About Long Lake Maine Coon

Maine Coons are one of the most popular cat breeds. They’re known for their size and friendly affectionate personalities. I get asked a lot with “what’s the difference between a female and male Maine Coon?”. The main obvious reason is the size. Males usually grow to be bigger. Based on Tica’s standards, males can weigh between 13-18 pounds and females can weigh between 9-13 pounds at full maturity. Males tend to be more laid back, needy, and affectionate than females. Females seems to be more active, sassy, and independent. I personally think each cat is different and have their own unique personalities. Each cat is their own so they will grow to be different in there own ways with looks, size, and temperament. I get a lot of requests asking for a BIG cat. Although Maine Coons are known to be the largest domesticated cats, they don’t all grow to be 20+ pounds. Please be realistic and know that size and temperament cannot be determined at such a young age. All cats are different and grow differently at their own pace. I do not breed for size so please do not ask. My main concern is their health and temperament.

PERSONALITIES

Like humans, cats have their own uniques personalities. Kittens are playing, learning, and are still exploring the world. Scratching, biting, and rough playing is part of how they interact with one another and what you can expect. They don’t fully mature until 3-5 years of age. Anytime before then, you can say they’re like toddlers and teenagers, being rebels and testing all boundaries. They are also known to chirp and talk your ears off! Cats like to perch on high things like counters, sofas, beds, etc… so if you have anything fragile or valuable, make sure to keep them stored and safe. They also like knocking things over. Till this day, I still have not figured out why. I cannot guarantee the personality of your kitten as he/she grows and they are all individually different but will do my best to socialize them while in my care.

DECLAWING

I am against declawing any cats. Many do not know this but declawing is like having part of your knuckles amputated. This can cause long term effects and behavioral issues. Any declawing done to my kittens after they leave my home will void all health guarantee contracts. NO EXCEPTIONS!

HOUSING

All my cats are raised indoors with a safe enclosed area outside. I expect the kittens to be kept indoors only as well when they go to their new homes. This will help prevent catching diseases from other cats, fleas, ticks, and predators. Once a cat is exposed to the outside world, they will get more curious and continue to want to go out and explore. There’s that chance that they may never return home due to someone stealing them, getting hit by a car, or a predator got to it. Many things can happen out in the open.

GROOMING/HEALTH

A good thing about Maine Coons is that they love to groom (well this is just all cats in general). Regular help with grooming is necessary to keep their fur nice and not matted. Although they do most the work themselves, there are hard to reach spots that doesn’t get touched. I would recommend to start grooming as soon as your Maine Coon settles in their new home. A balanced quality diet is recommended for the up keeping of this breed as this will play a role in their overall health long term. Teeth cleaning and maintenance is also recommended once their adult teeth grow in. Basic hygiene care is always recommended and needed for this breed. Some Maine Coons can be high maintenance! We can never guarantee health 100% as many things can factor into their long term health. Food, diet, home environment, day to day care, etc… We are working with live animals and health issues can and may arise as they grow. We’re limited to what we can prevent while they’re within our care. What we do offer is a health guarantee to genetic defects for their first year of life. A necropsy will be required from a licensed veterinary to confirm the cause of death for replacement of a comparable kitten. This is an expensive breed and unexpected healthcare expenses may arise throughout their lifetime. Please consider all expenses that may arise in basic health or vet care and do your research before about this breed before you invest in one. We care a lot about our cats and what we help bring into this world. We will be here for support even after the kitten has left our home. Please stay in touch and let us know if any issues ever do arise so we can help! This will also let us know if there’s anything we need to do on our end to prevent future issues if it is within our limits.

BRINGING HOME A NEW KITTEN

Bringing home a new kitten can be one of the most exciting feelings. Keep in mind that it is in a brand new environment with new people, new scent, new furniture, new people, basically new everything. Start with confining your kitten in one room first so he/she may get accustomed to their new home with a clean litter box and food/water bowl. They may have accidents if they are not comfortable or know where their litter box is. If you have other pets, please keep them separated for at least 2 weeks. Cats can stress easily and their immune system can be compromised during a move. Slowly let your kitten explore the house room by room once their quarantine period is up. All cats are different. Some may take longer than others to adjust and some may take longer to open up to you and trust you. Patience is the key!

FEEDING

You will be given a new full sized bag of current kitten food (Nulo) and a bag of litter (world’s best cat litter) to bring home with you. If you choose to switch brands or flavor, it needs to be transitioned gradually through a 7-14 day period to let their sensitive stomach adjust. During this process, the kitten may experience diarrhea and upset stomach. Like any animal or human, not all cats can tolerate the same food/ingredients.

