Your Maine Coon Guide

This is a report in layman's terms of congenital sensorineural deafness (CSD) in white blue-eyed cats of various breeds including the Maine Coon cat. The word 'sensorineural' refers to the nervous system transmitting sound signals from the ears to the brain to perceive sound. CSD concerns a defect that a cat is born with affecting the nerves that transmit sound to the brain. It is the dominant white gene (W) which can damage the hearing of cats. RELATED:  Why are domestic cats white ? Good chance of suffering from CSD. Image now in the public domain. In all, 122 white purebred kittens and 61 coloured kittens between the ages of 6-21 weeks were examined. The occurrence of CSD in solid white kittens overall was 30.3% with deafness in both ears at 15.9% and deafness in one ear at 14.4% (unilateral). Deafness was more common in white kittens with blue irises. When the kitten had one blue iris the occurrence of deafness was at 44.4%. When both eyes had blue irises the occurrenc...

A person on social media asked: "Why are Maine Coon cats so friendly?" They asked that question with confidence. I can think of a few topics to discuss in response to the question. Socialisation Maine Coon cats are purebred cats. Purebred cats are bred by cat breeders. Cat breeders know that they have an obligation to make sure that their kittens for sale are fully socialised to humans. This means that they will be friendly towards humans from the get go. The breeder achieves this by making sure that the kittens that she has created in her breeding programme are underfoot in her home, meeting members of her family and even strangers. In this way the kittens become acclimatised to being around people. This means that when they meet their new owner, they get along with them and are not frightened of them. That's why Maine Coon cats are so friendly. It is down to the efforts of the cat breeder and socialisation. Unfriendly Maine Coon? Sometimes a Maine Coon cat might not be ...

This may help people who are in the process of adopting a Maine Coon kitten. It is an infographic which highlights the basic health factors to assess when buying a kitten. You should really visit the seller's home to assess the kitten before buying. This is going to be ruled out if you buy online and at a distance. You could, however, insist on a contract that states that you have the right to reject the kitten if it does not meet the standards as stated in the infographic although I would expect that to be very rarely demanded. CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE IT LARGER IF YOU LIKE Buying a Maine Coon is about quality; the quality of the kitten, the services provided such as guarantees, the aftercare provided and above all the quality of the parents and the standard of the breeder. All these factors increase the cost of the kitten from under $1000 to something in the order of $5000. A big difference but if you can afford it, I'd go for the quality option as you are guaranteed to adop...

Tabby Maine Coon mother and her kitten. Image: MikeB The basic M.O. (modus operandi) or method when you want to purchase a Maine Coon kitten is to visit the breeder from whom you are going to make the purchase. I know that a lot of people don't visit the breeder. They might purchase online and ask the breeder to ship the kitten, sometimes over a long distance. But it is always advisable to visit the breeder. This is a big purchase for the lifetime of the kitten. And if you do buy online DON'T send money upfront unless you are absolutely certain that the seller is not a scammer . So having visited the breeder to select a kitten, the following advice is provided by the Maine Coon Cat Club in the UK: Ask questions Ask questions. Obviously, you will ask them politely but you should ask all the questions that you want to ask and a good breeder will be pleased to provide answers. I am just trying to think about the kind of questions you might ask. You might ask about the foundation c...

This is a very short note on an interesting topic as it concerns the weight of the Maine Coon which is important to Maine Coon afficionados. Although Maine Coon kittens have a birth weight which is higher than that of other breeds e.g., Maine Coon kittens 115 grams, Norwegian Forest Cat kittens 106 grams, Birman kittens 97 grams, Siamese kittens 92 grams and Persian kittens at 82 grams, the weight of Maine Coon kittens relative to their mother's weight tended to be lower than for the other breeds mentioned. Lithuanian Maine Coon kitten. Image: the breeder. For instance, Maine Coon kittens' weight relative to their mother's weight was 2.3% in this study. For the Norwegian Forest Cat kittens, the percentage was 2,7%, Birmans 2.8%, Siamese 2.8%, Exotic Shorthair 2.9%, British Shorthair 3.1% and Persians 3.2%. Incidentally this tendency is seen in puppies i.e. smaller birth weight for the larger dog breeds. For comparison the study states that the kitten to female mature weight...

