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I'm looking at getting my Maine Coon around September and I've been looking around at some really good breeders.... but some prices are really high.... I'm not sure if high is normal or not... I know more about dog breeding and not so much cat.
So help? I found to sites so far that I like....
No price was list on this site.... but this is my 1st pick
CoonPals Maine Coons
Second is.... with no price as well...
Angel Babies Maine Coon Cat
Thoughts?
Since Samantha passed away last month I've been check out the breeders too, $700 to $800 seems to be the going rate.
I paid some where between $200-$250 for Samantha in 1995, the breeder had her discounted as she was 6 months old and she had Samantha and three 8 month old half siblings.
She offered me a discount to take a 2nd cat but I declined because I was a illegal cat owner, but I regret not taking her up on her generous offer.
She ended up keeping that cat and it and the Sire who is now 18 are her 2 remaining cats.
Rescues and Shelter have many cats that look pure or almost pure Maine Coon and if paper aren't important to you they can be adopted for much less then the cost of a Pedigree Cat form a breeder.
I don't know about breeders in America and I'm sure there's more variation over there but when I was looking here in the UK I found that there was a pretty standard price for a pet quality MC (give or take £25- £50). I didn't find that too many breeders put prices on their websites but rather you had to contact them for more information, including the cost of one of their kittens.
I'm sure some US dwellers on here can help you out! Speak to several breeders and you'll soon find one you click with - I would say that the price shouldn't be the main issue if there's a sort of 'typical' price. I'd be wary of any breeders selling kittens very cheaply.
Considering that your adding a member to your family who will love you and be part of your life for 14-20 years?
The price is well worth it.
A reputable breeder take advantage in the advances in Veterinary Medicine to screen their breeding cats for some of the hereditary medical conditions that these cats may have, this is costly, but you end up with a cat that should live a long and healthy life.
My Samantha lived for 16 years 5 days and was never sick for more then a day in her entire life.
Use the web to find the breeders in your area then e-mail them.
That's all true...... I just don't think I could spend $900 on one now.... you know? But I definitely want my Maine Cone soon....I think I could do $400-$500.... I know that sounds bad but I don't make a lot of money.... =/
Is $900 a normal price for an MC in the US??
That's more than I was expecting it to be.
We saved for a while before getting ours although we were planning for two so had some money left aside for 'later',,,
The breeder I contacted in California charges $700 for females and $800 for males.
Some breeders charge more or less depending on if the cat is show or pet quality, sometimes markings or less then perfect conformation can lower the price.
This organization rescues Maine Coons and Maine Coon Mixes and find homes for them.
Maine Coon Rescue
hmmm well I figured the deposit would be like $250 and then maybe an additional $300. So I'm gonna try and save about $600.... I really like this place too!
I've seen that rescue and gone through a lot of the cats and found one I liked :) SO I guess I'll have to go back to the site around the time I'm ready to get one :) I found another really good site too that I liked....
I've seen that rescue and gone through a lot of the cats and found one I liked :) SO I guess I'll have to go back to the site around the time I'm ready to get one :) I found another good site but ever time I try to post it it says a mod has to look at it...
Oh my!!!! I'm so glad you showed that to me! Those poor animals =( see this is why I wanted to talk to you guts about breeders, I want a good one that I can afford but that treats the breed with respect and takes care of them.
This site has a nation wide data base of available pets, you can look for cat by breed.
There are a lot of great Maine Coon Mixes looking for a 2nd chance.
Pets available for adoption, browse by animal - Petfinder
I'm looking through them now! Thank you. I really want my Maine Coon to look like this
http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/a...4xauto-208.jpg
http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/a...noinitials.jpg
The pictures you have found are of a brown mackerel tabby, rather than a 'classic' tabby pattern. Make sure you specify this in your enquiries to breeders. Good luck with your search
OH okay! I thought the ones I posted where classic tabby patterns! Whats the difference?
