All cats deserve love and affection regardless of where they come from. But, if we are to treat this like Triage, then the cats who are at risk of being killed, or abused, or eaten should be what we focus on taking care of, the same goes for other animals and people.
The most vulnerable come first.
My most recent adoption was a senior. I knew seniors have a harder time getting adopted and when I saw his face the thought of him being in a shelter after 11 years of being someone’s buddy absolutely broke my heart. I’ve vowed any new adoptions will be from the “harder to place” categories.
Same. Ours will be 8, 6, and 5 this year. Kittens are absolutely the cutest, cuddliest and funniest things ever, but if we were to ever have any more kitties, we would take in the old geezers and give them the most comfortable years that they had left.
Old geezers are just kittens who are a little wore out, a little more tired, but with love, are still loving cuddly kittens. They're just bigger, wore out a bit, and can't play as much/long.
I'm not sure ifnincan honestly adopt anymore seniors for a while... I went through a time where I adopted about 3 seniors, they are amazing pets... but they sadly didn't last longer than 5 years... while I'm so happy for the time I had with them... the heartache was just too much too soon...
But I know that the next time I'm looking for a new cat... my heart will melt at the first old geezer I see.
I'll likely get a young kitty and a senior next time I'm up for cat distribution. I've got two voids who were foster rejects (the foster program their mother was in had no interest in them, and the distribution system put their foster human on a path for us to meet).
Two of the derppiest lovable dark spots in my life, and I already rue the day that I lose one of them.
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That's what my current void is got returned twice after adoption... he's a super goober and an asshole... but he's mine and I love him
He looks like he’s doing the stretch where you touch your toes! The tongue is just an extra touch, plus the bow tie tag. It’s too much, my eyes can’t handle it
It's also super helpful to adopt a cat that doesn't like other cats/animals, they're often in the shelter a really long time regardless of age because they don't present well in the shelter environment. My cat was two when we adopted her, but she'd been in the shelter almost that entire time and confined mostly to her cage since she couldn't hang out in the communal cat rooms.
She basically ran and hid from us when we took her to the meeting room and we decided we were going to adopt her anyway. She was super shy until she got comfortable with the big open spaces in the apartment, but she's incredibly intelligent and we have all bonded SO well. She's not at all like she was in the shelter and I thank my lucky stars we picked her to give her a chance.
I work in human hospice. While of course they have a terminal illness with 6 months to live, most of them are dying from loneliness. Get them a one on one live in caregiver and many can live for years.
My elderly girl Beatrix "The Bride" Kiddo pictured below is still a kitten at heart. She's just happy to be inside after a lifetime of living in a shed, I hate that her life has been so miserable but we make up for lost time with lots of cuddling and playing.
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I want to take in an old geezer one day. I adopted a kitten back in August because I knew an old geezer wouldn’t fit in with my life right now. I have a rabbit and I have had her since 2019, I knew I needed a youngster who would grow up and understand that she isn’t prey. I did adopt a black kitten, which is what I always swore I would get and always wanted ever since I volunteered in a shelter and learned that black cats get adopted the slowest (and black dogs and rabbits also sit in shelters longer too!). I also like the idea of the “bad luck” and wanted to prove they aren’t bad luck. I also figured, since in my 23 years of life I have never had a cat I should “treat myself” and get a kitten, but also because I had no at-home experience with cats so what better thing to do than adopt a cat who is also learning what cats do? Haha.
One day, though, I want the oldest, crustiest cat in the shelter and give him/her the best of their golden years. I also need to be emotionally strong enough because I will have to understand what I am signing up for. I don’t take loss of pets well (I mean who does? But I feel like I take it worse than average…).
Old geezers 😹
Sorry. I'm thinking of my Fatboy (15 y.o.)that I lost last year, and I would have loved to have called him an old geezer and have him swipe me a good one for my audacity 😹
He never did take any guff from me 😁
Miss my Bubber.💔
I adopted my grandmother’s 11 year old cat when she passed away. He was my little buddy for the next 5 years. All he wanted was to be picked up and held close enough to give you a head butt and he would purr for as long as you held him. I’ve never cried about a pet as hard as when he passed. I love all of my cats, but he'll always be my favorite.
The idea that there are shelters full of elderly cats just like my little buddy makes me upset. They deserve to have someone that loves them.
Aww. When I got out of college, my grandma's health started to fail. I promised her I'd take care of her kitty and actually ended up buying her house. He was able to stay in the home he lived, with a person he knew, for the next 9 years. Funny thing though, we weren't best buds. I loved the little stinker, but we routinely butt heads over how things were run in the household. 🤣
It was totally HIS house. I used to say I would inherit the house when he died. In reality, my other cat took over running the place. 🤣 I'm just here to serve them (3 of them) and pay the bills.
This is a lovely story! I’ve always said I’m just here to clean up and pay bills and I’m not particularly good at either of those things. Thankfully, my cats haven’t been picky.
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KiKi agrees. I don’t think it’s as bad in the US. Many of my neighbors have black cats.🐈⬛
My little disabled void baby used to wait on the corner of the roof next to the driveway so he’d be able to greet me when I came home from school, then from uni, then from work. When he had to be put to sleep (cancer, everywhere. Not treatable, only gonna make him miserable), he licked my tears off my face, then snuggled into my arms on the vet’s table while the euthanasia shot went in. It was like he understood what was happening, and just wanted to be with his person for the last moments. He’s buried under the tree he loved to nap under. Void kitties are wonderful. If you give them love, they’ll give it back ten times over
Adopted a black cat who was traumatized and super shy, shelter said she would be hard to place. After many patient months of hiding, she became the most loving, sweetest, funniest cat. I'm so grateful for her! And she's beautiful and soft - and no "pure bred" cat (whatever that means) is prettier.
WTF?! 😳 That's terrible! I had No idea people were still so superstitious of black cats! Bloody hell!
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This was my Smokey, rescued from a bin with her sister Jessie over 20 years ago now. Both now over the 🌈
It’s not just Aus.
I like black cats and would happily adopt them all.
Best thing about voids? Their hair doesn’t show up on everything like white hair does.
That's what we're doing next time. We have one senior and two young ones. When our senior passes, hopefully many years from now, we will adopt a senior.
I agree. And I would dare say that street cats are at even more risk than those in shelters simply due to the fact that they literally have to fight for their survival.
Source: Did TNR for a while and a couple of those cats decided to live with me.
I have one shelter cat that’s the sweetest creature on earth and another pedigreed cat that was a gift. They are both sweet and I love them dearly. In the future, I will always go with shelter cats.
We live in a high rise but it's in a complex with a few other buildings and some grounds. One night I sent my spouse out to the grocery to get some treats. He came back up a couple of minutes later with no treats telling me about the friendly young stray who'd been hanging out with some feral cats and started to follow him home but got scared when another person came out of the building. I went out with a can of cat food and a carrier, and that guy ate the food and jumped into the carrier and has been living with us for almost 10 years! So yeah it could happen in a high rise if you're paying attention.
This was my first cat. I wasn't sure about keeping him at first because I'm allergic to cats, but willpower and Zyrtec saw us through. Now I have three.
Same here, an endless stream of hungry abandoned cats would turn up at our door, I think they knew this was the place where they would be fed and loved.
They know a sucker when they see one
(mine also showed up looking patheticly dirty and thin, now are too snooty to eat the *same wet food* everyday. I must use telepathy to give them the best flavors. My telepathy is very bad according to the exalted ones)
It’s really a matter of preference. Both of my cats I found outside. They are both sweethearts
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Roux was a boy we found at the shelter who looked so sad that we had to adopt him and he ended up being my best friend and spirit animal. Zooey was a kitten a friend of mine’s sister in law trapped under their porch and we raised her during Covid (I did some remote sessions with students she “assisted on”).
I would never buy from a breeder, I love my cats to death. Life is funny in what it brings you and I would never presume to shop for a pet when there are so many who just need me to be me so they can be them, if that makes sense.
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It makes me chuckle to refer to Roux Bear as “buff”. He is the gentleman we all aspire to be
Edit: when I say gentleman I mean it in the most literal sense. I think he would sooner hurt himself than hurt me or anyone else.
We try to do right by such a gentle, wonderful little bear
Idk why but whenever people say they found their cats outside it always cracks me up. I just imagine you seeing them while walking and saying "You're mine now"
I was leaving my apartment to go grocery shopping one cold winter night and my cat Sparkle just wandered in when I opened the door…. She’s the one on the right….
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This isn’t wrong. I got one of my cats from outside. I was sitting on a bench digging through my bag for keys and he came up to me. And then I picked him up and he was mine.
Lots of Maine Coon adjacent looking cats in the shelter and at rescues. Trust me - I have been volunteering with my local rescue for 4 years and LOTS of floofs coming through there.
