Tessa the Duchess Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 We haven't had a cat for 2 years now, we've been waiting for one to adopt us, which is what usually happens. DH has fallen in love with Maine Coon cats and now he wants one I gather they are twice the size of normal cats, and I am worried it will see my chickens as fair game for a tasty supper Has anyone had a Maine Coon and could advise me on this? Sorry if I posted in the wrong forum, didn't really know where to put it Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I think that lots of people have Maine Coons here. Paola and Cinammon, I think... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ana's flock Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I used to have a Maine Coon - but that was BC (Before Chickens). However, now I've got a pretty large siamese... and he wouldn't dare getting near the sharp-beaked monsters... Maine Coons are also soft creatures - my one never hunted anything (unlike the present 'she who's miaow must be obeyed') so I don't think your chooks will have any problem putting the sweet kitty in his/her place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 (edited) Hi Tessa, I have a Maine Coon but she is not massive as was the runt of the litter. Extremely playful and very vocal, also very loving. They are gorgeous cats. Mine even plays fetch! She does try and have a bit of a stalk with the hens but I think it's more play than serious stalking. The hens have a good squawk at her and she soon loses interest. Here is a picture of Cleo! Edited May 1, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted April 30, 2008 Author Share Posted April 30, 2008 Many thanks for your replies. They do sound like lovely creatures, I think I will 'allow' DH to buy one This will be good bargaining power because I want two more chooks Actually I have googled a bit and there is a rescue place for Maine Coons which would sit well with my morals as I really feel we should get a bog standard moggy from a cat rescue centre. Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 BelleKatz has some I think and is quite an authority on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 ooh, I'm Tessa! I love cats, and I think Maine Coons look gorgeous, but as a matter of principle I won't buy a cat - it would have to be a rescue one. I am sort of half-committed to taking another one from the rescue centre that Wellington came from, just haven't got round to it yet, so my choice will be limited to what they have. I think one of Aunty E's is part MC? She has so many cats these days, I may be wrong on that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 I am a mad cat lady. Yes, my darling Dilly is a Maine coon, but I couldn't really tell you anything about the breed going by her - she is very special and tiny. My constant battle is to get her to put on weight, not something most maine coon owners have trouble with I believe. I think they're gorgeous cats though, with lovely temperaments. Dilly is extremely affectionate and loving despite her many peculiarities. Anyway at the moment I only have Cleo and Nero the Egyptian Maus, Evie the Bengal/BSH cross, Dilly the Maine Coon and Arthur the Norwegian forest cat cross....and Ignatius, Thomasina, Caligula, Poppea, Hannibal, Scipio and Zelda the kittens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 I think that lots of people have Maine Coons here. Paola and Cinammon, I think... Not me - Chilli is a Bengal Cross. I do like the sound of the Main Coon though....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted May 1, 2008 Author Share Posted May 1, 2008 Gosh you really are a mad cat lady Aunty E You may possibly be able to help me in my quest. I am having quite a time trying to actually find some MC kittens for sale. I am looking through the breeders section in the MC Breeders club and they are all so far away from me, I'm in London. Do you have any idea where I could buy one from either in London or Herts or even Kent at a pinch? Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Bellekatz's cats are amazing. I have moggies & her cats are soooo placid & cuddly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 http://www.maine-coon-cat-club.com/breedlist/herts.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 I tend to keep an eye on Pets4Homes, as that is why our darling Nero came from, and we sold our Mau cross kittens there. All the people who called for our advert were really nice (apart from one crazy lady who I had to hang up on), and people advertise registered kittens and unintentional crosses like ours. Ignatius and Thomasina will be going on there in a couple of weeks so we can get them pre-booked. Viola and Portia went to gorgeous homes, and I get lovely photos every so often of the 'grandkids'. I had a quick look, and there seem to be quite a few in the home counties, but I didn't examine the list very carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted May 1, 2008 Author Share Posted May 1, 2008 http://www.maine-coon-cat-club.com/breedlist/herts.htm[/quote] Ooh thanks Sarah because of your link I am off to Hemel Hemstead on Sunday to view a 10 week old kitten, if I fall in love with her I will leave a deposit and pick her up in about 3 weeks time These cats are MEGA expensive Oh well I'm only spending my way through my children's inheritance Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Glad it was of use Tessa, Im MEGA jealous Just out of interest if you don't mind me asking how much is a purebred Maine Coon kitten these days? My Cleo is not a pedigree and is a Maine Coon/Persian cross but even she was £80 6 years ago and she was the runt of the litter. I'm guessing you wouldn't get much change from £500? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted May 1, 2008 Author Share Posted May 1, 2008 Glad it was of use Tessa, Im MEGA jealous Just out of interest if you don't mind me asking how much is a purebred Maine Coon kitten these days? My Cleo is not a pedigree and is a Maine Coon/Persian cross but even she was £80 6 years ago and she was the runt of the litter. I'm guessing you wouldn't get much change from £500? She is going to cost £375 Apparently she will come with pedigrees and pics of her mum and dad and we must have her spayed within 6 months with certification so we don't try and breed from her. I just 'know' I am going to fall truly, madly deeply in love, so am polishing off my credit card Thanks again for everyone's advice and help and of course I will post a pic when we finally get her. Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Tessa, Why can't you breed from her? The breeder cannot request 'copyright'? Can they??? On the plus side she will be gorgeous and cute and fluffy and the bestest feline friend you and your husband will ever have! Show her the fetch game as a kitten - my Cleo now asks to play fetch on a regular basis. Her favorite game is 'goalkeeper on the stairs'. She sits on the stairs and we have to throw up balls and crumpled receipts which she then takes great joy in batting back down the stairs in mid deflection! The other thing M-C's love is their baby toy! Mine has a toy we call the whizzer, this was her first ever toy but I had her from 5 weeks old awwww - it's a stick with a soft long piece of fluffy material attached that she loved as a kitten and we used to whiz it about. Even though she is 6 years old now she carries the whole 'whizzer' about in her mouth all carefully gathered up if in the mood for fuss and brings it into our room with a strange plaintive squeaky noise as she knows she will get fuss for doing so. They are so the most wonderful cats!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted May 2, 2008 Author Share Posted May 2, 2008 Your Cleo is beautiful Sarah, she looks like she needs a lot of grooming? I don't know why we can't breed from her, I will ask the breeder when we meet him on Sunday. To be honest I would have had her speyed anyway, apart from costing a fortune she will be treated the same as all the other moggies we have had, which means constant access to the back garden where she would probably encounter all the feline ne'er do well bloke cats that are out there, the last thing I want is a pregnant cat I will have to buy her a 'whizzer' I am getting very excited! Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 If you paid the breeding price for her, they probably would allow you to register her as active - it's pretty much a default position for cat breeders not to allow you to breed from their kittens. I wouldn't worry about it, especially if you were planning on getting her fixed anyway. All it would mean was that you wouldn't be able to register the kittens with the GCCF/TICA and unless you wanted to show the kittens or improve the breed, they don't need to be registered. I have a GCCF prefix tho, but none of my babies share it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Your Cleo is beautiful Sarah, she looks like she needs a lot of grooming? I don't know why we can't breed from her, I will ask the breeder when we meet him on Sunday. To be honest I would have had her speyed anyway, apart from costing a fortune she will be treated the same as all the other moggies we have had, which means constant access to the back garden where she would probably encounter all the feline ne'er do well bloke cats that are out there, the last thing I want is a pregnant cat I will have to buy her a 'whizzer' I am getting very excited! Tessa Thank you she is a lovely cat. Yes she does need a lot of grooming, I endeavour to brush her once a day but as you can imagine she is not that keen! If you are getting your MC spayed anyway then that's good, I had Cleo spayed though on reflection I think she would have had lovely kittens! I bet you can't wait for Sunday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 I am SO jealous! I would love a Maine Coon, and a kitten - having both combined in one is going to be so much fun for you! I made a policy decision a few years ago that I'd only take in rescue cats, and that I'd only take adults because they are harder to home than kittens, and also because then you don't have to go through all the training process. I'm out at work all day and kittens are a lot of work. Pictures, please - I'll be checking on here on Sunday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted May 2, 2008 Author Share Posted May 2, 2008 I made a policy decision a few years ago that I'd only take in rescue cats, and that I'd only take adults because they are harder to home than kittens, and also because then you don't have to go through all the training process. I'm out at work all day and kittens are a lot of work. I do feel a tad guilty, buying a pedigree cat instead of taking a rescue cat, but I've rescued so many pets in my lifetime so I'm going to be selfish this time, I might even get a rescue cat when the MC has settled in. There is a Maine Coon rescue facility, but I couldn't find anything remotely near me in London, I really don't want to drive to Cornwall to rescue a cat Referring back to Aunty e's last posting. The Maine Coon world is rather like keeping chickens, so much to learn, a little world within a world, all the hooha about pedigree and ownership I'm so not interested in all that stuff, just want a huge, friendly clever cat. Spending a lot of my daydreaming time thinking about names Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Do you want my Arthur, also affectionately known as the pit pony? I warn you though, huge cats are ace, but they ain't fun to get to the vets if you have to walk any distance. I'm embarassed to admit it, but I have a carrier with wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted May 2, 2008 Author Share Posted May 2, 2008 I warn you though, huge cats are ace, but they ain't fun to get to the vets if you have to walk any distance. I'm embarassed to admit it, but I have a carrier with wheels. Funny you should say this. I have always said I only want to own dog that I can pick up if I need or have to, don't want anything that is too strong and heavy to control. I never thought of having a cat that is too heavy to pick up My vet is a drive away, and at a pinch I do have a shopping trolley Do you have a pic of Arthur? Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Sorry Tessa, not trying to make you feel guilty - it's just a personal thing. I feel a bit guilty every time I read about ex-batts, but I've decided that's just not for me - you have to do what suits you. I am vicariously very excited and waiting to see pics on Sunday! You've also prompted me to do what I have been putting off for ages, and phone the rescue centre to see who might be my next cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
