Thread: first post and wanting to know about heart problems in Maine Coons

Originally Posted by brightlight23

Hello,
This is my first post on this Forum and apologies if this topic has already been covered elsewhere. Essentially I've an eight month old Maine Coon kitten who I'm extremely fond of as he is such a friendly, and caring cat, though worrying about having him on borrowed time, as I keep reading about Maine Coons dying prematurely from heart conditions. Is the heart problem really as common as it seems, and if so is there anything I can do to prevent my cat developing this?

Many thanks for reading x
Victoria

Victoria to put your mind at rest a little contact your breeder for a copy of both the parents HCM test both gene and echo test

All Mainecoons should be both gene and echo tested and a breeder that is not doing this should not be bought off.. END of the day we can not irradiate this problem with irresponsible breeders. I always gene test our cats every year and then when they are over 3 Echo test! for peace of mind..

ALL breeders should give a copy with your pedigree papers and anyone looking NOW for a Mainecoon should insist on seeing the test before you put down a deposit. This test is not expensive around 25 pounds for the gene test, and around 120 Euros for the echo test..



ANY breeder displaying this on their website who is not giving or showing the test results is in breach of the trades descriptions act and should be reported.
It is possible that a cat can indeed get some form of heart problem later in life Mainecoons are not on their own in this.. But Responsible dedicated breeders should also ensure they play their part!

Debbie