Breeding stunning Maine Coon Cats for health, temperament, and joy
The Health of a Maine Coon Cat
Like any animal, the Maine Coon does have some genetic diseases. Here are the most common diseases Maine Coons are prone to, as well as links for further information on them.
As part of being a responsible breeder, every Maine Coon in our breeding program is carefully selected. We look for the best breed and show qualities in their color and bone structure. We also look at these same qualities in their parents, as well as the parent's genetic tests. Our breeding cats are then genetically tested, have hip x-rays, a full cardiac workup, and blood tested for any infections, sicknesses/diseases, and organ function. If we are happy with the results of all these tests, the cat will then enter into our breeding program.
Just because a Maine Coon tests positive for a particular genetic disease, does not necessarily mean they should be removed from a breeding program. It just means that breeding them must be done carefully to produce healthy and beautiful kittens to advance the Maine Coon breed. I personally have spoken to a top veterinary cat geneticist about some of these diseases and was given some of the information I have shared with you above. My top goal is to produce healthy kittens and to make the Maine Coon breed better.
All of our breeding cats test HCM, PKD, PKLR and SMA negative. Copies of the genetic reports on our King and Queens are available upon request. Typically we do not genetically test our kittens, but copies of their veterinary records are available upon request.
A clean cattery also goes a long way to help keep cats and kittens healthy. So to do our part to keep our cats and kittens healthy, letterboxes are scooped regularly, food and water dishes are washed and the floors are kept clean. To help us in our efforts, we use an all natural cleaner called Force of Nature. It is a strong, highly effective cleaner, and rated by the FDA to kill multiple different organisms, viruses and bacterias while also wiping out odors. But it is gentle enough that it can be used directly on animals and humans. We feel confident that when armed with this amazing cleaner, we are providing a safe and clean cattery for our cats and kittens.
Finally, personality goes along with health to some degree. A well adjusted, confident and adventurous cat is going to have better overall health than a scared and timid cat. Selecting breeding cats who have amazing personalities and temperaments is our second biggest concern. We do not want to produce healthy kittens only, but healthy kittens that will make the best family cats!
VACCINES & PARASITE PREVENTION
We recommend that even if your Maine Coon is strictly indoors (which all cats and kittens from New Mercies Maine Coon Cattery are sold as), you still should have him/her fully vaccinated and on a parasite prevention.
These cats are hunters. They will catch and eat mice, other small rodents and bugs. All of these creatures can carry flees, ticks, worms and diseases that can be passed onto your cat. Having them fully vaccinated and on a monthly parasite prevention will help to protect them. There is currently no cure for feline heartworms.
At New Mercies Maine Coon Cattery, all of our cats and kittens are on a continuous prevention plan starting at 6 weeks of age.
We are a FeLV and FIV tested and free cattery
Health Contract
Each of our kittens leave with an 18 month Health Contract. It covers the kitten's general health, spontaneous death, HCM, SMA, hip dysplasia and PKD/PKLR.
Our Health Contract is constantly growing and adapting to make sure our kittens are well taken care of and our families are covered. We stand behind our kittens and want to be sure each family gets a sweet, playful and healthy kitten.
If you would like to view our full Health Contract in detail, please click here.
If you are interested in some homeopathic and all-natural lifestyle options for your kitten (and possibly yourself) please click here to learn more.
FIP, Coronavirus & Herpes
FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis), the Coronavirus and Feline Herpes are 3 viruses that everyone is scared of, but most people don't know much about. A lot of the time when people hear about one of these sicknesses, they automatically get very scared and assume their cat is doomed. However, with the Coronavirus and Herpes, that couldn't be farther from the truth.
