BREEDER INFORMATION PAGE
This page is for cat BREEDERS
&
Future cat BREEDERS
Are you a Maine Coon Breeder?
Do you have questions about breeding cats? ..specifically MAINE COON Cats?
Let's talk about breeding cats!
Click a SECTION to jump!
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Financial
- 2 most commonly asked questions -
QUESTION: "Do you sell BREEDING RIGHTS?"
ANSWER: YES. BigTexCoons offers Maine Coon breeding rights. There is an extra charge.
QUESTION: "Is breeding cats the as same DOGS?"
ANSWER: NO. Dogs are easier (but messier) than cats.
HEAT CYCLE--what you should know-- Cats cycle every 3 weeks. They are in FULL heat, coming IN, or going OUT of heat. Females will SPRAY and sometimes poop to mark their territory, It is not only males.
ADULTS
This section us about keepingADULT breeder Maine Coon Cats.
9 questions about breeding ADULT male & female cats together.
Hopefully, this section will provide you realistic expectations about ADULT BREEDER CATS and help you decide if this is right for you!
1. SPRAYING--what you should know-- Yes! Females will SPRAY & sometimes POOP to mark their territory. It seems they prefer soft things like couches, or beds (unlike males who prefer walls, doors-hard surfaces). Males will pee EVERYWHERE and it is STINKY! You MUST have a plan. Where will you keep your male?
2. SPRAYING--Do all breeding cats SPRAY? No. 95% males. 65% females.. 3% females poop. You must wait until he/she grows up to find out! Have a plan for what you will do if your girl is peeing on the couch and pooping on your bed. These percentage give you an idea (based on my experience.)
3. SPRAYING--How often do they SPRAY? Males will spray initially to make his "area" smell like him. He may STOP after his scent is sufficient. When a female is in heat nearby...the male will likely spray again (to attract her). Females should spray only when they are in heat, usually around the time when they are yowling.
4. CATERWAULING-- heat crying/yowl Perspective: I had buzzards circling my home looking for the dying animal. We realized it was my cat, Pepper, crying in her heat cycle. The female is calling for her mate. Sometimes this YOWL can be heard for miles--yes, MILES! My neighbor hear my cats at night. Unfortunately, it is incessant and at night.
5. CATERWAULING--Do all cats in heat CATERWAUL? No. This is a female hierarchy thing. The top female can change. Changes that can influence hierarchy: the number of litters a female has had, and kittens grow into breeding adults. Perspective: if you have a submissive cat (lower in the hierarchy) she may have a "silent heat". If she sprays on your couch--that may be your only clue she was in heat!
6. HOUSING-- I want to breed Maine Coons, but I live in an apartment/duplex. No. You are asking for trouble. Your neighbors will complain. The apartment is going to smell. You won't even want to live there! Advice: Move into a larger house where you can be sucessful!
7. FIGHTING--Do FEMALE breeding cats fight? YES. After the first litter, even loving "sisters" may fight. Two females together is (at best) stress on a pregnant momma or recovering momma. For a whelping/new momma, easily a disaster. Stress from having other cats around might cause a first-time momma to abandon her litter as she is already confused.
8. FIGHTING--Do breeding MALE cats fight? YES. And they might kill or severely injure each other. Do not risk it. If you keep more than one male, have a plan for separate housing.
9. FIGHTING--Lions live in a pride, are cats PACK animals? No. They are NOT pack animals. When fixed, Maine coons benefit from social interaction and enjoy a friend. Breed cats, who are not fixed, will fight! BEST HOPE: fighting is not often. They are stressed only with no fur flying! I keep all my cats separated at all times. Even if they tolerate each other, dynamics will change after a litter kittens.
10. MENTALLY: Selling retired cats when you love them is hard! We love these cats! We get very attached to them. When it is time to retire, they have served their time well. It is so hard to allow them to live out the rest of their lives with another family. Saying goodbye is like a death. It is painful. I know some people choose to keep their old breeders as pets. However, I cannot do that. I cannot have too many cats. I want their reward for being a devoted momma to be pampered and cherished in a home as an only cat (or maybe two). Other people may choose differenlty.
