Got to briefly comment on this. The insurance cost must be directly related to the inherited health of the cats in the respective cat breeds. The table clearly indicates that the Maine Coon costs caregivers the most in terms of veterinary bills.
This must mean that this beautiful and third most popular breed is plagued by inherited health problems as is, ironically, the most popular dog breed in the UK, the French bulldog which has a miserly lifespan of 7 years.
Equally clearly, people who purchase purebred cats and dogs heavily prioritise appearance over health which is why the cat breeders under the auspices of the cat associations do exactly the same thing.
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It is a bit shocking if like me you are really concerned about animal welfare. I don’t want to paint an overly negative picture as I like the Maine Coon as much as anyone else but this is bad news.
The Maine Coon has been spoiled by irresponsible breeding and oversight by the cat associations which could rectify these health problems at a stroke by dramatically altering the breed standard but that would take time to filter through and the appearance would be altered dramatically over time.
There would be a reversion of appearance to the way the old established breeds such as the Maine Coon were at the turn of the 20th century at which time they now look like moggies! Almost. The Maine Coon that won the first American cat show in Madison Square Garden looks nothing like today’s Maine Coon. And I bet that the Maine Coons of the late 1800s and mid-1900s were healthier cats than today’s.
There needs to be a readjustment in the cat fancy and the dog fancy to better balance health and appearance. Unfortunately, my thoughts will fall on stony ground and never be acted upon. I am wasting my time.
The Bengal is also badly affected by HCM as is the Ragdoll while the Scottish Fold is the product of ‘torture breeding‘ according to the Germans as is the Persian and the Sphynx.
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What do you think about these costs? A lot, right? You have got to have a decent amount of disposable income to justify paying these costs. The killer is this: you probably have to take out medical insurance for these cats because you’ll be at the vet’s more than normal dealing with inherited illnesses. People in the market to purchase a purebred cat with inherited diseases – and most of them have – need to budget carefully and get their expectations right.
