Terms and conditions of a Maine Coon cat breeder in the USA

It's quite interesting to look at the terms and conditions between the seller i.e. the breeder and the purchaser i.e. the adopter of a Maine Coon in the USA. I've selected a TICA listed Maine Coon cat breeder: BELLATRIX. They are located at: Blanchard, Oklahoma, United States.

Bellatrix MCO Maine Coon. Photo: Bellatrix MCO. This is a tortoiseshell.

I believe that this Maine Coon cat breeder is from Belarus. They breed European Maine Coons which is understandable bearing in mind the Belarusian link.

RELATED: Difference between European and American Maine Coons.

They say that when they sell a cat it will be subject to the following conditions. I'm using my words but based entirely on their statement on their website.

They guarantee that the cat or kitten will be in good health at the time of sale. They are unable to state for how long the guarantee lasts because they can only guarantee the health of a cat at the time of purchase. What happens after that is dependent upon how the new owner takes care of their cat. Clearly, if a cat purchased from them falls ill when in their new home and that illness can be said to have been contracted before the sale then this guarantee would have been broken. That would be a question of evidence and it may be difficult to prove by the way.

They promise to provide all test certificates and documents relating to the health of the cat or kitten at the time of purchase.

They clearly recommend that their Maine Coon cats are kept indoors after they've been sold because they state: "I will explain to the purchaser the dangers of an outdoor environment".

The purchaser will receive a full copy of the terms and conditions.

They promise to abide by the terms and conditions.

They say that they will make every effort to spay and neuter every kitten or cat before sale but if it is not possible they require, under the terms and conditions, that the sold cat is spayed or neutered no later at 12-months-of-age.

The owners of the new cat cannot breed from their cat to produce offspring.

In order to enforce this term about allowing the purchaser to spay or neuter than your cat, they state that they will only provide the TICA registration certificate and/or pedigree of the kitten or cat after receiving written evidence from a licensed veterinarian that the kitten or cat has been spayed or neutered. A purchaser will need that document to prove that their cat is a purebred Maine Coon. It is a vital document.

They promise to inoculate their kittens at least twice against the following: panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus before release to the new owner.

They also state that they may choose to inoculate kittens against other viruses as and when required.

You can see the terms and conditions by clicking on this link as itemised by the breeder.

I think it is useful for purchasers to have some knowledge of the terms and conditions of Maine Coon breeders before entering into the contract in order to prepare their minds and make sure that they understand the contract. This is a binding contract, enforceable in a court of law. You don't want to be in breach of it. I expect all breeder contract to be along similar lines.