Maine Coon Breeders – How to Choose the Best One

If you’re searching for the best Maine Coon breeders that have Maine Coon Kittens for sale, you may find yourself wondering how to choose the best one. In a very noisy space, it could become overwhelming trying to decide who you should do business with.

Ultimately, you want to find the one that you’re the most comfortable with and the one that you feel is doing the best job in their breeding program and raising your future kitten.

This post was written in an effort to educate you on all of the things that you can research about the Maine Coon breeders that you’re considering. It’s perfectly ok to be diligent and ask questions of the breeders, expecting answers and documentation. This is what makes a reputable and responsible breeder.

Before you adopt a Maine Coon Kitten, feel confident in your choice.

Beautiful Maine Coon Cats

When researching Maine Coon Breeders, you’re naturally going to notice their cats and kittens first. Beautiful photos of the kittens always capture your attention. The more you start looking at kitten photos though, you’ll start to notice each breeder develops a certain “look” in their cattery. Take the time to go through all of their photos, and find the one that has the Maine Coon look that you’re in love with. They’re all unique in their own way.

See some differences in European vs. American Maine Coons

Maine Coon Breed Standard

The Maine Coon Cat is a Pedigree cat, which means it has been bred specifically to exhibit particular physical characteristics and may also show some breed-related behaviors. The Cat Clubs recognize these behaviors and set a “standard” for which all Pedigree cats should have. This is referred to as “Breed standard“. While most pet owners aren’t familiar with the breed standard, it is the responsibility of the breeder to ensure the cats used for breeding meet these minimum standards. Then, the integrity, beauty, and dignity of the Maine Coon is being preserved.

A common issue that is seen is that breeders don’t educate themselves on the Maine Coon Breed Standard, and just choose any Maine Coon cat for their breeding program. You can feel confident knowing that Sassy Koonz cats have been hand-selected based on their health records, temperaments, and breed standard.

Through our blog posts, photos, and videos on our Facebook Page, we do our best to tell the stories about our cats and demonstrate the diligence that was taken in selecting each one for breeding.

The temperament of the Kittens Parents

Being able to talk to the Maine Coon breeders about their cats is very important. Since Maine Coon kittens tend to inherit personality traits from their parents, it’s a good idea to ask about the temperament of the parents.

Not all cats like to be held and some are super affectionate. Do some research and discover the traits of the parents of each litter. If possible, visit the parents and see how they interact in person. This could help you make a decision.

See the video below of Ursula, one of our Queens. Just some quick 20-second videos can tell you a lot about the temperament of a cat. In fact, when I imported Ursula after looking at hundreds of other girls, it was videos of her personality that made me fall in love with her.

Here’s another video of my Sire, Beastie. He has an amazing temperament, which you can see in the video.

Health Records of Cats

Every cat that is participating in any breeding program should have up-to-date health records. At your request, any reputable breeder should be willing to provide you with the health and medical records of their breeding cats. Make sure that the cats are up to date on vaccinations and are negative for FIV and FELV. Every breeder should be able to provide you with documentation showing that their cats have a clean bill of health.

Sassy Koonz keeps the profile of each of our breeding cats updated with health records and genetic testing. Here’s an example of a negative FIV and FELV test that was done on Ursula, one of our Queens. You can review all of the testing that was done for each one of our breeding parents on their individual portfolio pages.

Sometimes, though, these DNA Tests just aren’t enough to go by. There’s alot more than can occur inside a cattery that causes widespread contagious diseases. In a multiple cat household, shelter, or cattery these viruses are more prone to attack.

It’s super important to know how the breeding cats live, their environment and how many cats they live with. You should also know where and how the kittens are born and raised.

Talk to your Breeder About the Health of Their Cats

Ask your breeder to share the genetic tests and their health records. Don’t be afraid to ask for records, and be wary of anyone who doges the bullet.

View all of our Maine Coon Queens and Sires, along with their health records. You can also take a Virtual Tour of the Sassy Koonz Maine Coon Cattery.

Here are some tips on How to Keep your Maine Coon healthy after they arrive at your home.

Maine Coon Genetic Testing

Most Pedigree cats have their own set of issues that are specific to their breed. A reputable Maine Coon breeder will have genetic tests performed on all of her breeding cats to screen for these genetic defects prior to breeding them. In the Maine Coon, these are the common genetic tests that should be performed.

