Free Maine Coon Kittens

if the vet says maine coon tabby thats what you have a traditional maine coon is a feral breed that that interbreeds with other populations but the coon gene is dominant and thats what keeps the breed healthy you can run into a lot of problems when you look to get a pure bred coon and it can lead to a lot of health problems hope you find a home for your little boy he sounds a character! if you want to post the information with the maine coon club im sure they might be able to help find a good home pure breds and mixes are loved and treasured there!

I am a rescuer of cats, I may not be educated of all the hurt, sick or abandon cats that I have but I try to give to the best of my knowledge what they are and sometime I am right. I have list on petfinders a main coon mix with one heck of a personality. He opens doors and windows. He is a lover when its he wants to. He is very smart and can have an attitude when you tell him no. He is like no other cat I have rescue. He has been taken to the vet and his breed saids main coon tabby, I still think he is mix but who knows. We do have adoption fees but it does cover the cost and love that has been put in them. He is 3 yrs old and abandon. Most people wants kittens and its hard to find homes for them. I have never adopted out a cat long distance or at least out of the state of WA. So Maybe the right person and I feel its going to a good home I do what ever it takes to place these precious cats in a good loving home forever. Someone who will not abandon it and love it

If you are still looking I have two sweet neutered big boys that are looking forever loving home. They are 8 year old brothers, Hans and Christian. They are Main Coon, Turkish Angora. Black and white.Hans has three legs and gets around well. They are both extremely loving and appear to adjust well. I took them in temporary from a friend but can't keep them. They came from a home with dogs and seem to do fine with my cats (2 finicky girls). I can send photos. AMJ

Karen: I am not sure what you are expecting to find? If a shelter advertises a Maine Coon mix, it likely is. Shelters have people working there who know a lot about the animals they see, and shelters will also have a veterinarian examine their animals as well. If they think they have a Maine Coon "mix", if it has most of the traits of a Maine Coon, it probably is one.

One of the problems for Maine Coons with the cat fancier folks is that despite the organizational attempts at "standardizing" the breed, it is an essential element of the Maine Coon Cat that they vary a great deal. Add to their normal variations the introduction of non-Maine Coon genetic elements, and the variety from one cat to another will be very wild.

There are so-called "Maine Coon Rescue" organizations, and if you do a Google search, they'll pop up, including one somewhere near you.
That may or may not be a better source for what you seek. Although I think you will need to raise your budget to account for a certain snobbery that tends to exist with those who specialize in Maine Coons.

I know there are not any free Maine Coon cats (just like there not any free Persian kittens/cats which I have had along with a shelter/foster kitten). But I am having a hard time finding finding a "mixed" Maine Coon (with a lot of the characterists of a Maine Coon. When I "go" to a site in the north Dallas area, I may find one that resembles a Maine Coon, large, and supposedly with a temperment of a Maine Coon but then when I get to the site not much is there and I get sent all over the place claiming the young cat/andor kitten is Maine Coon or PART Main Coon which they obviously are not..at least to me. This is very frustrating. I will pay up to $200 including all shots up to date and possibly neutering/spading includined with the $200. Is there such a place that I can inquire about one?
Thank you.

Kelly: If you are anywhere in the northeastern US, there are at least five wonderful Maine Coons available for adoption.

My wife and I can't stay away from Maine Coons. I have written before on this site about our two "new" Maine Coons who we adopted last January and the October before that. We lost our two the previous year to feline aids and feline age.

In my thirty five years of Maine Coon love, I have always bought my boys and girls from registered breeders. I have had a 50% success ratio with one half of them being really healthy and long lived. I believe the other 50% came with built in health issues due to one simple reason: keeping a genetic strain pure is simply beyond the financial resources of most breeders. Simply put, breeding Maine Coons is NOT something you do to make money, and therefore it is a very, very expensive hobby.

We found Opus and Ashley in shelters here in Maine. Now Opus and Ashley have bonded. They play chase, tussel and generally are pals. Neither one of these two is an "alpha" cat, so there is no fighting or hissing, just good cat fun. A treat to watch.

Recently we have become interested in at least thinking about another Maine Coon. There are so many lovely Maine Coons available because so many people have abandonned their cats due to the recession.

Their all shown on the Maine Coon rescue or the pet finder website. They may not have papers but they don't give a rat's ass: they are just as very much a Maine Coon Cat as the next National Champion!

So, Kelly, look to the shelters, and keep looking. YOu may have to travel a bit, but in the end you will find a wonderful Maine Coon friend. You won't get the bragging rights of saying your furry family member has this or that pedigree, but I believe the chances are far better that you will have a healthy, happy Maine Coon family member for many, many years if you adopt rather than try to buy from a breeder who's ability to breed and pay the overhead of doing so is going to be always in question.

In the late 1960's to 1970's, Maine Coon cats became "fashionable" again. For several decades they were "out" among the people who think pedigrees are important. I believe inevitably, inbreeding has occurred and with it, health issues throughout the breed. So look carefully, and unless you demand a full breeding and financial examination of the breeder, I believe you should stay away from them. If you end up buying from a breeder, make sure you have a signed health guarantee that will be for the life of the cat you buy.

Good luck! Your new best Coon friend is waiting for you now.

Roger

My husband and I had our Maine Coon for 16 years, he was our first child. He recently passed and we are looking to get another within the next few months.

As a Maine resident and the proud owner of two Maine Coons, I've never bought a Maine Coon cat from a breeder! There are so many orphans out there and the place to find them is at any humane society or SPCA orphanage. Sometimes, even vets have free Maine Coons. And don't be afraid to adopt an adult -- I adopted a five-year old and she lived to be 15. I currently have a two-and-a-half-year old and sometimes I wish she'd have been bigger when I adopted her because she's trouble with a capital T.

Maine Coons are beautiful, smart, loving and wonderful family pets. But please don't make the commitment unless you're ready to have that animal for his or her lifetime.

It's a lot like having a child.

писать сюда:kissaforum@mail.ru

I would like a kitten if available

please contact us if you are also in need of a kitten i have kittens which are ready for free adoption contact now for more info on jannebruk@gmail.com

Would like to have one if available.

Great read. I was alerted to your Internet site while investigating a suspected scam. I applied to an advert online for a Maine coon kitten for sale. The person who replied commented the kittens were free and asked for details about me and my family. The FREE part alerted me as it did sound too good to be true. This person sent 3 photos of the supposed kittens but they did not look the same in each photo. After searching the net for these photos it lead me to this site as this person is using your picture above your article ( kitten on the chair). Thought you might like to know

i understand where you are coming from i first saw a maine coon over 20 years ago and fell in love at the time there were under a 100 maine coons in the whole of ireland and VERY expensive! however if i had focused on only getting a maine coon i would have missed out big time on 18 years with marco my half persian rescue and very much the love of my life he was my baby while grace my 2 and a half year old maine coon (traditional) started as my baby because she was so ill is now turning into my best bud and i love her just as much as i loved marco just in a different way.At different times in your life you will find the right cat will find you,look for the cat who needs you that you form an almost immediate connection dont reject it because this time it might happen not to be an MC you could really cheat yourself of a wonderful relationship if you do. by the way except for the paws and the language marco was just as glued to me as grace is but a lot more openly affectionate! grace likes to show she is her own girl and while she comes for a cuddle she almost immediately wants down cause she has her own things to do! even when shes following me around she still tries to pretend that its because she just happens to want something from the room im going to and its just a coincidence!!! lol

Wow. Lots of issues, not a lot of knowledge aside from what has been read here or there.

Maine Coons are great. But there appears to be a wide spread misunderstanding about what a Maine Coon really is. To begin with, there is really no such thing as a "pure bred" Maine Coon. There are Maine Coons that have come from a cattery that has been attempting to breed cats that are like Maine Coon's, according to some association breed standard, but the associations' standards are all artificial and represent ONLY the standard that has been set and modified since the breed was recognized by that association.

From my experience I would NEVER buy a cat from a breeder again. There are several reasons, many of them having to do with money. No, not MY money: the breeders. It is extremely expensive to breed animals of any sort, all the while maintaining the genetic purity and managing to guard against in-breeding or introduction of some genetic or other health defect. Most breeders really cannot play the breeder game at this level.

While most reputable breeders will guarantee that the cattery is voris free, and that the breeding pair has been tested, few if any breeders test EACH kitten and can guarantee each kitten to be so also disease free. It is a matter of dollars.

My first Maine Coons were from one of the "most reputable" breeders in Maine. There were three of them which I enjoyed, but in the end, only one was truly healthy, and my prized friend Courtney, died of feline infectious peritonitis, which her vet said she likely carried from birth.

My next best friends came from another "reputable" Maine breeder. That was Pablo, and he was very healthy and strong all sixteen years of his life. But his neice, Kathryn, five years younger died of feline aids, again, probably carried from birth. Times and financial fortunes change, and I suspect the cost of maintaining breeders and proper breeding procedures proved too much for both breeders.

We have two Maine Coons here now. One is a true polydactyl and the other a more "modern" version....one with ear tufts and slightly more pointed face....the newest "standard". Both were rescued. We bought both of them from shelters, and both are healthy, were tested before we bought them, and are delightful.

Neither of them has papers. You know what? Neither of them cares about papers. Are these Maine Coons? I dunno: they have ALL the Maine Coon traits and descriptive builds, depending on which fancy association you subscribe to.

Opus was considered to be an adult when we adopted him. $25.00 adoption fee. Ashley was only a year old when we adopted her, and she was $75.00.

We won't be entering these two into any cat shows any time soon. The cats don't care, and neither do we. By the way, regardless of the adoption fee, the vet's visits and regular innoculations cost the same, regardless of how much one has paid for the animal.

