Adopting a Maine Coon in Birmingham: rescues, rules and costs

The number above is worked out live from our listings: Maine Coons and Maine Coon crosses with the rescues we list within roughly 25 miles of Birmingham, each linking to its rescue. Pedigree Maine Coons hardly ever reach those general cat rescues, so do not be surprised by a zero. We could not find a Maine Coon rescue based in the Midlands, which leaves the two routes below.

Usually through no fault of the cat. The Maine Coon Cat Club lists the kind of reasons owners give: someone at home turns out to be allergic, the family emigrates, or a marriage or partnership ends. Most cats on its page have no known health or behaviour problem, it says, though a few do, and some can only go to a home without other animals or children.

You will need to ask, because neither route prints a fee. Strawberry does say what comes with a cat: per its homepage, neutering, vaccinations, a microchip, flea and worm treatment and 5 weeks of free insurance, and its adoption page makes ongoing lifetime insurance a condition. With an owner's cat from the club page, find out which vet work has been done.

A bought kitten means £200 to well over £1,000 for a registered pedigree (Cats Protection) and the same questions for the breeder. Then the running costs begin: at least £79 a month, says PDSA.

The GCCF describes a generally healthy breed with two inherited conditions. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) thickens the heart muscle and can end in heart failure; Maine Coons have a DNA test for it, and breeding cats can be heart scanned. Hip dysplasia has no simple gene test, though breeding cats can have their hips X-rayed.

• Heart trouble can hide. Genetic faults tied to cardiomyopathy are known in Maine Coons, says International Cat Care, and early disease may cause no signs, though a vet could hear a murmur at a check-up.
• Ask what the vet looked at. Strawberry Persian and Pedigree Cat Rescue has each cat checked by a vet at vaccination but does not DNA test, scan or X-ray them all.
• Joints, weight and coat. PDSA names hip dysplasia, patellar luxation (a kneecap that slips) and HCM, and says the long coat needs daily care against knots. The GCCF adds that Maine Coons can put on weight.

Room to play counts for more than a garden. These are big, high-energy cats, says the GCCF, needing space and a sturdy climbing frame; they take up to four years to mature and often bond with another cat or the family dog. PDSA notes they like company but would rather be on the floor than on your lap.

Strawberry Persian and Pedigree Cat Rescue rehomes its cats as indoor-only unless a listing says otherwise, and accepts flats, so long as windows stay shut and a balcony is fully cat-proofed or kept closed. For a club cat, find out from the owner how it has lived until now.

A rescue Maine Coon is never sold. You apply for a particular cat, the rescue picks the best home for it, and you pay an adoption fee. Kittens needing homes are very rare, the Maine Coon Cat Club says, so think adult. To check what is listed near the city today, open our Birmingham Maine Coon page.

Buying? Cats Protection recommends a breeder registered with a breed body such as the GCCF, and seeing the kitten with its mother in the breeder's home rather than buying from a video or social media post. Because the breed has an HCM DNA test, per the GCCF, ask for both parents' results. Report scam adverts to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud).