Why Do Maine Coon Kittens Cost So Much?

It's one of the most common questions we get as a small Maine Coon breeder in Central Ohio. The short answer is that a lot goes into every kitten long before it goes home with you. Here is an honest look at where the cost comes from.

The Cost of Quality Breeding Cats

Let's start with the initial cost of buying our breeding animals. One cat alone can cost anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000 depending on what you are looking for.

Lineage, color, size, polydactyl traits and eye color all play a part in the price when you buy with breeding rights.

DNA Testing for Healthy Kittens

We want to make sure the lineage is clean and that no health issues are passed on to our kittens. That is why we DNA test our cats to make sure they carry no unfavorable traits they could pass on.

Vet Visits and Quarantine for Every New Cat

As soon as we bring home a new cat or kitten, they see the vet within 3 days. They also go into quarantine for 2 weeks, and we run a stool PCR to make sure they are not bringing in any uninvited guests. We check for fleas as well as ringworm.

All of this takes time, and your time is priceless, wouldn't you say? Time is money.

Quarantine means a separate room and changing clothes and shoes every time we go in, 2 to 3 times a day. Nothing worn in that room can be worn in the rest of the house. It also means a lot of laundry.

Raised in Our Home, Not in Cages

We are a small home-based breeding program, and our cats are not kept in cages all day. They are part of our family. They live in our house, not in outbuildings away from us.

Each cat has their own catio so we can monitor food intake at feeding time and keep an eye on their litter boxes. When cats share litter boxes, it is too hard to tell who is having a gastro issue.

One Litter Per Year for Each Mama

We only allow each Mama to have one litter a year. After she has her litter, we keep a close eye on how she recovers. We want to make sure she is healthy before she has another litter.

Raising Maine Coons Is a 24/7 Job

There is a lot more to raising cats and kittens than most people realize. Here is some of what goes into it every day:

• DNA testing and health testing

• Vet visits and worming

• Endless cleaning and laundry

• Feeding, brushing and grooming

• Video calls and phone calls with families

• Constantly educating ourselves

I could go on and on. This is a 24/7 gig, and you do not get a break.

Why We Take Our Cats Everywhere

We bought an RV so we can go on vacation and take everyone with us. Otherwise, you have to hire someone to stay at your home and care for your animals, and that is a whole other can of worms.

You need someone you trust, who knows what to do in an emergency, who will not wear their shoes in the house, and who will sanitize after cleaning each catio.

No one can take care of your animals like you do, and that makes it hard to let someone else care for them. We are not a big enough operation to hire help, and we do not trust anyone else to do things the way we do.

Have Questions About Our Maine Coon Kittens?

If you have any other questions, please send us a message and we will do our best to help.