Rehoming guide
How to rehome your Maine Coon
Checked 6 October 2026
The short answer
The Maine Coon Cat Club runs a welfare page for Maine Coons that need new homes, and says the reasons owners rehome range from an allergy in the household to emigrating or a relationship ending. Cats on its page go free of charge, and adopters are told to talk at length with the current owner. That makes your honesty about grooming, size and health the most useful thing you can give.
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Every listing checked by a person. Adopters message you through the site; your details stay private.
Why Maine Coons end up needing a new home
The Maine Coon Cat Club says "The reasons for re-homing are numerous and can vary from an allergy to cats within the household, emigrating to another country or breakdown of a marriage or partnership." It says many of the cats needing homes tend to be older, and that a kitten needing a new home is very rare.
The breed is a big commitment day to day. The GCCF (the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, which registers pedigree cats in the UK) calls the Maine Coon the largest domestic breed it recognises, says it needs plenty of room to play and a very strong climbing frame, and says the long, thick coat needs regular grooming. PDSA says the coat "needs daily attention".
None of this makes your cat a problem, or you a bad owner. It usually means the match didn’t fit, and a careful rehoming fixes exactly that.
What to tell adopters about your Maine Coon
Grooming. Say how often your cat is groomed and how they tolerate it. The GCCF says Maine Coons can shed heavily in spring and that their large ears should be checked regularly.
Size and space. Tell adopters what your cat weighs and what they climb and play on. The GCCF says Maine Coons can tend to become overweight, so share their diet too.
Heart health. International Cat Care says Maine Coons are at greater risk of HCM, a thickening of the heart muscle, and that a vet may pick up early signs such as a heart murmur. The GCCF says there is a DNA test for HCM in the breed. Pass on vet records, any murmur noted and any test results.
Children and other animals. The Maine Coon Cat Club says "Some cats need to go to homes where there are no other animals or children." The GCCF says Maine Coons often bond well with another cat or the family dog. Say which is true of your cat.
Maine Coon rescues that take owners’ cats
This is a breed club's rehoming page, not a rescue: in practice your cat stays with you, and adopters talk to you directly.
Maine Coon Cat Clubcats · UK (a GCCF-affiliated breed club)
The club's welfare service lists Maine Coons that need new homes. You cannot sell your cat through it: all cats go free of charge, though the club accepts donations towards vet bills for cats being rehomed. Contact the club by email (the address is on its welfare page).
National charities that take any breed
Blue Crossdogs, cats, rabbits
Home Direct keeps your pet with you while Blue Cross finds a new owner. That is "the quickest way", it says, because space in its own kennels, cattery and small pet units "is very limited". It takes dogs, cats, rabbits and small pets. Call pet admissions on 0300 777 1960 or use its online form.
Cats Protectioncats
Contact your local Cats Protection branch or centre (not its charity shops), and plan ahead: "there can often be waiting lists". Its Home to Home scheme lets your cat stay at home while it's rehomed, with no specific fee.
Should you charge a rehoming fee?
You can ask for a rehoming fee, paid at the handover after the adopter has met your pet, and never as a deposit beforehand. PAAG's worry with "free to good home" adverts is that people may take an animal on impulse and that a free advert "may devalue an animal" (PAAG). A fee does make the handover a sale, though, so animals can't go to anyone under 16 and you should be honest about your pet's health.
How listing your Maine Coon on LocalPetFinder works
- Fill in the free listing form. Photos, age, health, how your cat is with children and other animals, and an honest description. It takes about ten minutes, and your cat stays at home with you.
- A person checks it, usually within a day, before it goes live.
- Your Maine Coon appears next to rescue cats on the Maine Coons pages for your city (Ashford, Barnsley, Barrow-in-Furness, Bath and North East Somerset, Belfast, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bolton, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Bury St Edmunds, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Chester, Chesterfield, Chippenham, Colchester, Coventry, Crawley, Darlington, Derby, Doncaster, Dover, Dumfries and Galloway, Durham, Eastbourne, Edinburgh, Exeter, Falmouth, Folkestone, Glasgow, Gloucester, Grantham, Great Yarmouth, Guildford, Hartlepool, Hayle, Huddersfield, Ipswich, Kendal, Kidderminster, Kingston upon Hull, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, Llanelli, London, Lowestoft, Luton, Maidstone, Manchester, Mansfield, Margate, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newport, Newquay, North East Lincolnshire, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Penrith, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Rotherham, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Sleaford, Solihull, Southampton, Southport, Spalding, St. Helens, Stockport, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Swansea, Torbay, Truro, Wakefield, Walsall, Warrington, Watford, Wellingborough, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Worthing, Wrexham, York), marked as listed by the owner.
- You choose. Adopters message you through LocalPetFinder, so your email and phone number stay private. You decide who to meet and who takes your cat, and you hand over in person.
We take listings from owners anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland the new owner needs a dog licence before they take a dog, so ask to see it before the handover.
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Start your free listing →Before the handover: the must-dos
The microchip has to be transferred
In England, Scotland and Wales a dog can't be passed to a new keeper until it's microchipped, and the new keeper must update the database (England, Scotland, Wales); in Scotland the keeper's own details must also be correct before the handover. In England the same applies to cats, while in Scotland and Wales chipping a cat is optional. Check the chip is on a government-approved database and do the transfer at the handover.
No deposits, no couriers
Never ask for, or accept, money before an adopter has met your pet in person, and hand over face to face. A request for a deposit is the classic sign of a pet scam, and on LocalPetFinder it gets a listing taken down.
Banned dog types can’t be rehomed at all
It's against the law in England, Scotland and Wales to give away a banned dog. In England and Wales it's illegal to "rehome, sell, buy, or transfer ownership of an XL Bully" (gov.uk: England and Wales). In Scotland, since 23 February 2024 it has been illegal to sell, advertise, gift or exchange an XL Bully, Scottish guidance says it is unlawful to "sell, give away or rehome an XL Bully" (gov.scot), and since 1 August 2024 it has been an offence to own one without an exemption certificate. If you think your dog could be an XL Bully, don't list it.
Adopters must be adults, and you must be honest
Adopters must be 18 or over, and the listing must be accurate about health, behaviour, and whether your pet is good with children, dogs and cats. A good match is the one that lasts.
Rehoming your Maine Coon: your questions
Tap a question to expand
Can I sell my Maine Coon through the breed club?
No. The Maine Coon Cat Club says you cannot sell your cat on its site and that all cats go free of charge, though it accepts donations because it often pays vet bills for cats being rehomed.
My Maine Coon has HCM. Can I still rehome them?
Yes, as long as you are open about it. International Cat Care says Maine Coons are at greater risk of HCM, so people who know the breed will understand. Tell adopters what your vet has found, hand over the records, and explain any medication routine your vet has set.
Can my Maine Coon go to a home with children or other pets?
It depends on your cat. The GCCF says Maine Coons often bond well with another cat or the family dog, but the Maine Coon Cat Club says some cats need homes with no other animals or children. Describe what your cat has lived with and how it went.
Related guides
Rehoming where you live
Rehoming guides for other cat breeds
Sources: Maine Coon Cat Club: Welfare and Rescue · GCCF (The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy): Maine Coon · PDSA: Maine Coon · International Cat Care: Cardiomyopathy (heart disease) in cats