Maine Coons are unique and beautiful creatures, and you have your heart set on welcoming one into your family. You might wonder whether you should look for a rescue cat or buy your kitty from a reputable cat breeder. The answer is a challenging one.
Purchasing a purebred Maine Coon from an established and ethical breeder will ensure that your cat is pedigreed and vetted for genetic health. However, there are millions of cats euthanized a year in the US, and you should consider rescuing a Maine Coon. Rescue cats may be challenging, but you will save money and save a life.
When you rescue a cat, you are usually in the dark regarding their medical history and socialization. Buying a Maine Coon is expensive, but you will have the peace of mind that your cat is healthy and socialized and a genuine 100% Maine Coon. Ultimately there are pros and cons to buying vs adopting a Maine Coon, which we will explore below.
Contents
4 Pros of Buying a Maine Coon
The joy of acquiring a purebred Maine Coon is that you know what to expect from the breed. Chances are good that you will purchase a water-loving, gentle giant with lots of love to share. There are other benefits to buying your kitten from a reputable breeder.
1. You Get a Pedigree and Health Screening
The reason why people pay so handsomely for purebred Maine Coons is that they come with a pedigree and a medical history. You can vet your potential Maine Coon Breeder and ensure they have genetically screened their breeding pairs to lessen the chances of breed-specific health issues such as cardiomyopathy and feline hip dysplasia.
2. Your Maine Coon Will Be Socialized Properly
Reputable Breeders are experienced in the early socialization of their kittens and the necessary handling to ensure family-friendly cats. The frequent and gentle handling of kittens in the vital 2-7 week mark can pave the way for an affectionate and people-loving future pet. You will also know your cat’s personality by interacting with the kitten and their parents.
3. Your Maine Coon Kitten Will Have a Veterinary History
Most established breeders will spay or neuter your kitten and microchip them, eliminating the need for expensive initial vet visits in the early months. Reputable breeders will also be able to furnish you with medical screening for breed-specific genetic health, including the following:
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy HCM
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
- Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency
These procedures should also include echocardiograms and heart screening via ultrasound.
4. You Can Pick the Purrfect Kitten
Most breeders allow potential buyers the opportunity to view the breeding pairs so that they have a good idea of their looks and personalities. If you dream of owning a pure black or white or fiery red gentle giant, you can ensure you get the kitten you desire.
3 Cons of Buying a Maine Coon Kitten
1. The Ethical Question: Adopt or Shop?
As wonderful as those advertised Maine Coon kittens may look online, the purebred cat breeding industry masks much inhumane treatment of animals. By charging higher prices for the breed, many unscrupulous breeders are only in it for the money, and that is where breeding mills arise. Cats are kept in appalling, unnatural environments, doomed to birth litter after litter with no proper care and quality of life.
2. Purebred Cats Come With Genetic Ill Health
Almost every purebred cat breed suffers some form of inbreeding, making them genetically prone to specific health issues. Mixed breeds are typically healthier than purebred lines, with a less restricted breeding line and a wider variety of genetic lines.
3. Maine Coons Are Expensive
Expect to pay between 1000 and 4000 dollars for your new feline or even more for show cats or a breeding pair. When you purchase on the lower end of the spectrum, your breeder will likely have conducted lengthy and expensive genetic screening procedures to protect their kittens from breed-specific illnesses.
On top of the hefty fee, you need to consider the first-year costs of owning a healthy kitten, which can reach up to initial vaccines, $351 to $584 on food, and $235 to $937 on other expenses.
4 Tips For Buying a Maine Coon Kitten
1. Make Sure You Have the Time, Space, and Finances
It’s essential to think through the requirements and responsibilities of owning a Maine Coon. The archaic notions of cats being low maintenance are increasingly proven wrong as we discover more about feline emotions and basic needs.
Your Maine Coon may like to be 15 years or more, so you need to commit to caring for your cat. If your living arrangements are unstable or your sights set on travel, you should reassess your suitability for a new cat.
According to World Animal Foundation figures, you should ensure you can afford veterinary care, proper nutrition toys, and cat care items. According to the World Animal Foundation, this will cost between $805 and $3710 in the first year and between $124 and $230 monthly.
2. Research Reputable Breeders
Take time to research several Maine Coon Breeders who have testimonials and are registered by official organizations such as The International Cat Association (TICA) or the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA). You may also ask local vets in your area, or approach cat breeders at cat shows for recommendations.