SAFETY

Before bringing home your new fur baby, please make sure your home is kitten proof. They are curious and likes to get into anything they can possibly reach. Small objects like hair ties, bottle caps, plastics, q-tips, etc… is a joking hazard. As they grow, baby locks may be needed for cabinets as some do figure out how to open them!

HEALTH TESTINGS

All of my cats have been screened and blood tested by a certified vet for FIV/FELV with N/N results. We also DNA test for HCM, SMA, PKDef and do age appropriate echocardiograms to ensure all breeding cats are healthy and hcm free. I offer a 1 year health guarantee for these genetic diseases or otherwise stated in contract.

PRICING

Raising a litter of kittens is not as easy as some people may think. Additional health testings will need to be done to ensure they are fit and compatible for breeding as not all will pass. In most cases, this will put the breeder in the negative financially. Emergency vet care and health expenses happens. Many other expenses includes food, litter, cat furniture, cleaning supplies, household repairs, staying up late nights working around the clock syringe feeding, no vacations, and general maintenance. Our lifestyle and house has been converted to accommodate what we do and how we raise our cats. We are home with the cats and kittens everyday to ensure they’re all well taken care of. Kittens will have their first 2 wellness exams, first 2 fvrcp vaccine, age appropriate dewormer, microchipped, registration form, and will be spayed/neutered before leaving. For details about our kitten pricing, please contact us.

HOME VISITS

Our cattery is also our home and is now a closed cattery. We do not allow home visits and do not entertain outside visitors. I have young children and a family to look after which I have to put their safety first. If you would like to see a kitten and/or cat, we are more than happy to schedule a live video chat. This will also limit any risks for potential viruses and parasites to cross contaminate to our cats.

More about genetics. Details were provided by UCDavis Edu.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopath (HCM)- “Cats affected by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are at risk of sudden cardiac death. In Maine Coons, a breed-specific mutation has been found to be associated with increased risk for HCM. Cats affected by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are at risk of sudden cardiac death. In Maine Coon cats with two copies of the disease-associated mutation, moderate to severe cardiac disease can lead to sudden death by age 4 years or less. Cats that carry one copy of the mutation have a longer life expectancy, but may still develop HCM.” More information can be found here.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)- “Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is 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. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is 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. Affected kittens first show signs of SMA at about 3-4 months of age.” More information can be found here.

Erythrocyte Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PK Def)- “Erythrocyte pyruvate kinase deficiency (PK deficiency) is an inherited hemolytic anemia caused by insufficient activity of its namesake regulatory enzyme. Cats affected by PK deficiency develop anemia. The anemia is intermittent, the age of onset is variable, and clinical signs are also variable. Symptoms of this anemia can include severe lethargy, weakness, weight loss, jaundice, and abdominal enlargement.” More information can be found here.

FAQs

Do you ship? – No. All kittens must be picked up at my home. If you need to fly to me, I can meet you at Spokane International Airport. Courier service may also be available upon request.

Courier services or flying to my airport to meet me in person should be taken into consideration prior to deciding on placing a deposit on your new fur baby.

When do I get to bring home my kitten? – Kittens need to stay with me at least they are 13-16 weeks old and sometimes longer if needed. Not only will this help with their early life on socializing but this will make sure they are fully weaned and strong enough to move to their new home. All kittens will have their first 2 fvrcp vaccines, utd on deworming, microchipped, registration form, and spayed/neutered prior to leaving.

Do I get to pick up my kitten?– Absolutely. When possible, I would love to meet new owners in person. We could schedule a time and date that will work with both parties. A public meeting place can be agreed up or I can meet you at the airport if you’re flying in from out of state.

Do you allow home visits?– I am not allowing home visit at this moment due to past experiences so please do not ask as the answer will not change. This is my home where my family and I reside so our safety comes first. Please respect our privacy. However, we can schedule a time/date to video chat, send pictures, and videos.

How do I reserve a kitten?– Please contact me and let me know which kitten you are interested in. Due to many people showing interests but not actually placing a deposit, I go by first come first serve to approved homes. I hold the rights to have first pick of the litter for my future breeding program and reserve the right to refuse any person I see unfit.

Are you a real person?– Yes. I am a stay at home mom with 3 kids. My life revolves around them and all my animals. This gives me the opportunity to raise and care for kittens around the clock. They are raised in our home and socialized hands on daily. They are free to roam the house and are never caged. I can provide personal references of previous buyers and my vet’s info. My cattery is also registered with Tica and CFA. It can be confirmed here on tica.org and cfa.org under LongLakeMCO.