I did some work of MC health issues to:

http://cat-chitchat.pictures-of-cats.org/2008/06/maine-coon-cat-health.html

We don't know for sure how genetically healthy or not the MC is for sure except that HCM seems to be quite prevalent. But Valley Girl simply reports what she hears and sees as a MC cat keeper.

There should be more focus on purebred cat health and less on appearance and the cat associations should manage this. They hardly do.

Here are a couple of links regarding MCC:

Maine Coon Rescue is a non-profit that works with Petfinder.com to match MCC with potential Guardians.

MaineCoon.org is merely a reference site but worth looking at if you're looking for a MCC; however, they don't guarantee breeders listed there - only that they are familiar with them.

Vasili's is a small MCC breeder in Missouri. I read through their site and it's pretty impressive. Again, nothing is free and if you're looking for a free MCC - money being the objective, I would suggest you forget the whole thing. If you cannot afford the breeder fee, then you definitely cannot afford the upkeep of a purebred MCC. This is a lifelong commitment, not something to fancy now and disgard later, no matter how well-meaning one may be at the time.
http://www.vasilismainecooncats.com/

There are a number of sources on-line which provide information regarding the 2 - 3 diseases which Maine Coons may be pre-disposed. One of the best sources I've noted is located here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine_Coon#Health

Washington State University's School of Veterinary Health (State of Washington, USA) is one facility that offers gene-testing for the feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy autosomal gene usually found in approximately 30% of Maine Coons. (Your vet can obtain the necessary items & DNA sample to send them).

The CFC (Cat Fanciers Association) is another useful source of Maine Coon Information. It should also be noted, in the information I have been able to access on Maine Coons, the info has stated the EXACT origins of the Maine Coon are UNKNOWN, though several viable theories are listed.

I must defend Valley Girl. She is a very thoughtful and honest person. What she says is worth listening to.

"Maine Coons are very healthy because they are a natural breed"

No purebred cat today is "natural" as all have been selectively bred for years and often decades.

The MC was natural when it was a moggie 400 years ago. Since the mid 1900s or so it has been bred. Breeding cats is not "natural" because there has to be inbreeding to fix appearance.

I'm looking for a Maine Coon now and getting discouraged. Just got back from a local cat adoption show -100 cats from various shelters. No luck. Not even a MC mix among them. Not that those kittens weren't tempting but I want a MC like my last cat.

The only free purebreds (of any breed) I have heard of are those put up for adoption by relatives of elderly owners who died or went into care facilities. Or owners whose cat's did not get along with the present cat or dog. Or cats who had behavior problems the owner couldn't handle. Best to look for them in want ads or through rescue programs. And when I mean free I mean $100-$150 which is what shelters charge. Often as not there are two cats that must be adopted together. I've only seen 1 purebred MC in an ad and he had problems I didn't want.

Not going to find a lost Maine Coon since all purebreds are chipped and can be traced to their owners, if not back to their breeder.

Not going to find a free retired show cat or breeder. They are sold to especially well investigated families.

Almost all the shelter cats labeled as Maine Coon are mixes not purebreds. But you are not going to find many mixes either now that breeders neuter their kittens before sale. Before a person could put off getting their pet-quality MC neutered. Then he gets out and unknown to you meets a couple of cute bitches before you find him (only takes a few minutes). In a few months time there are a few dozen MC mixes born. But not anymore.

My problem is that I not only love the look of the MC but I want a cat with that personality. I want a cat that will follow me room to room and sit down next to me when I write rather than make themselves comfortable on the downstairs sofa for the day like our first tabbie. I want one who will talk to me and hug me with their big furry paws. But that comes at a hefty price tag these days.

Valley girl said: "I've read so many sad stories from my flickr friends whose purebred Maine coons died at 1+. 2, 4 years because of diseases known to affect purebred Maine coons..."

Are you referring to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)? That is a single disease not diseases.

When I checked the discussion at Flickr (in which you took part), only *two* women told the "so many sad stories" of which you speak. Neither woman had a Maine Coon that died of HCM (although one had another breed/mix that had died of HCM). Both had purebred Maine Coons *diagnosed* with HCM that were being treated but diagnosed with does not mean died of.

Exaggeration much?

Maine Coons are very healthy because they are a natural breed; nature shaped their bodies not man. They are not prone to catching any illness or at any greater risk of developing a problem that any other purebred. My pure bred MC lived for 17 years. My next store neighbor went through three domestic cats in that time.

