The nuts and bolts! (this page is (basically always) under construction)
**Scammer alert! There are scammers online stealing my photos and trying to get deposits for kittens that are not theirs. For example, there is a Facebook page titled "Bengal Maine Coon Kittens available" or something similar (they keep getting shut down and opening up another page) with a link to my website. My only Facebook presence is MY Facebook page: Small Haus Maine Coons. Anything else is a SCAM! This has been going on for most of 2021, so be very careful!*
Do you have any kittens available now? Please see the kitten page for updates about availability, plans, and upcoming litters. Kittens are almost always spoken for by our premier reservation list. *Reservation list is full as of July 2021. I will update the kittens page if any kittens become available once the wait list has chosen.*
How much do your kittens cost: Kittens prices range from $2,500 - $3,000, depending on color. The black silver and smoke colors are higher, due to increased costs of importing these colors. More info about pricing here. We offer a discount on a second kitten, and a military discount.
Do you take reservations? *Please note: the reservation list is full as of July 2021. I will open it back up probably October or December 2021* Yes! We operate with a Premier Reservation List. Meaning, I will keep a short advance wait list, to hold your spot "in line." If you would like to be on this list, contact us. The fee to be on the wait list is $250 and will be refunded if have not gotten a kitten within one year. The fee goes toward the final purchase price. The process for being added to the paid wait list involves an online application, and a phone interview. Please thoroughly review our wait list agreement here.
What if I don't want to join the paid wait list? I will post available kittens on the kittens page, but this happens only once a year or so. Kittens are mostly claimed by our reservation list.
Do you ever have retirees? Retirees mostly go to therapy homes, so I almost never have retirees available.
How long can I expect to wait for a kitten? We are a very small hobby breeder. We have two young children at home (ages 4 and 6), so in the interest of excellence, we aim for only ~3 or 4 litters per year. That means you can expect to wait about 4-8 months for a traditional color, and 6-12 months for the more in-demand colors like silver, solid black/blue, or smoke.
What are your priorities? #1. Health #2. Temperament, and socialization #3. Color ... #45. Size (If you're looking for "the biggest cat ever!" I suggest you find another breeder, as that isn't one of my priorities.)
Do you ship kittens? No. Our families either drive or fly to pick up their kittens. That way you get to meet us, meet the parents, and littermates! We have kittens all over - in Vermont, Washington, Idaho, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, and of course Ohio and many others.
Do you perform health testing? Yes, all our cats are at minimum tested for an array of DNA issues, including HCM, PkDef, PKD, and about a hundred others. Most receive heart echocardiograms to determine heart health. We go to Ohio State University's Veterinary school and research center, and echos are performed by board certified veterinary cardiologists. Results are available upon request.
How big are your Maine Coons? When fully mature (this takes 3-5 years!), the Maine Coon average male is 15-22 pounds, and the females are 10-15 pounds. As with people, there is a lot of variation in there, and boys from the samelitter can end up as much as 10 pounds different in size! Please know that I am a little touchy about people who only care about getting "an enormous cat." And once a cat gets overly large, there are increased health risks (especially hip dysplasia and HCM). A healthy cat is infinitely more important to me than a huge one. This article here is helpful for explaining size and deceptive photo angles.
Do you have food or product recommendations? Yes! See our Food! page and our More Info page.
Can we come visit your cattery? Yes! But not until after they've had their first round of shots, which is generally at 8 or 9 weeks of age.
Are Maine Coons lap cats? Maybe. While some of them are, this is not generally the case. They will often lay on your lap, but it's not usually for very long, and can be unpredictable. (A favorite time to hop on your lap seems to be while on the toilet...) I encourage you to groom them when they're sleepy and relaxed, and put them in your lap for this so they associate lap time with love and connection. If you are looking for lap cat, there are many wonderful breeds that are more lap happy.