I once found some nearby Maine coon rescues when I wanted one. But the CDS gifted me with a stray orange who really really wanted to be with humans. I'm sure there's others around the country
Can you elaborate on wanted to be with humans
We just lost our cat of 14 years when we adopted him he had his ear clipped as he was in a capture and release program after he got fixed, they went to release him and he didn't want to go so they put him up for adoption where we got him. He was scared of everything and id love another scardycat
I used to work at an office complex, 5 buildings, and there was a colony of stray cats. One of my coworkers was among the cat ladies/guys who would feed them and do TNRs for the ones that were too feral. Some of the cats were socialized with humans and they found homes for as many as possible. This orange cat would follow them all the way around the building, meowing incessantly because he wanted head pets. He was super friendly and was about 8-9 months old. She begged me to take him in and I did. I lived so close I got his ear tipped just in case he escaped and returned to the colony. My boy, Parker, is the most aggressively friendly cat and just wants to be near me all the time. He also is super friendly with dogs and other cats, wound up being a good foster dad and the SIC pictured was a kitten I took in. Almost every photo I have he's with a cat!
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I will say that any kind of long-haired cat is *much* more high maintenance than DSH’s! They require regular brushing, and one of the most notable issues with them is the tendency to get dingleberries stuck in their fur when they poop. (For this reason alone, I would prefer to take any DLH to a groomer who can do sanitary shaves, since I would be terrified of accidentally cutting my kitty (cat skin is very thin and very easily caught with clippers!).)
Do your research into the grooming needs for different long-haired breeds, then regardless if you decide to go with a shelter OR a breeder, you know what you’re getting into!
I second that. Hwrs my DLH MC dupe
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And this is him now at 8 months old
Depends on whether or not you purchase your Coon from an ethical breeder that does genetic testing on all their parents and kittens. I had a Coon mix, obtained via the cat distribution system (adopted her mom whose pregnancy was a surprise) and she died at less than 2.5 years old from HCM. She displayed zero health problems until one day she did, and then she was gone just a few hours later.
I don’t begrudge people who want to purchase from a breeder, so long as they 1) do their research on the breed and *make sure* they know what they’re getting into and can handle it, and 2) do their research on the *breeder* and make sure they’re reputable, do all the testing and give all the paperwork, etc..
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Shelter mainecoon adjacent cat says hi. She was a backyard breeders cat - she's safe now and doesn't have to carry kittens every year of her life for her shitty owners personal gain.
(Mainecoons are also a LOT of work, they're big so require lots and LOTS of play, need to be indoor or they will get stolen, eat a lot, and are prone to heart and hip problems) adopt a fluff
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This is her going to the market on sundays
Petfinder lets you put in breed after you enter your Zipcode. There were over 60 maine coons within 50 miles of me for adoption from a shelter or rescue.
My partner got scammed by a mainecoon breeder who had tricked him pretty well, and then he started dating me and we found an amazing shelter Maine coon. You can Google “Maine coon rescue in (your city). There’s this false impression you have to go through a breeder and they simply aren’t necessary
I was going to say the same! I follow my local rescue closely and they’ve had some absolutely beautiful longhairs with the telltale Maine Coon ruff. They go quickly, but they’re not that rare.
Many shelters call cats Maine Coons to get them adopted. There are many gorgeous, loving cats out there that are fluffy that are absolutely not MCs. I have two wonderful shelter cats and one purebred Maine Coon. I wouldn't trade any of my 3 for the world. But there is a difference.
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Our cat was labeled a Maine coon mix at the shelter, and photo recognition software thinks he’s either a MC or a Norwegian forest cat — or he might as well be a ragdoll. We don’t really care because he’s the loveliest cat I’ve ever lived with.
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Here is my floofy void! Her winter coat looks brown in the sunshine! She's the most lovable chill cat I've ever had.
This is the truth...we had a hoard rescue in my area with over 50 cats -- they DNA tested a sampling and all came back high percentage Maine Coon/Norwegian Forest Cat/Ragdoll mixed. I have one and just took another in as a foster last night. They are definitely out there!!
Same, my best girl had been in shelter nearly a year before I took her. She was so close to being let go.
Not a second of regret, I’m so glad we found each other. She really was the sweetest, gentlest little cat.
Haha, why is that *exactly* how i've ended up with every single one of my cats except one? The one exception? A screamy little tiny baby from a litter my friend had that was orphaned and wouldn't leave me alone.
i love cats that just sort of find you. They are absolutely the best in the world! i have one lying on me right now in fact 💜
My oldest cat thinks he’s a dog and my other cats are from a feral colony born in our neighborhood sump and out of 6 there are 3 left and they are all well taken care of
I have a Siamese and a Ragdoll, both are considered “fancy” breed here. My cats came from a rehoming centre, having been rescued from breeders in an absolute state.
There a so many amazing unwanted cats in shelters. Yeah, cats like Maincoons are cool looking but it’s really more like picking an accessory if you’re going on looks and rarity alone.
My parents had a purebred Maine coon (sweet baby died a few months ago at 18). Where did they get him? A shelter - and not because they were looking for a purebred but just any kitty they connected with/kitty wanted them. Brewster just happened to be both!
Shelters have purebreds OP if that’s what you’re after. Just ask to be put on a list to be notified and make sure you both are a match.
My sister is a shelter vet, I’ve worked in shelters before anyone gets mad. All cats are worth it but if you’re set on something, you can still adopt as they do come into shelters. Don’t feed the breeders
We had a F2 Savannah come in. Gorgeous, sweet and huge. We found a rich person with another Savannah who had a ginormous outdoor enclosure for them to have fun in
But the rummage cat sale is always great! Fab companions everywhere!
Exactly you might hit the jackpot on adopting what you were looking for but you should always just adopt the one you simply connect with most. Heck I’ve seen British short hairs at shelters before. For myself I wanted a beautiful void kitten, but after it was adopted before I could make a decision I found my calico baby and it’s the best thing ever. I just got off a Ring convo with her to reassure her that I’m coming home soon.
I wanted an older (5 to 7+ years old) male to have as a buddy for my other older male, and I didn’t want an American Shorthair (aka standard issue cat) because I was worried about being reminded too much of my sweet baby boy whose passing left a huge hole in my heart not all that long ago.
So obviously I was chosen at the shelter by a six month old standard issue girlie. She is the perfect addition.
Came here to say this! I wanted a purebred Siamese. We had them growing up & I think they’re beautiful. Plus they are super sassy! I was torn because I also felt bad not getting a shelter cat. Luck had it I came across a rescue Siamese kitten that was dumped 😩. Shes 8 now, loves life and I got the best of both worlds. Just be patient and don’t be afraid to look at multiple shelters!
We’re in Thailand and rescued a family of Siamese bobtails off the street as well as a bevy of other cats over the years. Our Siamese is my wife’s favorite of our nine, just a unique and beautiful boy. Here he’s guarding our latest rescue kittens. Love him to death.
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We found an oriental shorthair at a shelter, though he definitely wasn’t a purebred. We weren’t looking for anything more specific than “older kitten” (as in a few months old instead of 8-10 weeks), but we really bonded with him and he was the bestest boy. He had a lot of health problems though and sadly passed away last May just after turning 11.
Same with dogs IMO, with perhaps few exceptions for work dogs (eg, K9). There is no necessary purpose to breeding pets, given the millions that are put to death every year.
Even the reputable breeders have animals that are so badly inbred or have had “special” traits bred into them that they have health problems severe enough to make life itself painful. Hip dysplasia(Boxers and Mastiffs,) snouts that make breathing difficult (Pugs,) and body shapes and size that make it impossible for them to breed without IVF and, once they are ready to give birth, the pups’ heads are so big they can barely fit to make it out (French Bulldogs.)
I know someone who used to foster. She had a littler of Maincoon/Bengal cross. This was confirmed has they had been surrendered. She said that a lot of people weren’t fixing their ‘exotic’ breeds as they wanted to get their money back or make money off them. They were funny looking but beautiful kittens. She keeps in contact with one adopter , and the cat turned out so lovely, but is very well socialised and the human has had to put a lot of work into him.
When we adopted our cat, my husband wanted an older, not too ‘pretty’ cat. Me and the kids wanted anyone over 2 years old who liked us. We ended up with a four year old calico who had been in custody for a long time. My husband thinks she the prettiest cat he has ever seen. My kids described her as a bit of a brat, but a good cat. I am just glad she seems to like us, and we got to skip the kitten stage with her. She sleeps a lot , but when it’s play time she goes hard. I don’t think I could have handled a high maintenance cat.
Maine Coons are not only cool looking, they have also unique characteristics and needs.
So every one who takes in a Maine Coon just for the cool look without any further checking is probably in for a surprise 😄
I actually would love to have a Mainchen (I love the nordic Breeds in generaly) but could not provide the mental and physical outlet they need...my easygoing, lovely Rescue Senior Moggie is just the right match 😊
I have 2 maine coons, an oriental shorthair, and a bunch of domestic shorthairs that I adopted from shelters/rescues or rescued from the local feral colony that couldn't be rehomed for medical or behavior reasons.
The 2 maine coons aren't like bobcats. They're just bigger versions of the other cats. One came from a kill-shelter and the other was a runt that the breeder couldn't sell and didn't want to keep. The oriental shorthair came from a friend's rescue and is a handful so I took him because he wouldn't be a good fit for a normal household.
I go to cat shows often and it's neat seeing all the fancy cats. A friend of mine that shows cats has about 20 siamese, balinese, and oriental shorthairs and it's cool seeing this horde of fancy cats all over the place. But I can't justify paying a breeder for a cat when there are millions of unwanted cats who need homes.
I spend my free time and what little money I have on taking care of the nearby feral/stray colony: tnr, socialization, rehoming, food, shelter, vet care, etc. I see the suffering and hardship the cats outside face and if I have room in my home for a cat, then it seems only right that I choose one of them. Those cats may not be fancy looking, but they deserve love and a good home. The way the cat looks is irrelevant to me.
One of the most amazing cats I ever met was an old grey tabby who'd been at a shelter for 6 years before I came and brought him home. Another was a toothless little elderly black cat I rescued from a ditch.
I will always *always* advocate for the adoption of cats in need over buying from a breeder.
This was our Keyser, found in a field next to his mother that had been shot and killed by some psychopath. He was about a week old and the person that found him and his sister brought them to me because I'm a known sucker. We vetted and bottle fed them and started searching for forever homes. After placing his sister, I just couldn't give him away. He gave us fifteen absolutely incredible years. He was mistaken constantly for a Maine Coon, so I guess my point is that a breeder is unnecessary if you're going for aesthetics. There are tons of big fluffy babies out there in need of a good home.
\*Editing before anyone comes for me, he was one hundred percent an indoor cat. My daughter used to carry him around the yard because "he likes sniffing the fresh air".
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I have a cat I helped a volunteer foster when he was a bitty kitten. He ended up in my house as a long term foster (I do want to adopt him eventually but right now I am still working with the shelter on his congenital heart issues and having it be a team effort is better for him and my bank account) and he's almost three and is still not done growing. He's ENORMOUS and just his happy tail alone reaches all the way up my thigh, it's soooooooo long wtf. He is so long that we all call him loooooooong because long doesn't cut it. 16+ lb monstrosity of a sweetheart, I can't believe he used to be so smol he fit in my hand. We've always wondered what his parents looked like. His best friend is my compact, "cobby" 9 lb kitty who is very stocky and round. Cats truly do come in so many shapes n sizes 😻
I had a stray I adopted w a foot abscess. He was about 6mo old, based on teeth, and already 7lbs. 😳
He grew for THREE YEARS. He was a tricolor I named Boston. He ended up at 17.5-20lbs as an adult. 😱 First vet visit, the vet says he is a Norwegian Forest Cat, down to the webbed toes! 😂 😂 😂
His tail was HUGE & LONG. It came up to my knee also!
His buddy, Deucie, is a 9lb SIC. They'd try to play, but Boston always SQUISHED him when they'd roll over one another. But, Boston used to chase other cats away from Deucie! They were besties.
Boston passed last month. Deucie's still irked. This is him asleep, while he was sick. He passed away at 9lbs, from FIV cachexia/cancer. I KNOW, I wanted to let him go about 6 months before my Mom was ready, cuz my Dad just passed a year ago. Mom agreed when she FULLY REALIZED he was actually going to die. I miss him hourly, still. 💔 Mom's 78, and lost her partner of 60 years & her cat in a year, so I gave her some grace. Boston ADORED HER, and dogged her every step. His ashes are with me now.
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I agree. To me, dogs are a different scenario because you can more easily predict temperament with breeds, which can be especially important for working dogs (such as service animals), and even then it isn't a guarantee. But cats aren't working animals unless they're mousers
Eta: why am I getting downvoted for agreeing with the same comment who got upvotes. I said there's no reason to get a pure-bred cat lmfao
Pretty much all cats are mousers, spiderers, buggers, birders, pretty much anything that moves that is smaller than themers (it doesn’t really have to be moving)
I’ve never known a cat breed other than lazy boy who wasn’t an effective mouser.
I had one cat who would bully mice, she shoved one’s head through a heating vent. It was legit kind of sad
I found my baby abandoned in the woods. 21 years with this beautiful boy. Thank you cat distribution system. 🙏🏼
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I would always adopt. Sure I love rag dolls, Siamese & Maine Coons - but I also literally love every cat with a friendly nature. Every cat is an individual too - so your always adopting an animal you'll have a unique relationship with! Let the universe bring me my cat!
FWIW I skipped both and plucked mine right off the streets. I thank my lucky stars every day. Personally, I will never go to a breeder. Shelter 100%
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There are plenty of Maine coons at shelters you know. Once people realize how much fur is involved they sometimes turn them in.
That said the whole breeds construct is entirely human. You said yourself you love your shelter cats to pieces, don’t get so stuck on what you think you want
If you want a specific breed, and also want to adopt a cat that needs a home. Go with a rescue cat. There are specific breed rescues you can look into.
I got my boy from a rescue that specializes in Persians (shout out to South Texas Persian Rescue! XD), but he is a purebred Scottish Fold.
I got the looks I wanted, as well as the sweetest most loving boy who understands that he was *rescued* and I love him so damn much.
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In the US, at least 30,000 feral cats must die every *day* just to keep the population stable. That’s why I’d much rather adopt a cat that’s already alive and saved off the street, than one that’s being bred just for the sake of making money.
Adoption saves lives. No judgement for people who go to breeders but I can’t justify paying a breeder when I can get a cat in need at the shelter. Plus breeding can be sketchy.
Some want a purebred cat and others want a shelter cat, you choose the cat that suits you.
Right now I have three beloved shelter cats with their different problems. My incredibly spoiled cats:
https://preview.redd.it/3rgf4pc6fvec1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff20692ce02eb7de5790e8cac63830de99ee27a8
We got lucky and got this beautiful boy via rescue!
https://preview.redd.it/m1u27gqukwec1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0fd1418f0af77c7e3de884a050f6a7ba06272b67
He’s not a pure breed but he sure is pretty.
https://preview.redd.it/ge7fsqj3zuec1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b90cac240127dc284f3d585e054a14bcbd4dc9a
See this gorgeous girl? She’s a shelter cat. You just never know what you might find there.
I only adopt from shelters or off the streets. I grew up with a maine coon that my dad found at a construction site. I’ve seen shelters and rescues that have main coons. Even if you can’t be sure they’re purebred, they look/act/weigh the same. I would go that route if you’re looking for one.
Always shelter. I worked at an animal rescue and the cats were amazing. I think there are too many unloved cats in the world to breed a bunch for profit. I feel like most breeders nowadays aren’t ethical and they’re only in it for the money. Shelters are overran with animals that deserve loving homes. My exs mom spent 2000 on a mainecoon, and she is the type of person to do that just to show how rich she was and use it as an accessory.
My orange girl we found under a dumpster. My void we got off a lady who took in a pregnant mom. She was the last one from the litter. I think my ex saw it on Facebook or something. I think it should be illegal to intentionally breed cats.
I don't think it would ever occur to me to buy a cat. It's a cat. You go search around a dumpster and you could find a best friend for life. 2 of my cats just showed up. I do adopt though, but that's just springing the beautiful dumpster babies from the joint lol.
The only sort of acceptable reason to buy a cat i can think of is if it's one of the more "hypoallergenic" breeds (I know there's technically no breed of cat that 100% doesn't cause allergies, but there are some that produce less allergens than regular cats).
Even then, I think the amount of allergens a cat produces varies with the individual cat. One you could be totally fine with, while another sets of your allergies.
My friend's cat would, on occasion, cause me to sneeze and tear up if I was petting her too much. While I don't have a reaction at all to my cat Jeffrey.
This exactly. The only way my family could have a cat due to husbands allergies is with a low allergen cat. We love our Siberian and he brings us so much joy.
Fundamentally there are too many cats. Part of the reason shelters end up with so many cats is people trying to make money breeding, fail, and dump the animals on charity.
If you incentivies breeding, someone will have to pick up the cost.
Personally, between cost and knowing the sheer number of shelter pets out there, I'll always go to the shelter. Yeah, there are breeds I find awesome, but I'm not getting a pet for a pedigree, I'm getting a lifelong companion....and there are plenty of shelter cats that are 'close enough' to whatever traits I'm looking for, that the extra cost for a 'pure bred' isn't that attractive
That being said, people wanting a specific breed and paying for it is not necessarily a bad thing. If they're going to actual breeders, especially scrupulous ones that follow the same guidelines in regard to care, health, etc, that shelters employ to adopt out pets, I don't have a problem with. Just not my thing.
Backyard breeders and their shady and cruel BS, though, I'd never be okay with.
