You and your family have decided to adopt or purchase a cat. You have all settled on one breed. This breed not only is the most gorgeous breed, it has a great disposition and is a very loving cat. Matter of fact, this cat will actually carry on a conversation of sorts with you. There is nothing wrong with a cat that talks back, right?
There is one issue that held you back for this long. It is quite expensive to not only buy, but to own a Maine Coon cat. This is not likely for the reasons you believe it is for. When you are researching where you can purchase one of these beautiful animals you will see and understand why it is so expensive.
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Breeders
Over time, the Maine Coon has become an overwhelmingly popular breed of cat. The price reflects the popularity and an aspect of supply and demand. The breeder has a huge responsibility when it comes to breeding Maine Coon Cats. In order to keep a clean line, he or she needs to ensure that they are providing the buyer with a purebred and healthy Maine Coon.
In order to do this a breeder needs to pay for a screening for his breeding cats. They have to be checked for many different health conditions. Maine Coons have a predisposition towards spinal muscular atrophy, polycystic kidney disease, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy among other issues. With a starting cost of $50 per screening, one can see how the total will add up quickly.
Vet Visits
The breeder also needs to ensure that the kittens have their first visit with the veterinarian and receive all shots and other needs prior to being sold. Immunizations require a few visits. When a breeder is doing this for an entire litter can cost a very pretty penny for the breeder.
Studs
The breeder may choose to have his own male Maine Coon cats for breeding, others do not. Either way, there needs to be a stud fee. Basically a fee that pays for the male to deposit and create the baby kittens. The breeder may choose to ‘rent’ a male Maine Coon, and those fees can reach into the thousands of dollars.
A Female is also needed for breeding. Most breeders will choose the highest quality of female Maine Coon that they can find. This may be a show cat, or previous show cat. These also cost thousands of dollars. Purchasing a female or two and a male or two adds up quickly for the breeder.
Maintaining
A Maine Coon needs to have the best possible food there is. The breeder will choose the highest nutritional food that is available. These types of cats and kittens should not be fed cheap food that is filled with grains and fillers. These are basically empty calories. In order to be healthy, you must give the cat all possible options at the best of everything.
Breed Registration Fees
The purebred Maine Coon cat needs to be registered as soon after birth. This ensures that when the kitten or cats are sold, the registration papers are documented with all the pertinent information. This registration is then passed down to the owners.
Record Keeping
All of this information must be kept religiously. Everything is to be documented. Date of birth, weight, the two cats used in the breeding. All the vaccinations and veterinarian visits.
Microchips
Most often the kitten will have a microchip put into it. This enables a lost cat to be returned to the owner, if it gets lost or walks away.
Spay or Neuter
Today it is becoming more and more common for the breeder to take the kittens in and have them spayed or neutered before they are sent to their forever homes. These surgeries can cost hundreds per animal.
Living Conditions
A breeder who is a highly reputable breeder will not have living conditions that are not up to par for the Maine Coon cats. He or she is going to have a nice shelter, clean and with room for the animals to move around.
There are many breeders who have separate buildings for the male Maine Coon and the female Maine Coon. In this way, he is able to more easily record any breeding that takes place and will not have surprise litters. Another reason for separate living areas for the male and female Maine Coon cats is that the males used in breeding are not neutered, so there will be spraying done by these boys. This keeps it away from the females.
Paperwork
Being a breeder, a properly registered breeder involves plenty of paperwork. When a Maine Coon kitten is purchased, there will be registration papers to be given to the new owner which will cost the breeder money to have done and registered properly. This paperwork will show that the cat is registered with a Cat Fancier Organization.
There are many breeders who will also provide the new owners with a Family Tree for their new Maine Coon kitten. This will be a detailed tree of the breeding going as far back as the breeder can, when he began breeding Maine Coons.
Maternity Care
Let us not forget that the pregnant Maine Coon does need vet visits throughout the pregnancy to ensure that all is well with the litter. These medical visits add up. The breeder will likely split the cost between the number of kittens that have been born in that litter.
Maine Coon cats are known to be very active and playful animals. They are super intelligent and need stimulation of all sorts to keep them happy. The breeder and his group will likely have toys and other forms of activity for the cats in his care. Items such as cat trees so they can climb and play, as well as simple little toys they can chase.
The breeder also deserves to be paid for his or her time. It does take a lot of time to care for cats, to ensure they are well taken care of, and to have medical treatment if and when necessary. Just as all other jobs pay their employees, a breeder is in essence an employee. You must remember that it is not just money that a breeder must spend before any of the kittens are sold.
He invests a lot of his own personal time. Sometimes he must be awake all night if there is some medical issue with a pregnant Maine Coon. Other times the breeder and his or her family are very emotionally and mentally involved with the Maine Coon before it is sold to another family.
The Buyer
Before you rush out and think it will be no issue to purchase a Maine Coon cat, please be sure that you have researched well. If you are wanting a purebred Maine Coon, look for reputable breeders. These folks can guarantee that it is a clean line that your cat comes from. The Maine Coon bought from a breeder may be more expensive, you will know if it is a show Maine Coon and the family lineage.
When a breeder is not willing to give you papers, or show papers, you could stake the fact that he is not a registered breeder. Which means that if, to save money, you purchase a cat from an unregistered breeder, and you may not get a full blood Maine Coon. It may not be evident right away, but it will be seen later on.
When you adopt from an animal shelter, there is no guarantee that you are buying a purebred Maine Coon there. The price is much cheaper than buying from a breeder. This is when you need to consider how serious you are for the long term care of a gorgeous beauty such as a Maine Coon. You will spend money to get one from a breeder. At least through the breeder you know what you are getting and will have the papers to prove so.
An Investment
Having a gorgeous Maine Coon is an investment for your family. One that cannot and should not be treated like a barn cat that runs wild. The Maine coon needs companionship, activity and loving family members. A Maine Coon will not be able to give you money per say, but the amount of love you do receive from this gentle giant is worth more than all the money in the world! Please be sure that you have the time and finances to invest in a Maine Coon. The joy and family bonding is one that will last forever.
An investment does not mean that the Maine Coon is a high maintenance cat. It does mean that you want to treat it right, take care of it correctly and give it all that it needs. One reminder, make a list of questions for the breeder you are purchasing from. This breeder should be able to answer all questions without hesitation. If there is hesitation, please check out the breeder’s reputation first, before purchasing.
