Never owned a cat before and he succumbed to an angelic Maine Coon kitten

He or she says (on reddit.com):

“Never owned a cat, know nothing about cats, bought this Maine Coon kitten today, meet Sushi”

First cat he owned was this angelic kitten

First cat he owned was this angelic Maine Coon kitten

I have to comment. I can see why he succumbed to the charms of this angelic looking kitten. If you are thinking about adopting a cat, seeing this beauty for sale would be very tempting. And she’ll grow up to be a beautiful adult cat. She’s a soft, diluted tabby. Her coat is superb. Her face is like that of a young traditional Persian almost. Cuteness personified.

Then you think, if only he had resisted temptation and resolved to visit the local cat shelter instead. You’d be lucky to find as cute a cat though. It makes me think that the breeding of cats should be suspended until all the unwanted cats in shelters and sanctuaries have been re-homed. When that dream-like goal had been achieved it would be harder argue against cat breeding as long as it was done responsibly which means no inherited genetic defects and a strong focus on health and character.

I do hanker for a purebred cat however. I’d love to be the caretaker/guardian of a Maine Coon or Ragdoll for example. They say the Ragdoll is better suited to a full-time indoor life and I have a full garden enclosure so my set up would be very suitable.

Lastly, the Reddit poster is honest. He or she admits to knowing nothing about cats despite diving in and buying a kitten. There will be a steep learning curve. I hope it pans out and the kitten does well. It is sensible though to know (a) the cost of looking after a cat over about 18 years (b) something about cat behaviour (b) something about cat health. These all add up to better car caretaking.

P.S. I hope he has a contract with the cat’s breeder and I hope it is a good contract. And I hope he has all the paperwork to prove Sushi’s pedigree. Did I miss something?

Please comment here using either Facebook or WordPress (when available).

I think that anyone choosing a beautiful kitten/cat whether from a shelter or breeder, with no knowledge of cats, is going to have some problems down the road. We’re all attracted to beauty, and that may mean we use our emotions rather than logic. Cats have unique needs, and behaviors. Getting a cat based solely on looks, breed. and or personality, with no prior knowledge of cats has some inherent challenges that are better handled by people who are educated in cat care.

I hope this person gets some basic information, although even that is pretty extensive. I think the biggest problem with regard to cat guardians, is lack of knowledge, even among people like myself, who, having had cats for years, only recently began to seriously study feline needs. This actually came from experiencing undesirable vet behavior, and has led me to become a CAT Advocate. I no longer blindly trust vets, as I have for years. That’s been a very important part of my education. People who don’t fully put their trust in doctors, will with vets. We feel helpless and vulnerable with our pets. We need to know that vets are operating on opinion or educated guess. One vet will say something different than the vet down the street. So, it’s important to beware and informed, as much as possible.

I have a beautiful cat, but she was a semi-feral that I’d fed, before taking her to a shelter for possible adoption, when she was almost a year old. After a month in the holding cage, they told me that she would be killed because she was “unadoptable” due to her fear of people. I couldn’t let this happen, so I begged my landlady to let me have her, if she stayed in my room. That was over 8 years ago.

She’s had some problems, mostly due to vet behaviors, but she’s healthy now, and on raw food. I trained her to a halter and leash when I first got her, because she wanted out desperately. Her name is Mitzy because she’s a Polydachtyl with Big Mitts.

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Never owned a cat before and he succumbed to an angelic Maine Coon kitten — 4 Comments

Sandra Murphey on October 26, 2017 at 1:25 pm said:
I think that anyone choosing a beautiful kitten/cat whether from a shelter or breeder, with no knowledge of cats, is going to have some problems down the road. We’re all attracted to beauty, and that may mean we use our emotions rather than logic. Cats have unique needs, and behaviors. Getting a cat based solely on looks, breed. and or personality, with no prior knowledge of cats has some inherent challenges that are better handled by people who are educated in cat care.
I hope this person gets some basic information, although even that is pretty extensive. I think the biggest problem with regard to cat guardians, is lack of knowledge, even among people like myself, who, having had cats for years, only recently began to seriously study feline needs. This actually came from experiencing undesirable vet behavior, and has led me to become a CAT Advocate. I no longer blindly trust vets, as I have for years. That’s been a very important part of my education. People who don’t fully put their trust in doctors, will with vets. We feel helpless and vulnerable with our pets. We need to know that vets are operating on opinion or educated guess. One vet will say something different than the vet down the street. So, it’s important to beware and informed, as much as possible.
I have a beautiful cat, but she was a semi-feral that I’d fed, before taking her to a shelter for possible adoption, when she was almost a year old. After a month in the holding cage, they told me that she would be killed because she was “unadoptable” due to her fear of people. I couldn’t let this happen, so I begged my landlady to let me have her, if she stayed in my room. That was over 8 years ago.
She’s had some problems, mostly due to vet behaviors, but she’s healthy now, and on raw food. I trained her to a halter and leash when I first got her, because she wanted out desperately. Her name is Mitzy because she’s a Polydachtyl with Big Mitts.
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Rena Lee on October 26, 2017 at 4:31 am said:
Nearly 20 years ago I brought home a little black kitten from the shelter, and had absolutely no idea what breed he was. He grew into a large Maine Coon with striking features and the most remarkably complex emotions. As with most Maine Coons, he was gentle giant with intelligence to boot. If I told him “No, Buddy!” just once, he remembered it for life and never repeated his infraction. If I raised my voice a little too high at him, his feelings literally would become hurt and he would go off and sulk. He could become difficult, though, if he felt not enough attention was being paid to him or he wasn’t feeling well, and would communicate his displeasure in a way most people would not appreciate. I didn’t mind, though — in fact, I really enjoyed the company of pet with such well-developed emotions.
There was a big hole in my life when he passed away at the age of 16. My other cat just didn’t have a similar personality and couldn’t fill the void, so I ended up searching the shelters for Maine Coons. Unfortunately, no Maine Coons could be found in the shelters and I ultimately ended up going with a Maine Coon breeder. Unfortunately, the Maine Coon kitten I brought home developed FIP and passed away.
I am a big supporter of cat shelters and nearly all of my cats have come from shelters. However, I also see a need for cat breeders in that they may support cat breeds with personalities that might not do well in a shelter atmosphere. If there weren’t breeders around to keep the lines going, cats like my Buddy may cease to exist. I, for one, think the world is a better place with difficult (but smart!) cats!
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- Michael Broad on October 26, 2017 at 6:06 am said:
  Great comment Rena. I certainly understand your point. There is a place for cat breeders but I have doubts about there place in the world when people are euthanising millions of rescue cats. That said I’d love to own a purebred cat. I do have a conflict in my mind over this. Your Maine Coon sounds very special. He sounds as if he was genuinely more intelligent than normal.
  Reply ↓
Albert Schepis on October 25, 2017 at 8:26 pm said:
I agree with Michael on everything (what a shock that is) and yeah it’s hard not to praise this kitten’s looks, but there does have to be more to it. I would and have felt for cats who’ve had serious problems, but if an otherwise healthy cat like this would develop no personality, I’d rather have passed on her. Again, I would even care for a daine brammaged cat her whole life, but to pick a cat solely on looks is not what our world needs. Often the “mutts” of the world have wonderful personalities. I had a Maine Coon who was pretty much a runt, but his personality still makes me think of and miss him long after his death now. He was “just” a stray. Lastly, yes there will be a learning curve for the man. I hope he’s up for it.
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Never owned a cat before and he succumbed to an angelic Maine Coon kitten

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Never owned a cat before and he succumbed to an angelic Maine Coon kitten — 4 Comments

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