Health Testing & Health Guarantee

There is no such thing as a risk-free breeding program. There is, however, a tremendous difference between hoping for healthy kittens and doing the work to make thoughtful, informed breeding decisions. 

At Maine Street Coons, responsible breeding involves a lifetime of care. It begins before a breeding ever takes place and continues throughout pregnancy, kittenhood, adulthood, and retirement—every stage of a cat's life.

Health testing is one part of that responsibility. It helps us protect the cats we love, the kittens we bring into the world, and the people who trust us to help them grow their families.

We test for all health concerns that can be identified before a cat is ever bred. We also do ongoing screening for conditions that can develop over time. And our five-year genetic health guarantee is one way we stand behind that commitment. 

Our cats are DNA tested for known inherited conditions relevant to Maine Coons, including HCM, SMA, PkDef, and PKD. Genetic testing helps us make informed pairing decisions and avoid producing kittens affected by preventable inherited disease.

Maine Coons are known to have an increased risk for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM. DNA testing can identify one known mutation associated with the disease, but it cannot rule out every form of HCM. That is why our program also has regular cardiac ultrasounds (echocardiograms) performed by expert veterinary cardiologists. 

Maine Coons are large, substantial cats, and orthopedic health matters. Our breeding cats are evaluated for structural soundness, joint conformation, movement, and hip dysplasia to help us make breeding decisions that support sound structure and long-term mobility—because a Maine Coon should not only look powerful—it should be built to move well, too.

Our cats are routinely screened for FeLV and FIV, and we use additional veterinary testing including fecal and upper respiratory PCR when appropriate, to help protect the health of both individual cats and the household as a whole.

Testing does not replace good medicine. Our cats receive ongoing veterinary care, and bloodwork is used as another piece of the picture when evaluating overall health and breeding suitability. 

Parasite control is an important part of maintaining a healthy cattery and sending kittens home with the strongest possible start. We routinely monitor for intestinal parasites and use veterinary diagnostics, including fecal testing and PCR when appropriate, rather than relying on appearance alone. We also follow age-appropriate prevention and treatment protocols when needed, with particular attention to kittens, who can be more vulnerable to parasites such as Giardia and coccidia. 

Every Maine Street Coons kitten is protected by our five-year genetic health guarantee, two-year hip dysplasia and entropion guarantee, and one year FIP replacement guarantee.

These guarantees back up the health standards and breeding decisions behind each kitten. They reflect our belief that responsible breeding should involve both a lifetime of care and a willingness to stand behind the kittens we produce. We will always be there to provide meaningful support when a covered condition arises. 

We contractually require our families to maintain pet insurance because even exceptionally well-bred cats can and do experience illness or injury unrelated to genetics. We send our kittens home covered by Trupanion, and expect you to maintain a policy providing equivalent coverage in order to give them the best possible foundation for a long life. A health guarantee cannot prevent every illness or predict every future health concern and is not a substitute for veterinary care, appropriate nutrition, or preventive medicine.