Maine Coons

Hi you cat lovers: I am new to this site and still trying to figure out how to talk to everyone. I have enjoyed reading everyone's special notes as I love cat talk!

I have always had cats all my life. I always had the ones who adopted me and they all lived long normal lives. I had decided when my last cat died that I would go for my dream cat which are "Maine Coons". I wanted two so that I would not feel guilty when going away on trips and they would keep each other company. I did all my research on Maine Coons and decided their personality best fit our family. However, I did not do enough research on breeders and settled for someone I found over the internet who would sell me a Maine Coon for $200 less than everyone else! Two mistakes right there! To make a long story short and very sad - My husband and I went to this breeder and picked out which kitty we wanted when they were two weeks old. We went back to pick them up three months later and mine, Daisy had this spot of hair missing above her eye which the breeder claimed it was just an itchy condition that went along with her scracthing at her ears. My husband's pick seemed to be in good health. I took them to the Vets a week later (mistake no. 3.) as I should have taken them within the two days the contract called for and I should have demanded a complete blood workup be done on both but my vet said he did not feel these young kittens should have to have blood work done. That was mistake no 4. listening to him!!!!
Anyway, Daisy had ringworm, and also some very bad polyps growing down in her ears which were later found by an MRI after first being seen by a specialist in ears! The only way for sure removal of these octopus type growths which eventually eat up everything around in the surrounding areas, was to operate and have them surgically removed. She was one year old when she had that horrendous operation ($1,600)! She had two long tubes hanging out of her neck and her Maine was completely shaved off. Her right eye was badly affected as her third eyelid was showing. It took her one week to finally start to act like a cat and just as she was improving greatly, she took a turn for the worst and this was two months later and had some kind of stroke or nerve damage on the same side as her biggest polyp was removed and that had caused the eye to look so bad. Her whole right side gave out and she could not walk or jump and her head tilted to the right. She became very constipated and with these conditions, we had to rush her to the emergency vet and spend another $650 to see if she would make it again. He said she should recover in about two weeks and he gave me the best hope I could have asked for. See you see her little playmate, Misty, was diagnised with the fatal disease of FIP in March but was showing clinical symptoms in January. Daisy had been tested in March at the same time and she tested positive but showed no clinical signs. Anyway, my husband and I did all we could to try and save Misty from this horrible disease but she died the week of my 50th birthday. She was the most beautiful Silver Blue Maine Coon with the sweetest, lovable personality you could ever want for. She really had no health problems until in January when she stopped eating, playing with her buddy, Daisy, and seemed to look very depressed. I had no idea what could have been going on inside her body as I had no knowledge whatsoever about FIP. One day in March I decided to search my wonderful cat book and look under "depression" and low and behold it mentioned FIP and it hit me that she could possibly have this. Now where do you think she got this disease? Now we are living every day on pins and needles in hopes that Daisy will never come down with it. Daisy is a tuffie and we feel that because she has survived so many other illnesses along the way, that her immune system is very good and maybe she will never ever have it. I will have her tested in about six more months to see if she still test positive for FIP.

I would just like to alert every cat lover in the whole wide world about please check out completely with references (which I did not do) and every possible source about where your kitty is coming from.

If any of you have had this problem, I would love to hear from you. Thanks.

Cats are part of my family and we treat them just like a human being.
I would love to have more but cannot because of this FIP stuff.

Sue

Oh Sue!

This is such a sad story! I am going to move your thread over to our Health and Nutrition forum so that it may get a few more hits with helpful advice. A couple of our moderators are breeders. They might be able to also give you some good guidance.

Dear Deb: Thank you so much for listening and I appreciate your promptness and for sending it further as I am not sure how to get my message to more people.

This site I should have known about a long time ago as I love reading everyone's stories and viewing the darling kitty pictures.

I would love to work with cats some day in the future either at the SPCA or in a vets office. I believe I am part cat for sure!!!!!

What kind of pets and how many do you have?

Sue

Your story made my heart ache. I'm so sorry to hear about all the terrible things you & your cat family are going through! I mourn your loss and Daisy's pains. I have no advice, but think you're terrific for trying to help warn people and for being so dedicated to your kittens.

I have a very different story, and especially after reading your sad story I almost don't want to share it. I didn't have a cat and didn't want one. But we moved to a farm community where there are many strays and ferals from the barn cat community (although "our" stray must have run away from someone, because it turns out she's a pure bred Maine Coon). It took months to gain her trust, and as she survived on her own for 1 1/2 years, she's made it pretty clear she doesn't want to become an indoor kittie. Nonetheless, she adopted us. She gave us the privelege of having her spayed (even though it turned out she already was) and gives us the privelege of getting her her regular shots, of grooming & feeding her, and providing her a bed and shelter during snow or heavy rain storms.

Her name is Booger (although I was calling her Rocki). She is brown and gold, with some white highlights on her face, paws, chin and belly, and she is covered in black stripes like a raccoon. She is beautiful and soooo loving (but a tough, independent girl too!), and we're so happy she walked into our life. It never occurred to me that I'd think this, but my heart aches so much for you, and since you used to have only adopted strays, I wish she'd walked into yours.

You and your husband are angels, and no one, especially the kitties, deserves what you've all had to endure.

It's really sad that there are breeders out there like that. My heart goes out to you and your husband. More than likely she has FIP in her cattery. Not everyone in the cattery would pass FIP, but I would just keep a close eye on her and if you ever think about another kitty, make sure she tests negative for active disease.
I have more than enough kitties, one being a Maine Coon. I really did some research and found a great breeder, it really does pay to do your homework.

Hi Sue
Iwas really sorry to read about your experience with the lovable lions.I had always wanted one too and bought our PinselMC
. last year from a very conscientious breeder in southern GermanyLook her up on the net it´s Doublebee owned by Maria Brook Blaut.I met her on a Flight to the States . So we spent 9 hours talking about cats and she thought me worthy to let me have one of her children.Pinsel is a wonderful Coon, the best cat you can have.I´d love to have another but the men in my family tell me that 2 cats are enough.I´d have loved to breed but since Ihad a bad stroke2 years ago I´m pretty useless. So breeding is out of the question.Should you ever want a MCfrom Doublebee that shouldn´t be difficult since her husband is British and they travel to GB occasionally. Just have a look at her beauties.
Best wishes Elisabeth