Where Can I Adopt A Maine Coon Cat
Maine Coons are a gentle-natured cat breed that became famous for being the biggest domestic cat breed in the world. Don’t let their huge size scare you though, as these regal-looking felines are exceptionally loving and friendly.
If you are dreaming of owning your very own Maine Coon then you likely wondered where can I adopt a Maine Coon cat?
Maine Coon cats can be adopted from a variety of places, including cat shelters, Maine Coon rescue centers, breeders, and online social media e.g. Maine Coon Facebook groups. Adopting is a far cheaper option than buying a Maine Coon, though it is likely the adopted cat will be a Maine Coon mix, rather than a purebred.
Adopting a Maine Coon is still an expensive process, compared to purchasing a non-pedigree kitten. Keep reading to discover the important questions you need to ask sellers.
Where Can I Adopt A Maine Coon Cat?
Maine Coon cats originate from Maine, US, however, the history of how they arrived in Maine is still considered to be a total mystery. These are the known historical facts.
These once-wild cats are considered to be a very hardy cat breed, built to survive even the most frigid winter climates of Maine.
Commonly referred to as ‘snow cats’, the Maine Coon cat breed is ideally suited to living in cold countries since their thick dense, semi-water repellent fur, and extra-long bushy tail help keeps them warm.
Whether it is their mysterious history, or their gentle-natured and loving personality that has made them so popular in recent decades, who knows?
What we do know, however, is that individuals across the world are desperate to own one of these gentle giants.
With their average price tag sitting at an eye-watering $1,000 per Maine Coon kitten though, it is not in the least bit surprising that demand levels for adopted Maine Coon cats are high.
Therefore, if you are in the market for adopting a Maine Coon then you have likely typed into the Google search bar ‘where can I adopt a Maine Coon cat’.
If you have consequently landed on this page, well done, as this article shares everything you need to know about adopting Maine Coon cats. So, let’s get started!
Below is a list of the five key places you can adopt a Maine Coon cat:
To give you better clarity over the pros and cons of each, read on to discover the potential pitfalls you need to watch out for when learning where to adopt a Maine Coon kitten.
Alternatively, click on the link above to jump straight to the adoption route of your choice.
1. Cat Shelters
If you have been wondering how to adopt a Maine Coon cat, make sure you start by taking a look at your local cat shelters.
Millions of cats are cared for by cat shelters until they find a new forever home.
These cats are often not there because there is anything wrong with them, but, simply because their original owners were unable to look after them anymore.
If we look at U.S animal shelters, in particular, we can see that approximately 3.2 million cats end up in shelters every year, of which a staggering 530,000 are euthanized (source 1).
Whilst some of the issues causing owners to give their cats up to shelters do include behavioral issues, there are also many other factors at play, including:
- Lost
- Stray
- The owner is unable to care for them
- Lack of time
- House Move
- Multiple cats in the house
With such a high number of cats (of every breed) destined to end up in cat shelters, the best method of owning a Maine Coon cat or kitten is clearly via adoption.
Adoption gives a cat a second chance at a happy, loving life. It also helps eradicate backyard breeders that make a living by breeding Maine Coon kittens in dire living conditions, with little care for the welfare of the cat.
And, if those reasons are not enough of an incentive on their own, keep in mind that you will also be saving yourself a princely sum of money since cat adoption fees in the USA range between $15 – $200 for cats aged between 1-7 years old.
Should your preference be for a kitten, be aware that a kitten aged between 2 and 11 months of age will cost you slightly more to adopt in the USA, but they are still a bargain at between $100 and $200.
If you think these figures still look pretty pricey, why not compare them to how much a Maine Coon kitten costs from a breeder!
Whilst adopting a Maine Coon cat from a cat shelter appears the ideal route, there are a few downsides to keep in mind, including:
- Unlikely to find a purebred Maine Coon in a cat shelter.
- Many people are on the lookout for a “cheap” Maine Coons, so competition is rife.
- No pedigree paperwork, nor proof of lineage.
- No cat medical history records.
- Most likely a Maine Coon mix
- Shelter staff unable to identify Maine Coon cats
Staff in cat shelters are often not trained to identify particular cat breeds, so might not even realize they are housing a Maine Coon cat!
Therefore, make sure you let them know upfront what cat breed you are hoping to adopt and provide the staff with these simple tips and tricks for identifying a Maine Coon cat.
