Our first Maine Coon is a blue smoke with white that we named SuperNova. He was the first of a pair of kittens we had reserved with a local cattery and they are ultimately what caused us to fall in love with the breed. Nova (pictured above) started out a little shy and aloof, but had this whimsical way about him. As he’s grown, he’s become such an adventurous, curious cat. He is super vocal and affectionate, and is so laid back that anyone that meets him says he acts more like a dog than a cat,

A Loss

A month and a half after Nova joined our family, we brought home his nephew, Apollo. Apollo was the little kitten that changed everything for us. He was a gentle loving little soul that wanted to follow us around and just simply be near us every single hour of the day. He’d sleep on our pillows at night and sometimes we’d wake to him affectionately purring in our ear, or “booping” us in the eye with his nose at 3 am. We didn’t mind one bit. He was the sweetest, most vocal, and gentle cat. He absolutely stole our hearts!

Sadly, a short time after Apollo turned five months old, things took a surprisingly fast turn for the worse. He was ultimately diagnosed with the wet form of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)* and within 24 hours of being diagnosed his body systems began to shut down and we were left with no other humane choice but to put him to sleep.

Let me pause here for a quick moment to say that FIP is rare (affects less than 5% of cats). And, while it may have been too late to seek treatment options for our kitten, there are promising drugs currently being researched (and obtained on the black market), including one well known, US Patented drug called GS-441524.

READ MORE; FIND SUPPORT:
FIP Warriors 5.0 - Facebook Support Group
FIP Fighters - Facebook Support Group
TICA Newsletter - FIP Cured?
WINN Feline Foundation - PURRsuing FIP and WINNing Symposium Document (this pdf document outlines best practices for breeders/catteries and shelters/rescues to reduce incidence of FIP)
Steve Dale Pet World: Cure awaiting approval for FIP in cats investigated for COVID-19 treatment
FIP: Reducing the Risk - A practical guide for breeders to help reduce the risk of FIP within a cattery.
NOTE: The above resource list was updated last in Sept. 2021

A Lesson

After some time to grieve our loss, we decided we were ready to start searching for another companion for Nova. We were open to the idea of either obtaining another pedigree cat OR rescuing/fostering a kitten. What was most important to us was that Nova have another cat close to his age to grow up with. That meant we needed to start researching and interviewing other breeders, and reaching out to those we networked with in the rescue/foster community.

We eventually settled on a few different leads. One that came from the rescue/foster community, and two that came in the form of recommended breeders. We started with recommended breeders and set up appointments to visit some of the litters we were potentially interested in. It was at this point we witnessed a different side of breeding.

Now it would be unfair to say these particular experiences were altogether terrible. The owners of these other catteries we went to visit (who will remain unnamed) were very welcoming and nice, and each had the necessary DNA testing, vet, and pedigree records available for us to review when asked. Our big concern was with the living environment of the breeding cats and kittens.

One particular cattery had nearly two dozen cats/kittens, some of which were housed outside, with others housed inside, but in cages that were stacked on top of one another. The smell of ammonia throughout the house was difficult to ignore. When the kittens we came to see were finally brought out, we immediately noticed their undercoats were stained with filth and a couple had minor eye infections and were sneezing. It was also pretty apparent the kittens had not been well socialized. We expressed our concerns with the health of the kittens and the owners seemed surprised by our candidness, but understanding of our concerns.

Lady Callisto

In the end, and because of these less than positive experiences with local breeders, we decided to go a different route and rescue a young Maine Coon kitten from out of state instead. Yes, it was a risk going in that direction, and yes the kitten we decided on was an extremely young female (less than two months of age), but as soon as I saw her I knew that she was just the kitten we had been searching for. We later decided to name this little angel Lady Callisto. And, it was with this loss, lesson and little girl that we fell in love with the breed.