KITTENS
This section us about Maine Coon KITTENS.
I have put together some questions about the cute, fluffy aspect of breeding, and that is the KITTENS!
1. MENTALLY: Will you keep your favorites? Or let them go even when it hurts? Each litter will have kittens that grab your heart and you will love so many of them. The reality is that if you keep kittens, you will quickly be over run and have too many cats to properly care for. You can't keep them!
2. KITTEN BIRTH: Do you assist, is it difficult? Yes and no. Cats generally give birth with minimal assistance. However, some of my Maine Coons mommas will often not go into labor if I am not with them! REALITY: days of waiting, all night birth. Cleaning babies, reviving babies, disposing placentas, and repeated making calcium water to syringe into momma's mouth. It's a messy business actually.
3. KITTEN BIRTH: Time commitment? How long is labor? Labor in cats vary from a few hours (4 hours) to days. Expect an average time of 5 hours. Some things that prolong labor: PAUSES- this is when labor stops (this is not good). Be prepared to wait anxiously for days leading up to delivery. Then once delivery begins, be prepared to be present for the duration (usually over night). j Because kittens are fragile during those first few days, weighing and monitoring closely for the first few days is essential. Be prepared to monitor closely for the next few days (after delivery).
4. KITTEN BIRTH: Dealing with death & disappointment Comparison: Kittens are more fragile than puppies. I have bred both, it was RARE to lose a puppy. However, I have lost many kittens. Common reasons baby kittens die: genetic defects (intestines born outside), born dead-cannot be revived, mom lays ontop of the baby, baby gets cold (on the side or corner), or maybe it just wasn't healthy. Bottom line is: kittens are fragile in the first few days and can easily be lost. Breeding requires diligence and being present. Sometimes we wait YEARS for a litter only to have a disappointment. This is the gamble of breeders because we are dealing with live animals.
5. KITTEN HOUSING: Do you have a separate area for a kitten "nursery"? Do you have enough rooms to handle more than than one litter at different stages of development?
6. KITTEN HEALTH: What are some health issues that are common for kittens? Kittens are susceptible to viruses. Some cat viruses are so common that between 50-80% of all cats carry them. TOP 3 VIRUS LIST: #1 Upper Respiratory ~ 90% #2 Herpes ~ 80% #3 Calici virus ~ 40% ( % of total cat population) Cat shows and importing new cats are the 2 most common introducers of viruses for catteries.
7. KITTEN HEALTH: How long will the kittens stay with you before they go to their forever homes? Kittens generally stay with me until they are 11-12 weeks old.
8. KITTEN HEALTH: How many shots do kittens receive while still with the breeder (before they go to their forever home)? Kittens generally get two sets of shots and a thorough veterinarian exam before they go home. One Vaccination is administered by myself. The second vaccination is given at the final check up at the veterinary office.
9. SOCIALIZATION: How can you make a kitten sweet who is naturally more shy and reserved?
THE BUSINESS
This section us about the Maine Coon breeding BUSINESS.
Breeding cats is not all kittens. There are so many things that you might not think about that happens behind the scenes. Here is a list of some things that are a MUST in a breeding business. And they have nothing to do with fluffy cute kittens!
7. How do you feel about stangers/customers coming to your home to pick up their kittens? This is part of it for me. Our world is getting crazier each year. But having an "in-your-home" business ultimately means people are coming to your home! This is extra work. You will need to keep your home tidy and clean!
1. How do engage with people? (it's not only cats) The general public (strangers) will call you at all hours. Some people stay up late and call late. Others are up-with-the-sun and 8am is best! You will deal with men & women, teenagers & elderly, kind & rude, friendly & frustrating. They call, text, and email! Be honest with yourself about engaging with the public. The cats are only ONE aspect of this business.
2. Can I breed for the experience and fun? Of course. But a cattery is a business decision. There is a right way and a wrong way to go about everything, especially owning your own business. If you are serious, hopefully this page will help you have a realistic expectation of what you are getting into so that you can make an informed decision (and not be disappointed and/or waste alot of money>
17. Can you make and maintain a website? Part of this business is technical. The days of local pet stores are gone. Internet presence to tell people about your cats and cattery is a requirment.