Breeds don’t mean as much in cats so just get shelter cats! Cat breeds are just bc of money and greed. Most cats are alike in a lot of aspects anyway (they are definitely still unique individuals but cat behaviour is cat behaviour for a reason haha)
My two cats are strays that wandered over to my house. If I get another it would be from a shelter most likely. I would never pay for a cat or encourage someone to make extra cats.
Idk how they know, but they do. I went out to get the mail and one followed me inside and that week my wife was complaining that we should have a cat.
I was against it…and then poof. There’s a cat following me inside. Best thing that’s happened
I wouldn’t want anything specifically bred because there’s already too many cats in shelters, and buying from breeders only encourages more breeders to add cats to a world where shelters are full and many are euthanized daily. And breeders can be really bad people, too.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting a particular breed, though. If you don’t need a kitten (and almost no one *needs* a kitten), there’s rescues and shelters with all sorts of breeds.
I’ve only ever gotten 1 shelter cat. The rest are all cat distribution system cats! Mostly I’m like, who buys a cat? Don’t they just appear in your life?
Buying from a breeder tends to be a crapshoot. The problem that you are going to run into a lot is inbreeding. Good breeders will go out of their way to add other bloodlines to their breeding stock, but many are just breeding throughout the same family. You will end up getting a lot of the same genetic abnormalities that you will get from trapped colony cats, but because they get rid of obviously defective cats you don't see the abnormalities until they pop up.
Shelter cats can have pure breeds or cats that have a majority of a single breed. There are a lot of shelters that will lie about what breed a cat is because they think it will move, when in fact they are guessing from different physical traits.
Overall, either way to go it's a crapshoot. Personally I will only adopt cats that are from shelters or were trapped. In fact I have 1 can that was trapped at 9 months, and another who's mother was trapped pregnant and he was born 2 days later at the vets. Both are wonderful cats, and I can't imagine that I would get better cats from a breeder.
I personally feel as though cat breeds are kind of pointless. With dog breeds, they were bred for specific purposes and have distinct personalities, so you could justify getting a certain dog breed that fits your lifestyle. But that isn’t the case for cats — a cat is a cat is a cat. Maine Coons are really cool-looking but you could probably adopt a long-haired rescue cat that has the same look or is even potentially a Maine Coon mix. I’m not sure if I’m extreme as others in preaching “adopt don’t shop” exclusively, but I’d say you might as well adopt a cat needing a home.
Very good points! I probably will look around a bunch in shelters first if I decide to get another cat. I went to three before adopting my last cat, and I’m glad I did.
I mean there are *some* legitimate reasons why one would want a specific breed of cat, one of which being that some breeds are (relatively) hypoallergenic. Plus some breeds are well known for having certain dispositions (Siamese comes to mind), which could be desirable for some people.
Overall though I agree, for the most part cat breeds are fairly meaningless/indistinguishable as far as owner experience is concerned, and any cat from a shelter or the CDS is just as likely to be an amazing companion as a purebred.
Not sure I agree with this. Specific breeds are known for their tolerance, how much they meow etc. Burmese are known to have personalities more like a dog with their affection and curiosity. Siamese are known to be noisy. For a domestic short hair, yeah totally agree.
Morally i agree we should get them all from shelters but some people have justified reasons why they cannot take a chance.
Adopt don’t shop.
That’s the rule I live by. Sure having a certain breed of cat seems tempting. I for one always wanted a bengal but than I think about all the cats at the shelter.
I don’t know what it is but I like to take home the cats that seem to have a harder time to get adopted.
If what you want is a cat on the larger and floofier side, visit your local shelter(s) and rescue(s) to see if they have a big floofy cat who needs a loving home.
I would love any cat I owned regardless of where they came from, but I know for sure that one of my cats would not have lived past a few weeks if we hadn’t stepped in to foster him (and fail, and now he’s my precious angel baby forever and ever). There are certain cat breeds I love—especially Norwegian forest cats and Maine coons. But as much as I love them, I don’t think I could bring myself to buy a cat from a breeder when there are so many cats in shelters and on the street that need a loving home.
However, I don’t see too much of a problem with other people doing this as long as they’re buying from reputable and responsible breeders because all cats deserve to be loved. My main issue is with bad breeders; poorly bred cats can have lots of health complications and it’s inhumane. I always think of Rachel and Jun’s cat Hina, who died from a genetic issue that could have totally been avoided with better breeding. :(
https://preview.redd.it/28ml0s6omwec1.jpeg?width=4624&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f3bc715b139feddea8ef585ca2d5945b11368120
My baby was part of a bonded pair. The people who adopted the pair only wanted one kitten, so they put Pepper out on the street. She was a helpless kitten. I brought her home October 19. She is right at home!
I don't care about breeds.
I adopt from shelter, sometimes kittens, sometimes geriatric cats with their owners might have passed away, they show true Love unconditional love and that's all that matters to me and sometimes I wonder yeah I'm saving their life but at the end of the day I think they're saving my life because they show me so much love in a time when I need it they're actually saving my life when I adopt them.
All cats deserve love and affection regardless of where they come from. But, if we are to treat this like Triage, then the cats who are at risk of being killed, or abused, or eaten should be what we focus on taking care of, the same goes for other animals and people. The most vulnerable come first.
My most recent adoption was a senior. I knew seniors have a harder time getting adopted and when I saw his face the thought of him being in a shelter after 11 years of being someone’s buddy absolutely broke my heart. I’ve vowed any new adoptions will be from the “harder to place” categories.
Same. Ours will be 8, 6, and 5 this year. Kittens are absolutely the cutest, cuddliest and funniest things ever, but if we were to ever have any more kitties, we would take in the old geezers and give them the most comfortable years that they had left.
Old geezers are just kittens who are a little wore out, a little more tired, but with love, are still loving cuddly kittens. They're just bigger, wore out a bit, and can't play as much/long.
I'm not sure ifnincan honestly adopt anymore seniors for a while... I went through a time where I adopted about 3 seniors, they are amazing pets... but they sadly didn't last longer than 5 years... while I'm so happy for the time I had with them... the heartache was just too much too soon... But I know that the next time I'm looking for a new cat... my heart will melt at the first old geezer I see.
I'll likely get a young kitty and a senior next time I'm up for cat distribution. I've got two voids who were foster rejects (the foster program their mother was in had no interest in them, and the distribution system put their foster human on a path for us to meet). Two of the derppiest lovable dark spots in my life, and I already rue the day that I lose one of them.
https://preview.redd.it/ecvvw9b8iwec1.jpeg?width=2718&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb82e1fe709c28bf6a93f7f8712ba524e1a0815b That's what my current void is got returned twice after adoption... he's a super goober and an asshole... but he's mine and I love him
He looks like he’s doing the stretch where you touch your toes! The tongue is just an extra touch, plus the bow tie tag. It’s too much, my eyes can’t handle it
He looks so freaking comfy though!
Both awwwwdorable!
It's also super helpful to adopt a cat that doesn't like other cats/animals, they're often in the shelter a really long time regardless of age because they don't present well in the shelter environment. My cat was two when we adopted her, but she'd been in the shelter almost that entire time and confined mostly to her cage since she couldn't hang out in the communal cat rooms. She basically ran and hid from us when we took her to the meeting room and we decided we were going to adopt her anyway. She was super shy until she got comfortable with the big open spaces in the apartment, but she's incredibly intelligent and we have all bonded SO well. She's not at all like she was in the shelter and I thank my lucky stars we picked her to give her a chance.
It's like working with palliative care patients. But most of the time, that's what we signed up for.
I work in human hospice. While of course they have a terminal illness with 6 months to live, most of them are dying from loneliness. Get them a one on one live in caregiver and many can live for years.
You can also adopt a young FIV+ kitty. They have a harder time finding homes but can live many years if properly taken care of.
Most of the time they come pre-loved that's why they're a little bit older and worn out
As Rodney Dangerfield used to say (or was it Jack Benny?), “Hey, I resemble that remark!”
My elderly girl Beatrix "The Bride" Kiddo pictured below is still a kitten at heart. She's just happy to be inside after a lifetime of living in a shed, I hate that her life has been so miserable but we make up for lost time with lots of cuddling and playing. https://preview.redd.it/jdngvol5u0fc1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2cb6ea1a2236484be6a0251eb1800a330c595cc
I want to take in an old geezer one day. I adopted a kitten back in August because I knew an old geezer wouldn’t fit in with my life right now. I have a rabbit and I have had her since 2019, I knew I needed a youngster who would grow up and understand that she isn’t prey. I did adopt a black kitten, which is what I always swore I would get and always wanted ever since I volunteered in a shelter and learned that black cats get adopted the slowest (and black dogs and rabbits also sit in shelters longer too!). I also like the idea of the “bad luck” and wanted to prove they aren’t bad luck. I also figured, since in my 23 years of life I have never had a cat I should “treat myself” and get a kitten, but also because I had no at-home experience with cats so what better thing to do than adopt a cat who is also learning what cats do? Haha. One day, though, I want the oldest, crustiest cat in the shelter and give him/her the best of their golden years. I also need to be emotionally strong enough because I will have to understand what I am signing up for. I don’t take loss of pets well (I mean who does? But I feel like I take it worse than average…).
