Veterinary & Emergency Preparedness

Good veterinary care is the foundation of a long, healthy life, and a little preparation means you're never caught off guard.

Choose a vet before you need one. Establish care with a veterinarian early — ideally within the first week your kitten is home — and bring the health records that come with them. A vet who knows your cat from kittenhood can spot changes over the years that a stranger would miss. Some families seek a vet experienced with large breeds or with feline cardiology given the breed's HCM considerations.

Keep up with wellness care. Annual, and as they age twice-yearly, checkups, appropriate vaccinations, parasite prevention, and dental care catch small problems while they're still small. Because Maine Coons can be predisposed to heart disease, ask your vet about periodic cardiac monitoring.

Know the signs of an emergency. Seek care immediately for: difficulty breathing or open-mouth breathing, sudden hind-leg weakness or paralysis, straining to urinate (a life-threatening emergency, especially in males), repeated vomiting, collapse, or refusal to eat for more than a day.

Be ready before you need to be. Keep your regular vet's number, the nearest 24-hour emergency hospital, and a pet poison control line somewhere easy to find. Know the route to the emergency clinic. Consider pet insurance early, while your cat is young and healthy.

Our kittens go home with 30 days of insurance and a one-year health warranty, and we remain available for questions for the life of your cat — whether that's a week after pickup or years down the road.