How to check a Maine Coon cattery before buying

You judge a cattery by its answers to specific questions, not by a pretty website. A good breeder answers calmly and offers more than you asked for; evasiveness is already an answer.

Five questions worth asking

Question	A good answer	A worrying answer
Which tests were done on the parents?	HCM, SMA, PKDef — with results they will show on request	«Our cats are healthy», with no document at all
Can I see a video of the kitten and the parents?	Yes, filmed today; the kitten in ordinary surroundings, not a staged photo	Only other people's photos, or «no video, come and visit»
What is included in the price?	Metrika, vet passport with age-appropriate shots, contract	«Documents later», «sort out the pedigree yourself»
At what age do you hand kittens over?	Not before three months, after vaccinations	Six to eight weeks — too early both physically and mentally
What happens if something goes wrong?	The terms are in the contract, the breeder stays in touch	«Once you've taken it, that's it»

What to look for in a video

Ask not for a portrait but for ordinary life: how the kitten walks, plays, eats, how it reacts to hands. You should be able to see the room the cats live in — not necessarily perfect, but clean. Cages in frame, dozens of cats in one room, or a conversation implying kittens are «brought in to order» should all worry you.

A Maine Coon kitten in the studio — A video of the kitten in ordinary surroundings tells you more about a cattery than any studio shoot.

Documents you check before money

The kitten has a metrika (or pedigree) and a vet passport with vaccination records. The cattery has a registration with a felinological system (WCF, FIFe and others) and a contract shown BEFORE the deposit, not after. What exactly the documents must contain is covered separately.

About the deposit

A deposit is normal practice, but not as the first step. First the video, the documents, the contract and a conversation with the breeder; only then a reservation. «Pay now or someone else will take it» is the most common line in adverts with no kitten behind them. Signs of a dishonest sale.

How it works with us

The catalogue collects kittens from catteries across Russia: each card shows the city, the colour, both prices, photos and video. You send a request through the site — we pass it to the cattery and stay in touch while you choose. If there is no suitable kitten right now, we'll tell you when one appears.

See the Maine Coon kittens available now · Find a kitten in five questions