• HCM – Feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a disease of the heart muscle in which the walls thicken and the heart enlarges.
• SMA – Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disease seen in Maine Coon cats. The disease is characterized by progressive instability with unsteady gait and posture abnormalities due to loss of motor neurons in the lower spinal cord and atrophy of muscles in the hind limbs.
• PKD – Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is an inherited condition in cats that causes multiple cysts (pockets of fluid) to form in the kidneys. These cysts are present from birth. Initially, they are very small but they grow larger over time and may eventually disrupt kidney function resulting in kidney failure.
• If you don’t see test results for the parents listed on the breeder’s website, then request a copy of the tests. If they can’t produce negative test results for HCM, SMA, and PKD, then you might want to consider finding another breeder.

Our Health Tests and Genetic Profiles are Available to the Public

Choosing a reputable breeder that screens for these genetic anomalies is always the best way to these potential issues.

Genetic testing isn’t enough, though. There are many more health issues that can arise in a cat that there’s no screening for. These are the issues that really require an ethical breeder behind the scenes. Someone who will make the right decision when it comes to using a cat that may potentially pass down a major health issue to the kittens.

How Many Kittens Does the Breeder Have Each Year?

A kindle of kittens is a lot of work both for the mama cat and the breeder. From newborns to when they’re ready to go home, they demand a lot of love, care, and attention. Mama kitty will do most of it at first, but once they start hobbling around and leaving the nest, they need to be monitored, weaned, and kept in a safe environment.

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine what is really going on behind all of the cute photos that the breeders post to social media. Take the time to dig through their Facebook Page, website and Instagram. With the amount of time, it requires to care for and socialize a litter of kittens, use your best judgment when deciding on which breeder to buy your kitten from. The socialization period with humans really starts at around 2 weeks old and is continuous after that. Ask questions about what the breeder does to socialize the kittens and prepare them for human interaction..

How Often Are the Females Mated?

According to “Feline Husbandry, Diseases and Management in the Multiple Cat Environment ” its safe for a female to deliver a litter of kittens once every six to eight months. That gives her body time to rest and recover in between litters.

Check the history of the breeder’s females and see how often the girls are delivering kittens. If it’s more frequent than suggested by veterinarians and doctors, then the Queen’s health could be compromised.

How Many Cats Are In the Breeding Program?

Have you ever heard anyone say “that’s too many cats”? I’ve always wondered what number would justify giving someone this label? Then I saw the best answer ever on social media and I’ve never forgotten it.

“Too many cats” is when you’re no longer able to provide a clean, spacious, nurturing, loving environment for your animals. It could also mean compromising the health and/or welfare of your cats or yourself.

Ultimately, the term “too many cats” is going to be different for every person. As a Maine Coon breeder, I know what my limits are when it comes to housing, care, maintenance, cleanliness, costs, and socialization based on the space and time that I have right now. That is certainly going to be different for another breeder who is able to house and care for many more cats than I can.

As the cats are being cared for, loved, and offered a clean environment and space to roam and be cats, then it’s not too many. This is why photos, videos, personal visits (if allowed) and inspection documentation is super important.

Social Media

Luckily, social media is a wonderful place to monitor the behavior and patterns of Maine Coon breeders. If they have a Facebook page then give it a Like, and watch from afar. You can engage with the breeder online with comments, ask questions, and send inquiring messages. Pay attention to the tonality and the speed of the replies,

Where do the cats live?

Maine Coon Breeders house their cats in different ways. Some let the cats live in the house with them. Others choose to have a dedicated cattery where the cats live. Some also have wonderful outdoor enclosures for their cats.

It’s all a matter of personal preference, and the capability to accommodate in certain ways. Ask your Maine Coon breeders about their cats living quarters. Ask to see photos and/or videos of the cats living in their everyday environment.

Here’s a photo The Sassy Koonz Maine Coon Cattery. Click here to see full post [including photos] about the cattery.

Maine Coon Breeders

Every Maine Coon breeder that you’re considering should be registered with a recognized Cat Breeder Association. The two mains are CFA (Cat Fanciers Association) and TICA (the International Cat Association). There’s also ACFA and ACA.

They can be registered with one, or all of the Associations. In order to provide paperwork for a Registered Pedigree Maine Coon, the breeder must be registered with one of these associations. Do a search on each association’s website to verify.

Sassy Koonz is registered with both TICA and CFA, but the kittens will be registered with TICA. 🙂

Maine Coon Breeder Code of Ethics

Upon the election to become Maine Coon breeders, we’re presented with the Breeder Code of Ethics. Here’s the Code of Ethics that I voluntarily agreed to when I registered my cattery with TICA.

