Okay, let me tell you about my journey trying to find a really good Maine Coon cattery. It wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, let me tell ya.
Starting the Hunt
So, I got it in my head that I wanted a Maine Coon. You see pictures of these majestic, fluffy giants, and you just kinda fall in love, right? First thing I did, like everyone else, was hop online. Searched for “Maine Coon breeders” or “catteries” around my area.
Man, the results were overwhelming. Pages and pages. Some websites looked super slick, others looked like they were made back in the dial-up days. Some had kittens available right now, which seemed a bit weird, maybe a red flag? Others had waiting lists a mile long.
Sorting Through the Mess
I started clicking around, looking at kitten pictures, obviously. But pretty quick, I realized pictures aren’t everything. I needed to figure out who was actually running a good operation, not just a kitten mill.
What did “good” even mean? Well, I started making a mental list:
- Health testing. This became super important. I wanted to know the parents were checked for common Maine Coon issues, like hip dysplasia or heart problems (HCM).
- How were the kittens raised? Were they underfoot, socialized, part of the family? Or stuck in cages somewhere?
- Could I talk to the breeder? Were they open, willing to answer tons of questions? Or cagey?
- Could I see the parents? Maybe even visit (or do a video call)?
- What kind of support did they offer after you took the kitten home?
This list helped me filter things out. Some places just didn’t mention health testing at all. Big nope. Others seemed to have way too many litters at once. Another nope.
Making Contact and Getting a Feel
I started sending emails and making calls to the ones that looked promising. This was revealing. Some breeders were fantastic, really passionate, happy to chat about their cats for ages, answered all my nerdy questions about health tests and pedigrees.
Others? Short answers, seemed annoyed I was asking questions, or pushed hard for a deposit right away. Felt kinda like buying a used car, not finding a family member. I backed away from those ones pretty fast.
There was this one place, their website wasn’t the fanciest, but the breeder took the time for a long phone call. Told me all about her cats, their personalities, the health checks they do religiously. She asked me questions too, about my home, my experience with cats. It felt like she genuinely cared where her kittens ended up.
Finding the Right Place
Eventually, after a lot of back and forth, comparing notes, and trusting my gut feeling, I settled on a cattery. It wasn’t the closest, or the cheapest, but it felt right. They ticked all the boxes on my list.
They showed me proof of the health screening for the parents. They sent videos of the kittens playing in their living room, climbing cat trees, looking happy and confident. They talked about the food they used, the vet care they provided.
It was clear they invested a lot of time, money, and love into their cats. It wasn’t just a business; it was their passion. That’s what I mean by “superior,” I guess. Not about fancy ribbons, but about the actual care and dedication.
So yeah, the whole process took time. Lots of searching, lots of questions, a bit of frustration. But digging deeper than just the first few search results and focusing on health and how the cats were raised made all the difference. Ended up finding a cattery I really trusted, and that peace of mind was worth every bit of effort.