In a situation somewhat similar to "Grace's", my Maine Coon, Munchkin, was found orphaned in the Newport News, Virginia (USA) Shipyard when she was just 3 weeks old. A gentleman (who's affiliated with a local cat rescue/adoption group), foster-cared for her until she came to live in her forever home with me at 13 weeks of age.

just to add grace was an abandoned rescue kitten i live in youghal in ireland and im afraid one very irresponsable owner left their maine coon loose and intact! and over last couple of years the majority of ferals in the area are carrying the mc gene and and a lot of them would actualy pass for pure breds. a traditional maine coon is by nature a cross breed that is what kept the breed healthy and with the gene being the dominant one its safe to say if you want to take on a stray kitten in youghal chances are now about 50 50 it will be maine coon and a lot healthier than some of the so called breeders out there so unless you want to show your cat come and rescue some of our little ones they are very deserving and in need of a home

"Gracie's" comment is right on the money! Although in most of the information available it will state female Maine Coon's weight tends to be be between 11 - 18 lbs,they CAN weigh-in as much as the males do. According to some info I found about Maine Coons on the Wikipedia website, the heaviest Maine Coon on record weighed 40 lbs! My own Maine Coon, Munchkin, is 5 years old now and weighs just over 13 lbs.

just to let you all know dont assumme your maine coon or feral coon/rescue wont become extremely large if they are female i think its only fair to let you know gracie is now 2 and a half and 16 and a half lbs and still growing! picking a female will not necessarily mean a smaller cat

The advice/info provided by Gail on 7/22/11 is spot on. This reputable breeder info goes for any type of pet you're looking for too, dog, cat, rabbit, snake, whatever you want. There is so much info out there about finding a reputable breeder that it is key to do as much research as possible before making the decision to go out and buy any pet. Those who overbreed are not doing it to better the breed but to make money. Anyone who makes a lot of $$$ breeding is not doing it properly. I'm so sorry you were duped lovmypuppies. I'm also glad that you didn't decide to dump your kitty into a shelter. It's refreshing to know that there are such good people out there who love their pets so much.

I am one of the very lucky ones...I found my Maine Coon (maybe a mix, but not sure) at a shelter. Actually, he didn't even become a resident at the shelter b/c it was closed. It was Columbus Day 2000 and I was off work and bored, so I decided to visit the shelter cats, having no idea it was closed and no intention of coming home with a cat. We lived in an apt. with a no pet policy. The building that houses the shelter also has an animal hospital which is why the doors were open. I was able to see some of the cats through the windows from the lobby but was very disappointed I couldn't go in and visit with them. A woman came through the door, closed box in hand. Me being the nosey person I am (tee hee) just had to find out what was in the box. When she opened it, I was thrilled and taken aback. Inside were 2 kittens covered in cooking oil. Apparently, they'd gotten up onto the counters and knocked it over and wound up wearing most of it. The poor lady was crying her eyes out. Seems her husband was the one making her get rid of the kittens. I immediately told her I'd take 1 of them. Truth be told, I wanted to take both of them, but knew I was pushing it with the 1 already. They were both boys and looked like twins, so I just closed my eyes and pointed to 1...that ended up being my Pooks. He just turned 11 years old a few weeks ago and he's the best cat I've ever had. More like a dog really. From the time I brought him home, he's played fetch with his special stuffed chicken. He really brings the chicken back for me to throw over and over. He loves it! Even when he's off in another room sleeping, I just have to sing his special chicken song (which I made up myself lol) and he comes running! He greets everyone at the door, no matter who it is. He just loves people and other animals. He used to have a special kitty friend in the neighborhood who would visit him at the window every morning until his family moved out of the neighborhood. Pooks does go outside, but he wears a harness whenever we take him out.

I always had cats growing up and I have to say, Pooks is at the top of my list. He's just such a lovebug and so smart!

Thanks everyone for sharing your Maine Coon stories....

Deanna

The only way to ensure you're getting a true Maine Coon cat is to purchase from a reputable breeder - one who ONLY deals with Maine Coon cats. A reputable breeder will have all of the documentation for both parents readily available and will encourage you to check them out with whatever the appropriate Maine Coon cat societies are out there. Another thing, reputable breeders will NOT allow just anyone to adopt one of their kittens/cats. They will do their own due diligence and check YOU out to ensure the safety of their furkids...and they will NEVER EVER be free - they are rather expensive, and most of the time you will be put on a waiting list as a true breeder does not over-breed their cats. Depending on how many breeding adults they have, they go by the natural rhythm of the birth cycle. They are NOT kitty mills - they care for their cats and do it for the betterment of the breed, not to make a profit.

That being said, there are so many cats out there who need homes, so it's very gratifying that you chose to keep your little furball, rather than returning her.

I would also encourage everyone to check their local shelters. You would be AMAZED at how many breeds, other than tabbies, are available even if purebred papers are unavailable.

I thought I had bought a pure bred maine coon....it's 9 months later n 400$ and my vet just informed me that my sweet cat is just a calico house cat...I got her in the Smith Falls area from a lady named Jo anne .She lives on a farm with a lot of breeds of cats,I am telling you this so you do not get tricked like I did.All my life I wanted a maine coon,now I've paid for one and still don't have one and now it's too late cause I wouldn't give my Lexie up for the world ,I just don't want anyone else to be tricked like I was and end up paying 400$ for a common house cat.