The Code of Ethics is taken very seriously. I read the Code of Ethics about once per month, to remind myself of everything that all of the Maine Coon breeders should be doing. I make sure that I am 100% compliant with every item of this Code of Ethics.

Maine Coon Show Cats

Does your breeder show her cats? This isn’t a requirement or a determination of a good or reputable breeder. It is interesting to know whether or not they participate in shows. Sometimes there aren’t any shows available near them. Some cats don’t like to be shown, or they’re just not into the politics (there’s aloof politics in showing cats).

If you’re interested in showing your kitten or cat, it’s best to purchase a kitten from a breeder that participates in the exhibition. This will help your kitten have a better chance at taking home some ribbons. Your breeder should be able to help you choose a kitten that meets the breed standard and is a potential Champion.

Reputation Maine Coon Breeders

Join some of the groups, and start asking for recommendations for breeders. If anyone has had any experience with them, they’ll certainly speak up.

If there’s anyone who has a bad experience, they’ll be the first to speak up! It might take a few weeks of posting and vetting responses, but you should be able to get feedback on most of the Maine Coon breeders that you’re interested in buying a kitten from.

You can also do a search for their cattery name. Put the cattery name in “ quotation marks”. This tells Google to only show results that match that phrase exactly. Do the same thing with the breeder’s personal name. You can find out a lot of information by using Google. If someone isn’t running a great breeding program, the news will eventually surface on social media.

Vaccinations of Kittens

Maine Coon kittens are born with no immune system. They receive antibodies in the milk from nursing their mother. These antibodies help protect against infectious disease until the kitten’s own immune system develops. Vaccinations also give them added protection against certain feline diseases.

When the kitten is eight weeks of age, the veterinarian will administer a series of vaccines. After that, three- or four-week intervals until the kitten reaches 16 weeks of age. This will build the defense system for potentially fatal diseases.

Kitten Vaccination Schedule

Between 7- 8 weeks old: FVRCP Vaccine (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis
Calicivirus and Panleukopenia)

De-worming for Hookworm, Roundworm, and Tapeworm

Start Parasite Prevention(flea & tick and heartworm)

The second set of vaccinations are given around 10-11 weeks of age just before they leave to go home. This will include the FVRCP Booster (repeat of the first set of shots).

A final set of vaccinations will be needed for your kitten when he/she comes home. Be sure to see your vet and take along the vaccination records when your new kitten comes home. Keep your kitten up to date with his vaccines.

Health guarantee

Purchasing a Maine Coon kitten is a big step. It’s a big purchase. It shouldn’t be taken lightly either by the breeder or the new owner. We all want to know that our new kitten is happy and most of all healthy.

A reputable Maine Coon breeder will happily offer a health guarantee. No one can guarantee the environment that the kitten will be in once he leaves the nursery. Most health guarantees are for 12 months. Sassy Koonz Offers a 5 Year Health Guarantee on every kitten that leaves our Maine Coon Cattery.

The health guarantee for your new kitten should state what is covered under the guarantee.

Replacement Guarantee

The best Maine Coon breeders take every precaution to avoid genetic defects and diseases. All of their efforts should be clearly documented. But there’s always the possibility that your kitten could have a genetic defect that wasn’t detectable in any circumstance. In some cases, both parents may test negative for a genetic disease, but the kitten ends up being a carrier.

When this happens, it’s only reasonable for the breeder to replace your kitten with another one upon request. Usually written verification by a Veterinarian is required to make a claim against a genetic defect.

Sales Contract

Most importantly, everything that is promised to you should be in writing. Make sure that the breeder you decide to work with has a written contract that both of you sign. Some of them will have the contract posted on their websites, others will present it to you upon request. Read over the contract carefully, looking for details on health guarantee, and replacement guarantee.

Sassy Koonz – One of the Best Maine Coon Cat Breeders

It is our goal and objective to act in a professional and ethical fashion when it comes to our Maine Coon Kittens and you, our Future Guardian. Trust in us knowing that we’ve taken the time and care to protect the health and well-being of every feline furball that is in our presence.

We’d prefer if you adopt a Maine Coon Kitten from us, but if you just can’t wait or we don’t have the color you’re looking for then check out one of our other Recommended Maine Coon Catteries.

I hope that you can find this article informative in helping you decide which Maine Coon Breeders to consider buying your kitten from. Check out our Maine Coon kittens for Sale.

One last thing, here’s a helpful article on how to avoid getting scammed when buying a Maine Coon kitten.