deciding between a maine coon or ocicat kitten Help!

[aleksis210]

I've had A LOT of cats and they all came from shelters, they have always gotten along with the dogs that I had previously and the dog I live with now...the trick is to search for a very calm cat, that doesn't need a lot of attention. It takes about a month or so for them to get a long, as long the cat is young enough to grow on the dog they will do fine together. There are a lot of full breeds at shelters, a pure bloodline doesn't guarantee temperament. Just go take a look, I've gotten a full blood siamese from a shelter and I've seen ragdolls<3 as well! They may even have full breed rescue agencies like they do for dogs...just type in what kind of cat you want plus 'rescue'. It'll be a lot cheaper and you'll be funding an important cause! Good luck!

Oh, here you go! Maine Coon Rescue

 

[Dice1233]

Good luck with your little maine coon - and post pictures when you get her/him. I would ask the breeder if she's had echocardiograms done on the parents, as maine coons are predisposed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

 

[ImMACnificent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dice1233 Good luck with your little maine coon - and post pictures when you get her/him. I would ask the breeder if she's had echocardiograms done on the parents, as maine coons are predisposed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

I don't know what that means........but I second that! ;P

 

[panda0410]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImMACnificent Why do you think that only going through a breeder would mean you get a "great cat"? That sounds kind of ignorant, sorry to say.

Crikey... I dont think you get it. She chose a breeder. And for the poster above - a pureblood cat DOES give a greater certainty for temperament. For those of you are assuming that your "pureblood" rescued from the shelter is actually a pedigree you'd better think again. Almost all of the cats in those shelters are CROSSBREEDS - and since they DONT have a pedigree you simply cannot say they are purebloods - regardless of what they look like. Even if they are purebloods you also cannot say if they have had relevant breed tests etc etc..... many of them are not bred to standard and two pureblood cats DONT equal quality breeding. Registered breeders take great care to make sure matings are compatible to ensure that progent are born to standard and that they look and behave like the breed they are supposed to be!!! Nor can you say that they are healthy and disease free. Most of them a bred by backyard breeders who plain dont give a fuck about what they are doing.....

Registered breeders take a lot of care and time in choosing suitable matings, testing for known health disorders etc etc

For the record I think the OP has done exactly the right thing in choosing the best quality kitten she can from a breeder. The Maine Coon actually have known health disorders and its very important that her kitten be screened - if I were choosing an animal to be my lifelong buddy I would want to make sure it was healthy, pedigreed and matched the breed standard for type and temperament. End of story.

Rescuing is fine, by all means - these cats still need homes. But registered breeders - and let me make that distinction - REGISTERED - NOT backyarders - serve a purpose. Without them there wouldnt BE breeds of cats.... they would all be moggie crossbreds of unknown inheritance otherwise, and you would soon stop seeing your "Bargain" so called purebloods at pounds.

 

[aleksis210]

It may give a greater certainty, but seriously...it's just a cat....not like a lion or something that may eat your dog...lol saving lives is important and who cares if the cat is a little mixed...as long as it's beautiful and you love it and most of all it gets along with the girls dog, does it really matter? Purebreds are a wonderful thing, BUT she doesn't plan on breeding them herself so it's really not too important...JUST MY OPINION oh and p.s. mixed cats live A LOT longer...(if that's what you were implying)

 

[HustleRose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeonKitten she my problem is rescue cats is that they don't always have the best temperments. my moms cats hate my dog. so what happens if i get this mutt cat and then it hates the dog it is intended for and then what? i take it back and try again?

first of all, "mutt cat" sounds like you're just trying to say "piece of shit cat", no offense but that's how i am reading it.

secondly, you do know that most shelters let you bring in your animal to meet your prospective new animal to see if they get along, in fact a lot of shelters require it. just because you get a cat from a breeder does not mean it will get along with your other animals. it's always going to be a 50/50 shot.

like i said, i wish you good look in your search for a kitty, and you can do what you want to do - it's your decision. i'm just stating my opinion and i hope it does not offend you, this is not my intention.

 

[HustleRose]

ps, i grew up with 2 purebred siamese cats. my mother loveeeeed this specific breed. and let me tell you something, one was the nicest cat you'll ever meet and the other was a complete and total jerk. so like i said - 50/50 shot.

 

[Shimmer]

enough.