As the regulars here know, my Abby is a Maine Coon cat mix. Although we've had cats our entire lives, I had never seen or known a Maine Coon before Abby. Man, what a GREAT little(?) girl she is! She's now 3 years young and weighs in at a hefty 13 pounds, but is not fat.

She's not a lap cat, but loves all the attention anyone gives her. She runs to the door when someone knocks and comes to get me if someone knocks on the back door and I don't hear it being at the other end of the apartment.

Abby is a one person cat; however, she loves to talk to the outdoor cats when they come to the porch in the early morning to be fed. Yep, Maine Coon cats are wonderful... Glad Abby found me!

I actually adopted a Maine Coon from my humane society. He is mixed I believe. He is very cute, permits any touching and loves bathes and ear cleaning. He is 17 pounds too, not much smaller than a pure bred.

We found Pippie when he was 5 weeks old at a campground in Red River N.M. We took him to the vet and he was declared perfect. He traveled with us all over New Mexico, then back home to Texas. We didn't even know what breed he was until a year later on another vacation, we walked into a store in Glenwood Springs, CO and there stood a grown-up replica of our Pippin. The lady told me he was a Maine Coon and his name was Pippin! Our Pippin was not a pedigree, but he was gorgeous, had the silkiest fur, the most loving personality and he was my soul mate. Even though we rescued multiple cats and dogs over the years, there was only one Pippin. Now, 19 years later, he's gone and I'm heartsick, even though I know he lived like a prince throughout his life. I have reached the point that I want not a replacement, because there will never be another Pippin, but I'd like to find another kitten that looks like Pippin. He certainly can be a mix, but I'd love to have one that has the silky fur - fur like I've never found on another cat. Wish me luck, and thanks for the article. It is right on.

Thanks for a nice comment VG. Wise words. I am disturbed to hear about the early deaths of the purebred Maine Coons of your Flickr friends. I would like to know more about that. I'll contact you.

Best
Michael

I fully agree with the last comment - good comment. There needs to be a realistic approach to keeping a domestic cat.

Hi Michael, I see you've reposted this.

Now that I have a Maine coon, I have more to say than I did before.

I was totally fascinated by Maine coons, and totally lucked out finding a purebred Maine coon on petfinder. com. A one a gazillion chance. The first "purebred" cat I've had. But not a kitten.

She's 8 yo now, and seems okay health-wise. She's a wonderful cat. I've thought about getting another cat (don't want a kitten), and so far, no.

But, I've read so many sad stories from my flickr friends whose purebred Maine coons died at 1+. 2, 4 years because of diseases known to affect purebred Maine coons...

And, I've learned a lot more about the "cat fancy" and breeders since then. I was able to track Ms. Cat to her breeder, because I got papers when I adopted her. And, I exchanged several emails with the original breeder, and the local breeder who bought her.

The original breeder is okay, the local breeder who acquired her turned out to be totally unfriendly. I met her at a local cat show, and she couldn't give me the time of day, despite her telling me that she would be at the local cat show. In an earlier email, she was "shocked" that Ms. Cat was sent to rescue (where I found her via petfinder), as she said she would have been happy to take her back. Ms. Cat had been sold to a private individual, and Ms. Cat was put into rescue because her owner was ill, and could no longer care for her.

I can only speculate... but, I do wonder if the local breeder proved as fearsome to the private owner as she did to me. If I had been she, the private owner, I certainly would not have asked the local breeder to take back Ms. Cat.

As a result of this experience, I would certainly NOT go looking for a "free" Maine coon again, kitten or otherwise. I was extremely lucky. And, if I decided I wanted another purebred Maine coon, from a breeder, I would be extremely cautious about choosing that breeder. Right now, I can think of one breeder I would consider, whom I met at the cat show.

The prices for Maine coons from a breeder are not really huge, considering the money that one spends maintaining a cat, any cat over the long haul. I mean, assuming vet bills for regular stuff, food, etc. In other words, there is no such thing as a "free cat" or a "free Maine coon kitten".

I was extremely lucky with my Maine coon. But, if I were to get another cat, I wouldn't count on such luck again. Really, I'd probably go with a beautiful moggie. Because that's what I know best.

Any pet costs money. If you can't afford to buy one, then chances are you can't afford to properly care for one...

Most shelters do charge some sort of adoption fee. These fees vary greatly from shelter to shelter and will depend on a lot of variables such as the area in which the shelter is located, the number of cats that the shelter has, the costs of medical treatment that the shelter has to bear in order to keep a healty environment for the animals that it has.

Adoption fees also drop depending on the age of the cat, an some shelters will give away older cats to people who will take them instead of a young kitten. In general younger cats will be more expensive than older ones.

There are many shelters and finding the right cat friend may mean that visiting as many shelters as possible will be the best way to find the best cat at the best price to fit your budget.

