Ben the Vet would not purchase a Maine Coon cat

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You might have bumped into Ben the Vet on the internet. He is on TikTok giving his opinion as a British veterinarian about dogs and cats. The advice he gives is, of course, based on the knowledge he has gained as a veterinarian. He sees cats and dogs from a health perspective first and foremost. He also has his own non-medical preferences. My attitude on cats and dogs mirrors Ben's attitude. It is as if he is speaking for me. Of course, I am pleased about that.

He stresses that they are his personal views. However, they are worth listening to because he is a very sensible person firstly and secondly the health of a dog or cat breed or random-bred cat is the most important criteria for choosing a pet. The next most important thing is behavior (character) and thirdly appearance. This is the exact reverse order of what actually happens for real. Never mind.


The video explains the reason why he'd adopt a moggie - a random-bred or mixed-breed - cat. This means by implication he would not adopt (purchase) a Maine Coon as they are a purebred cat unless he wanted to adopt 2 cats and the Maine Coon was his second choice!

But a Maine Coon cat would not Ben's second choice because the breed is afflicted with too many inherited diseases. Sorry to go on about that but it is true. The Maine Coon breeding program is a failure from a health point of view which is a great shame.

For the sake of clarity, I love the Maine Coon. It would be my first-choice cat breed but I would never purchase this cat because of the health problems. How can anyone buy a Maine Coon knowing that there is a decent chance they their beloved feline may develop an ultimately fatal heart disease at 4-months-of-age (HCM) or a weakened back (SMA) or hips that are very painful (hip dysplasia) at some stage in their lives? And not at the end of their lives but sooner than that.

I'd be waiting for these diseases to start up. It make me a little anxious about my cat's health.

Location: United Kingdom

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