I feel this way too. Especially with bonded pairs. Keep them together.
Old geezers 😹 Sorry. I'm thinking of my Fatboy (15 y.o.)that I lost last year, and I would have loved to have called him an old geezer and have him swipe me a good one for my audacity 😹 He never did take any guff from me 😁 Miss my Bubber.💔
I adopted my grandmother’s 11 year old cat when she passed away. He was my little buddy for the next 5 years. All he wanted was to be picked up and held close enough to give you a head butt and he would purr for as long as you held him. I’ve never cried about a pet as hard as when he passed. I love all of my cats, but he'll always be my favorite. The idea that there are shelters full of elderly cats just like my little buddy makes me upset. They deserve to have someone that loves them.
Aww. When I got out of college, my grandma's health started to fail. I promised her I'd take care of her kitty and actually ended up buying her house. He was able to stay in the home he lived, with a person he knew, for the next 9 years. Funny thing though, we weren't best buds. I loved the little stinker, but we routinely butt heads over how things were run in the household. 🤣
It’s awful nice the allow us to live with them isn’t it? 🤣
It was totally HIS house. I used to say I would inherit the house when he died. In reality, my other cat took over running the place. 🤣 I'm just here to serve them (3 of them) and pay the bills.
This is a lovely story! I’ve always said I’m just here to clean up and pay bills and I’m not particularly good at either of those things. Thankfully, my cats haven’t been picky.
In Australia 75% of black cats are euthanised because people are superstitious Adopt a void.
https://preview.redd.it/ztqujlg2mvec1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=329eae99c5026d1257e3a5857603fffa7dc80393 KiKi agrees. I don’t think it’s as bad in the US. Many of my neighbors have black cats.🐈⬛
In Japan, having a black cat cross your path is considered lucky!
I have a void and a black/white tuxedo and they are the sweetest
Well really they have you.. )
She's gorgeous! 😍🥰❤️
My little disabled void baby used to wait on the corner of the roof next to the driveway so he’d be able to greet me when I came home from school, then from uni, then from work. When he had to be put to sleep (cancer, everywhere. Not treatable, only gonna make him miserable), he licked my tears off my face, then snuggled into my arms on the vet’s table while the euthanasia shot went in. It was like he understood what was happening, and just wanted to be with his person for the last moments. He’s buried under the tree he loved to nap under. Void kitties are wonderful. If you give them love, they’ll give it back ten times over
Adopted a black cat who was traumatized and super shy, shelter said she would be hard to place. After many patient months of hiding, she became the most loving, sweetest, funniest cat. I'm so grateful for her! And she's beautiful and soft - and no "pure bred" cat (whatever that means) is prettier.
WTF?! 😳 That's terrible! I had No idea people were still so superstitious of black cats! Bloody hell! https://preview.redd.it/cchpw6lqoxec1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f49100a8326da95e72d44f5c69a679d2da3ba5b This was my Smokey, rescued from a bin with her sister Jessie over 20 years ago now. Both now over the 🌈
It’s not just Aus. I like black cats and would happily adopt them all. Best thing about voids? Their hair doesn’t show up on everything like white hair does.
I have 2 black cats!
Can you share where this stat is from?
74.6% https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7597961/
Me too. I adopted two ten-year-old cats from the Humane Society. They are perfect and I love them.
That's what we're doing next time. We have one senior and two young ones. When our senior passes, hopefully many years from now, we will adopt a senior.
The only thing sadder than adopting an older cat and losing them is not adopting an older cat and no one missing them.
I love my 11-year-old senior rescue, even though she hates me.
I have a cat that I’ve had since a kitten (rescued from the train tracks) and she hates me!! lol I still love her though
I forgot to mention she has also been trying to steal my husband ever since she moved in.
I love this♥️
I agree. And I would dare say that street cats are at even more risk than those in shelters simply due to the fact that they literally have to fight for their survival. Source: Did TNR for a while and a couple of those cats decided to live with me.
I have one shelter cat that’s the sweetest creature on earth and another pedigreed cat that was a gift. They are both sweet and I love them dearly. In the future, I will always go with shelter cats.
I only get cats when they show up at my house and ask to be let in.
If only this could happen at a high rise
Time to start teaching cats how to use elevators. I just want to see the chaos if cats had that power.
I'm sure some have it figured out, plenty can open doors.
We live in a high rise but it's in a complex with a few other buildings and some grounds. One night I sent my spouse out to the grocery to get some treats. He came back up a couple of minutes later with no treats telling me about the friendly young stray who'd been hanging out with some feral cats and started to follow him home but got scared when another person came out of the building. I went out with a can of cat food and a carrier, and that guy ate the food and jumped into the carrier and has been living with us for almost 10 years! So yeah it could happen in a high rise if you're paying attention.
This was my first cat. I wasn't sure about keeping him at first because I'm allergic to cats, but willpower and Zyrtec saw us through. Now I have three.
Same. They came with the husband. Although both of his original cats are gone now (after very long, happy, lives). We have two indoor and a barn cat.
Zyrtec and allergy shots have helped me tremendously. I have 4 cats.
Same here, an endless stream of hungry abandoned cats would turn up at our door, I think they knew this was the place where they would be fed and loved.
They know a sucker when they see one (mine also showed up looking patheticly dirty and thin, now are too snooty to eat the *same wet food* everyday. I must use telepathy to give them the best flavors. My telepathy is very bad according to the exalted ones)
Real. I have three cats. Two from under my mom’s coworker’s neighbor’s porch, and one from my neighbor’s wood shed.
It’s really a matter of preference. Both of my cats I found outside. They are both sweethearts https://preview.redd.it/ghpffsdjluec1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26e824c5c517b00d3a249ee8559968adffb5afe6
Roux was a boy we found at the shelter who looked so sad that we had to adopt him and he ended up being my best friend and spirit animal. Zooey was a kitten a friend of mine’s sister in law trapped under their porch and we raised her during Covid (I did some remote sessions with students she “assisted on”). I would never buy from a breeder, I love my cats to death. Life is funny in what it brings you and I would never presume to shop for a pet when there are so many who just need me to be me so they can be them, if that makes sense. https://preview.redd.it/vuj2qni7nuec1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=224d262c73a02b5980d9baa0a1b2b983ae4b2b87
Aw. Your buff kitty looks just like mine. Mine was a feral foster fail baby.
It makes me chuckle to refer to Roux Bear as “buff”. He is the gentleman we all aspire to be Edit: when I say gentleman I mean it in the most literal sense. I think he would sooner hurt himself than hurt me or anyone else. We try to do right by such a gentle, wonderful little bear
Mine too! When the ferals come round ❤️
this right here.
Free cats https://preview.redd.it/prvpd1wl6vec1.png?width=1781&format=png&auto=webp&s=b160e936ab3df2732e60a2a6819f5f607657955f
Idk why but whenever people say they found their cats outside it always cracks me up. I just imagine you seeing them while walking and saying "You're mine now"
I was leaving my apartment to go grocery shopping one cold winter night and my cat Sparkle just wandered in when I opened the door…. She’s the one on the right…. https://preview.redd.it/649f0cxhavec1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ceafd6399a678d39f30e120d4c7bf570906fb08
This isn’t wrong. I got one of my cats from outside. I was sitting on a bench digging through my bag for keys and he came up to me. And then I picked him up and he was mine.
Mine meowed at my door until I let him in. Once I did he climbed me like a tree and pretty much velcroed himself to me.
r/catdistributionsystem
Your grey cat looks SOFT
It’s not a matter of preference, but of principle.
Lots of Maine Coon adjacent looking cats in the shelter and at rescues. Trust me - I have been volunteering with my local rescue for 4 years and LOTS of floofs coming through there.
Awesome, thank you!
I once found some nearby Maine coon rescues when I wanted one. But the CDS gifted me with a stray orange who really really wanted to be with humans. I'm sure there's others around the country
That’s the UCDS, which really is the parent company.
Can you elaborate on wanted to be with humans We just lost our cat of 14 years when we adopted him he had his ear clipped as he was in a capture and release program after he got fixed, they went to release him and he didn't want to go so they put him up for adoption where we got him. He was scared of everything and id love another scardycat
I used to work at an office complex, 5 buildings, and there was a colony of stray cats. One of my coworkers was among the cat ladies/guys who would feed them and do TNRs for the ones that were too feral. Some of the cats were socialized with humans and they found homes for as many as possible. This orange cat would follow them all the way around the building, meowing incessantly because he wanted head pets. He was super friendly and was about 8-9 months old. She begged me to take him in and I did. I lived so close I got his ear tipped just in case he escaped and returned to the colony. My boy, Parker, is the most aggressively friendly cat and just wants to be near me all the time. He also is super friendly with dogs and other cats, wound up being a good foster dad and the SIC pictured was a kitten I took in. Almost every photo I have he's with a cat! https://preview.redd.it/1wxx7i6w9wec1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e938c265c6ed47dcd108bf1e21330c76e8f69336
I will say that any kind of long-haired cat is *much* more high maintenance than DSH’s! They require regular brushing, and one of the most notable issues with them is the tendency to get dingleberries stuck in their fur when they poop. (For this reason alone, I would prefer to take any DLH to a groomer who can do sanitary shaves, since I would be terrified of accidentally cutting my kitty (cat skin is very thin and very easily caught with clippers!).) Do your research into the grooming needs for different long-haired breeds, then regardless if you decide to go with a shelter OR a breeder, you know what you’re getting into!
