Is this too much for an unregistered Maine Coon?

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The question in the title is being asked by a mother on the mumsnet.com website (UK). She is seeking advice because she wants to adopt a Maine Coon cat. She is not sure how much to pay and she is attracted to an advert online for a Maine Coon cat at £700 but she has also seen other Maine Coon cats advertised for £1500. She believes that the cat at the cheaper price might not be a true purebred but she says that "the kittens will probably look like Maine Coons nonetheless". She wonders whether £700 is "a lot of money for an unregistered kitten however."

Maine Coon kittens
Maine Coon kittens. Photo in public domain.

The point that I want to make is that if you want to adopt a Maine Coon cat you are going to have to buy one from a breeder. Occasionally you might be able to find one at a rescue centre but this would be incredibly rare. So, you buy purebred cats rather than pay an adoption fee at a shelter.

And when you buy a Maine Coon cat you simply have to have evidence that the cat is purebred and has a pedigree. Without documentary papers to prove that the cat is a true pedigree cat with a family lineage, you might well be buying a moggy that looks like a Maine Coon cat. And what is the point in that? You will be spending a lot of money for a Maine Coon lookalike. I don't get the point of it.

So, any discussion about buying a Maine Coon cat without registration papers is pointless. Well, it's not pointless if you want to adopt a moggy that looks like a Maine Coon cat but if you want to adopt a true Maine Coon you have to have the evidence that the cat is genuine.

And the price of a Maine Coon cats varies a lot it seems to me. I never bought one because I've always adopted rescue cats not because they are cheap but because I think we have a duty to adopt rescue cats. Although, I must say, I do have a great temptation to adopt a Maine Coon cat because I love their appearance.

In America you might spend between $400-$2000 on a Maine Coon cat (2022 - prices will be rising due to inflation) depending upon the quality and in Britain it might be something between about £400 and £1700. A very similar price. In addition to the quality of the animal the price will depend upon the age, health and I guess the appearance. Some Maine Coons are incredibly impressive in their appearance while others are less so.

Some Maine Coon cats have wonderful coats and there is a massive range of coat types which are allowed for the Maine Coon cat. The more exotic coat types I would suggest are going to make the cat more valuable.

But you can't really skimp on cost if you've decided to adopt a Maine Coon cat. You've got to commit to paying quite a hefty price and commit to caring for the cat for the life of the cat.

I also don't think that you should adopt online 'sight unseen'. The basic mantra of any person thinking about adopting a Maine Coon cat or any other pedigree cat is to visit the cat breeder's establishment, usually their home and sit with the kittens or cats and talk about them with the breeder. You have got to see them in person, touch them and challenge the breeder. If you buy online, you don't know really know for sure what you're buying.

And often people selling online demand money upfront. You should NEVER pay money upfront. That applies to any transaction. And it especially applies to online purchases. You're sending money into the ether and you might not get anything back. Caution is the byword.

Adopting a Maine Coon cat is a big step. I think people should take the time and go the extra mile, make the extra effort, to do the purchase in the right way. Don't try and skimp and cut corners. You might be lucky and it might work out but, personally, I don't advocate taking that risk.

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