2. What happens when I go on vacation? This is a problem that breeders face. Hiring someone to stay in your home is a solution. However i have found that house sitters have NEVER done everything appropriately. For me, I do not plan to go on vacation with my husband. Whoever leaves, the other stays behind. I know that other breeders do this also. Recently, an older couple sold many of their Maine Coon breeders because they wanted to be able to visit their grandchilden. And they wanted to be able to go visit together. They had been taking separate vacations for 20 years. This is the life of a breeder.
16. EXPENSES--Veterinarian visits Maine Coons are expensive cats to keep as a pet. There is so much more that goes into the cost when it is BREEDER. Breeding takes a toll on the mommas bodies and you want them in tip-top shape when they breed. Veterinary visits will increase with the number of cats you own. Each momma cat will go to the vet an average 4x per year (depending on if she breeds twice). MATH: if you have 3 mommas and each one goes 4x. that is 12 vet visits! About every month (only on paper). Depending on what your vet charges, will be how much you can plan to spend on Veterinary expenses per year/month. If the average bill is $500 (times 12)=$6000. That number is suspiciously low for me. But this is a baseline. It is important and simply cannot be neglected or cheated!
16. EXPENSES--Construction Everyone has different ideas for housing. Be prepared to add on. Be prepared to have construction projects that are either being built or plans to build.
16. EXPENSES--Food, toys, litter, etc This is a BIG one! I have my Chewy order and still run to PetSmart and Tractor Supply weekly. It's never ending. Of course, it is worth it!
18. How do you plan to sell kittens? You will be overrun if you do not have a plan to sell your kittens. The reality is that scammers are rampant in the selling of Maine Coon kittens! Unfortunately, you will be lumped together with the scammers if you don't know what you are doing. More and more people are now breeding Maine Coons because of their popularity. RECOMMENDATION: make plan. Don't wait until the last minute and "wing it".
18. How do you plan to sell kittens? You will be overrun if you do not have a plan to sell your kittens. The reality is that scammers are rampant in the selling of Maine Coon kittens! Unfortunately, you will be lumped together with the scammers if you don't know what you are doing. More and more people are now breeding Maine Coons because of their popularity. RECOMMENDATION: make plan. Don't wait until the last minute and "wing it".
SO YOU WANT TO BE A CAT BREEDER
by Anonymous Cat Breeders Everywhere
Do you want to become a cat breeder?
I found a great training. If you really decided to try yourself in the role of a breeder, by all means go through with it to understand how you are ready for this.
1) Take the scoop. Remove the cat poop from the tray, seal it in a bag, throw it into the bin. Repeat 20 times.
2) Take out the medicine tablet, fix the cat by wrapping it in a terry towel, feed the tablet. Get dirty. Pick up the spilled pill & repeat 5 times. Wipe off the bloody finger and treat with iodine.
3) Glue the wallpaper in the hallway. Repeat 10 times. Spit, tear off the wallpaper, and cover the walls with plaster.
4) Change the damaged curtains. Repeat 5 times. Spit and stop looking at them.
5) Play with the kittens. Remove traces of their lively activity from the parquet. Repeat 30 times. Replace wood floor with tiles.
6) Open the website of the travel agency. Select the place where you would like to relax. Close the site and remove it from bookmarks.
7) Is today New Year? Have a glass of champagne, congratulate the family and go to give birth to the cat. Repeat annually for 3 years.
8) Weekend? Don't oversleep the exhibition! Collect a cat, grab a booth and get ready to answer 100 questions from 100 strangers. Remember to smile when you do this. Repeat monthly.
9) Have you looked for new boots? They will wait. It's time to vaccinate a new litter of kittens. Repeat until the soles of the old shoes fall off.
10) Pick up the phone and explain to an imaginary conversationalist why your kitten costs $3000, and not $300 - as "almost the same." Repeat 2 times daily.
11) Save $4000. Buy a new cat abroad. Carefully hide the traces of the transaction in the form of a payment notification from the husband / wife.
Repeat annually.
Still looking to become a breeder? Reread 10 times. 😺