Finding a Maine Coon Breeder - Abbreviated

So you’ve decided you want take the plunge and get a purebred, registered, bona fide Maine Coon from a good breeder…awesome! Here are some suggestions on how and where to look.

·      Do your research on the breed by visiting MCBFA, TICA, CFA & CFF.

·      Search for breeders by visiting cat shows and online with Pet Professor, KittySites, Breedlist.com, Maine Coon Cat Nation or Google.

·      Cat show calendars for shows near you can be found on TICA.org & CFA.org

·      Be persistent and patient. Maine Coon cats are extremely popular and breeders are usually swamped with inquiries.

Basic Criteria for a Responsible Breeder:

·      Registered cattery with a major cat registry such as TICA, CFA or CFF.

·      Screen breeding cats for heart disease (HCM) utilizing ultrasound, not DNA only. Proof of cardiac screening of the kitten’s parents should be available.  

·      Kitten/cat should be registered. You may be required to provide proof of spay/neuter as a prerequisite.

·      Kittens not allowed to leave the breeder until at least 12 weeks of age and two sets of vaccination received.

·      Expect to be screened as a suitable home.

·      Expect to sign a contract for the purchase of the kitten/cat which offers a health guarantee, prohibits declawing, letting your cat outside and breeding without permission.

·      The area where the kittens and cats live should be clean and the cats appear healthy and friendly.

·      Expect to be able to meet your kitten’s littermates and parents (unless an outside stud was used). Be wary of being asked to sit in one location while your kitten is brought out of another room to you.

·      No responsible breeder will sell their kittens at a pet store or through a third party. We like to know where our kittens are going!

 

For more detailed information, read these blogs at http://dracoonfly.blogspot.com/2014/04/how-to-be-good-kitten-buyer.html and http://dracoonfly.blogspot.com/2010/11/cat-peeves.html