-- BIGTEXCOONS FAQ --

BIGTEXCOONS bought their first Maine Coon Cat in 2012.

BIGTEXCOONS believes that health is #1! We pride ourselves on breeding healthy cats that will hopefully give buyers many years of happiness!

BIGTEXCOONS offers a health guarantee with each kittens.

BIGTEXCOONS kittens are well socialized and loved in our home before they go to yours!

BIGTEXCOONS selected their breeder cats for temperament. Each cat is an individual, however, we hope to pass down genetics from mom and dad who have fantastic personalities.

The biggest things that set BIGTEXCOONS apart from other catteries are:

(1) BIGTEXCOONS believes that health is of the utmost importance and works hard to ensure that breeder cats have optimal health

(2) BIGTEXCOONS wants the personality of each kitten to be super sweet! We select our cats not only for desirable looks (and Health) BUT we screen them also for temperament! Although each kitten is an individual, we do our best to deliver a wonderful pet!

Many years ago, I offered a FREE waiting list. The outcome was that I had about 200+ names, and 5 kittens to offer!

How did I choose who was offered a kitten?

It went something like this: "Hmmmm! I like the sound of his/her name!" or "That name sounds sweet." In other words, it was too many people and too many names. With no money, of course, everyone said, "YES! PLEASE!....Add my name to your Bigtexcoons waiting list!"

It was such a burden for me to decide who to contact. I felt like I had made a sort-of Lottery method! "Congratulations! I picked you!!" This was unfair to everyone!

By requiring a deposit, serious buyers are seperated from everyone else. This allows you (the buyer) to decide if you want a kitten from Bigtexcoons. This gives YOU control because your spot is no longer based on good luck!

An added benefit of the waiting list deposit is that this helps break the payments up over a longer period of time. For many people, the total price of a Maine Coon Kitten can be difficult to pay all at once. Therefore, a side-benefit of the waiting list deposit is that it has a payment plan effect.

Follow these steps:

A phone call is required. This is a friendly interview. No kittens will be sold without speaking on the phone first. NO EXCEPTIONS!
Waiting list deposit of $250 to reserve your spot to get a BIGTEXCOON kitten. This is FULLY refundable if I have no kitten for you. It is non-refundable if you back-out. Your deposit is not additional, it is applied as paid towards the purchase price of your BIGTEXCOONS kitten.

Once the BIGTEXCOONS kittens are born, you will be notified. Then, about 2-3 weeks later you can choose your new BIGTEXCOON kitten!! You can see the kittens via photos, videos, and facetime calls.

You can always check the kitten page to see if there are any kittens available! You can also call/text me directly to inquire if there is something not posted.

I sometimes post kittens to help a friend, offer a retired adult, or sell a kitten that I originally held back for my breeding program.

I keep my breeding program small, so it's actually a RARE thing if BigTexCoons has an available kitten posted. It does happen sometimes!! It is always best to get on the waiting list if you want a BigTexCoons kitten!

The size of your male cat is going to be somewhere between 15-23lbs (generally). But females are smaller, females will weigh between 12-18lbs (generally).

Not everything about the size of a cat is weight-based. Some have dense bones and weigh like a brick!! Others can be tall and lanky and weigh less, but just as large.

Each cat is an individual, just like people. Cats inherit genetics and we hope for the best! We all want the biggest and most beautiful cat….and it has been my experience that every cat owner knows that HIS cat is certainly the BEST IN THE WHOLE WORLD!! And sometimes we even enter the cat shows to prove it!! However, no breeder can guarantee a size, but they can give you a good indication!

The "simple answer is NO.....Anyone can take a kitten off the street without papers and breed it. But if you pay for an expensive cat, I will list the reasons below why you WANT papers:

(a) REPUTABLE BREEDER: Breeders who are serious about breeding Maine Coons and improving the breed will have the proper documentation. This assures buyers that they are following proper guidelines. Before you spend your money, please make sure your breeder is “certified” by one of the major registries TICA, FIFE, or CFA. Why? Because these registered Breeders know the breed standard. These breeders should be committed to improving the bloodlines of their cats and the breed

(b) KITTEN QUALITY: Often purchasing a cat is done over the phone and without seeing the cat and therefore, it is crucially important to know WHO you are buying from and WHAT kind of cat you will be getting. Registries such as TICA and CFA have rules and regulations that catteries must agree with in order to be certified.

(c) If you are buying a purebred cat WITHOUT papers, then unfortunately, the litter of your kitten was NOT registered. You cannot know if your cat is a purebred. I cannot say that it isn't, but you must ask yourself the question of why a proper main coon cattery would NOT register their kittens?

