores her kittens and is happy to look after any other kittens she might find – it isn’t uncommon to find her feeding somebody else’s litter.
Coonflakes Manolito / Teddy
My absolute soulmate
Teddy was our first Maine Coon from the Coonflakes cattery. I had fallen in love with his dad, Paddy at the GCCF Bristol and Cambria show a few years ago ~ Paddy mesmerised me and I used to search for him at every show and just stand and gaze into his pen, looking at him sprawled out like a lion. He filled me with such awe that something so large and amazing could have such an incredible temperament. After chatting to his owner Laura, I came away with a dream of one day owning one of her magnificent babies.
In 2016, Laura entrusted to us our lovely Teddy (who was one of Paddy’s sons), and he has rocked our world ever since. Teddy enjoyed the showbench for 18 months, winning most of his classes and Best Pedigree Pet at the 2017 Kernow Show.
Now he spends his time being pampered and adored, which is no less than he deserves!
Coonflakes Koonikki Take That! / Robbie
Robbie is the first GCCF Tortie Male Champion, Grand Champion and Imperial Grand Champion Maine Coon, and has come to join us in Devon for a short holiday. He is two years old and, as male torties are so rare, he really is one in a million!
Robbie is the perfect gentleman, and has sired several litters in his time. He always produces absolutely stunning litters. Some of his daughters have gone on to win several Best of Variety and Best in Show awards across the country.
Friendly Ghost Moulin Rouge / Audrey
Thank you to my very good friend Claudia Wagner in Ireland, who entrusted me with our beautiful red silver tabby girl Moulin Rouge.
Audrey, as she is now known, is a whole heap of bounciness, naughtiness and chattiness. Obsessed with springs, she tears around the house with her best friend Brian and is always up to no good!
Audrey is just starting out on the show bench and has already won firsts in all of her kitten and breed classes, as well as winning the Best of Variety Section 2 Kitten at the GCCF Eastern LH, SLH & All Breed show in January 2025.
We have high hopes for our new little girl, and can’t wait to update you soon.
Loricoons Busy Being Fabulous / Brian
Grandson of our lovely Robbie, Brian’s official title is Supreme Olympian Gold Imperial Grand Master Cat Loricoons Busy Being Fabulous!
He really is Simply Being flippin’ Fabulous!
Loricoons 