Maine Coon mix kittens for sale on Gumtree are a rip-off

There is a lot that is wrong with the so-called Maine Coon cats and kittens which are advertised for sale on the website Gumtree. Firstly, many if not all are not purebred cats. They are labelled 'Maine Coon mix' or even Maine Coon but they are not. 

In one example the advertiser tells us that her cat Bella gave birth to 7 kittens and that Bella is a Maine Coon but 'she does have a little bit of Norwegian Forest from her great-grandparents'. In other words this person is advertising Maine Coon kittens but when you read through the advert you know that they are not purebred but Maine Coon mix cats; essentially moggies. Yes, all her kittens are moggies because they are effectively random-bred, in a strict sense.

 Maine Coon mix cats for sale on Gumtree are a rip-off. Photo: Gumtree.

The word purebred contains the word "pure". If the genetic line, the bloodline is not pure, as is the case with Bella, the cat can't be purebred and if the mother is not purebred neither are her kittens. Therefore Omar should not be advertising the kittens as Maine Coon kittens. In fact really, in a strict sense, there should be no reference to Maine Coons except to say that there may be some Maine Coon genetics in the family.

Even when an advertiser is advertising a genuine purebred Maine Coon, if you buy online at a distance what evidence do you have that the cat is genuine? You have to have all the papers and documentation to prove pedigree. The cat should be registered with a cat association and there should be some documentation to prove that the cat is purebred. All these things should be checked out before purchase in addition to vaccinations and certification that the cat is free from diseases. And make sure the certificates are genuine. Trust no one.

In addition there are other issues to think of which are genetic illnesses inherited by Maine Coon cats, which I have covered on different page. There's lots to do and you can't simply purchase cats on a website like Gumtree without really delving into problems. There are a lot of people who want to make a quick buck on the site selling cats which I think is objectionable.

The Gumtree policies, which I have read do allow people to sell cats online but they are restricted. I am sure that many people who advertise cats online on this website break those rules and get away with it. Please do not be drawn into this way of adopting a cat. What is almost as bad is that the prices are ridiculous at over £1000 for each of these kittens. You can adopt a similar cat for nothing or for the adoption fee at a rescue.

You are paying a full purebred price for a non-purebred cat which is a rip-off. You are being ripped off by this person whose name is Omar. Leave it alone and if you really want to adopt a Maine Coon cat then check whether any rescues have one, which is unlikely, and then purchase from a reputable breeder and visit the cats with the breeder and ask tough questions. Enter into a good contract and make sure that you have all the documentation that you need having done the requisite research beforehand.

All the above points are highly relevant but they are not all the points. If you buy cats online which have been bred informally on a general advert website like Gumtree you are leaving a rescue cat at a shelter unwanted. 

In doing so you are increasing the prospects of that cat not being adopted and sometimes these cats are euthanised. Therefore searching for a cat to adopt on Gumtree is wrong in so many ways as mentioned in the opening paragraph. You can do far better than this. If I were you I wouldn't even consider adopting from Gumtree. Just forget about it.