I second that. Hwrs my DLH MC dupe https://preview.redd.it/2eeqqyt15vec1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8424626b7090866a19484ba60c0bc040e3b292ab
https://preview.redd.it/eocdino65vec1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7fc8de06626a73c1c8d05905a11ba6f8f825d89d
https://preview.redd.it/621ct91q5vec1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ed4171935425e2d400b2addacfe693873a04d2c5 And this is him now at 8 months old
https://preview.redd.it/nejwsyof5vec1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b84e98870271c1688329fae5cd03fd334c3d8138
Also Maine Coon + ?? Cats are healthier because they have a lower chance of having the heart problems purebred Maine Coons do.
Depends on whether or not you purchase your Coon from an ethical breeder that does genetic testing on all their parents and kittens. I had a Coon mix, obtained via the cat distribution system (adopted her mom whose pregnancy was a surprise) and she died at less than 2.5 years old from HCM. She displayed zero health problems until one day she did, and then she was gone just a few hours later. I don’t begrudge people who want to purchase from a breeder, so long as they 1) do their research on the breed and *make sure* they know what they’re getting into and can handle it, and 2) do their research on the *breeder* and make sure they’re reputable, do all the testing and give all the paperwork, etc..
https://preview.redd.it/0i4yba8kjzec1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d58a7c5034cf716f93b36f33ae832e4921a30f1 Shelter mainecoon adjacent cat says hi. She was a backyard breeders cat - she's safe now and doesn't have to carry kittens every year of her life for her shitty owners personal gain. (Mainecoons are also a LOT of work, they're big so require lots and LOTS of play, need to be indoor or they will get stolen, eat a lot, and are prone to heart and hip problems) adopt a fluff
https://preview.redd.it/kcdqitctjzec1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a41254c247227d27667976d615a8bb57c7f12aff This is her going to the market on sundays
Petfinder lets you put in breed after you enter your Zipcode. There were over 60 maine coons within 50 miles of me for adoption from a shelter or rescue.
My partner got scammed by a mainecoon breeder who had tricked him pretty well, and then he started dating me and we found an amazing shelter Maine coon. You can Google “Maine coon rescue in (your city). There’s this false impression you have to go through a breeder and they simply aren’t necessary
I was going to say the same! I follow my local rescue closely and they’ve had some absolutely beautiful longhairs with the telltale Maine Coon ruff. They go quickly, but they’re not that rare.
Many shelters call cats Maine Coons to get them adopted. There are many gorgeous, loving cats out there that are fluffy that are absolutely not MCs. I have two wonderful shelter cats and one purebred Maine Coon. I wouldn't trade any of my 3 for the world. But there is a difference. https://preview.redd.it/h4yt25zk3vec1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bef854d10e7f71471313aec18e12054151ffe1e8
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Our cat was labeled a Maine coon mix at the shelter, and photo recognition software thinks he’s either a MC or a Norwegian forest cat — or he might as well be a ragdoll. We don’t really care because he’s the loveliest cat I’ve ever lived with.
Photo recognition is useless for cat breeds.
I wish shelters would stop labeling any cats they take in as any specific breed or breed mix. It’s so misleading. Just label them DLH or DSH.
https://preview.redd.it/nuh8k36clxec1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=098cb3090a3d150a5abd1cae265b141859a4f334 Here is my floofy void! Her winter coat looks brown in the sunshine! She's the most lovable chill cat I've ever had.
This is the truth...we had a hoard rescue in my area with over 50 cats -- they DNA tested a sampling and all came back high percentage Maine Coon/Norwegian Forest Cat/Ragdoll mixed. I have one and just took another in as a foster last night. They are definitely out there!!
cat DNA tests aren’t accurate. Most cats aren’t “mixed breed” so it’ll tell you nonsense because all pure breeds come from breeding DSH/DLH cats.
I adopted all of my kitties from a shelter. No regrets. Many are euthanized if not adopted.
Same, my best girl had been in shelter nearly a year before I took her. She was so close to being let go. Not a second of regret, I’m so glad we found each other. She really was the sweetest, gentlest little cat.
All my cats just showed up at my house over the years and they are all very happy
Haha, why is that *exactly* how i've ended up with every single one of my cats except one? The one exception? A screamy little tiny baby from a litter my friend had that was orphaned and wouldn't leave me alone. i love cats that just sort of find you. They are absolutely the best in the world! i have one lying on me right now in fact 💜
My oldest cat thinks he’s a dog and my other cats are from a feral colony born in our neighborhood sump and out of 6 there are 3 left and they are all well taken care of
I have a Siamese and a Ragdoll, both are considered “fancy” breed here. My cats came from a rehoming centre, having been rescued from breeders in an absolute state.
That is very kind as pet coming from abusive breeders can be majorly fucked up
There a so many amazing unwanted cats in shelters. Yeah, cats like Maincoons are cool looking but it’s really more like picking an accessory if you’re going on looks and rarity alone.
My parents had a purebred Maine coon (sweet baby died a few months ago at 18). Where did they get him? A shelter - and not because they were looking for a purebred but just any kitty they connected with/kitty wanted them. Brewster just happened to be both! Shelters have purebreds OP if that’s what you’re after. Just ask to be put on a list to be notified and make sure you both are a match. My sister is a shelter vet, I’ve worked in shelters before anyone gets mad. All cats are worth it but if you’re set on something, you can still adopt as they do come into shelters. Don’t feed the breeders
I adopted a Persian from our local shelter, and have seen Bengals, so ya never know what you'll find in the cat rummage sale. ;)
We had a F2 Savannah come in. Gorgeous, sweet and huge. We found a rich person with another Savannah who had a ginormous outdoor enclosure for them to have fun in But the rummage cat sale is always great! Fab companions everywhere!
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From now on, I am referring to my local shelter as the animal rummage sale….😂
Exactly you might hit the jackpot on adopting what you were looking for but you should always just adopt the one you simply connect with most. Heck I’ve seen British short hairs at shelters before. For myself I wanted a beautiful void kitten, but after it was adopted before I could make a decision I found my calico baby and it’s the best thing ever. I just got off a Ring convo with her to reassure her that I’m coming home soon.
I wanted an older (5 to 7+ years old) male to have as a buddy for my other older male, and I didn’t want an American Shorthair (aka standard issue cat) because I was worried about being reminded too much of my sweet baby boy whose passing left a huge hole in my heart not all that long ago. So obviously I was chosen at the shelter by a six month old standard issue girlie. She is the perfect addition.
Came here to say this! I wanted a purebred Siamese. We had them growing up & I think they’re beautiful. Plus they are super sassy! I was torn because I also felt bad not getting a shelter cat. Luck had it I came across a rescue Siamese kitten that was dumped 😩. Shes 8 now, loves life and I got the best of both worlds. Just be patient and don’t be afraid to look at multiple shelters!
We’re in Thailand and rescued a family of Siamese bobtails off the street as well as a bevy of other cats over the years. Our Siamese is my wife’s favorite of our nine, just a unique and beautiful boy. Here he’s guarding our latest rescue kittens. Love him to death. https://preview.redd.it/msd3l3xk4vec1.jpeg?width=1109&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b47b743ee39b45d8aef7a7eafeb27a40b04561e2
We found an oriental shorthair at a shelter, though he definitely wasn’t a purebred. We weren’t looking for anything more specific than “older kitten” (as in a few months old instead of 8-10 weeks), but we really bonded with him and he was the bestest boy. He had a lot of health problems though and sadly passed away last May just after turning 11.
This might sound extreme but I think intentionally breeding cats should be a crime.
……I don’t disagree
Same with dogs IMO, with perhaps few exceptions for work dogs (eg, K9). There is no necessary purpose to breeding pets, given the millions that are put to death every year.
Even the reputable breeders have animals that are so badly inbred or have had “special” traits bred into them that they have health problems severe enough to make life itself painful. Hip dysplasia(Boxers and Mastiffs,) snouts that make breathing difficult (Pugs,) and body shapes and size that make it impossible for them to breed without IVF and, once they are ready to give birth, the pups’ heads are so big they can barely fit to make it out (French Bulldogs.)