"Most cats will generally adapt to indoor housing provided there is sufficient space and that they are accustomed to these conditions from an early age." -  Study: Adaptation of domestic cats to confinement link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2007.09.003  . I would also add that the home of 'sufficient space' should be adapted to some extent to be suitable for a domestic cat such as quiet areas for snoozing and high perches for looking and to allow the cat to climb. Omar a famous full-time indoor Maine Coon. If he goes outside, it will be under supervision of some sort. Image: Instagram The quote is part of the summary of the study referred to. In general people would agree with it. It does not mean that adult cats used to being allowed outside can't eventually get used to full-time confinement.  But cats who've had years of freedom will find it particularly hard and stressful, I'd argue (depending on the cat's character), to accept and settle down w...

NEWS AND VIEWS - ENGLAND: The title is bad enough but, on my judgement, the kitten wasn't a Maine Coon in any case. This was a multi-scam: a very unhealthy kitten was sold to a woman who bought her for her autistic 10-year-old son, Bryn Stutley, and the kitten was not a Maine Coon cat as described by the scammy seller. Note : this is a good instructional story for would be Maine Coon adopters. A very important lesson actually. The scammers are a former police officer, Amy Byrne and Harry Angell. I feel compelled to make a comment. It is ironic that the scammer is a former police officer. That tells me that the police service in the UK is employing the wrong sort of applicants to be police officers. In fact, this has been admitted by the Metropolitan Police chief but that is another topic. The kitten was named Lokie by the purchaser who is Yolanda, 45. She bought the kitten from a seller called 'Semeena' as reported by the Mail Online.  The seller assured Yolanda that the ki...

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 wo...

This is a long page to try and make it fairly comprehensive. Starting from scratch, what does a person need to do to buy a Maine Coon cat? Obviously, you've got to approach a cat breeder because on nearly every occasion, you will have to buy your Maine Coon cat from a cat breeder. Rarely there are rescue Maine Coons. Although it is worth checking out the rescue Maine Coon route. But what do you do before that? Ready to buy a cat? I think that you must go back to square one first. At the beginning of a decision to buy a Maine Coon cat you have to consider domestic cats generally by which I mean: "Are you in a position to adopt a domestic cat?". "Are you in a position to live with a domestic cat for the lifespan of the cat?" It is a fundamental question which applies to every domestic cat whether they are non-purebred or purebred. In fact, the question is more appropriate or more pointed in respect of the Maine Coon cat because when you adopt a Maine Coon cat you ...

The question in the title looks a bit strange; very negative and perhaps unhelpful but there is some value in answering it. When you answer the question in respect of Maine Coon cats you have to answer the question in respect of all domestic cats of any kind. That's obvious but it needs to be stated. So, the question could be rephrased: "Why shouldn't you adopt a domestic cat?" Why shouldn't you buy a Maine Coon cat? There are pros and cons. Image: MikeB. You can see the slight difference in the question. You have to buy a Maine Coon cat because they are created by cat breeders and they are hobby breeders making some money on the side normally. They won't give you a Maine Coon for free normally. And that is the first issue to discuss: one reason why you shouldn't buy a Maine Coon cat is because you should adopt a rescue cat. The upfront costs will be much less when you pay an adoption fee at a rescue center than when you purchase a Maine Coon cat for abou...