3. Ensure Your Maine Coon Kitten Is Ethically Bred and Healthy
Pedigree Maine Coons can cost you between $1,000 to $4,000, and it’s tempting to look for less expensive options. However, the cost of highly pedigree cats is so high because breeders spend time and money genetically screening for disorders and ensuring their breeding stock is free from potential genetic risks.
Buying Maine Coons by fly-by-night operators promotes the terrible practices of cat mills, where unethical breeders have no qualms about mistreating their cats. They also have no regard for inbreeding or the genetic health of their kittens.
Ensure that your breeder can offer the following:
- A pedigree associated with an established cat organization like TICA
- A health screening test of the mother and father cat
- Inoculations and vaccinations
- A clean, cat-friendly breeding environment with breeding pairs on view
Certainly! If you’re curious to learn more about ensuring the well-being of your Maine Coon kittens, you can explore additional information on our website regarding how to check the health of your adorable Maine Coon babies.
4. Prepare Your Home and Ensure You Have Time
Ensure you kitten-proof your home for the new arrival and have all the items you need to make them feel safe and happy. Kittens are vulnerable and need oodles of love and attention, which requires time and commitment.
Recently separated from their mothers and siblings, kittens are like babies in their need for physical closeness and care. A kitten is a poor choice if you live a busy life and have a hectic work schedule.
Certainly! Feel free to explore our website to discover valuable insights on how to choose the perfect Maine Coon kitten companion for you.
4 Reasons To Adopt a Maine Coon
Over 7 million lost rescued or abandoned animals find themselves in US shelters yearly, of which 3.4 million are cats. Of these 3.4 million, a staggering 1.4 million cats are euthanized in these shelters, unloved and unwanted. With these figures increasing each year, the need has become more urgent for people to adopt these creatures and give them a chance at love and life. There are several reasons why a rescue Maine Coon is the best option.
1. You Can Save Two Lives
Giving an abandoned or rescued animal a home is saving a life. You also free up other space in the shelter for another homeless pet—potentially saving two dear souls and giving them a chance at a loving home. One has to ask the hard question of whether it is ethical to buy a purebred kitten when countless cats are facing euthanasia and living stressful, unnatural lives in animal shelters.
2. You Can Choose the Correct Cat for Your Lifestyle
If you don’t have the time to devote to a kitten, you can opt for an older Maine Coon, who will be less hands-on. When you purchase purebred cats, you are unlikely to have adults on offer, as the breeding pairs are usually not for sale. Most shelters will also ensure your kitty has all the vaccinations, neutering, and microchipping, which could cost you a hefty fee in vet bills.
3. You Can Save Money on Adoption Fees
Instead of paying up to $2,000 for a purebred Maine Coon you could get a perfectly healthy Maine Coon cat for between $110 to $225. With the savings, you could use the money to make a spectacular, enriched environment for your new adoptee.
4. Love Overcomes All—The Rewards of Earning a Rescue Cats Love
Nothing quite equals the feeling of gaining the reward of your new cat’s affection. Patience and a ready supply of love and understanding can work wonders. Orca, my adopted black and white DSH, was a frightened mess when I took her home. She wouldn’t come out of hiding and scratched and hissed like a banshee. When you leaned to stroke her, she would curl up her body into a terrified ball that was just heartbreaking to experience.
A year or so later, Orca had a sense of humor, and love bombed us from high ledges by jumping onto our shoulders for a love session. She became so dear to us that imagining that she was due to be euthanized when we adopted her makes my heart break. A year or so of love and patience transformed this fearful and untrusting creature into a loving household member.
Sadly, she passed away due to age-related illness, but I treasure the challenges we faced and that love so hard-won is even more precious.
3 Cons of Adopting a Maine Coon
When you adopt a Maine Coon from a rescue organization or shelter, you can never be sure that the cat is pure Maine Coon. You will also be left in the dark regarding their medical history, which can result in unforeseen medical costs. Adopting a rescue Maine Coon also comes with other risks.
1. You Lack Insight Into Your Maine Coons Life Experiences
When you adopt a sensitive creature such as a cat like the Maine Coon, you might be up against behavioral problems. Your shelter may provide some history about your cat if their owners surrendered them. People often emigrate or change abodes, or circumstances dictate that they are no longer willing or able to keep their family cat. These cats are likely used to living with a human family and are more likely to respond to their new careers over time.
