I guess you would like to know more about the people behind the cattery. This is an introduction to who we are and what we do.

We're a busy family with busy lives and all the implications that come along with life. However, all of us love animals, not just cats, but all animals.

Our backgrounds:

I, Alex, the founder of Hug A Ragdoll, always wished that I could apply my education towards this business; however applying a PhD in natural Sciences (Immunology and Genetics) is kind of hard in a small business. So I am glad that I can apply my experience working in research labs around the world to my small cattery. I worked on the research of the malaria vaccine at the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry in Moscow, Russia; on the research of tuberculosis vaccine in Biochemical Institute in Kiev, Ukraine; on the research of amebic dysentery at the General Hospital in Vienna, Austria, and on sexually transmitted diseases DNA research at the Department of botany at UBC, Vancouver, Canada.

I have numerous publications in immunology; however in the last 8 years I stopped working in research laboratories in order to have time for my growing family. Last year I finished education in management at BCIT and I hope I can apply my experience and education in running a successful cattery. I am currently working full time as an Remote Support Engineer at Kodak, Canada, helping our customers resolve their problems with software and enjoying every moment of it (yes, it is possible to enjoy work in customer support)… I am also a certified yoga instructor - and even though I tried Doga (dogs yoga) with our dog (he is full of energy and did not want to obey), I did not try cat-yoga with our cats, but I am getting there.

Alexei, my husband, has a PhD in Computer Science and he is currently maintaining and updating our website. You can bet that our website will be updated regularly because he will always be there to help us make it better and full of information. He loves to apply his skills to useful projects for his family, and will always be there to explain how to work the difficult computer stuff.

Katerina, my daughter, is in high school (grade 11) and is the official assistant of the cattery. She's always there to play with the kitties and make sure that they are fully entertained. Where do you think they all sleep?