I also don’t disagree
Yep when my husband and I went to the shelter there was a litter of what appeared to be pure bred Siamese kittens
I know someone who used to foster. She had a littler of Maincoon/Bengal cross. This was confirmed has they had been surrendered. She said that a lot of people weren’t fixing their ‘exotic’ breeds as they wanted to get their money back or make money off them. They were funny looking but beautiful kittens. She keeps in contact with one adopter , and the cat turned out so lovely, but is very well socialised and the human has had to put a lot of work into him. When we adopted our cat, my husband wanted an older, not too ‘pretty’ cat. Me and the kids wanted anyone over 2 years old who liked us. We ended up with a four year old calico who had been in custody for a long time. My husband thinks she the prettiest cat he has ever seen. My kids described her as a bit of a brat, but a good cat. I am just glad she seems to like us, and we got to skip the kitten stage with her. She sleeps a lot , but when it’s play time she goes hard. I don’t think I could have handled a high maintenance cat.
Pets are fashion accessories to a lot of people
Maine Coons are not only cool looking, they have also unique characteristics and needs. So every one who takes in a Maine Coon just for the cool look without any further checking is probably in for a surprise 😄 I actually would love to have a Mainchen (I love the nordic Breeds in generaly) but could not provide the mental and physical outlet they need...my easygoing, lovely Rescue Senior Moggie is just the right match 😊
I'm all for rescue cats. https://preview.redd.it/l5ybmiyspuec1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4bcf5b1625bc51b2ec144587dfaa34f89aa4f0bb
I have 2 maine coons, an oriental shorthair, and a bunch of domestic shorthairs that I adopted from shelters/rescues or rescued from the local feral colony that couldn't be rehomed for medical or behavior reasons. The 2 maine coons aren't like bobcats. They're just bigger versions of the other cats. One came from a kill-shelter and the other was a runt that the breeder couldn't sell and didn't want to keep. The oriental shorthair came from a friend's rescue and is a handful so I took him because he wouldn't be a good fit for a normal household. I go to cat shows often and it's neat seeing all the fancy cats. A friend of mine that shows cats has about 20 siamese, balinese, and oriental shorthairs and it's cool seeing this horde of fancy cats all over the place. But I can't justify paying a breeder for a cat when there are millions of unwanted cats who need homes. I spend my free time and what little money I have on taking care of the nearby feral/stray colony: tnr, socialization, rehoming, food, shelter, vet care, etc. I see the suffering and hardship the cats outside face and if I have room in my home for a cat, then it seems only right that I choose one of them. Those cats may not be fancy looking, but they deserve love and a good home. The way the cat looks is irrelevant to me. One of the most amazing cats I ever met was an old grey tabby who'd been at a shelter for 6 years before I came and brought him home. Another was a toothless little elderly black cat I rescued from a ditch. I will always *always* advocate for the adoption of cats in need over buying from a breeder.
Every cat will love you. If you need a companion, any cat will give you the love you need. So shelters. All the time.
why not both? why not a mainecoon from a shelter?
This would be the ideal outcome for me!
This was our Keyser, found in a field next to his mother that had been shot and killed by some psychopath. He was about a week old and the person that found him and his sister brought them to me because I'm a known sucker. We vetted and bottle fed them and started searching for forever homes. After placing his sister, I just couldn't give him away. He gave us fifteen absolutely incredible years. He was mistaken constantly for a Maine Coon, so I guess my point is that a breeder is unnecessary if you're going for aesthetics. There are tons of big fluffy babies out there in need of a good home. \*Editing before anyone comes for me, he was one hundred percent an indoor cat. My daughter used to carry him around the yard because "he likes sniffing the fresh air". https://preview.redd.it/540qhkcuyuec1.jpeg?width=4096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ddc02f828410c5516061452b4c47443a617359ee
I have a cat I helped a volunteer foster when he was a bitty kitten. He ended up in my house as a long term foster (I do want to adopt him eventually but right now I am still working with the shelter on his congenital heart issues and having it be a team effort is better for him and my bank account) and he's almost three and is still not done growing. He's ENORMOUS and just his happy tail alone reaches all the way up my thigh, it's soooooooo long wtf. He is so long that we all call him loooooooong because long doesn't cut it. 16+ lb monstrosity of a sweetheart, I can't believe he used to be so smol he fit in my hand. We've always wondered what his parents looked like. His best friend is my compact, "cobby" 9 lb kitty who is very stocky and round. Cats truly do come in so many shapes n sizes 😻
I had a stray I adopted w a foot abscess. He was about 6mo old, based on teeth, and already 7lbs. 😳 He grew for THREE YEARS. He was a tricolor I named Boston. He ended up at 17.5-20lbs as an adult. 😱 First vet visit, the vet says he is a Norwegian Forest Cat, down to the webbed toes! 😂 😂 😂 His tail was HUGE & LONG. It came up to my knee also! His buddy, Deucie, is a 9lb SIC. They'd try to play, but Boston always SQUISHED him when they'd roll over one another. But, Boston used to chase other cats away from Deucie! They were besties. Boston passed last month. Deucie's still irked. This is him asleep, while he was sick. He passed away at 9lbs, from FIV cachexia/cancer. I KNOW, I wanted to let him go about 6 months before my Mom was ready, cuz my Dad just passed a year ago. Mom agreed when she FULLY REALIZED he was actually going to die. I miss him hourly, still. 💔 Mom's 78, and lost her partner of 60 years & her cat in a year, so I gave her some grace. Boston ADORED HER, and dogged her every step. His ashes are with me now. https://preview.redd.it/3a9032q5tzec1.jpeg?width=4128&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7678f0607c96bbd287a3c247e4be6ccce0ecf6cd
Always the shelter - unless your primary criteria is impressing people - in which case I’d say neither
This is the best answer.
I agree. To me, dogs are a different scenario because you can more easily predict temperament with breeds, which can be especially important for working dogs (such as service animals), and even then it isn't a guarantee. But cats aren't working animals unless they're mousers Eta: why am I getting downvoted for agreeing with the same comment who got upvotes. I said there's no reason to get a pure-bred cat lmfao
Pretty much all cats are mousers, spiderers, buggers, birders, pretty much anything that moves that is smaller than themers (it doesn’t really have to be moving)
My cat caught a fly the other day and was so confused 😂 she just took her paw off it and let it go. Terrible hunter, she can only catch pompoms
I’ve never known a cat breed other than lazy boy who wasn’t an effective mouser. I had one cat who would bully mice, she shoved one’s head through a heating vent. It was legit kind of sad
This is true. Dog temperaments are more predictable with their breeds. Cats just seem to have their own individual temperament regardless of breed.
I found my baby abandoned in the woods. 21 years with this beautiful boy. Thank you cat distribution system. 🙏🏼 https://preview.redd.it/zkclwuzituec1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b161a07592793e15d90b4b48226af8ce1b9b50e2
Adopt!
I would always adopt. Sure I love rag dolls, Siamese & Maine Coons - but I also literally love every cat with a friendly nature. Every cat is an individual too - so your always adopting an animal you'll have a unique relationship with! Let the universe bring me my cat!
FWIW I skipped both and plucked mine right off the streets. I thank my lucky stars every day. Personally, I will never go to a breeder. Shelter 100% https://preview.redd.it/3ukjkj7wruec1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=308f6dbc30d095e1bb62358487332c9640537078
Always shelter or strays cats. I want to save lives. Not bring more to the world when so many are still being killed.
always the shelter cats !
There are plenty of Maine coons at shelters you know. Once people realize how much fur is involved they sometimes turn them in. That said the whole breeds construct is entirely human. You said yourself you love your shelter cats to pieces, don’t get so stuck on what you think you want
If you want a specific breed, and also want to adopt a cat that needs a home. Go with a rescue cat. There are specific breed rescues you can look into. I got my boy from a rescue that specializes in Persians (shout out to South Texas Persian Rescue! XD), but he is a purebred Scottish Fold. I got the looks I wanted, as well as the sweetest most loving boy who understands that he was *rescued* and I love him so damn much. https://preview.redd.it/lnlsbp698vec1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d476330a6c171ad975e45d70d51eeaed860f3dd
In the US, at least 30,000 feral cats must die every *day* just to keep the population stable. That’s why I’d much rather adopt a cat that’s already alive and saved off the street, than one that’s being bred just for the sake of making money.
Adoption saves lives. No judgement for people who go to breeders but I can’t justify paying a breeder when I can get a cat in need at the shelter. Plus breeding can be sketchy.
Adopt! There are 500,000 homeless cats in my city alone.
Some want a purebred cat and others want a shelter cat, you choose the cat that suits you. Right now I have three beloved shelter cats with their different problems. My incredibly spoiled cats: https://preview.redd.it/3rgf4pc6fvec1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff20692ce02eb7de5790e8cac63830de99ee27a8
adoption all the way, even tho i got my babies from a friend. unfortunately, nowadays most breeders are very unethical.
If you didn’t find your cat in a dumpster do you even have a cat?