At least 90% of cats across the world carry the Coronavirus and Herpes, so finding a cat without at least one of them is next to impossible. However, neither of them usually cause much trouble. Think of the Coronavirus and Herpes as kind of like the common cold. People can carry the virus but never actually feel or act sick. If they do get sick, it usually isn't serious and they are fine and back to normal in a few days. This is the way it is with the Coronavirus and Herpes in cats. Most of the time these viruses lay dormant in cats. You likely wouldn't ever know the cat is carrying any sort of virus. But, if the cat were to become stressed for some reason, or get a different sickness, then the Coronavirus or Herpes can flare up. When this happens, it most commonly affect the upper respiratory system can causes what we call "an upper respiratory infection". This is usually displayed with coughing, sneezing, runny eyes and nose. When it is Herpes, the eyes can be more effected and can even develop an eye infection. Because the Coronavirus and Herpes are both viruses, antibiotics usually are not helpful and the illness just needs to run its course. This also is usually not serious and cat will do just fine with a little extra love and more of his favorite foods. Sometimes veterinarians will prescribe antibiotics though, just to ensure nothing else is going on and the cat gets better as soon as possible. As a side note, when the cat is sick is the only time he can actually spread the Coronavirus or Herpes to other cats. If the virus is dormant, no other cats can be infected.
FIP is the scary one. Almost always, if a cat is diagnosed with FIP he will have to be put to sleep. FIP is caused by a mutation of the Coronavirus. Usually this happens during a very stressful time in the cat's life. There is a bit of a genetic component to FIP, but only in how the Coronavirus is handled within the cat. Some cats are more prone to the virus mutating than others, and that can be passed onto kittens. But, there is really no rhyme or reason to when or if the Coronavirus will mutate, or what will trigger it. Recently, a cure has been found, however, it is not currently FDA approved so veterinarians in the US are unable to offer a treatment.
As of now, none of our cats or kittens have been diagnosed with FIP. We are very proud of this and pray it never happens. But, if it does, that is covered in our health contract.
Pet insurance is great way you can take steps to being a responsible pet owner. No one likes the thought of putting a perfectly healthy animal to sleep because they need a procedure their family just can't afford. But, pet insurance can help prevent this from happening. You can click here to get more information on pet insurance and find out who we recommend.
Good quality food is just as important for your cat as it is for you. On a quality food, your cat will be able to be at their very best! They will move better, feel better, have a better coat, less hairballs, less stinky trips to the litter box, and stay out of the vet's office. There are some good food options out there, including dry, canned, and raw. You just need to do a little research to find out what the best one is for you. If in doubt, the food we feed is what we feel is the best option for us, and may just be the best option for you as well. You can click here to find out what foods we feed. If you get a kitten for us, you will be required to keep your kitten on the same food we feed for the first month you have your kitten.
Vitamins & Supplements
We feel that supplements are a crucial part of the health of our cats and kittens. All of our cats and kittens starting when they are 4-5 weeks old, are put on daily supplements. For a complete list of the supplements we give, links to them, as well as an explanation as to why we give them can be found on this page.
We do not give our cats vitamins as a cat does not need them if they are being fed a balanced, high quality diet.
The Health of a Solid White Cat
The health of a solid what cat is really no different than that of any other. However, white cats have a much high chance of being deaf, and this is especially true if the cat has blue or odd eyes. No one is quite sure why this is. Research suggests it has something to do with the masking gene that makes the cat appear solid white. And, no one knows why a cat has a high chance of being deaf if they have blue or odd eyes. But, the bottom line is, it happens.
There is a test that a specialist can do called the BARE test. Even in a hearing cat, this test will show exactly how well the cat can hear. Some breeders choose to do this test on their white breeding cats, and some do not. We do not plan to BARE test our white Queen, Julep for one simple reason. We do not look at deaf kittens as being subpar or as having an awful health condition. Many other breeders do. Julep is hearing as is her mother, who is also solid white. Julep's mother has also never produced a deaf kitten. We plan to watch any white kittens we produce carefully so we know if they are hearing or deaf. If we ever were to have a deaf kitten, we would absolutely disclose that and make sure we found an extra special home for that kitten. But, deaf kittens do go on to lead a completely normal life. It is just imperative they are a 100% indoor cat.
One thing you never do is breed 2 solid white cats together. Doing this increases the likelihood of producing deaf kittens greatly. As of now, Julep will be our only white breeding cat. When we bring in another king, he will not be white to avoid breeding 2 white cats together.
SPAYING & NEUTERING
Spaying or neutering you Maine Coon is the best decision for both of you if you do not have breeding rights. When a cat reaches sexual maturity, their entire purpose becomes to reproduce. It is a basic instinct built into all animals. Because of this, they will begin doing things that appear to be (and sometimes are) behavioral problems. But in actuality, they are just following their instincts.
