Documents are the only thing that separates a Maine Coon kitten from a kitten that merely looks like one. Looks at two months prove nothing: a big fluffy kitten can grow into an ordinary cat. Below is what to ask the breeder for and how to read what you get.
| Document | What to look at | What must not happen |
|---|---|---|
| Metrika or pedigree | Parents, date of birth, colour, cattery name | «We'll give it later», «we'll post it to you» |
| Vet passport | Vaccinations with dates and vaccine stickers, parasite treatments | Empty pages, handwritten notes with no stickers |
| Contract | Price, what is included, dates, breeding terms | Refusal to sign |
| Parents' tests | HCM, SMA, PKDef — the actual result sheets | «Everything is clean with us», retold |
| Microchip | The number in the passport matches the kitten's chip | A number written down with no chip |
Metrika or pedigree
A kitten is handed over with a metrika — a document of origin listing the parents, the date of birth, the colour and the cattery. The metrika is exchanged for a pedigree when the kitten grows up; the owner does the exchange through a club. A pedigree straight away is rarer and usually means an older kitten.
What must not happen: «documents later», «the pedigree is with the breeder, we'll post it», «we didn't do a metrika, you can see the breed anyway». A breed is a record in a registry, not a look.
Vet passport
The passport holds vaccinations with dates, vaccine names and manufacturer stickers, notes on parasite treatment, and the chip number if the kitten is chipped. This is exactly why a kitten does not leave a cattery before three months: by then it has had its basic shots and recovered from them.
Contract
The contract fixes what was agreed verbally: the price, what is included, handover dates, breeding terms and what happens if an inherited condition shows up. A refusal to sign a contract is itself an answer to whether you should buy.
The parents' genetic tests
The Maine Coon has its own inherited risks, and breeders test their breeding cats. Three tests worth asking about:
- HCM — hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart disease;
- SMA — spinal muscular atrophy;
- PKDef — pyruvate kinase deficiency, an inherited anaemia.
The result belongs to the parents, not to the kitten: the test shows whether they can pass a broken gene on. Ask to see the results themselves, not a retelling.
The registry: WCF, TICA, FIFe, CFA
A cattery is registered with a felinological system, and its name appears in the documents. The system is not a quality mark in itself, but its presence means the cattery exists in more than words: it has a name, a club and litter records.
A short list before buying
- metrika or pedigree — in your hands on handover day;
- vet passport with age-appropriate vaccinations;
- contract;
- the parents' test results shown to you, not described;
- a chance to see the kitten's mother, live or on video.
Kittens in our catalogue are listed by catteries that state their registry, tests and city. See the Maine Coon kittens available now — every card shows the colour, the age, the city and both prices: as a pet and for breeding.
Buy a Maine Coon kitten in your city
Moscow (48) · Krasnodar (9) · Rostov-on-Don (4) · Yaroslavl (4) · Astrakhan (1) · Belgorod (1) · Ekaterinburg (1) · Kursk (1) · Perm (1)
Pet 1 850$
Breeding 3 010$
Pet 2 320$
Breeding 3 010$
