Questions and Answers

Size and bodyshape varies, depending on the genetic bloodlines. Prairiebabybreeding females range between 12 and 18 pounds; our breeding males between 16 and 23 pounds. If a cat is whole (not spayed or neutered), it will most likely not reach it's full weight due to restlessness during mating season. Also, often the lack of coat due to hormonal changes will make it look smaller. A spayed/neutered pet will almost always look bigger and can be several pounds heavier. A neutered male can easily go up to 18 and even up to 25 pounds. Maine Coons that weigh 30 pounds are simply a myth, unless the cat is heavily overweight. Remember that breeders and fishermen have a lot in common when it comes to *size discription* :-) It should be mentioned here also that unevenness in coat, the long bushy tail and also the rectangular body makes the Maine Coon look larger and heavier than it really is. Maine Coons don't reach their full size and weight until they are 3 to 5 years old. We at PrairieBaby like big cats but we don't breed mountain lions. Extremely long cats are often more proned to joint problems, and to us health is more important than looks.

I have an adult dog/cat. Can I get a Maine Coon kitten?

As previously mentioned, Maine Coons are bred for their social and easygoing temperament. There should be no problem introducing a new kitten to a household with older pets. We gladly give advice on how to get your pets aquainted with a new kitten. The character of your pet is of course a deciding factor. Ourkitten would definitely try very hard to be accepted by the existing pets.

How do I care for my Maine Coon?

Maine Coons are easy-care cats. Their coats usually don't mat. Combing them with a narrow spaced metal comb once a week is sufficient. Maine Coons also love to be brushed with a slicker brush on a daily basis.It is not necessary to declaw a Maine Coon kitten. They are easily trainable to use a scratching post. Maine Coons are active and playful but not high strong. Keeping their claws short helps in the process of training them. If a cat is spayed/neutered bathing is not necessary but a bath once every few months with a mild oatmeal based shampoo will keep the coat nice and shiny and will give you the feeling to have a *nice clean cat* in case your bed is their bed. We recommend "Coconut Mink Oil" shampoo from Jerob. Bathing a Maine Coon is not hard at all because Maine Coons are easily handlable and the breeder gets them used to water at early age.

Are Maine Coons hypoallergenic?

If you are allergic to cats we would not recommend adopting a Maine Coon kitten. Even though they don't shed excessively they can cause a reaction. I am allergic to cats myself and find that the Maine Coon breed bothers me less than short haired cats. We do not sell kittens on a trial basis. We invite you to visit us and spend the day with our cats to find our if there is an allergic reaction.

At what age can a kitten be adopted?

We consider 12 to 16 weeks the proper age for a Maine Coon kitten to be ready for it's new home. The Maine Coon is a slowly developing breed and needs this time with mom and siblings in order to become the gentle and easy going pet you read about in the magazines. A kitten at 12 weeks of age should be easy to handle and trusting to it's owner. At times we keep a kitten even longer than 16 weeks.

Please note:Asin-home hobby breeders, we are not open for casual visits. Buyers are welcome to pick up their kittens and can be given a tour during this time. We would kindly ask that people visit local cat shows toseepurebred Maine Coons being shown and judged. Thank you.

Are males more affectionate than females?

Absolutely not! If a cat is spayed/neutered, being affectionate has nothing to do with gender. Both sexes of this lovely breed are equally loving in their temperament. Sometimes males appear more "goofy" or "clownlike".

1.) We provide individual registration papers for each kitten, not only the blue slip like most catteries.

2.) The ancestors of each kitten from our Cattery are tested for Heart (HCM), Hip (HD) and Kidney (PKD) problems also. We use Colordoppler Ultrasound for our HCM testing, not onlythe (completely unsifficient) gene test.

3.) After doing this for 23 years, We know 90 %of the cats in our pedigrees personally.

4.) We are a Vetinspected Cattery and are working hard to maintain the highest rating (100 %) for our "TICA Outstanding Cattery" Award.

5.) Our Cattery is Vet certified Felv/Fiv negative. We have done hundreds of Felv/Fiv tests over the past 20 years.

6.) Our kittens are raised by a stay home mom. This means that they are being handled frequently and accustomed to everyday noises in an average household, including noisy children. And.....we don't spend every other weekend at the show hall which gives us plenty of time for our children horsesand cats.

7. You will find us brag about the temperament of almost each kitten we offer. The reason for this is that we only keep cats for breeding with exceptionally loving and sound characters.

8.) We do not save on food costs. Frankly, our feeding program isthe most expensiveanyone couldfind. Details on our link "Facility Info andPictures".

How much do Maine Coons cost?

The price for a Maine Coon pet/show kitten from a reputable breeder runs anywhere between $ 700 and $ 1500. The price can depend on the geographical area of the breeder, the quality and color of the kitten, the titles of the parents and health testing history of the bloodlines. Our prices can be found on the contract page.