Male or female?!? The best analogy I can come up with is a pride of lions. Imagine them in the Serengeti - the lionesses are prowling around, hunting, alert. The male? He's laying under the shade of a tree like a blob. That's generally what you can expect, once the kittens have reached adulthood, which is around 18-24 months. Before that, they are very active, playful, and often full of trouble! Be prepared for some training! After that, as a general rule, the females will remain more playful and mischievous. The males become more couch potatoes (with the occasional burst of energy). We find the girls are a little more independent, mischievous, and funny. The boys are often more emotional, and lazy. We find males and females to be equally likely to be affectionate, and patient with children. One other factor to keep in mind is if you are elderly, or have back problems. The boys get quite large! If you have back trouble, it may be difficult to haul a 20+ pound crate to your vet! Also, the boys produce more 💩! 😝
Will a male kitten get along better with my female cat? (and visa versa) I get this question a lot! It's a very common myth. Does the sex of your new kitten matter, depending on what the sex is of your cat at home? NOPE. Will a female cat get along better with a male cat? Will two boys get along better? Two girls? Nope, nope, nope! If you have a female cat at home, it will not matter if your new kitten is male or female. If you have a male cat at home, it will not matter if your new kitten is male or female! The new kitten does not smell like a male or female yet. The only exception: if you are partial to one sex, and you're going to give preferential treatment to one sex or the other, please be aware of this and do not get a cat that will feel left out. Cats get jealous too!
Help! I'm nervous about being scammed! First of all, I don't blame you! There are a lot of Maine Coon scammers out there - not to mention backyard breeders (which deserves a whole page written about this topic!). If you are concerned about being scammed, the first thing you should do is talk to them on the phone. You can also ask the breeder you're talking with to make a photo or video with the kitten you're interested in and a written note with your name on it in the photo. If they're a scammer, you can expect to get no response to this request. Also please bear in mind that when considering the cost of a purebred cat: you get what you pay for. If you're getting a "good deal" it is usually because the breeding cats are being abused, do not get appropriate health testing, and the kittens are not properly cared for or socialized. More articles about these issues on our More Info page. Here is a website that talks about scammers and how to avoid them (shared with permission): Avoiding Scams
How much grooming do Maine Coons require? It varies a lot! Some of our cats require almost no grooming (Trinity and Tater, for example). Some require medium grooming (brushing twice a week). And some require a lot of time grooming! Xerxes and Bron have prolific coats, and if you adopt one of their kittens you need to be prepared to brush them every day, all year long - and up to three times a day during the Spring time shedding! If you don't keep up with a big coat, you will have a cat that has mats which can cause painful and dangerous skin wounds. Please search your heart, and don't adopt a Maine Coon from one of my big-coat cats if you know you're not great at upkeep.
Why do your breeding cats not have much fur? Good question! The first time I saw breeding cats I was confused - where's the famous Maine Coon mane?? Some cats will keep their coats even once the adult hormones arrive. However, the vast majority of my adults have what we call a "working coat." The hormones cause them to "blow coat." For the males this is often around 12-18 months, and it is seen most dramatically with the females after she has raised a litter of kittens. Once they are neutered, their "resting coat" will come back in! So the cats you meet here at our house have pretty puny coats, but they will amaze yet again once again about 6 months after their neuter. You can see a before/after photo of a freind's female on my adults page.
How many litters do your cats have? We do not let our cats "work" for very long. Having litters is wonderful and the mamas usually love being a mother! However, it takes a lot out of them to grow and then nurse 4-8 babies for 6 weeks (that's when they start eating a little raw meat). So we keep a close eye on the mamas, and if they do not gain weight back between litters, if they don't like being a mom, or of course if they have any health complications, they will retire. We have never had a queen birth more than four litters, although if a queen was in great shape I would consider it. So far our males have never had more than five litters. That way they can retire young and live a wonderfully spoiled life!
Will you keep a kitten extra time for me, if I can't pick it up right away? Yes, we will keep a kitten for you. However, these kittens grow SO fast, that missing out on even a week is a big deal! They also eat a lot. So we charge $10 per day for each day after one week past their 12 week pickup date. We also want to make room for future litters, and give the mama kitties a break. They often nurse up til 12 weeks and beyond, and they need to recuperate! For those reasons, if you're going to be more than one week late to pick up, I will ask that you wait until a subsequent litter.