Have a look at my pics of Rasputin, he's a classic tabby :)
This link also gives some info: The Glorious Tabby - All About Tabby Cats
Classic Tabby - The tabby markings must be clearly defined and intense in colour. The forehead will show the classic tabby trademark of the ‘M’ which gives the impression of a frown. Unbroken stripes run from the outer corners of the eyes and there are narrow lines on the cheeks. There will be numerous unbroken necklaces around the neck and chest. The ears will show the other classic tabby trademark the thumbprint, a patch of base colour surrounded by the colour of the markings. Over the top of the head run stripes, which extend down into the shoulders. The markings on the shoulder resemble the outline of a butterfly. An unbroken line runs down the spine and there will be stripes on either side running parallel to it. ‘Oyster-shaped’ patches appear on both flanks surrounded by one or more unbroken rings. The tail has as many unbroken rings as possible and the tip is the same colour as the markings. The legs have even bracelets from the body to the toes.
Mackerel Tabby - The difference between a Classic tabby and a Mackerel tabby is in the body markings. In the Mackerel tabby there is a narrow unbroken spine line and on either side of this is a broken line running parallel to it from which numerous narrow lines run vertically down the body. This forms the Mackerel pattern. The tail rings are numerous and may be broken or unbroken
Have a look here for examples of classics and mackerels:
Maine Coon Colors
If you want a well bred MC from a good breeder, using good lines, all the correct health testing etc. then expect to pay the $700-800, I paid £450 for Jiminy and his breeder has now put the price up to £515. If you can't afford/don't want to pay the going rate for a kitten maybe contact breeders about an adult rehome? Quite a few breeders rehome adults that they've kept behind for showing/breeding but they either aren't right for showing, don't enjoy showing or have come to the end of breeding.
Thank you so much!!! I def like the Mackerels much better....I'm still learning about the breed so that helps a lot :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Wendy1969
I've decided to that I"m going to rescue a Maine Coon! All the breeders I've contacted said their selling there Maine Coons for $900-$1,000 and I talked to the Doctor I work with and she said "You should rescue a Maine Coon because a rescue one NEEDS you.... " And shes right.... I'm 100% sure there is a Maine Coon out there exactly what I want (Mackerels tabby, huge tail and long hair on the ears) looking for a new home!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blondie
Good for you, when I'm able I'm going to do the same.
The down side of the growing popularity of the Maine Coon cat is an increase of number of these gentle giants in shelters and rescues looking for a 2nd chance at a good life.
I was adopted by a abandon cat that the girls where I worked rescued, she didn't like the other office cat he was mean to her so she picked me to be her human.
Until the day she died after many happy years together she absolutely adored me and I loved her in return.
She's been gone almost 16 years and I still get misty eyed when I think of her sweet face and squeaky voice.
Aww that's so sweet!!:) I hope it doesn't make me a bad person to be picky.... I really want a pure breed Maine Coon but can't afford one. And in my heart I really want to rescue one! I just hope I can find one like I want.Quote:
Originally Posted by cooncatbob
OOh I'm finding them cheaper now... like around $400.... I wonder if the kittens I found are $1000 because they had like 5 champions in there line?
I would be wary of cats that are significantly cheaper than the norm; we paid £400 for Rasputin (which is standard for the UK). If they're cheap you're running the risk that they're not pedigrees or that they're raised in sub-standard conditions. Make sure you check them out fully before committing :)
Yeah, I second pralinehero in that if a breeder is selling all their kittens at a significantly lower price, there's probably something wrong. I've heard of breeders slightly reducing the price of kittens with, I don't know how to put it, health problems etc. but as far as I know (which isn't much!) it's not all that common that MCs are born with problems as they're a pretty hardy breed if bred correctly so it would be difficult for you to find something like that. Besides, I don't think someone goes looking for a 'cheap MC kitten'. If a breeder is selling all their kittens for a very low price it's likely that they're either not full pedigree MCs or that they could end up costing you far more in vet bills due to illnesses and so on.
