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

The number at the top of this page is live. It counts Maine Coons and Maine Coon crosses with the rescues we list up to about 25 miles from Manchester, and each one links to its rescue. Expect it to read zero more often than not: pedigree Maine Coons seldom reach general cat rescues, and we found no Maine Coon rescue in the North West. That leaves two routes, neither of them local.

Mostly through no fault of the cat, says the Maine Coon Cat Club. The reasons it sees range from someone in the household being allergic to a family moving abroad or a relationship ending. Most of the cats have no known health or behaviour problems, it adds, though some do, and some need a home without other pets or children.

Ask what is included as well as what is charged. With an owner's cat from the club page, find out whether it is neutered, vaccinated and microchipped, and when it last saw a vet. A cat from Strawberry comes neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and treated for fleas and worms, with 5 weeks' free insurance (its homepage), and you must keep it insured for life (its adoption page).

A registered pedigree kitten costs £200 to well over £1,000 (Cats Protection), and the same vet questions apply to the breeder. The monthly bills start at the same place either way: PDSA puts them at £79 or more.

The GCCF calls the Maine Coon generally healthy but names two inherited conditions. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) thickens the heart muscle so it pumps less blood with each beat, which can lead to heart failure; there is a DNA test for it in Maine Coons, and breeding cats can have a heart scan. For hip dysplasia no straightforward genetic test exists; instead, X-rays can assess a breeding cat's hips.

• No signs does not mean no disease. International Cat Care says genetic faults linked to cardiomyopathy have been found in Maine Coons, and that a cat may show no signs, although a vet might hear a murmur.
• Find out what has been checked. Strawberry Persian and Pedigree Cat Rescue has its cats seen by a vet when they are vaccinated, but does not DNA test, scan or X-ray every cat.
• Knees, weight, ears and coat. PDSA adds patellar luxation, a kneecap that slips out of place, to hip dysplasia and HCM, and says the coat needs daily attention to stop knots. The GCCF warns Maine Coons can put on weight, says their large ears need regular checks, and notes heavy shedding in spring.

Think about space indoors before a garden. The GCCF describes a large, high-energy cat that needs plenty of room to play and a very strong climbing frame that can take its weight, and says it can take up to four years to mature. It likes company and often bonds with another cat or the family dog, while PDSA says it would rather be running about on the floor than curled up on your lap.

Strawberry Persian and Pedigree Cat Rescue places cats indoors and accepts flats with the windows kept shut and any balcony made cat-proof or kept closed. With a club cat, ask the owner how it has lived, because a cat used to a secure garden may need one again.

A rescue never sells a Maine Coon: you apply for a particular cat and pay an adoption fee if you are chosen. Kittens needing new homes are very rare, the Maine Coon Cat Club says, and many of the cats it posts are older, so be open to an adult. Our Manchester Maine Coon page shows what is listed near the city today.

Set on a breeder? Meet the kitten together with its mother, in the home where they live, and never commit on a video or a post seen on social media, Cats Protection advises; it also points buyers to breeders registered with a body like the GCCF. Maine Coons have an HCM DNA test (GCCF), so a good breeder can show you both parents' results. Adverts that look like scams can go to Report Fraud, the service that replaced Action Fraud.