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| Photo copyright Helmi Flick |
I think we all realize that we owe it to the cats to start at a Maine Coon cat rescue center or organization if we are thinking about adopting a Maine Coon cat. It may take a little longer to find a cat that suits but the rewards are much higher. The underlying pleasure of rescuing and re-homing a cat, any cat, purebred or not has a very valuable and enduring benefit to the person, which adds immensely to the relationship with the cat. I should know as I have lived with a cat that I rescued about 15 years ago. She has been a wonderful companion.
I've made several posts about the Maine Coon cat on this website. They are about the Maine Coon cat's appearance, character and health. You'll also see some great pictures if you follow these links:
- The main page on Maine Coon cats with links to the other pages.
- A great slide show of the best pictures by the best photographer of the best cats - true....see for yourself.
- Maine Coon cat colors an overview on the coat colors and patterns allowed by the cat registries.
- Orange Maine Coon cats are great looking, see some here.
- Large Maine Coons - This breed is the biggest in the CFA register but there are probably some exaggerated claims going on. See some large Maine Coons here but they are not giants. This cat is more long and flexible than pure bulk.
- Maine Coon health issues are always important. Most people consider them important to very important when selecting a cat breed and some cat breeds are healthier than others.
- MC cat facts - an overview of this famous cat breed with links.
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| Maine Coon cat - photo copyright Helmi Flick |
And now down to Maine Coon Cat Rescue:
You will find and see Maine Coon cats in your search for rescue cat. Lots of them will not be purebred or have a pedigree. They will be mixed breed cats with some Maine Coon. If you don't mind this, it's great as the cat doesn't mind either. In fact the cat doesn't know whether he or she is purebred, it is completely irrelevant to a cat and adopting a cat is always about what is best for the cat.
Another point. There are fewer rescue operations than breeders. It is easier to find a purebred Maine Coon than a rescued one. And rescued ones could be mixed breed. The reason is money. Breeders are essentially in it to make money. Rescue is run by volunteers. If there was more money in rescue there would be less rescue cats.
Purebred Cat Rescue
However, if you do really want to keep a purebred Maine Coon, I have a fairly comprehensive page on the website that lists a lot of ways to find one from specialist purebred cat rescue centers, to non-purebred organizations and Yahoo Groups of which there are a considerable number. Click on the sub-heading link above to go to this information.
Here are some Maine Coon cat rescue organizations by country. A lot of the organizations do not ship (for the sake of the cat) so location of the cats and distance is all important. The location of the Maine Coon cat rescue organizations is not always relevant as it doesn't tell you where the cats are unless they have a proper shelter facility:
-UK-
The Maine Coon Cat Club has a re-homing section. I don't know how current the page is and there are only 2 cats available at the time of this post but this is a nice and valuable service. They say where the cats currently are.
-USA-
Texas Maine Coon Rescue and Friends
I have a personal interest in this rescue center as some of the proceeds of revenue from this website goes towards a monthly payment to this shelter. Click on the link to see where the money goes. See also donations to Texas Maine Coon Rescue. Here is a picture of me and Christie at her place of work with one of the rescue cats. He is not a Maine Coon cat as this rescue group handle all breeds including Maine Coons.
Photo above: Christie Montgomery on the left who runs Texas Maine Coon Cat Rescue with me on the right with Meeney a lovely boy cat. He is not a Maine Coon just a great and lively cat. He was in the cage to the left for customers to the shop to see. The boarding cattery attached to the shop where Christie works also boards some of the rescue cats. Other rescue cats stay with foster people.
United Maine Coon Cat Rescue League
I really don't know how current this operation is as "recent placements" are dated August 2006! The website when visited at the date of this post has faults so I am not sure about this rescue operation. I am not sure where they are located. This really should be clear from the beginning.
Maine Coon Rescue
This seems to be the premier Maine Coon cat rescue in the USA. They work with Petfinder to publish available cats and have a Yahoo group. I'd certainly recommend joining their Yahoo Group. They are located in Franklin, Kentucky.
Maine Coon Rescue Alliance
This group of volunteers seem to be active recently, which is a good sign. The website indicates activity in re-homing cats in June 2008. As expected and mentioned above the cats in their charge are Maine Coon mixed breed cats, so not purebreds. They are needy and lovely cats all the same. This group is located in Austin, Texas although that doesn't mean much sometimes as many rescue centers/groups are simply making arrangements from a base and the cats are located elsewhere in various places. The catchment areas though will be Texas.
Arizona Maine Coon Cat Rescue
Once again I have difficulty in working out how current things are on this website. Located Scottsdale, Arizona. So I guess the catchment area in Arizona.
Maine Coon Adoptions - Cat Rescue Northern California
Adopt a Maine Coon Cat. This rescue center produces videos of their rescue cats needing rehoming. Here is one of their cats for adoption at 24-2-09:
Maine Coon kitten -the cats photographed by Helmi are show cats. This cat probably isn't but I love the expression, very Maine Coon and so much a cat. Photo copyright Vironevaeh
Yahoo Groups
Yahoo Groups are a network of people working in the field of cat rescue (in this case for the Maine Coon) and those people looking to adopt. In fact, anyone interested for whatever reason in Maine Coon cat rescue. You'll need to join with the administrator's permission but this is usually a formality (but not always).
Some of these groups may be part of the organizations listed above but I don't think they are. One last point, I have selected these. A number of groups have memberships that are too small to be useful, which I have rejected. These have substantial memberships and activity as a result.
Maine Coon Alliance Rescue Network
This group seems active; 22 new messages in the last 7 days. This group will also educate people (if they feel they need it). You can learn a lot from the best Yahoo Groups. I don't know how good they are but activity levels are important obviously.
MCATS: The PEDIGREED MAINE COON CAT
This is not a Maine Coon cat rescue group but a network of people who want to exchange information about pedigree Maine Coon cats. You might therefore get some ideas about adoption. Nice and active with 48 messages in 7 days.
Maine Coon cat rescue to Maine Coon Cats
Oh ! what a cutest kittens, just i want to take a click of these....Placements in USA
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