Unfortunately, there is debate among veterinarians about the correct age. Waiting too long (1 year) to spay/neuter results in problems not easily overcome such as: territorial aggression, spraying (and other problems) so I will not include that option below.

Most of the information below is copied from the Cat Fanciers Assocation Website. Please check with your veterinarian to find out what procedure he/she is most comfortable with and recommends

The pros and cons of YOUNG vs "TEEN" given below and the study link below.

YOUNG AGE: (7-12 weeks)

pros: straightforward and uncomplicated. Kittens recover rapidly (faster than the 5-6month age) and are often up and playing 2 hours after surgery

cons: Many Veterinarians were not trained to perform surgery on infant kittens. Your veterinarian may feel more comfortable performing on the typical age kitten (5-6months). Many owners feel uncomfortable giving their “babies” surgery.

TYPICAL AGE: (5-6 months)5-6 months are

pros: Most Veterinarians have years of experience and feel very comfortable spaying/neutering a cat at this age.

cons: Possibly maturity has begun and undesirable behaviors have begun to develop in your teen cat: marking territory, breeding, aggression, heat cycles, territorial

Many breeders prefer to spay/neuter their kittens before they are placed with their new owners. I do not do that and you can choose the age for yourself. i hope this information helps you understand the options and the pro's & con's of each.

An interesting study reported on the CFA (Cat Fanciers Association) website if you are interested: http://cfa.org/owners/catcare/spayneuter/earlyspayneuter.aspx

A lesson in Genetics...... the Silver Maine Coon

Silver is the absence of color/pigment on the bottom the hair shaft (near the skin). On striped tabbies this gene ALSO affects the hairs in-between colored stripes. The gene that stops color from forming on the hair is represented genetically with the capital letter ” I “ (for inhibitor). Genetically it is dominant.

Not all cats carry an inhibitor (silver) gene. Parents who have no silver genetics cannot produce silver babies! I LOVE the silver color & it's effect so my male is a BLACK/silver. Because of the silver's "genetic dominance" many (most) of my kittens will exhibit the silver.

If the father is silver, & silver is dominant, why will not ALL of my kittens be silver?

Because they're are not genetically homogeneous. Charting the Gene looks like this: "II" (silver dominant) .."Ii" (silver dominant).. "ii" (not silver)

Cats come in only 2 patterns: SOLID pattern (recessive) or STRIPE pattern (dominant)! A striped kitten showing silver is called a "silver". A solid kitten showing silver is called a "SMOKE".

A SMOKE kitten appears solid at birth because it is a solid cat with the silver gene. In smokes (solids), the "silver" is the undercoat and the undercoat will grow as the kitten matures (until about age 3). Newborn kittens aren't born with the undercoat fur yet. Immediately after birth we cannot tell, but genetically we can guess about 75% probability (from the parents).
A STRIPED kitten will show silver at birth. A stripe requires 2 colors (think candy cane). Luckily, the silver effects 1 of the stripe colors. So we have Black/silver, or Blue/silver, red/silver and so on. The silver still effects the undercoat on striped kittens.

Silver kittens CHANGE as they mature. Maine coons grow until they are about 3 years old. The undercoat is missing at birth and continues fill-out and develop until your kitten is mature. Because the silver effects the undercoat, it's full effect will not be seen in small kittens! I have included a link (near this question #4) to help you see the dramatic change from newborn to about 6 months.

Silver Genetics Lesson

No.

YES!! I have read online where "internet experts" recommend visiting the cattery before purchase. It is my belief that this advice is only applicable to LARGE operations which house their cats in a separate facility or off-site.

My cattery is small and my cats are kept in my home with my family. In the world we live in today, unfortunately, it is not safe to allow internet strangers come tour my home prior to purchase.

There are PROS and CONS to everything! If touring the facility (before you buy) is a priority, I recommend shopping at LARGE catteries. Small family businesses are generally located in the breeders' homes with their families. These are 2 different types of cat breeders--with PROS and CONS to each.

Yes! We have transportation and shipping options.

You book your airline ticket and I come meet you at the airport. It is possible to fly in/out same day.
I will ship a kitten within the United States. Buyer pays exact shipping + $45 handling fee. This is approximately the same cost as option #1 (depending on price of airline tickets for option #1).
Pet (ground) transportation companies that will drive the cat to your home.

I also offer to drive 2 hours in your direction to meet you if you have a long drive. So if you live far away and prefer to drive to Texas, I offer this to help you out!