Articles & resources for maine coon enthusiasts

A well-bred Maine Coon is a magnificent cat — every bit as affectionate and loyal as it is large and majestic. Because of their beauty and amazing outgoing personalities, this long-haired, native North American breed continues to soar in popularity. With the increased demand, new Maine Coon breeders seem to appear online almost daily, advertising available Maine Coon kittens (of varying quality) on social media and the web. It can be hard for someone unfamiliar with the Maine Coon breed or the world of pedigreed cats to navigate their options and select an ethical breeder they can trust to match them with a kitten that will grow up to be the cat of their dreams. Sadly, every week we speak with hopeful adopters who report falling in love at first sight with a kitten only to be scammed out of large amounts of money or have their hearts broken as the kitten they take home grows up to be unhealthy, unfriendly, unattractive, or some unfortunate combination of the above. We really feel for these folks! So, we decided to write this blog post in the hopes that it would help more people like you find your way to a well-reputed, ethical, reliable Maine Coon breeder and the exceptional cat you deserve!

1. Choose a Maine Coon breeder that actively shows their kittens and cats with CFA, TICA, or LCWW, who can demonstrate their Maine Coon kittens and cats conform to the written breed standard by winning rings and earning champion titles. You know the saying “love is blind”? There’s some truth to it. In the cat fancy, we call other breeders with an inability to stand back and objectively identify the strengths and weaknesses of their cats “cattery blind.” The only way for us to see the truth about our cats through our rose-colored love glasses is to seek the objective opinion of an unbiased third-party expert, a judge. Even the very best breeders in the world don’t win every time, but a breeder that commits to producing kittens and cats that align to the written breed standard will have some show-winning cats.

2. Choose a Maine Coon breeder that performs genetic (DNA) testing, echocardiograms, and hip grading on all their breeding cats and makes the results available, preferably publicly, but at a minimum, upon request. While Maine Coon cats are some of the healthiest purebred cats, there are a few serious health conditions that affect the breed. The chance of producing kittens with these health issues can be significantly reduced or avoided entirely if breeders invest the time and money into screening all cats prior to breeding them. Specifically, the diseases the breeder should be screening for include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), PkDef (a form of anemia), polycystic kidney disease (PKD), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and feline hip dysplasia (FHD).

3. Choose a Maine Coon breeder that endorses maintaining pet insurance for the life of your Maine Coon and stands behind the health of their kittens with a generous written health guarantee, with clear terms and sufficient remedies. Once you fall in love with your Maine Coon, no health guarantee will ease your anxiety or mend your broken heart if your baby develops a serious health problem. And while no breeder can 100% guarantee your cat will never become ill or develop a chronic condition, an ethical and committed breeder will do everything in their power to work with you and your veterinarian to pursue the best possible outcome. They will be honest and upfront about the unpredictable risks and encourage you to protect yourself financially, and if the worst happens, they will replace your kitten or cat without hesitation, according to the terms of the written contract.

4. Choose a Maine Coon breeder that oozes love for the breed in everything they do — someone who is open and transparent about where and how their cats and kittens live, how much time they spend with them, what they are fed, how often and where they are vetted, and their overall quality of life. Maine Coon cats are very intelligent, social, and affectionate. They belong indoors, living in people’s homes, as they require a lot of attention each and every day to live a low-stress, high-quality life. They need room, daylight, toys, scratching posts, and adequate grooming to be their best selves. Cats kept in overcrowded conditions or living outdoors in runs will often have stress-related health issues and lack the social skills to raise well-adjusted kittens. That doesn’t mean that all the breeder’s cats will wander their home freely. That is actually irresponsible and impractical, as intact breeding cats can and do spray and will mate at inappropriate times (too soon after having their last litter, for example). But you should be wary of the breeder that never allows home visits, rarely posts pictures of the cats’ living quarters or conditions online, or has way more cats than it reasonably makes sense to care for physically, financially, or emotionally. Some of the situations out there are inhumane and, frankly, horrifying. Demand to see behind the scenes, even if it’s via FaceTime or Zoom.

5. Finally, you should choose a Maine Coon breeder that is knowledgeable about the breed, committed to constant learning, and friendly and forthcoming with information. A breeder who is truly committed to preserving and bettering this amazing breed will have a passion for “doing better” that shows up in terms of networking with other breeders, pursuing online education, attending seminars, reading, and exchanging ideas and information with pet owners. When you ask a question, they’ll get excited! Nerdy facts about feline genetics, infectious diseases, feline nutrition, proper husbandry and grooming, reproductive health, and all sorts of other “crazy cat person” information may start to flow from their mouth at some point because they know that information is powerful and they want the very best for their cats and the people who love them. If things don’t click — if you don’t feel very comfortable expressing yourself or asking questions — that’s a good sign you need to move on and find the just right breeder for you. This is an important relationship as you and your kitten get to know each other and, ideally, should last at least as many years as your cat lives, as the breeder should always be a good support system and touchstone when something unexpected happens.

While we could go on and on, we won’t! At the end of the day, a breeder who can check all five of these boxes will likely be a good one. And don’t forget to ask for references! We hope you find this information helpful and that you’ll soon be holding the Maine Coon kitten of your dreams!