Instructions
Prepare your home for a new Maine Coon cat or kitten before visiting a breeder as you may be allowed to bring home your new kitten after seeing it during your visit. Purchase litter, a litter box, toys, dry cat food and canned cat food nutritionally balanced for your new cat or kitten. If you already own another cat, clear a separate space or separate room for your new cat to acclimate to your home and later to your other pets.
Locate a Maine Coon breeder in the Tennessee Valley area. The Maine Coon Breeders and Fanciers Association (MCBFA) contains the contact information for breeders registered with them, including Juliehill and Dixiekatz catteries in Alabama; and Calicoon and Cumbercoon in Tennessee. The Fanciers Breeder Referral List also has listings for local breeders in the Tennessee Valley area, including Congocoon in northern Alabama; Coonpaws, Cumbercoon and Firemountain catteries in Tennessee.
Contact the breeders through email or by phone to ask if they have any Maine Coon cats or kittens available for sale. Visit their websites to get an idea of the types of cats they breed and what professional cat organizations they belong to. Make an appointment to meet with a breeder to visit their cattery and meet the cats available for sale.
Visit the cattery in person to meet the cattery owner, see the prospective kittens and observe the living conditions of the home or facility. Make sure the surroundings of the cat seem clean, the cats well-cared for and fed and that the owner socializes the kittens on a regular basis. The Calicoon and Firemountain catteries state they socialize the kittens in-home. Well-socialized cats should seem comfortable around new people and appear clean and well-groomed.
Request references of past clients who have purchased Maine Coon cats through the cattery and ask them what their experiences were like dealing with the breeder. Ask the breeder about the veterinary care the cats receive and who the veterinarian is that they work with. Maine Coons are prone to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and hip dysplasia, according to the experts at Pet Place, and reputable breeders will screen for these conditions through DNA and echocardiograms. Firemountain cattery screens for HCM and polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Congocoon cats test negative for the HCM MyBPC gene mutation and they provide a written guarantee of health for their cats. Cumbercoon breeding females test negative for the MyBPC gene as well.
Ask the breeder if their cats are vaccinated against feline leukemia (FeLV) or feline AIDS (FIV) and test negative for the diseases. In addition, ask to see the pedigree for the cat and its parents. Inquire about the Maine Coon organizations the breeder belongs to. Calicoon Cattery is registered in The International Cat Association (TICA), CFA, American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA), Cat Fanciers' Federation (CFF) and is a member of the MCBFA. Firemountain is registered with CFA, ACFA and TICA. Congocoon is registered with the CFA.
Pick out a kitten to purchase and sign a contract of sale with the breeder you choose. Pay the purchase price of the cat to the breeder, usually running between $400 and $1,000, according to the MCBFA. Some breeders, like Cumbercoon and Congocoons, require that you spay or neuter their cats at six months of age and do not sell their cats with breeding rights. After spaying or neutering your cat, you will receive a "blue slip" from the cattery attesting to your cat's pedigree. Take your new cat to your veterinarian within 48 hours for a check up to ensure its health.
How to Buy a Maine Coon Cat in the Tennessee Valley
The Maine Coon cat is a massive, broad-chested, long-haired breed known for its loyal, sweet nature. They are the second most popular cat registered with the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). Maine Coons are vocal cats ranging in size from 12 to 20 pounds for males and 9 to 12 pounds for females. Their easy-going nature makes them excellent family pets who get along well with children and dogs. Though available in a variety of colors, the CFA recognizes only the classic tabby, mackerel tabby and patched tabby patterns.