For me the problem I live on a fixed income and can't afford the expense of the adoption fees. Therefore I am looking for a Maine Coon, I don't really care if it pure blood or mixed. I see that some cats have been sheltered for a year and not adopted, They refuse to drop the fee for Senior Citizens. Car dealers drop prices for cars not selling, Why cant the shelters/

I wrote about losing my Kathryn and the other Maine Coons that were our friends for years. After a period of mourning, we decided that it was entirely too quiet around here to NOT have a cat or two. Both my wife and I secretly were searing for another Maine Coon. All my previous Maine Coon friends came from registered breeders, and of the six, three had chronic diseases or health problems, two of which were fatal. Their veterinarians all said that the diseases were probably dormant from their mother.

I live in Maine, and it appeared to me that perhaps Maine breeders simply cannot afford to keep their breeders and gene pools clear and clean of health issues. We spoke with one breeder who has been in the business of breeding Maine Coon Cats for more than thirty years, and after talking with her, we decided to look for a rescued Maine Coon.

I bound Opuss in a shelter fairly close to where we live. His picture was on line and I immediately drove the thirty miles to meet him, and adopted him on the spot.

Opuss was found wandering around the city, and taken to the shelter by the animal control officer. His fur was matted, and he had some worms, but after he was cleaned up, he was just incredibly sweet and gentle. The shelter people thought he was about five years old, and although he could be, I think he might be one or two years younger.

Opuss is a true polidactyl with extra toes on each foot and enormous feet they are! He also has big and thick leg bones which makes me think he may not be finished growing.

Officially he is a Maine Coon/mix, but he has ALL the traits of a pedigreed Maine Coon. Sweet, gentle, loving and laid back. You can see his picture on the Maine Cat's page at www.acadiareaders.com. He's been here about three weeks now, and we can see he is very busy growing his winter fur. I'll have more pictures of him later, but once his fur is fully grown in, I think he's going to be quite the image of a Maine Coon Cat.

Opuss Rex is a good friend!

Please, write me atjbernier2@hotmail.com
I want to buy a Main Coon Cat. Thanks

Please, write me atjbernier2@hotmail.com
I want to buy a Main Coon Cat. Thanks

I don't have a Maine Coon because they are sometimes a lot of money, but now I am mad at myself. I just got a cute little kitten and now i see that you could get a free Maine Coon kitten! why did i do that! well they are sooooooooo cute! I'm going to get a ton of cats when i get older, including Maine Coon cats and kittens! thank you for this web site!
P.S. i am a cat lover!

I didn't know I needed a Maine Coon, but was on a small ranch in Virginia one day and met the love of my life. Quilter became an indoor cat, from running 35 acres, and learned how to walk on a leash. We traveled together quite a bit and eventually ended up in Texas. Maine Coons are smart and affectionate. He always knew when people were making a fuss over him and Quilter just lived it. God knew I needed love and he also knew that Quilter needed additional medical attention. He had a very bad sinus infection that took almost two years and several thousand dollors to get it cleared up, but it was worth every penny.

We have had Maine Coons for nearly thirty years. All of our Maine Coons came from a breeder and were "registered" until I got Kathryn.

Kathryn was from a registered breeder and came equipped with the appropriate forms to register her, too. I am not a breeder nor interested in breeding so all of my cats have been appropriately "socialized". After Kathryn's surgery, I asked her if she wanted to be registered. Since she was silent on the subject, I figured that she really didn't give a rat's behind for any of the cat fancier's association and all that folderal and the subject never came up again.

We just lost Pablo Picatso. He was sixteen and so named because when he was adopted, he was the runt of the litter...a black and white patch tabby with brown, who was just the wrong color. But since I owned a seasonal art gallery, and needed a cat...well, in Maine, what kind of cat do you think belongs in an art gallery? Pablo was so named because I figured is Pablo Picasso had ever painted a Maine Coon Cat with his eyes in the right place, it would like like Pablo. So Pablo Picatso became his name.

We are thinking of anther Maine Coon now. We cannot stand the sound of silence now that Pablo is gone. But this time we will not be visiting the breeders. From what we have learned over the past ten years or so, it appears that Maine breeders have allowed the initial foundations of the breed to deterriorate in the interest of producing "designer cats"...the right linx tips, the right colors, the right this and that, and of course the extermination of double paws which used to be an original element of the Maine Coon. We also are aware of many registered breeders who have had just bad kittens....respiratory and tooth issues among other problems.

But there are a huge number of Maine Coon/mix cats and kittens that are in the shelters, and they all need homes. We plan on searching and will find the best one, or maybe two for our home. No, we won't be entering them into any shows, but then again it is extremely important to remember that Maine Coon Cats don't really give a rat's behind about shows: cat shows are for the people involved.