If they spot a cat of this description, they are more likely to contact you to arrange an adoption.
You should also make regular visits to your local cat shelters to see for yourself what cats are currently available. Maybe, just maybe (if you are super lucky) you will spot a Maine Coon.
Whilst the cat is more likely to be a Maine Coon mix, please keep in mind that many Maine Coon mixes share many of the much loved Maine Coon cat personality traits, like these.
Therefore, never discount them as they might just be the ideal cat for you.
Finally, keep in mind that any cat you adopt from a cat shelter will often not come with a full medical history.
Therefore, you always run the risk of your adopted Maine Coon developing these common health problems that can prove costly, if not covered by insurance.
To help mitigate some of these medical bills, make sure you purchase Maine Coon pet insurance as your cat’s health can change overnight and cost you many thousands of dollars.
2. Maine Coon Rescue Centers
Maine Coon rescue centers are a great place to find both Maine Coon mixes and purebred Maine Coon cats that need a new forever home.
These organizations are few and far between though, so you might have to travel some distance to adopt the Maine Coon cat of your dreams.
If you are not sure where your nearest Maine Coon rescue center is take a look here.
Alternatively, type ‘Maine Coon Rescue Near Me’ into your Google search bar to discover where your nearest rescue centers are.
Keep in mind that not all Maine Coon rescue centers operate from a fixed location, so make sure you keep an eye on the online Maine Coon rescue centers too for the cat of your dreams.
In terms of cost, you can adopt a Maine Coon for between $400 and $700 at a Maine Coon rescue center.
Whilst this might seem far steeper than a cat shelter, remember that you may have to wait years for a Maine Coon to appear at your local cat shelter, whereas Maine Coon rescue centers only deal with cats with a Maine Coon lineage.
Adopting a Maine Coon from a rescue center has the following additional benefits:
- The cat will be microchipped
- Maine Coon will be dewormed
- Veterinary costs up until adoption are covered
- Maine Coons are spayed/neutered
- Vaccinated
The volume of Maine Coon cats cared for by Maine Coon rescue centers is relatively low, when compared to the number of cats processed by cat shelters.
Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that you will likely still have to wait for a Maine Coon to become available since competition for cats of this breed is rife.
If you cannot wait for a Maine Coon cat, but also do not have the funds to purchase a pedigree Maine Coon kitten from a registered Maine Coon breeder, read my article:
10 Places To Find A Free Maine Coon
One often-overlooked benefit of adopting from a Maine Coon rescue center is that the cat in question is likely to be older.
Whilst a Maine Coon kitten’s personality is relatively unknown, an older Maine Coons nature and mannerisms are far easier to see.
This is advantageous to potential owners since they can select a cat that suits their lifestyle and dreams more easily.
Finally, did you know that mixed-breed cats are healthier than purebred Maine Coons? This might seem quite surprising, but it is true!
Therefore, before ruling out the Maine Coon mix at your local Maine Coon rescue center, keep this fact in mind as it might just save you some potentially large vet bills in the future.
Here is a comprehensive list of Maine Coon rescue centers in the USA.
3. Registered Maine Coon Breeders
Whilst registered Maine Coon cat breeders are usually associated with selling Maine Coon kittens at massively high prices, you should not discount them when trying to adopt a Maine Coon.
Registered Maine Coon breeders will sell their older retired pedigree breeding cats to loving homes, from time to time, at a substantially reduced price.
So why not adopt retired Maine Coon cats from your local breeder?
Therefore, why not ask your local Maine Coon breeder if they are selling any of their older Maine Coons.
If none are available, ask to be put on a waiting list for when they do place their older Maine Coons up for adoption.
The price of a retired pedigree breeding Maine Coon tends to vary, depending upon which breeder you speak to.
Whilst these cats will never be as cheap as adopting a Maine Coon from a cat shelter, what you can rely on is that the breeder will have cared for the Maine Coon to a high level.
These older cats will also have:
- Proven pedigree genetics
- Fed a high-quality diet
- Regular vaccinations
- Screened for common Maine Coon health disorders, like these
4. Online Facebook Groups
The rise of social media has resulted in a deluge of Facebook groups all dedicated to the Maine Coon cat breed.
Whilst many participants post pictures of their much loved Maine Coons, you will also find groups where owners and breeders are more than happy to share their love and knowledge of this pedigree cat breed.
