How can I be sure I am buying from a reputable Maine Coon breeder?

There are scams out there on the internet. We all know it and we should all be cautious in every aspect of life to protect against being scammed. The world is becoming more scammy! Defo. And sometimes this applies to Maine Coon breeders. I asked myself what I would do if I wanted to buy a Maine Coon kitten in the UK. The same answer would apply if I lived anywhere provided it was practical.

Coonjangles Maine Coon kittens - all tabbies. Image: Coonjangles Maine Coon, UK.

If you really want to be sure that you are buying a genuine Maine Coon of quality from a reputable breeder you have to visit the breeder in my view. There are many advantages to due diligence.

1. Every Maine Coon breeder should allow a customer to view the kitten that they want to adopt with the mother of that kitten. They should allow a customer to select a kitten in their home which is usually their breeding facility. If they don't and provide a wishy-washy reason, I would not proceed. A breeder might have precautionary steps in place in order to protect their cats from the transmission of disease from customers but nonetheless they really must allow a visit to let the potential customer inspect the kitten and watch them play with their mother and so on. This may be tiresome in terms of travel time but when you are adopting a kitten, to care for that animal for their lifetime about the 20 years, it's a big commitment and it is a small price to pay to spend a morning or even a day visiting the breeder and getting it right. So, the first benefit is that you check out the establishment and the kitten's quality and character.
2. The second benefit of visiting the breeder is that you can check whether they are reputable. You can ask to see their documentation with respect to their registration with a cat association such as The International Cat Association (TICA) or the Cat fanciers' Association (CFA) in America. UK breeders will probably be affiliated to TICA or the GCCF. If they are affiliated and registered with a bona fide, known cat association, they are going to be reputable. You should check their papers which prove that they are registered with a known cat association such as the ones mentioned.
3. A third benefit of visiting is that you can check the health of the kitten both visually and by going over the paperwork that the breeder provides you with which will include vaccination records and veterinary health checks regarding the major feline diseases which can affect young kittens at breeding establishments. You want to see these documents and reassure yourself that your chosen kitten is free of these major diseases.
4. Another benefit is you can talk to the breeder in person and judge for yourself whether they are of good character and likely to be a person of integrity. If you decide that they are, it is likely that they are reputable Maine Coon breeders. It is much harder to do these checks over the phone and even harder to do it via social media or through a text message. Online purchases can be scammed.
5. And a further benefit is that you can discuss the breeder's return policy if they have one and the contract that you will sign. Do they have a contract? They should have a contract and it should be read from beginning to end and clarified. No contract, no deal. Once again this is tiresome, and you probably won't want to do it, but you are about to enter a 15+ year commitment in looking after a beautiful companion animal which will cost you around £15,000 over that relationship so it pays to go slowly, precisely and carefully to get it right. Take your time. Don't buy impulsively on something like this. You might fancy adopting a Maine Coon kitten one day. Put the brakes on and think about it for a few months to let your thoughts settle down and to make sure that you cover all the angles in your head.

These are my personal thoughts. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list. You will have your own ideas. If they differ from mine, please share your experience in a comment below. It may be very useful to future visitors.

Coonjangles Maine Coon are reputable. They have a good website; they provide their address and directions so nothing to hide. They have everything in place from contract to health checks and being open to controlled visits. They are based in Rushden, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom. I don't know if they ship internationally. If they do it means you can't visit them and that undermines the purchase process.