I'm so sorry for your loss Lynn. It's so difficult to lose a beloved family member, especially those who are so loyal and give us unconditional love. We had to put our sweet 9 year old mini American Eskimo dog, Sadie, to sleep on 9/23/10. She didn't show any signs of being sick until it was too late...we discovered she had cancer after many rounds of testing, including same tests done multiple times. We did not want her to suffer any longer and made the decision to put her to sleep before she started experiencing pain. She had gotten very weak from severe anemia and could barely walk on her own. This lasted about 4 days and we knew the pain would be next. It feels as though my heart has shattered into a million pieces and I sob for our loss daily, many times daily actually. I understand completely what you're going through. Sometimes talking to others who have experienced it helps. I was able to speak with my neighbor about it, not only had she experienced what I was going through, but she also knew and loved my Sadie too. If you've not seen it yet, please look for the poem The Rainbow Bridge...that has helped me to cope as well.

May our beloved furry kids RIP until the day we meet them again!

Deanna

I lost my most loyal friend on sat.10/9/2010.
she was a coon mix only 6.5 yrs. old. I never
knew she was sick until it was to late.
Please have your friends checked for cardiomyopathy before it's to late for them,
it's to late for me.all I have left is pain,sorrow
and guilt! rest in peace Fluffmuffin.
WE love you,and will never forget you.

so sorry to hear about your loss rocky i lost my marco a few years back he was a hand reared 18 yr old and even now i can get very upset thinking about him. the only advice i can give you is only to disscuss him with other friends who are cat lovers or even dog lovers they will understand the grief your going through and unlike pet free friends wont think youve lost the plot and make you feel even worse.I wish you my best at this time and will keep you in my thoughts take care, jessie.

My wife and I had to put our Maine Coon cat into
eternal sleep, due to health issues. His name was
Tufts, a gray/silver male and was around ninteen
years of age. I have not cried that hard in a long
time cause it broke my heart to lose him. He was
smart and had alot of character and was very devoted to both of us. We miss him and his cute
little face waiting to greet us when we arrive home and open the
vehicle door. It's like losing a family member,
only worse, because his love was unconditional.

PO Box 900 Enosburg Falls VT. 05450
(802) 933-7307

In September 2006, I acquired my kitty, Munchkin when she was 14 weeks of age. She was found orphaned in the Newport News Shipyard in Newport News Virginia at 3 weeks of age. A kind, elderly, gentleman rescued and foster-cared for her until she came to live with me.

Initially, I thought Munchkin was a DSH tabby, but that belief was disspelled over the next 9 months. The first oddity was her "meow." It was (as described in the literature about Maine Coons),a weak trilling sound. At 9 months of age, her fur had become significantly longer.

What most astounded me, however, was her well above-average intelligence and extremely fast learning ability! It only took 2 days to teach her that if she scratched me during play time, it meant the end of playing a particular game or with a specific toy for a few hours.

She is cautious if someone comes to the house, but not aggressive. After observing my ineraction with the person, she will come to "check the other person out." She has learned to not only associate certain words and short word phrases with meaning specific things, but also a couple of hand gestures as well!

She prefers to be close by me, wherever I am at in the house. At nights, she will only sleep right beside me on the bed with her right ear pressed against my chest. Munchkin's senses are extremely acute. For example, on a number of occasions at night, she will "alert" on either a sound or possibly a smell coming from another room.

She will quickly jump down off the bed and go trotting off to investigate. When I have gone to check up on her, I will find she has caught a very tiny spider or a very small centipede that has managed to enter the house. From where the bed is in the bedroom, the kitchen and living room cannot be seen without going out into the hallway. Munchkin could only have "alerted" on it by the aforementioned means.

Apparently the critters emit some type of sound or odor which is well outside of my senses, but not Munchkin's! (Unfortunately, she sometimes likes to eat her catches, and I always give her some of her favorite treats as a reward).

Munchkin is now 4 years old. Every time I see the way she looks at me, I am reminded of just how close her life nearly ended before it had even begun. Her road to a loving home here with me started, of all places...in a shipyard! We both have been blessed...
for Munchkin with a loving home, and for me, a loving, very loyal, and truly amazing kitty (and it didn't cost me anything to acquire her!) You just never know where a true, furry, bundle of happiness and companionship may come from!

Stay the course Michael!

umm sorry to dampin your...er whatever research you did but i got a FREE maine coon kitten!!!!! my choir teacher, who GAVE him to me FOR FREE

sometimes when you read these comments and see the love thats put into each word you got to try and remember who realy saved who because it goes both ways these cats are possably the most intelligent cats out there they know they have been found and are loved but no matter how much you spoil them they never become spoilt. they display nothing but love loyalty and appreciation they are the elephants of the cat world in more ways than one!