The Maine Coon Cat Club provides us with useful advice about purchasing a Maine Coon kitten. I mention some aspects of this advice below. One of their services is to provide a list of kittens available at certain times. They've updated their list on December 18, 2022. Like other people, my mind turns to a Christmas gift of a Maine Coon kitten which sounds fantastic BUT you know you've got to be self-disciplined. Super Maine Coon kitten. Image: Pinterest (modified by MikeB). The old adage comes to mind which is that a kitten is not for Christmas but for the life of the animal. It's very easy to be a little bit self-indulgent and think that I want a kitten NOW and I am going to have one for Christmas. Or my children would like a Maine Coon kitten for Christmas. The best present ever.  But that does not mean you shouldn't buy for Christmas . It is fine provided you have done your homework. Sorry if I sound as if I am lecturing. Note: I don't think you should buy a £1,2...

PKDef is a shortened version of "Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency". It is an inherited disease which is handed down from parent to offspring in a non-sex linked (autosomal) mutated recessive gene which affects the red blood cells to the point where they no longer function properly as they break down faster than they should.  It can lead to anaemia due to not enough red blood cells being present. It also occurs in humans.  People with this disease lead a healthy life.  DNA testing. Image: Pixabay. Carrier cats are clinically healthy but can pass the defective gene to their offspring.  Breeds affected are Abyssinian, Bengal, Egyptian Mau, LaPerm, Maine Coon , Norwegian Forest, Savannah, Siberian, Singapura, Somali, Toyger and Tonkinese according to Longford Vets in the UK.  Somalis and Abyssinians are the worst affected and a PKDef genetic test to diagnose autosomal-recessive pyruvate kinase deficiency is obligatory for the Asian, Bengal, Somali and Tonkin...

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. 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 precautio...

This is a very short video on the TikTok website by 'sir_jacoon'. It has caught the imagination of people because it's been seen about 1/2 a million times which is not bad for TikTok! I'm not sure why it is so popular to be perfectly frank, but it is probably as simple as this: Maine Coon kittens particularly ones with a very strong muzzle and a ginger tabby coat are very popular. And the expression on this kitten's faces priceless. But I don't like to see a kitten who is anxious and this one is. I'm not sure it's a good idea to make a video like this of an anxious little kitten but I understand the reason why because it's going to be popular. One month old ginger tabby Maine Coon kitten is melting hearts. Screenshot. The video is presented twice below: once as an embedded video from TikTok and the same video uploaded to this page. The former is better quality, but it might disappear which is why the other version is here! ✔️👍. @sir_jcoon Guarant...

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. 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 ...

This is a woman who has become thoroughly pissed off with a Maine coon cat breeder in Canada. Note: I have made the presumption that the complainant is female for the sake of convenience. She decided to advertise to the world on Reddit.com, which is a highly viewed social media website, her discontent with this breeder. It is a long post (see below) but the basic gist of it is that she bought a red Maine Coon kitten at a distance, without visiting the cattery. I guess this is going to happen in Canada where you have to travel very long distances because of a very low population relative to the size of the country.  But this story exposes the great dangers of doing that. She complains that her kitten was sick but their health is improving. She spent C$750 on a veterinary bill. The vet did diagnose a health problem from which it appears the cat is recovering. The complaining woman wants her money back. She was to return the kitten and her bill reimbursed. Maine Coon kitten. THIS IS N...

This is an example of an online scammer who set up a website which gave the impression that he or she sold Maine Coon cats and kittens. A metro Detroit couple were fooled by what they thought was a legitimate website.  They had sadly experienced the death of two Maine Coon cats not long ago and because they were very attached, they wanted their family to be "whole again," said Richard Cockrum. Richard wanted to do something nice for his girlfriend Nancy and search for a Christmas present for her. They looked online for Maine Coon kittens. It was a tough year for them because Richard had contracted Covid-19 and was hospitalised for several days. He's been on furlough and he wanted to end the year positively. He found this scammer website which she thought was genuine which you can see in the images below. The site cannot be accessed at the moment probably because the scammer has pulled it off the internet after this story broke but he will be back with another scam no doub...