Many breeders have also set up online Facebook pages as a way of advertising their available kittens or selling off their older retired breeding cats.
As with everything online though, you need to be extremely vigilant.
This is because backyard breeders and criminals often lurk within these online groups since potential purchasers are willing to pay large sums for a Maine Coon kitten or cats.
A criminal might even trick unsuspecting buyers by listing an advert labeled ‘Maine Coon Free To Good Home‘ online, just to get your attention.
Be careful trusting advertisements such as these since cats of this breed are very expensive, and owners rarely give away their much-loved Maine Coon kitten or cat for free.
The scam in this particular situation occurs when the purchaser goes to collect the ‘free Maine Coon cat’.
The seller unscrupulously pulls on the heartstrings of the purchasers, telling them the kitten is no longer available.
Then, as if by magic they have an ‘alternative cat’ that you could adopt, but for a small fee.
When caught up in the moment it is easy to see how buyers are tricked into purchasing cats that turn out to not have any Maine Coon genetics in them at all!
Before you doubt all online Facebook groups though, keep in mind that there are genuine owners out there trying to find loving homes for their Maine Coons.
You just need to use your gut instinct and a lot of research to find them.
5. Backyard Breeders
First and foremost, please be aware that this is NOT a recommended route to adopting a Maine Coon kitten or cat.
I must list this option though, since, you will likely have encountered it online, without even knowing!
With the average Maine Coon kitten costing $1,000 it is no surprise that unscrupulous individuals have jumped on the bandwagon to make a quick buck out of the unsuspecting purchasers.
These breeders have no care for their breeding cats and often raise their kittens in poor living conditions.
Their simple goal is to breed as often, and many kittens as feasibly possible to maximize the amount of money they can earn.
Criminals prey on the hearts of unsuspecting buyers, advertising their kittens or cats as needing loving homes to move into urgently, due to no fault of the current owner i.e:
- Owner died
- House Move
- Cat not settling into a multi-cat household
They will often lure purchasers in by listing their kittens at substantially reduced ‘bargain’ prices which tends to get a lot of attention from individuals looking to adopt a ‘cheap’ Maine Coon kitten or cat.
It can be difficult to spot a backyard breeder, so make sure you ask these questions when adopting a Maine Coon cat.
Listen to the seller’s answers carefully, and use your gut instinct to determine whether you can trust them, or not.
Purchasers should avoid adopting from backyard breeders at all costs, due to the following reasons:
- Breeding cats have not been screened for genetic disorders/health problems
- Kittens have not been socialized correctly
- The cat in question might not even be a Maine Coon!
- Zero aftercare services
- Breeder has limited knowledge of the breed
Conclusion
When I first started looking for a Maine Coon of my own, I wondered where can I adopt a Maine Coon cat.
This led me to spend copious amounts of time researching the breed, and various adoption routes online. Hopefully, my research has helped save you some time!
As you will have seen, you can adopt a Maine Coon kitten or cat from various places.
The safest, but most expensive of all routes is from a registered Maine Coon cat breeder, however, you have comfort in the fact that the Maine Coon has been raised and cared for correctly.
The next best place in my view is a Maine Coon rescue center since these establishments are dedicated to rehoming cats of this breed, and are truly knowledgeable when it comes to these large cats’ needs.
The only downside to adopting from a rescue center is that the cat’s full medical history might not be known, and you may never know if the cat’s parents were screened for medical defects.
RESEARCH: Where Do Owners ACTUALLY Buy Maine Coon Cats?
Katrina Stewardson, the Director of Maine Coon Central, conducted unique research on 150 Maine Coon cat lovers, on Maine Coon Central’s YouTube channel.
She asked the audience where they got their Maine Coon cat from.
This survey revealed that 33% of owners purchased their Maine Coon cat from a Registered Maine Coon cat breeder, whilst 8% of voters bought a cat from a Non-Registered Maine Coon cat breeder.
A staggering 23% of viewers voted that they found their Maine Coon at a shelter! So, do not give up hope of finding a ‘cheap’ Maine Coon!
Below are the results of Maine Coon Central’s users’ vote:
Related Questions
Where Can In Adopt A Maine Coon Cat In BC?
There are various Maine Coon rescue centers in Canada, so why not start your search with your online Maine Coon Rescue website.