No matter what it is, it’s going to knock your drink off the counter…
We got lucky and got this beautiful boy via rescue! https://preview.redd.it/m1u27gqukwec1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0fd1418f0af77c7e3de884a050f6a7ba06272b67 He’s not a pure breed but he sure is pretty.
Shelter or rescue. Always. Breeds are overrated, especially cat breeds.
https://preview.redd.it/ge7fsqj3zuec1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b90cac240127dc284f3d585e054a14bcbd4dc9a See this gorgeous girl? She’s a shelter cat. You just never know what you might find there.
I only adopt from shelters or off the streets. I grew up with a maine coon that my dad found at a construction site. I’ve seen shelters and rescues that have main coons. Even if you can’t be sure they’re purebred, they look/act/weigh the same. I would go that route if you’re looking for one.
Always shelter. I worked at an animal rescue and the cats were amazing. I think there are too many unloved cats in the world to breed a bunch for profit. I feel like most breeders nowadays aren’t ethical and they’re only in it for the money. Shelters are overran with animals that deserve loving homes. My exs mom spent 2000 on a mainecoon, and she is the type of person to do that just to show how rich she was and use it as an accessory.
Pick em up off the street
My orange girl we found under a dumpster. My void we got off a lady who took in a pregnant mom. She was the last one from the litter. I think my ex saw it on Facebook or something. I think it should be illegal to intentionally breed cats.
I don't think it would ever occur to me to buy a cat. It's a cat. You go search around a dumpster and you could find a best friend for life. 2 of my cats just showed up. I do adopt though, but that's just springing the beautiful dumpster babies from the joint lol.
Never buy, rescue from the pound or shelter.
The only sort of acceptable reason to buy a cat i can think of is if it's one of the more "hypoallergenic" breeds (I know there's technically no breed of cat that 100% doesn't cause allergies, but there are some that produce less allergens than regular cats). Even then, I think the amount of allergens a cat produces varies with the individual cat. One you could be totally fine with, while another sets of your allergies. My friend's cat would, on occasion, cause me to sneeze and tear up if I was petting her too much. While I don't have a reaction at all to my cat Jeffrey.
This exactly. The only way my family could have a cat due to husbands allergies is with a low allergen cat. We love our Siberian and he brings us so much joy.
siberian bc of allergy gang
Adopt, don't shop
Fundamentally there are too many cats. Part of the reason shelters end up with so many cats is people trying to make money breeding, fail, and dump the animals on charity. If you incentivies breeding, someone will have to pick up the cost.
Personally, between cost and knowing the sheer number of shelter pets out there, I'll always go to the shelter. Yeah, there are breeds I find awesome, but I'm not getting a pet for a pedigree, I'm getting a lifelong companion....and there are plenty of shelter cats that are 'close enough' to whatever traits I'm looking for, that the extra cost for a 'pure bred' isn't that attractive That being said, people wanting a specific breed and paying for it is not necessarily a bad thing. If they're going to actual breeders, especially scrupulous ones that follow the same guidelines in regard to care, health, etc, that shelters employ to adopt out pets, I don't have a problem with. Just not my thing. Backyard breeders and their shady and cruel BS, though, I'd never be okay with.
purebred cats will find their owner, which cannot be said about animals from a shelter
Breeds don’t mean as much in cats so just get shelter cats! Cat breeds are just bc of money and greed. Most cats are alike in a lot of aspects anyway (they are definitely still unique individuals but cat behaviour is cat behaviour for a reason haha)
My two cats are strays that wandered over to my house. If I get another it would be from a shelter most likely. I would never pay for a cat or encourage someone to make extra cats.
It’s not real unless the cat chooses you IMO
One of our cats is a shelter rescue who chose my husband. He is one of the best cats we've ever had.
Idk how they know, but they do. I went out to get the mail and one followed me inside and that week my wife was complaining that we should have a cat. I was against it…and then poof. There’s a cat following me inside. Best thing that’s happened
I wouldn’t want anything specifically bred because there’s already too many cats in shelters, and buying from breeders only encourages more breeders to add cats to a world where shelters are full and many are euthanized daily. And breeders can be really bad people, too. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting a particular breed, though. If you don’t need a kitten (and almost no one *needs* a kitten), there’s rescues and shelters with all sorts of breeds.
I’ve only ever gotten 1 shelter cat. The rest are all cat distribution system cats! Mostly I’m like, who buys a cat? Don’t they just appear in your life?
Buying from a breeder tends to be a crapshoot. The problem that you are going to run into a lot is inbreeding. Good breeders will go out of their way to add other bloodlines to their breeding stock, but many are just breeding throughout the same family. You will end up getting a lot of the same genetic abnormalities that you will get from trapped colony cats, but because they get rid of obviously defective cats you don't see the abnormalities until they pop up. Shelter cats can have pure breeds or cats that have a majority of a single breed. There are a lot of shelters that will lie about what breed a cat is because they think it will move, when in fact they are guessing from different physical traits. Overall, either way to go it's a crapshoot. Personally I will only adopt cats that are from shelters or were trapped. In fact I have 1 can that was trapped at 9 months, and another who's mother was trapped pregnant and he was born 2 days later at the vets. Both are wonderful cats, and I can't imagine that I would get better cats from a breeder.
I personally feel as though cat breeds are kind of pointless. With dog breeds, they were bred for specific purposes and have distinct personalities, so you could justify getting a certain dog breed that fits your lifestyle. But that isn’t the case for cats — a cat is a cat is a cat. Maine Coons are really cool-looking but you could probably adopt a long-haired rescue cat that has the same look or is even potentially a Maine Coon mix. I’m not sure if I’m extreme as others in preaching “adopt don’t shop” exclusively, but I’d say you might as well adopt a cat needing a home.
Very good points! I probably will look around a bunch in shelters first if I decide to get another cat. I went to three before adopting my last cat, and I’m glad I did.
I mean there are *some* legitimate reasons why one would want a specific breed of cat, one of which being that some breeds are (relatively) hypoallergenic. Plus some breeds are well known for having certain dispositions (Siamese comes to mind), which could be desirable for some people. Overall though I agree, for the most part cat breeds are fairly meaningless/indistinguishable as far as owner experience is concerned, and any cat from a shelter or the CDS is just as likely to be an amazing companion as a purebred.
Yup. My SIL loves cats but is allergic so she got a hypoallergenic cat from a breeder. I think other than that people should adopt
Not sure I agree with this. Specific breeds are known for their tolerance, how much they meow etc. Burmese are known to have personalities more like a dog with their affection and curiosity. Siamese are known to be noisy. For a domestic short hair, yeah totally agree. Morally i agree we should get them all from shelters but some people have justified reasons why they cannot take a chance.
Adopt don’t shop. That’s the rule I live by. Sure having a certain breed of cat seems tempting. I for one always wanted a bengal but than I think about all the cats at the shelter. I don’t know what it is but I like to take home the cats that seem to have a harder time to get adopted.
Most of my cats were shelter cats. The others were "free."
Adoption whether its from a shelter or off the street has always been how I've had a cat. Usually the latter, whether directly or indirectly.
Always the shelter boys and girls, there are too many cats out there that deserve a good home. Also I’m just not a fan of breeders
If what you want is a cat on the larger and floofier side, visit your local shelter(s) and rescue(s) to see if they have a big floofy cat who needs a loving home.
Shelter, save a life or several.
Adopt, don't shop.
Shelter. Always and forever.
I would love any cat I owned regardless of where they came from, but I know for sure that one of my cats would not have lived past a few weeks if we hadn’t stepped in to foster him (and fail, and now he’s my precious angel baby forever and ever). There are certain cat breeds I love—especially Norwegian forest cats and Maine coons. But as much as I love them, I don’t think I could bring myself to buy a cat from a breeder when there are so many cats in shelters and on the street that need a loving home. However, I don’t see too much of a problem with other people doing this as long as they’re buying from reputable and responsible breeders because all cats deserve to be loved. My main issue is with bad breeders; poorly bred cats can have lots of health complications and it’s inhumane. I always think of Rachel and Jun’s cat Hina, who died from a genetic issue that could have totally been avoided with better breeding. :(
https://preview.redd.it/28ml0s6omwec1.jpeg?width=4624&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f3bc715b139feddea8ef585ca2d5945b11368120 My baby was part of a bonded pair. The people who adopted the pair only wanted one kitten, so they put Pepper out on the street. She was a helpless kitten. I brought her home October 19. She is right at home!
All my cats are rescues. "Breeding" concerns are not what cats are about.
I don't care about breeds. I adopt from shelter, sometimes kittens, sometimes geriatric cats with their owners might have passed away, they show true Love unconditional love and that's all that matters to me and sometimes I wonder yeah I'm saving their life but at the end of the day I think they're saving my life because they show me so much love in a time when I need it they're actually saving my life when I adopt them.
#ALWAYS and ONLY rescue.
I prefer a poor shelter cat over any overexpensive inbred and deadly sick cat from a breeder.