Answers...To Almost All of Your Questions
FAQs
If you’re on our website, you probably have somewhat of an idea about Maine Coons. Mostly, that they are big, and that’s intriguing enough to maybe consider them for your new pet. Maine Coons originated in the state of Maine many centuries ago. It is believed they were brought to our country on ships that explored the new world (think Vikings, Christopher Columbus, etc.). Hence, the “Maine” part. Now, the “Coons” part did not come from cats breeding raccoons, despite the rumors. Maine Coons are similar to raccoons in a few ways, Maine Coons love water and like to play in it, they are very good with their paws, i.e. grabbing food and eating from their paws, and some classic colored Maine Coons have a “V” marking on the outside of each eye, similar to the bandit mask a raccoon has.
Throughout history, the breed has evolved to tolerate the cold...it was and is still cold in Maine! They have extra fur tufts of hair between their toes and on the tips of their ears. We call this lynx tips or brushes on their ears. Their coat is very thick as well as their tails. Their coat and tail reaches full thickness around 2 years of age.
As you’ve figured out, Maine Coon Cats are one of the largest domestic breeds of cats. Hence, their nickname “Gentle Giants”. They grow extremely fast, but mature slowly. A male Maine Coon kitten can double in size (not weight) from 1-8 months. But wait....they aren’t done growing! Maine Coons grow until they are 4-5 years old. Some Maine Coons have a stomach pouch that hangs down from their bodies. This is normal and it doesn’t mean your cat is fat! Even some females exhibit this trait. Males average 15-25 lbs depending on the size of their bone structure (or skeleton size, we call it). Females, of course, are smaller and average 12-17 lbs. If the female has a large skeleton, she can top the scale at 18-21 lbs. We, at Salty Coons Cattery cannot guarantee the size your Maine Coon kitten will be, but our parents are large, which is a good indicator of the offspring’s adult size.
If you don’t want a cat that will be in your business, in your lap, and wanting to eat your sandwich, then maybe a Maine Coon isn’t for you. Maine Coons are very interactive with people, dogs, and other cats. Make time to spend time with your Maine Coon kitten everyday, and as they grow, they will be your best friend. If Maine Coons could bark, they would, because they are very similar to dogs. They are intelligent and most of them will fetch naturally, without training. They love to “talk” too. Even as young as 5 weeks, Maine Coon kittens begin to chirp or twill. This habit continues into adulthood, and believe me, you will find yourself carrying on a conversation with your cat frequently!
If you are visiting this site, you must be considering a Maine Coon kitten. We’re happy you’re here! Maine Coon kittens are very, very cute...BUT they don’t stay kittens forever. Did you know Maine Coon cats can live up to 20 years? Well, they can, and they will depend on you and your family for their care for that long in order to have a happy, healthy life. This is indeed a commitment to consider before adopting an adorable Maine Coon kitten.
Proper transitioning of your Maine Coon kitten to your home is imperative! Stress in a Maine Coon kitten can be as damaging as stress in a human. Therefore, go slowly! Keep your Maine Coon kitten in a separate room with food, fresh water, litter box, their own new bed (to avoid other animal smells) toys, a scratching post, and/or a cat tree. Allow the Maine Coon kitten to smell the other pets under the door only so that curiosity builds between them. Of course, spend adequate time with your Maine Coon kitten while he/she is transitioning. We always suggest to place the new Maine Coon kitten in your bedroom and even sleep with them. It’s very scary for them the first few days! Once you have visited your veterinarian on day 3, then you can safely allow the pets to smell and interact with each other for brief periods of time. NEVER allow your Maine Coon kitten to be alone with other pets until you are certain they are adjusting well.
Maine Coon cats are living creatures and have their own needs, which can only be fulfilled by you. They need to be safe and comfortable in their new home. Make sure sliders are closed to the pool (they can drown), in the beginning, close toilet lids, stairs can be dangerous if they are wood only, balconies can be lethal if accessible to a kitten as well. Maine Coon kittens need 1-2 litter boxes depending on the size of your home, fresh water every day in a ceramic bowl, food, toys and more toys and most importantly a cat tree with a scratching post. Keep your litter box(es) clean or your cat may find a new place to urinate! Maine Coon Cats love, love a cat tree so put that on your shopping list for sure! Make sure it has a strong base to support the weight of a 20+ lb cat, though. Chewy supplies us with everything we need
for our cats.
Simply email us from the contact form on our website. We are very responsive and want to get to know you! We encourage you to tell us a little about yourself and why you want a Maine Coon Kitten. Don't forget to tell us your sex and color preference. Males are typically a much longer wait. Our Maine Coon cats and kittens are VERY important to us! We are present at every single delivery, and hand-raise each and every Maine Coon kitten ourselves, along with their mother, of course! We love getting to know our families that adopt, and encourage texts, calls, and pictures of your cat throughout their lives. If you’ve never owned a Maine Coon kitten, we will gladly help you through the process, and hope that you will become a cat lover just like us! Our Maine Coon kittens are sold as pets only, and must be neutered or spayed at an appropriate age.
Once we’ve gotten acquainted via email, phone, or FB Messenger, we can talk about what you’re looking for… color, sex, and personality of your dream Maine Coon Kitten. If you choose to do so, you will be placed on our Notification List, which holds no obligation. MALES are a longer wait, about 12 months or a little more, and FEMALES are about 8 -11 months. Throughout the process, we keep in touch about upcoming litters, which are always announced on FB and our website. We do not take deposits without having an available kitten for you. We feel this is an unethical practice. When it's your "turn," you will be contacted at 5-6 weeks of age. Once you fall in love, there is non-refundable deposit required, and the balance is due on adoption day. Please email us for pricing.
Salty Coons does not to ship kitten(s), but our kittens do love to fly home with you! We don't like for our kittens to be alone during their flight in the belly of a plane. However, we are thrilled to meet you at the airport so you can fly back with your new kitten in your lap. The cost is about the same as shipping a baby all by their self :-(. Our buyers buy round-trip tickets, and fly back with their kittens. Some people make a vacation out of it! This is in the best interest of our kittens.
We provide our Maine Coon kittens 24/7 with Royal Canin Cat/Kitten dry food for “free feeding”. The kitten food has a higher fat content, which is what Maine Coon kittens need to grow. There are so many Royal Canine choices for adult food, and we use various kinds according to each adult cats needs. The Royal Canin canned food has protein and not as much fat, but Maine Coon kittens must be offered the higher fat dry food all day to grow appropriately. However, during COVID, Royal Canin has had problems with production/distribution, and it's very hard to find! We are now supplementing with Earthborn Holistic canned food and Fancy Feast canned food. Now, there are many very good products on the market, and you can certainly change foods, but not for a couple of weeks or so. We order almost everything from Chewy, Petco, and Petsmart. It has saved our life with 40lb boxes of cat litter and food being delivered to our doorstep free of charge! We are not receiving a discount for either of these plugs either. It’s very important to know that you cannot overfeed a growing Maine Coon kitten or cat! Feed them, feed them, feed them! They are bottomless pits. When they are finished growing, then you can cut back on the feeding, so they don’t become overweight.
