maine coon health standards

All kittens will have the following vaccinations before going to their new home:

• Feline Infectious Enteritis (Panleukopenia)
• Feline Respiratory Disease (Herpes/Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and the cat flu)

Further vaccines scheduled will be advised upon picking up your new kitten. 

It is recommended to have 3 rounds of vaccinations by 20 weeks of age, a booster at 6 months and every 1-3 years depending on your veterinarians advice.

All kittens will have the following health checks, medications, procedures, and certificates:

• Microchipped - Your local council will need this microchip number in order to register your new kitten. This is a legal requirement.
• Ownership transfer for the microchip. This is separate from registering with your council.
• Desexed.
• General Health Care Check-up with our veterinarian will be performed before home time, and a certificate given clearing the kitten's general health.
• Parasite control medication will be used as a prevention throughout the kitten's first 12 weeks of life until adoption.
• A pedigree certificate - confirming 5 generations of pedigree.

All of our kittens will always have a home with us. If you find yourself unable to care for your new kitten, or just need advice, our doors are always open.

We DNA test every breeding cat before breeding for the below genetic defects ensuring they do not have the following inherited genetic defects.

HCM is the most common heart condition amongst Maine Coons. Regular ultrasounds (in the form of a cardiomyopathy) tests against this. Ultrasounds should be carried out at 1 year old, and again every 2 years. Genetic testing shows MYBPC is known to be related to HCM. All of our breeding cats are DNA tested before breeding to ensure they do not have the MYBPC gene.

SMA is a genetic disease characterized by progressive instability with unsteady gait and posture abnormalities due to loss of motor neurons in the lower spinal cord and atrophy of muscles in the hind limbs. All of our breeding cats are DNA tested before breeding to ensure they do not have this genetic defect.

PKD is an inherited condition that causes kittens to be born with multiple cysts on their kidneys. As the kittens grow into cats, these pockets of fluid increase in size which can lead to kidney failure. All of our breeding cats are DNA tested before breeding to ensure they do not have this genetic defect.

PKDef is an inherited condition where kittens are born with hemolytic anemia. This means they have an absence of the regulatory enzyme, 'Pyruvate Kinase,' which is responsible for the metabolism of energy used to create more red blood cells. All of our breeding cats are DNA tested before breeding to ensure they do not have this genetic defect.

HD is a common inherited condition where kittens are born with a malformed femoral joint. This means eventually the head of the cat's femur grinding against the pelvis causes the joint to become loosened and inflamed which results in stiffness, lameness and pain. 

HD cannot be DNA tested or predicted long before it occurs but previous generations of our breeding cats are tested regularly with a veterinarian and given a hip score to ensure they do not possess this genetic defect. 

This testing will be done before commencing breeding at 1 year old, and repeat every 2 years.

HD is something that can arise later in life, checking their hips regularly is a way to catch if it has developed and keeping your cat on a healthy diet with regular exercise is a way to minimize the risk but there is no way to guarantee that Maine Coons will not develop this, and it is manageable if it arises but will exclude them from being bred in the future.

This is why we breed for type, and temperament, and not for size.