An abandoned cat’s history is unknown. The cat may be semi-feral or unfamiliar with the routines of living in a family home. Reputable shelters usually test their cats for socialization before offering them out to the public, but the lack of history does pose some problems.
2. An Adopted Maine Coon Adoptee May Not Be Sociable
Many scientific studies have found that early kittenhood experiences will dictate whether your kitty will be friendly toward humans. This critical period is between 2 and 7 weeks when humans must handle the kittens gently and often for them to experience human socialization.
Kittens deprived of these early experiences may lack the ability to “connect” with their human carers and may seldom, if ever, express affection or seek human contact. That is not to say that with hard work and dedication, they may learn to trust and love their human family, but they might never be that physically close companion you seek.
3. Your Maine Coon May Exhibit Behavioral Problems
Abused cats may express all kinds of behavioral problems in much the same way that humans often suffer psychological problems after traumatic experiences. You may find that some unknown event in your new cat’s past may trigger memories of a traumatic event and display behaviors linked to the unknown events.
Cats who suffer traumatic events such as abuse or abandonment may exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, which can cause dramatic behavioral changes that can be overwhelming to a human adopter.
Signs of feline PTSD can include:
- Aggression to the family or particularly to strange humans
- Fearfulness, trembling, and shaking
- Hiding behaviors and unwillingness to play
- A startle response to movement and noises characterizes hypervigilance
- House soiling and excessive spraying/urination as a reaction to stress
- Excessive vocalization
- Inappropriate destructive scratching
- Increased neediness and separation anxiety
4 Tips for Rescuing a Maine Coon
1. Check Your Local Rescue Shelters and Social Media
To find your Maine Coon start by visiting your local shelters, especially those local shelters that don’t offer a no-euthanasia policy. You can also look for specialized pet rescue organizations that deal with Maine Coons, such as the following:
- Only Maine Coons Rescue
- Arizona Maine Coon Rescue
- Maine Coons and More
- Specialty Purebred Cat Rescue
Another great idea is to peruse Facebook for Maine Coon Rescue near where you reside. For example, if you live in California, you could contact The Maine Coon Adoption Page, based in CA.
2. Prepare Your Home for Your New Arrival
To ensure your new kitty gets the best start, prepare your home with everything your adoptee needs to be safe and comfortable. Provide a safe place, out of the way of foot traffic and noise, and create a safe zone where your kitty can adjust.
It is best to make sure that everything your Maine Coon needs is in this safe area so they don’t have to move from the safe place if they don’t choose. These items include the following:
- A litter tray
- Water
- Food
- Toys
- Scratching post
- Treats
- Cat bed/blanket
3. Set AsideTime To Settle Your Maine Coon Into Their New Home
Ensure you spend at least the first couple of days sharing bonding time in your “safe room.” Sitting quietly on the ground level and being quiet and gentle will go a long way to settling in your new kitty. If you have other pets in the home, separate the living areas so your cat can slowly adjust to their smells and presence before introducing them.
4. Be Patient and Stay the Course
Cats rely heavily on territory and scent for feelings of security, and shelter experiences can turn even an amiable Maine Coon into a traumatized wreck. The proximity to other cats and the barrage of sounds and smells can stress poor rescues to the max.
Some studies on shelter cats found that their elevated cortisol levels may stay in their systems for up to three months, so they may only begin to express their true natures after that interval.
The trick is to be patient and let the Maine Coon interact at their own pace giving plenty of encouragement in quiet attention and treats. Each cat is unique, and depending on their temperaments, they may need weeks or even months to adjust to their new home.
Certainly! If you’re considering expanding your feline family, feel free to explore our guide on adopting a Maine Coon kitten on our website. Discover the joy of bringing a Maine Coon furball into your home!
Closing Thoughts
Although I have bought a Maine Coon in the past from a breeder, my increasing awareness of the plight of unwanted animals has turned me towards rescue rather than buying. However, it may be somewhat of a process to find a Maine Coon cat in a shelter or rescue organization because, generally, they are happy and loving members of their homes. Start small, search your local shelters and rescue groups, and you may find the kitty of your dreams.