Is this a healthy breed of cat?

Yes. The Maine Coon cat is still one of the healthier breeds around. There have been problems with immune related diseases, hearts, kidneys and joints. Those problems can be greatly reduced if the breeder works with outcrossed pedigrees, avoids inbreeding and does the necessary testing on a regular basis. Please find out more about health on our Health Info page. Read about the future of our breed on the Heritage Site on our Links page.

Try to visit the cattery if at all possible because web pages don't always reflect the true circumstances at the cattery, especially when it comes to hygiene. Make sure you are allowed access to all living quarters. If you can't visit make sure to get references of people who have purchased kittens from the breeder and who have been to his home. Stay away from cheap backyard breeders who sometimes offer kittens at a very low price and sometimes without papers. Costs have to be cut somewhere. Most times it's the food, health care and quality of breeding stock. You will most likely have to pay more in the long run for high vet bills or even loss of the animal.

How old do Maine Coons get?

The average age span in Maine Coon is no different than in other cats. It can run anywhere between 8 and 18 years of age. However, early deaths have been recorded due to various genetic and immune related diseases.

Do all Maine Coon kittens get long fur?

The Maine Coon cat is aslowly developingbreed.Occasionally,Maine Coon catscan have long hairalready by the time they reach 5 or 6 months of age. Generally, growing afull coatreachesinto the second year of a Maine Coon'sdevelopment.The exact time frame is dependant on different bloodlines, butalso on the individualgenetic make-up ofeach kitten.Some of our breeding cats don't even grow a plum tail and aruff (mane)around their neck until they arespayed/neutered. Please be assured thatall kittenson this page will get beautiful fluffy tails and ruffs when they get older, especially when they are altered at young age.

What is required of the purchaser

It is up to you to provide plenty of love and attention, good nutrition, excersise and veterinary care for your kitten. Declawing is not allowed and if the kitten goes outside it has to be either kept on a leash or in an outdoor inclosure. If nobody is home all day, kittens can only be adopted as a pair. If unforeseen circumstances require that you cannot keep the kitten any longer, we want to be notified and will try to assist in an adequate re-homing. You are required to send pictures and a yearly update on the development of our kitten. You are required to be home during most part of the day if you only have one cat.

Can I have a litter of kittens with my Maine Coon cat?

If breeders don't shy away from necessary costs, breeding is a very expensive and time consuming hobby. Also, if a breeder sells a breeding cat, this cat is carefully chosen. Pets sometimes don't meet the standard perfectlyenough to be used for breeding. Not only conformation plays a crucial role, also the line combination and temperament of the cat. A breeding cat is much more expensive than a pet and if somebody wants to start a breeding program he/she should not try to save on the price for a good quality breeding cat. We strongly discourage people from breeding with a cat they have purchased with a non-breeding agreement. Doing such thing would be considered fraud.

We sell most of our cats already spayed/neutered for the protection of the breed and to prevent irresponsible breeding.

*** Help the Maine Coon Breed - Support Foundation Breeding! ***

Polydactylity - a wonderful, natural Maine Coon trait

Even thoughover a thirdofthe Maine Coon breed was originally represented by Polydactyl cats,some associations in certain countriesare still hesiant toallow for them to be shown in Championship class. A severe research error inthe 80s had basicallyturned into anold wives tale,spreading misleading information about a healthy Polyfoot -confusing the cat fancy even now. Through acompletely unjustifiedand partiallypolitical sanction,Polydactyl Maine Coons had been, over the past 3 decades, reduced tobare minimum. Instrumental in sanctions like this are usuallya fewindividualswho typically seem to bepulling the strings in "holycat fancy". Looking at the amazing boning of these beautiful cats, the truemotivation factor was very much suspected to befear of competition in the show ring. So much for history..............We decided in 2000 to start a new Maine Coon Polydactyl foundationline here in Canada and proudly called it"The Masterweaver Line". Over the past decade,we have poured a lot of passion into these cats - improvingtheir weaknesses and enhancing their natural strenghts.We started showing our Polydactyl Maine Coons in TICA "New"Traits in 2010 (It's a very old trait!).Many TICA judges are enjoying their very showable temperament, their wonderful boning and their balanced type . The judgesare also pleasantly surprised to find out that there is nothing wrongwith Polydactyl Maine Coons at all. Past opposers, through their fear mongering, weresimply creatinga myth - a myththat has deprivedour breed ofa lot of valuable genetic material.Showing our "masterpieces"inTICA willnot only have a positive reverse effect on an already too limitedgene pool, but also serves as aperfecttoolto educate a deservingpublic.

we encourage you to visit these great websites with tons of information on the topic:

http://www.mcpi.org/

Oh and by the way..........There is an enormous difference between animal welfare organizations, which work for the humane treatment of animals, and animal rights organizations, which aim to completely end the use and ownership of animals. Learn the truth: