I fell in love with the Maine Coon in 1994 when I saw an ad in our local newspaper for Maine Coon kittens.  I honestly didn't know what they were at that time but after talking with the breeder we decided it would be good for me to drive a few hours north of Missoula to meet her and her kitties.  There's no way to express how quickly I fell in love with these large, gentle giants but it was definitely love at first sight!  I came home with a great big brown classic tabby male who was the pick of the litter he was from but the deal with his new family had fallen through.  It was probably the best thing that could have happened for me and I felt badly they had missed out on the opportunity to own this great big goof of a cat, but their loss was definitely my gain.  This boy was my entertainment, my clown, my buddy, my shadow and late night movie watching partner.  I had never had a pet who had done what this cat did for me and I just knew I had to have more of them. So, my cattery started out with this wonderful guy whom I named Cavanaugh.   

 

We are a closed cattery meaning we do not provide stud service to outside catteries which lessens our chances of bringing in diseases.  We also do not allow people to come into contact with our breeders.  This helps us protect the health of our cats and kittens.   

We no longer allow people into our cattery when our older girls have kittens since we have found they become more protective of their young ones and more stressed about strangers coming into their territory after they have had their first litter or two.  We feel it isn't fair to subject our cats, who give so much of themselves to their wonderful offspring, and to us through our daily interactions, to this stress.   

Kittens are kept separate from the adults (except mom) and other kittens until they are older and their immune systems have started to develop.  We then mix litters of kittens together, along with two or three moms, since we have found our kittens to be much more socialized and well behaved with other cats/kittens, and also with people, doing it this way. We allow our kittens to go into their new homes when they are 10-14 weeks of age, have had their vaccinations, and are vet checked.  Our kittens are allowed to wean from mom when they are ready so individual kittens in each litter leave our home at different times.      

When it is time for these kids to leave our home we will meet our kitten buyers part way if the family doesn't live more than a few hours from Marion, Montana.  If you live more than a few hours from Marion but not more than 8 hours by car, we will allow you to pick up and take the kitten home with you.  Please do not ask us to agree to having one of our kittens spend two or three days on the road with you going back to your home!  These kids are under a great deal of stress being taken from their siblings, mothers and the only environment and family they have known.  We will not subject them to any undue stress on the way to their new homes as we feel the amount of stress they will be going through adjusting to their new home and family is great enough.  If you are a long distance from us, we will recommend that you have the kitten shipped to the nearest airport in your area. We do realize these kids will experience stress from the plane trip, but since they would also feel stress on a road trip, we feel it's best for the kitten to go the quickest route to their new home.  If you cannot understand this reasoning, we feel you do not have enough compassion and understanding for these cats to own one of our beautiful kittens.   

If there is any reason a kitten we sell does not fit well into the new family, and the new owners have followed our acclimation recommendations, we guarantee to take the kitten back within two or three weeks.  We try very hard to match families with the perfect kitty since we want happy kitten buyers. We also want our kids growing up in homes where they are allowed to express themselves, and are accepted and valued for who they are, idiosyncrasies and all!   

 

If any genetic defects are found within the first year after purchase which may substantially shorten the life of any cat/kitten we sell, a replacement cat/kitten of equal quality will be offered depending on the results of the diagnosis or necropsy report (if the kitten has passed) by a certified veterinarian.  No refund will be given.    
    
If a new owner cannot keep their cat/kitten for any reason (past the two to three week acclimation period if it's a kitten),  and we feel it would cause too much stress amongst our own cats to warrant bringing the cat/kitten back into our cattery, we will help find a suitable replacement home.    

 

BREEDER QUALITY:  $1400 - These kittens can be used as breeders but not for showing.  Most of our kittens are of high quality and can be used as breeders for they will produce kittens with nice type.      

SHOW QUALITY:  We no longer sell our kittens into homes for show.  We have had "show" breeders continue showing our kittens even after the kittens showed a dislike for it.  We feel these wonderful creatures are meant to be loved and pampered pets without the stress of being taken into show halls, crowded into tiny cages, introduced to people who do not respect them and exposed to contagious diseases.  We would much rather see our kids being couch potatoes and being spoiled silly!      

POLYDACTYLS:  We occasionally have kittens with extra toes (polydactyls).  These kittens sell for the same price as our non-poly kittens.     

DEPOSITS:  We accept $300 deposits on pet kittens and $700 deposits on breeder kittens which will hold them until they are mature enough to leave our home.  We have a Deposit Agreement form which must be filled out to accompany the actual deposit so please don't send a deposit in advance. 

PAYMENTS:  We accept payments for our kittens which start at the time a kitten buyer determines which kitten they want.  We accept payments of any amount and the payments can be sent to us whenever the buyer is comfortable sending them.  However, the kitten must be completely paid for before we allow the kitten to leave our home.  We also require that the kitten be paid for by the time it is 12 weeks old.  If we hold a kitten longer than 12 weeks of age there will be a $25 weekly boarding fee which must be paid before the kitten is allowed to go into its new home.  If this fee is not paid by the time the kitten reaches 16 weeks of age, and the kitten has not been claimed by the new family,  we will advertise the kitten to other prospective buyers. 

* We only accept cash, money orders or cashier's checks for deposits and/or payments of kittens in person or through the postal service.  For those of you who would like to use a credit card, debit card or transfer money directly from a checking account, there is a "Pay Now" button below the photos of each available cat or kitten on our website which will take you directly into our Paypal account.    

 

Alaska/Horizon Airlines ** - Shipping is approximately $180 - $200 

* Please be aware that Delta Airlines has temperature restrictions on live animal shipments which range from 10 degrees in the winter to 85 degrees in the summer.  Temps cannot exceed this range anywhere along the line of travel.  We normally have difficulty shipping out of Montana during the month of August.  This can also include part of July and September depending on the weather patterns for each particular summer.  We are more than happy to hold a kitten for you until it can be shipped if it is too hot to ship out of Montana or too hot to ship into the area where you live.  We just want our kitten buyers to be aware that there may be a delay in shipping depending on weather conditions. 

** Horizon Airlines also has temperature restrictions but, they are normally more flexible due to shipping mainly within the western United States.  When temperatures are extreme, however, they will embargo live animal shipments also. 
     
In addition to the shipping charges there will be a $50 - $65 charge for the pet carrier (which also includes bedding for the bottom of the carrier and food dishes which must be attached to the door of the carrier) depending on the size needed for each individual cat/kitten being shipped, and a $50 charge for the health certificate from our vet. 

We will ship COD if possible so you can pay the actual shipping charge on your end at time of kitten pick up.  If we have to pay in advance we will ask that you send the payment to us before the kitten is shipped. 

Kitten prices and ALL shipping charges must be paid before the kitten is shipped! 

 

 

Email Us: Cameo-1@msn.com