On March 9,2009, I was outside on a farm where we had all kinds of cats an dogs. Me an my fiancee was outside on the porch,an he happend to look off the porch. And noticed a different cat that we have never seen.I went running off the porch an picked him up.It was a male a mane coon. I fell in love at first sight. He was the most beautifulest cat in the world. Someone had dumped him off an left him there with no home or food. I took him to the vet to make sure everything was fine an get his shots up to date an thank god everything was okay.So i took him in an feed him, gave him a bath. He was so happy.An i have had him for over a year.And i'm so glad i found him. We named him Tails cause his tail is so big an furry. He is my baby an gets spoiled everyday,an i would never let anything happend to him. Thats my story on how i rescued a helpless animal.He is so smart and very pretty. I'm so glad i was able to take him in an know he is an inside cat an loves it so if u ever find a helpless animal help it or take it to a shelter where it can get HELP!!!!

I found my Maine Coon cat as an cooking oil covered mess on Columbus Day a little over 9 1/2 years ago. I was off that day and thought I'd go look at the animals at the MSPCA shelter. I didn't realize they were closed (although the animal hospital that shared the building was open). As I was leaving, clearly disappointed, a woman walked in with a closed box. Fortunately, I am a very nosey woman and I boldly went up and asked her if I could see what she had in the box. She agreed and with tears in her eyes she opened the box and showed me the most adorable orange fluff balls I'd ever seen. Both were covered in cooking oil and she relayed the story of how their Mom had gotten up on the countertop and spilled it all over the kittens. I asked her if I could adopt one of them and she wholeheartedly agreed to it...she said she wanted to keep them but her husband was making her get rid of the two of them. Personally, I would have gotten rid of the husband, but that's just me. I wanted so badly to take both of them, but I knew my apartment had a no pets policy and knew I'd be pushing my luck taking two rambunctious kittens, so I settled on one. I had to make the decision of which one to take....and couldn't. As I was agonizing over the choice I had to make, the woman suggested I take the one who had the least amount of cooking oil on it and the other would be kept at the hospital, where he would be cleaned up and adopted to a new home. So, that's just what I did....and I got the best cat in the world, and he's all Maine Coon! He'll be 10 in July, I can hardly believe it's been that long since that Columbus Day. I only hope we get at LEAST another 10 years with him, and going forward, I'll always have at least 1 Maine Coon Cat!

There is no need for papers. All animals are put on this earth to show us things we never knew. 🙂 I live in Maine and own one pure breed Maine coon... And three mixes of Maine coon and calico. They are all excellent. Excellent work Michael!

From Maine...

My Maine Coon came from my neighbor so I kinda lucked out on that one but I could care less if she was a pure Main Coon or not. My cat Meech (Or whatever name she decides to respond to today.) is awesome. And if you are really looking for a Maine Coon. Try looking in the Northeast of the USA. (I live in Connecticut and I see serveral walking around my neighborhood. All owned thankfully.) They're pretty common around here. (Or maybe I just noticed them. Oh well) In Texas you're bound to find breeders but those a few. Up here before I got Meech I went from breeder to breeder trying to right the right kitty. Most of them were Maine Coons, different breeds of Rexs (La Perm and Cornish mostly) and Russian Blues. So try here if you really want a Maine Coon kitty.

My girl is as good as any cat with papers and, who really needs them unless you are going to show or breed.
She was a tiny little thing that was hanging outside the building my mother worked. The women working there took turns feeding her all week.My mother said if the kitten was still outside the building that Friday, we would bring her home. Friday came and we got a new kitten.
For a long time we had no idea that she was anything but a mutt, then I stumbled upon the Maine Coon on an internet site. She is the exact image as the cats on the site and fit all of the qualities listed for the breed.The vet said she was a Maine Coon. She proved even more to be a Maine Coon when she grew and gained 2.5 pounds in the year after she was spayed while two years old.
I couldn't love my big girl anymore after I found out she had a breed as I had than when she was a mutt. And shy of having DNA testing,I am wondering if she still may have some "mutt" in her gene pool.
I love my cat that came from the outside and wonder how she became a little homeless kitty in the first place. I won't ever have a cat that doesn't have some part Maine Coon in her bloodline as the breed is just perfect for me.

i own a maine coon so i think that is a great thing! michael, i'm giving you a five star.
well done!

My baby girl came to me while i was at work a ball of mud blood and worms had been living rough for at least 3 weeks according to the vet and she was only about 2and a half months old.

Dumped because they probably thought she wasn't pure bred, if they could see her now they'd be kicking themselves 10 months old and bigger than the biggest tom cat in the area (and some dogs too!) she is every inch a Maine Coon and if it wasn't for a bald patch on her shoulder and over her back toes where as a baby rats tried to eat her! she would be a prize winning show cat.

She is loving loyal adores visitors adults and children. she regularly has up to 14 kids fighting over whose going to play with her and shes in the middle of it all lapping up the attention(when she sees me come she starts her cherping (which initially had me convinced she had grown up in a pigeon loft!)it warms my heart - pure breeds blah!!! she saw hell as a baby she will NEVER see it again. please remember her story the next time you see a grubby little kitten desperate for a home. thank you

Thanks for the advice. I hadn't thought all of it through.