Maine coon

[drgoatboy]

My family and I are thinking of getting a cat. My wife and I have had a cat before and both have had cats before we met.
We both really like the idea of a Maine coon, temperament sounds perfect, I like the idea of high intelligence, love the idea of a bigger cat and we both really like the way they look.

So I have started doing my research, what I didn't want to do is buy some random cat off gumtree but when I start looking up breeders it seems the list of prerequisites is remarkably high, indoor cat only, no kids, 6 months of vetting, home visits, continued communication etc. Etc.
We have a nice home, loving family and a nice garden to offer a kitten but the incredibly specific requirements of breeders is scaring me off a bit. I don't have anything to hide but it all seems a bit much.

I can go onto a number of cats for sale websites and turn up with some money and leave the same day but that doesn't feel quite right either and I am concerned about how the cats/kittens are being treated.

Does anyone have any dealings with Maine coons on here? Information on the internet is very mixed some say they should be indoor cats only, some say they are fine and very loyal so won't go far anyway. I really want my cat to be able to go outside and play with my kids.

Is buying from a non registered breeder a really bad idea like I think it is?

Should I just buy a moggy and be done with it?
Any thoughts appreciated!

Thanks
DRG

[stupidbutkeen]

Our last cat was a maine coon and we had no problems letting it out our back garden. As has been pointed out she never went far....Think next doors garden.
Ours was like a guard cat, It would attack anyone visiting our house and it had no fear( it used to walk along the top of the fence of a dog pen housing greyhounds 2 doors down and they were terrorized by the cat for example)
It was big....It could quite easly stand on the ground with the front paws on the top of the table looking to play or see what we were eating... Plan on shutting it out of the kitchen come dinnertime.
They need a lot of care and attention. They get matted up very easly thus you need to help them by brushing them a lot.
They can eat and like any other cat become very very picky in what they eat. Ours would eat anything you were eating but for cat food it would only eat dry perina one samon.
Ours had to be put to sleep at 8 years old due to a lung growth and we were told they dont live as long as a general tabby as a rule.

If it likes you you will know it likes you and ours would follow me all over the house but we had ours from a young kitten so the bonding was quick and easy.

I would have another tomorrow if a animal shelter had one in but would never dream of paying a breeder. ( that goes for any animal tbh)

[GnuBee]

I've had two; I lost the last one last year at 15 years old. Both were not indoor cats! They spent their time outside when I had a smallholding and were largely responsible for the death of most of the rats, mice and rabbits that made the mistake of getting too close.

When I moved from the smallholding they continued to spend most of their time outside. They were happy to be inside and do the "lap cat" thing but they're not some kind of fragile piece of china.

The 15 year old was a bit of an issue in his youth due to bringing home just about anything feathered or fury and in one case even managed to bring a snake home. They're great cats, I'll have another in due course.

One other option, if the larger cats are you "thing" would be to look at Norwegian Forest Cats.

[Fluid]

We have a female called Luna, currently eight months old. Pretty big already, but have been assured she has a lot more growing to do.

Picture below is from back in the summer, at about five months.



I’ll get some information off my wife in the morning and post here, she did all the research when we bought her.

[anonymous-user]

I always feel like I sound a bit racist when I talk about these!

[Fittster]

Why would they object to them being let out?

[drgoatboy]

Fittster said:

Why would they object to them being let out?

It appears to be 3 main reasons
They will get stolen
They will get runover
They will eat birds

I kinda get all of that, but not sure why that is a condition of sale. It's a bit like trying to sell a car and refusing to sell it to someone as they say they will drive it in the rain...

[drgoatboy]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Good to know outside is ok. Pretty set on getting one it's now a case of finding someone reputable to sell me one!!!

[Harry H]

We had one call Gizmo. Brilliant cat, loads of personality. Would chase dogs and foxes. Was without doubt the Big Boy of the block and all other animals lived in fear of him.

Yet, he was a really loving cat, always around never went far. Loved a cuddle but wouldn't sit on your lap for long as he got too hot which was just as well as he weighed a ton. As has been said they need a lot of grooming as their fur gets matted. As we were particularly lazy in that department we had to regularly attack him with a pair of scissors. When he came back from the groomers he looked like a mini male lion.

Died before his time at about 5. Lung infection. Loved the personality not so sure I could deal with the fur all over the house again. Not to mention the leaves that would come in attached to him.

[Jasey_]

Great cats but seem prone to lots of ailments.

Definitely take pet insurance if you get one.

[otolith]

In my experience, people who have businesses involving the breeding, care or kennelling of pets are mostly lovely but also universally mental.

[the tribester]

''6 months of vetting''

How old are the cats when you collect them?

[Fluid]

My wife found the breeder we got Luna from on here.



She’s certainly got plenty of character. If she wants to sit or lay somewhere she will. Found her sitting on the ironing board when I came home for lunch today.

[Fluid]

the tribester said:

''6 months of vetting''

How old are the cats when you collect them?

Luna was about 6 weeks when we chose her and 3.5 months old when we got her. There was no vetting as such, just a number of questions. Home environment, kids, dogs, etc.

Most, if not all breeders will only sell a neutered/spayed cat. It’s to protect the pedigree apparently. Didn’t bother us, as we had no plans to breed from her.

She’s a lovely cat, but can be a bit of a scratchy tt sometimes.

[Fluid]

Landcrab_Six said:

I always feel like I sound a bit racist when I talk about these!

Ha ha, I know what you mean. In some circles at work when I was telling them we were getting a new cat, I just referred to her as a large breed.

[zygalski]

We've had 2 MC's.
The breeder that we bought off specifies indoor only or outdoor enclosures. We said that we'd let ours out because we live in a quiet cul-de-sac with fields behind and to the side. The breeder agreed once she veiwed our place on Google maps.
I think that's fine - ultimately a good breeder will care deeply for their cats & kittens & I saw that as a good sign. A male MC will travel at least a couple of hundred yards from home in every direction.

2 key things to know are...

If possible buy from a breeder who can show a good lineage of no history of HCM because Maine Coons are somewhat prone to this.
The last thing you want is your 5 year old cat to go to the vet for a routine check-up and they find a heart murmur.

Second thing is make sure the breeder has handled and socialised the kittens really well.
I'd never buy from a breeder who works full-time away from home. MCs need to be groomed as their fur will tend to mat otherwise. You just need to spend 5-10 minutes a day ideally with one of these:


Over all they're great cats. A bit clumsy, but really loving gentle giants.

Edited by zygalski on Friday 27th November 17:37

[drgoatboy]

Thanks everyone the hunt is on. Some great advice, really helpful 👍 alright had one run in with what appears to be a fraudster. Who knew getting a cat was so difficult!!

[coppernorks]

drgoatboy said:

Thanks everyone the hunt is on. Some great advice, really helpful ?? alright had one run in with what appears to be a fraudster. Who knew getting a cat was so difficult!!

Well , it's your choice, you could just get a normal puss, an unwanted kitten down the
the cat-home, why opt for a poncy rare, expensive breed that might turn out to be
a scratchy, human-hating nightmare ?

[M22s]

You tend to see conditions like that from those who have totally invested in the breed and want to nurture the blood line.

I would be put of by what you have explained but some people lap it up and it becomes a bit of a cult (no offence intended).

[drgoatboy]

coppernorks said:

Well , it's your choice, you could just get a normal puss, an unwanted kitten down the
the cat-home, why opt for a poncy rare, expensive breed that might turn out to be
a scratchy, human-hating nightmare ?

Funnily enough our last cat was a rescue cat and was exactly as you describe. One of the reasons for going for a pedigree is so I can understand it's temperament through its breeding.