 

[frankenkitty71]

Hi There! I'm so excited for you to get a kitten! We have 3 cats and don't have a big enough place to have any more or I'd have a thousand! I saw a TV show once about adopting pets and it really taught me a lesson. It said that you should "interview" the animals to see if their temperment is what you need for your household. For dogs it suggested bringing a can with coins in it and then shaking it around the dogs to see how they react. If they are calm and inquisitive or if they bark and lash out or they hide behind someone and don't come out. Does that make sense how you could read an animal's temperment? I interviewed all of my kittens this way (excluding my husband's ocicat-I love cats so much but that cat is an asshole) and I ended up with sweet awesome cats! I spent a long time going from cage to cage and talked to each cat and some swatted at me, some retreated back into the cage and shook in fear, some hissed and charged the cage door, and one flopped down and rolled over to show me his belly and purred! So you know which one I took! And I love the suggestion someone posted about bringing your dog in to meet the cats! All this may sound like common sense but the info really helped me! Best Wishes! Please post pics of your new "baby" !!!

 

[MissResha]

i'm getting a gerbil

 

[ImMACnificent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissResha i'm getting a gerbil

I'm not sure where you are getting it from but maybe try petfinder.com...

 

[*Stargazer*]

Is your breeder going to allow you to return the cat if it doesn't get along with your dog?

 

[tremorviolet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImMACnificent I'm not sure where you are getting it from but maybe try petfinder.com...

Yeah, there are a lot of foster and rescue groups on Petfinder; it's where I got my Maine Coon mix. The people on there are serious about finding good homes for the pets and make you promise to call them so they can take back the animal if it isn't a good fix. The first kitty I got was great but just too active for my older kitty; the rescue group was happy to take him back and I eventually foudn a nice, calm kitty to keep my cat company.

 

[concertina]

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Stargazer* Is your breeder going to allow you to return the cat if it doesn't get along with your dog?

If they're worth anything, they will. But yes, thats a good question to ask. Or rather, if your breeder is worth a damn, they'll ask *YOU* all the questions and make you sign a form saying that if you need to relinquish the animal, you'll contact them first.

That said, Maine Coons are fucking awesome cats. They're like dogs...but cats. I love them. Very even temperament and good with kids and good with other animals and easily adaptable to different lifestyles.

If I was ever to get a cat, it'd be a Maine Coon. They are the most chill, fun cats in the damn world.

There are quite a few rescue organizations that work with Maine Coons, if you're looking to up your Karma. But if you want a kitten, and all the work and responsibility that goes with it, and you do your research and find a *good* breeder, then that is 100% your choice and NO ONE should give you shit for it. Period.

 

[ImMACnificent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tremorviolet Yeah, there are a lot of foster and rescue groups on Petfinder; it's where I got my Maine Coon mix. The people on there are serious about finding good homes for the pets and make you promise to call them so they can take back the animal if it isn't a good fix. The first kitty I got was great but just too active for my older kitty; the rescue group was happy to take him back and I eventually foudn a nice, calm kitty to keep my cat company.

Definitely. I love petfinder. It's not all sketchy like craigslist where most of them are posing as adoption agencies with "fees" which are most of the time breeders trying to sell their puppies.

Petfinder is where I found my full blooded cocker spaniel who is from a cocker rescue. There are TONS of full blooded dog rescues around here. Boston terrier, cocker spaniel, westies, etc. I was shocked! Most of them have made their way through the system from puppy mills, which is why most of them are full blooded. Sadly, most of them have a lot of emotional issues because of being from the mills. I don't know much about my dog's history, he was a stray, but his tail is docked, he is definitely full blood American Cocker Spaniel, buff colored. He is a bit shy but the friendliest boy around.

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[NeonKitten]

i've found a great breeder who knows my situation and is more then willing to work with me and jack. her son has a papillon so i know that her cats get along with her sons dog and she said that jack is very similar as he acts exactly like every other hyper papillon.

i really appreciate all the imput i've gotten from y'all. i can't wait to get my kitty and take pictures. hopefull i will be able to go to the cat show here in 2 weeks and see more of the breeders kitties. who knows i might find another breeder i like better. cat shows are a great place to feel people out who breed. you can see if they do it for the fame or for the love and you get to see their cats at their very best

 

[purrtykitty]

Yay for kitties! My aunt had an awesome Maine Coon named Mogwai, so I'm sure you'll love him/her. My Chewy reminds me of a mini-Maine Coon since he's so little compared to most. They can be very large cats, especially the toms.

Can't wait to see pics!