Caveat emptor when you buy from a Maine Coon breeder. Some thoughts.

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It did not take me long to find a story on a pet forum about a person who bought a Maine Coon kitten from a breeder which went badly wrong. They did visit the breeder before buying and they found her facilities to be substandard but nonetheless they proceeded to buy a Maine Coon kitten (as stated). 

The kitten had an amazing personality, but he died five months later from feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) a killer disease. A dreadful experience for cat and human. Note: if the facilities are poor walk away.

Is she healthy and purebred
Is she healthy and purebred. Image: Reddit.com.

I expect that this breeder said that they had carried out all the tests and that the kitten was healthy.

Another person on the same forum also bought from a Maine Coon breeder. This breeder advertised that her Maine Coon kittens had been tested for HCM and were negative. They went to the breeder's home to pick up their kitten and once again they found the conditions substandard. 

The buyer said that they should have walked away but I guess when you are there confronted with charming kittens you are reluctant to do so.

Although this person did not trust what the breeder said, Therefore, she had her kitten tested for HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-a heart disease). She found that her kitten, Holly, tested positive for the gene mutation which causes HCM. Her breeder had lied to her.

Pedigree

Also, she is now unsure whether she has a purebred Maine Coon cat. On the forum she said: "I also don't trust the pedigree that I have been given and indeed not even 100% sure she is a full M/C".

This is a problem I have discussed before. There is no point in buying an expensive Maine Coon cat unless you are sure that you are buying a genuine Maine Coon cat which means that you must see the pedigree documentation. And this must be bona fide proper documentation from a cat association. Note: breeders can make up false documents.

I have never bought a Maine Coon cat but what I would do before buying one would be to check with the cat association that the breeder says her kittens are registered with. When they say that they are purebred kittens, and they have a pedigree, you should ask them to which cat association they are registered. If they can't give you the name of the cat association, walk away.

If they can give you the name of the cat association, you should contact them and ask about the pedigree to confirm that it is genuine. To my mind, it is absolutely essential that you buy a registered kitten with a bona fide cat association recognised by everybody else.

If that criteria can't be met, then you should walk away. You can ask the breeder for this information before visiting. Do it over the phone and tell them what you are doing. Their reaction may be enlightening.

Health

As to health, and bearing in mind the problem mentioned in the first paragraph, I don't see why a buyer of a Maine Coon cat can't make it a condition of the purchase that they take the kitten to a veterinarian of their choice to have the kitten checked out for basic health conditions and make sure that they are clear of those health conditions such as FIP and also, if a test is available or if there is no owner is able to carry out an examination, to check for conditions such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and HCM. You need to know that your kitten is not going to develop these diseases.

This advice may be difficult to carry out because these tests may be invasive and expensive. If you decide that it is too difficult then what about this. If the breeder provides you with certificates by their veterinarian that her kittens are clear of SMA and HCM, why don't you ask them for the name of the veterinarian or testing lab and their contact details so you can confirm with that veterinarian or lab that these tests have been carried out.

I know that I am being tough, but I think that you have to be tough. Remember this: there are no legal regulations governing the breeding of cats by hobby breeders. Anybody can do it at home. This freedom to start a business selling purebred cats is bound to bring into the picture irresponsible people who feel that they can make a fast buck.

Therefore, as the basic rule is caveat emptor, buyer beware. A buyer of a Maine Coon cat should indeed be aware of the possibility of fraudulent behaviour by a cat breeder in terms of lying and misrepresentations.

One last thought if I have not mentioned it: get a damned contract and read it through top to bottom. If you have doubts send me a copy and I'll check it over for you! 😎✔️. My email: mjbmeister@gmail.com

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