FAQ
People who have purchased a kitten are always welcome to contact me with any concerns that arise.
How much are your kittens?
Unfortunately, that number is dependent on a number of factors such as the cost of food, vet bills and other associated costs like kitty litter, grooming products, toys etc. You can expect to pay between $2,200 and $3,000 anywhere in Australia (and sometimes more!) for a pedigreed, well-socialised, healthy kitten
What does your cost involve?
Other than a beautiful addition to your family, each kitten comes with their pedigree, first two vaccinations, worming up to date, microchipping and they will be desexed. They also come with a ‘goodie bag’ containing samples of their food, toys, generally a harness, all of their paperwork, an individualised care booklet, their graduation photo, their health book, a health certificate and their contract. There’s also a freebie in there from Royal Canin should you wish to send for it.
I’ve brought my kitten home and he/she isn’t eating the food you sent
Please try to remember that your baby has spent the first three months of it’s life in familiar surroundings. It may just want to explore or, it may be like a LOT of Maine Coons and simply be fussy. Please try another (good) food and if all else fails, the smell of a roast chicken from the supermarket will work just about every time. That’s not a long term solution but it will assist your kitten to eat and settle in – although most Maine Coons just come in and take over! Alternatively, please call me or take your baby to their vet.
My kittens poo has gone runny!!
Ok- first things first… Have you changed their food? Some foods just don’t agree with them, no matter how much they like it. The other change for kittens is water. Here, they drink filtered bore water, so any change may give them an upset tummy for a day or two. As long as they are drinking! Diarrhea can be life threatening, so please don’t allow this to continue for more than a day without seeking help.
My kitten wakes me up at 5:00am every day!
Generally, Maine Coons will continue behaviour they are allowed to. If you’re ok with getting up and feeding said kitten at the crack of dawn, said kitten will continue to seek breakfast at 5:00am. Maine Coons have very high intelligence and will push boundaries across the board. If you don’t want to be woken at stupid o’clock, ignore your baby – as hard as that may seem while they’re little and only weigh a few kilos.
My kitten is destroying my furniture/curtains/clothes
Maine Coons ARE naughty, however, their intelligence leads them to become bored somewhat easily. Please ensure your kitten has sufficient stimulation both for self play and play time with you to reduce this likelihood. Scratching posts, climbing things, balls, puzzles – even scrunched up foil will amuse a Maine Coon for ½ hour. On that – please don’t believe the myth that putting foil on your kitchen benches will stop them getting up there. I have never seen a Maine Coon not meet that challenge!
My kitten/cat is peeing on my bed/pooing outside the tray – toilet issues
There can be times when cats suffer from UTIs just like humans – but if there is no straining or difficulty going to the toilet, these issues are generally behavioural. So before you get ready to strangle said cat…check the following;
- Does the kitten have two trays? Maine Coons like to pee in one and poo in the other (I don’t know why – but thank goodness for automatic litter trays, I say)
- Does the kitten need to share a tray? The rule of thumb is one tray each and one more for good luck. Some Maine’s will share- others will not. Try putting a clean tray somewhere new.
- Maine Coons will absolutely not use a dirty tray. (Be happy about that when it comes to grooming).
- Has something changed in the household? Something as simple as moving furniture or putting up new curtains can upset a cat (any cat) enough to feel stressed for a while.
- Please DO NOT punish your cat for this behaviour, it strengthens the fear of toileting normally and you will end up with a cat that uses the house as it’s toilet.
- One more thing – please DON’T use crystals in their litter tray. Crystals can hurt their paws and be dangerous if swallowed
My kitten is sneezing all the time – it must have a terrible disease.
Before rushing off to the nearest priest – have a look around your home and see what else might be causing this. Do you have indoor plants? Do you burn incense? What about your cleaning products – are they safe for cats? That includes your washing detergent. Do you have plug-in room deodorisers? All of these things can be toxic and/or allergy producing for cats. It’s always a good idea to check with your vet – but sometimes some simple home changes can resolve the issue easily.
Are you a registered breeder?
Yes. Feniks is registered with ANCATS (Australian National Cats Inc). Registration number 17615.
I will be adding to this FAQ over time. If there are any questions you might want answered, please don’t hesitate to contact me.