Maine Coon Scams

Beware of ONLINE KITTEN SCAMS - Read this article to on how to avoid scams.

Beware of ONLINE KITTEN SCAMS - Read this article to on how to avoid scams.

Maine Coon Kitten Scams are now preying on innocent kitten buyers looking for lower pricing, $200 - $2,000. Knowing the average price is going to help you identify most scams as they typically have to good to be true pricing. The majority of scams are easy to spot!

Maine Coon Price depends on many factors please read this whole article for details. COVID has increased the costs of everything from food, grooming, vetting, importing, etc. The average price in the USA for a registered Maine Coon is $3,000 or more depending on what is “included” (i.e. Spay/Neuter). Before you buy please read below;

What is a kitten scam?

Beware scammers are smart, they will build websites. Typically they have a whole ring of sites. When one gets taken down they have the content saved and just post it under a new name. Scammers do pay for Google ads, so they rank first in search engines.

How do you identify a scam website?

  • No watermark on photos

  • No videos

  • Bad grammar

  • Generic websites templates

  • Conduct sales through text messages or email since they do not speak English, if they do speak English it is broken English.

  • Inconsistent pictures (background are all different)

  • Any website using GoogleAds (ranking first). Google Ads is the main marketing source scammers use. Precede with caution!!!

How easy is it to throw up a scam website?

Overseas scammers just throw together a 5-7 page website, pick up a $20 prepaid track phone, and off they go! They steal photos from Google images from legit breeders and steal text from random websites. Below are long-established scam websites! One gets taken down two more come up. They scam people for a living. All of these scam websites are paying to use GoogleAds to rank first. Please do not refuse to see the warning signs because you want them to be true.

What to look for in your breeder?

Is the breeder reputable?

  • The breeder microchips the kitten so if lost it is returned.

  • The breeder will take back a kitten if homeless.

  • The breeder gives age-appropriate shots.

  • The breeder gives parasite prevention.

  • The breeder spays & neuters kittens prior to placement. Preventing potential pyometra and accidental litters.

  • The breeder makes sure to keep a kitten till a minim of 12 weeks old. Both CFA & TICA ethics state a breeder should keep kittens till 12 weeks at the minimum. This ensures the kitten is emotional and physically ready. Allowing a kitten to leave younger can compromise its emotional well-being and immune system for its entire life.

Can you verify the breeder?

  • Verify that the breeder is registered with CFA or TICA.

  • The breeder can verify registration by providing their cattery numbers.

  • The breeder can provide a verification listing through TICA.org. This listing can only be obtained by a registered TICA member with a signed code of ethics.

  • Unfortunately, many potential owners don’t know what to look for in a breeder and fall victims to scam websites promising cheap-priced kittens from a “reputable breeder”. NEVER EVER think you are buying a Maine Coon Kitten for the cheap price of $500–$1000.

Can you navigate the breeder’s website?

  • The breeder’s website is easy to navigate.

  • The breeder has a website that educates about the breed.

  • The breeder has a website that tells about their program.

  • The breeder can produce pictures of available kittens.

Are the Parents Health tested?

Minim DNA testing is for HCM, SMA and PKD mutations. However other disorders include:

  1. Blood Disorders

  2. Cardiac Disorders

  3. Endocrine Disorders

  4. Immunologic Disorders

  5. Metabolic Disorders

  6. Muscular Disorders

  7. Neurologic Disorders

  8. Neuromuscular Disorders

  9. Ocular Disorders

  10. Renal Disorders Including PKD

  11. Skeletal Disorders

Are the kittens Registered?

  • Breeder registers each litter providing buyers with registration paperwork/number.

  • Beware a breeder stating they don’t want to “deal with paperwork,” or they are “just producing pets.” They probably don’t have usable registration papers.

  • If the Seller bought a Maine Coon with no breeding rights and then reproduced, that means they disregarded the legal contract they signed. You do not want to do business with a “breeder” who ignored a contract they agreed to uphold.

  • It costs a breeder $10 to register a litter of kittens with TICA or CFA. Ask yourself why would a breeder discount a kitten hundreds or even thousands for a non-registerable kitten that is purebred? Retired cats and cats with special needs could considerably cost less than the quoted average price. You would still be looking for the above-mentioned qualities in a breeder.

How old is your kitten?

The breeder makes sure to keep a kitten till a minim of 12 weeks old. Both CFA & TICA ethics state a breeder should keep kittens till 12 weeks at the minimum. This ensures the kitten is emotional and physically ready. Allowing a kitten to leave younger can compromise its emotional well-being and immune system for its entire life.

CFA & TICA ethics state a breeder should keep kittens till 12 weeks at the minimum.

CFA & TICA ethics state a breeder should keep kittens till 12 weeks at the minimum.

Beware of ONLINE KITTEN SCAMS!!

THERE ARE MORE ONLINE SCAMS THAN THERE ARE ACTUAL CAT BREEDERS!!!!

They are preying on anyone looking to buy pets... Google can't stop them from buying ads. Its worldwide - Scamming buyers of horses, dogs, cats, birds!

"The bitterness of a poor-quality animal will linger long after the sweetness of a cheap price is forgotten.”

Support is your choice.

Support those doing more for the breed.

Michelle Tuck