I agree with everyone else in saying that if you can't afford the standard cost of an MC then it's probably best for you to look at rescue cats. We are not wealthy people at all so we saved up to make sure we could afford Teddy - I started saving around this time last year actually! I wonder if the little bundle of fluff knows how much we wanted him before we even knew him?? Anyway, I digress.
I hope you manage to find a lovely MC/part MC cat, OP. It's alright to be picky but once you meet your little guy or girl (or big if you find a fully grown one!) you'll know :)
Yeah your right..... its a tad scarey when there cheap.....I think it might have to do with all the "Champion lines". I'm gonna look in all the shelters here 1st and then online rescues :)
Look I'm sorry if I came off as I'm fine buying a Maine Coon from a bad place just because it's cheap, which I'm NOT okay with that. I honestly knew nothing about prices when it came to Maine Coon's. And on that note I DO understand the price of having an animal. Just because I don't have $1000 to drop on an animal now doesn't mean I dont know that it's going to cost $$$ money to keep that animal. Which I know that responsibility seeing as I work at a top animal hosptial. I know that its going to cost $$ to have animal and its a privilege.
This was not about me getting "What I want right now, right away" It was about taking the time to find the right cat (which I did and his very cute and needs a new home because hes a rescue.) I understand the responsibility of owning any animal and the cost of long term care. So please understand that I do know and just didn't know the world of Maine Coon breeding like you. Thank you for the advice though
Blondie I think it's great that you came on here to ask fellow MC owners questions - it's really responsible and it puts you in a much better position for finding your own little guy/girl. I think we all want to make sure you get a happy healthy cat or kitten to be your companion for years to come.
I'd had a pedigree puppy and we paid £450 for her about fifteen years ago so I knew that a pedigree cat would probably be equally as expensive. As I said previously, we saved our money to be able to pay for Teddy and all the things we needed to get for him. We also went through and worked out estimates of how much he would cost to feed and care for before he was even born. We needed to make sure we wouldn't be stretching ourselves financially by having him and yes, I have bought less shoes in the last year than normal but he's completely worth it :)
If you find you're having no luck with rescue centres and so on, would you consider saving up for a kitten? It's just a thought but it's certainly do-able if it's what you really want. Then you can find a reputable breeder in your area. Let us know if you find anyone at the rescues :)
Blondie for what its worth I also think that you have been very caring and responsible in asking for advice on here. As has been proved von this thead breeders websites can be very deceiving (them poor kitties, not going to cry again). I too am very new to the forum and Coonies having found my beloved Buddy on Preloved | UK free ads - buy and sell with local classifieds. I was not aware he was a coonie until after I got him home and got paid taxi fare and £20 for litterbox and food to take Him.
I love Buddy to bits and have started a "penny jar" putting all my change in for a kitten. BUT in the first week I had him he cost £60 at groomers due to matts, £170 at vets for health check, jabs and getting rid of the rest of the matts, £10 for frontline, £8 for wormers and about £50 on brushes, toys, scratching post etc. These are things that I didn't take into account when taking on a rescue. Don't get me wrong he is worth every penny and more but, like I feel you are, I worked out weekly cost; food, litter, money aside for vet bills, insurance and could afford to give a cat a good healthy life, it was just the initial cost that I had problems with.
The right cat is out there for you and you will find each other. When you do you will be as soppy about your cat as we all are about ours. Very personally I have found Buddy to be more of a cat than I ever dreamt possible and can't thank the members on here enough for their advice and patience with my endless questions when he first arrived.
I agree with Catslave and Stacey :); it sounds like you're doing everything right in researching what the right price is for a full pedigree and what the "running costs" are.
Not sure if you've seen this thread but it might also be helpful even though aimed at UK peeps... http://www.maine-coon-forum.info/mai...-how-much.html