Both males and females can spray when they are ready to mate. And usually it will not stop until they are spayed/neutered. If a female is spraying, she will stop once she becomes pregnant, but then may start again when she comes back into heat after giving birth.
As early as six months of age, females can go into heat every three to fourteen days, and be in heat for five to seven days at a time. While in heat, most of the time they will make a loud calling sound 24 hours a day. They may also roll constantly on the ground and become more affectionate to an annoying point. Being in heat can be extremely hard on a female when they are having heat after heat without breeding. Many females will even lose weight during this time. Females who constantly go into heat but do not get pregnant also run the risk of developing pyometra, an infection in the uterus that can be life threatening and often requires an emergency spay to get rid of the infection and save the cat's life.
Males can reach sexual maturity, as early as eight months old. Most commonly they start spraying around the house, and can even become aggressive and start "mating" with objects, blankets, pillows or even your arms and legs. Males can also become aggressive just in general, because they want to breed but can't. The most unfortunate part is that once these problems start, neutering the male may not stop these problems.
Not having your cat spayed/neutered also leads to the risk of your cat escaping from your house and running away. Again, breeding is instinctual to cats, and some of them will go to great lengths to make this happen. Males can sense a female in heat from miles away, and when they know there is a female out there, they will try and get to her. While escaping from the house is mainly a male thing, females have been known to do this as well.
Many people think that spaying/neutering a Maine Coon before 2-4 years old will stunt their growth or cause problems with their bones down the line. But really there is not enough solid research to support this. Truthfully, the research shows that Maine Coons who are spayed/neutered are larger, having more muscle mass, and have longer, fluffier hair than those who are not spayed/neutered. Bone/join issues is a slight possibility. The research is mixed on if spaying/neutering early is good or bad for bone/joint growth. However, spaying/neutering a Maine Coon at 1 year has much less chance of causing bone/joint issues that spaying/neutering at 6 months or earlier. Spaying/neutering your kitten no later than 1 year old also prevents you from dealing with some really annoying behavioral issues, that may or may not resolve after you have the cat spayed/neutered.
Spaying/neutering your kitten can also help prevent your kitten from getting certain cancers as well. When a cat is spayed/neutered it removes the possibility of them getting any cancers related to the reproductive system or sex-hormones. So that is one problem you can cross off your list to worry about once your kitten is spayed/neutered!
A spayed/neutered cat is a happy cat! When they aren't trying to breed all the time, they will focus on just being your companion and spoiled pet. This is the biggest reason why kittens in our Emotional Support Maine Coons Program are never given breeding rights. Spayed/neutered cats also tend to have more muscle mass, and longer/thicker hair.
*Most all kittens leave New Mercies Maine Coon Cattery with a spay/neuter contract with SpaySecure, that must be carried out when the kitten is six to twelve months old.
Male Cats Spraying
I have many people concerned about their male kitten spraying if they wait until 6 months to neuter him. But spraying is something most people are vastly uninformed about. Yes, most male cats spray if they are not neutered. However, spraying is an instinctual habit driven by the desire to breed. This will not happen until the male has reached sexual maturity and his mating drive has fully kicked in. The likelihood of your male kitten spraying before he turns a year old is very small. Therefore, you will be perfectly safe to wait until your male kitten is even 10 months old to have him neutered.
SpaySecure is a 3rd party entity that assists breeders with executing their spay/neuter contracts. These contracts are signed by buyers directly with SpaySecure. For more information on SpaySecure, you can click here.
DECLAWING
At New Mercies Maine Coon Cattery, we are against declawing cats. It is an inhumane practice and more and more states are making it illegal for vets to preform this procedure.
Declawing a cat can cause life-long pain, and therefore cause unwanted behavioral issues. Because of this, our contracts strictly prohibit declawing any of our cats and kittens for any reason. See the picture to understand how a cat is declawed. You can also visit this website for more information on declawing, and other behavioral issues and how to help avoid/correct them.
POISONOUS PLANTS FOR CATS
This section is coming soon!
If you are interested in information on essential oils and Maine Coon health, please click here to visit our homeopathic page.