Does anyone know what the price should be for a 2 year old spayed female purebred Maine Coon?

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Niki5sims

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The cat's owner is asking $285 to $325. Fairly reasonable.

How much do you want THIS cat? Given the asking price and what you know, how much do YOU think the cat is worth and how much are you willing and able to pay? What's the highest price you're willing to pay? Think about YOURSELF and not the other person, for the moment.

Is $300 a reasonable number for you?
For sake of discussion, let's say that your price is $300.

Lower your starting price to, maybe $250 or even $200. Let the other person respond and gauge their response. If they are firm at $325, let it go... No sale. If they are willing to talk, ask what they are willing to take. Let THEM talk you up to your maximum price. When you both reach an agreeable price, shake hands and say, "Sold." :)

However, if they are being a jerk about it, don't be afraid to walk away. If the seller knows that you are willing to take a walk, they are more likely to bargain.

Since it is a well behaved cat with papers and no medical issues, you should be prepared to pay a little bit extra. The seller did the work of bringing the cat up and taking good care of it. That's worth $$.

If you really, really like this cat and you feel like this is "your cat" then it's probably worth a few $$ more to bring her home.

As far as how or when to pay, that's part of the negotiation, too. The way my father did it was "Half up Front" and "Half on Delivery." When somebody paid their "honest money" he put a collar on the puppy's neck with the buyer's name. When the pups were ready to go to their new homes, the people brought the rest of their money and took the dog home, on the spot. Your situation is a little bit different so you can adjust for your own circumstance. However, paying "honest money" up front plus "cash on the barrel" when the deal is closed is a time-honored way to make an honest deal.

No, Dad didn't take the puppies to their new home. The buyer came and got them. We're not saying that the seller has any ulterior motives or anything. It's just not Kosher for them to come to your house. It's not the way things are done. I guess, if you wanted to have a reason for this custom, you can say it's because you want to make a "clean break" from the cat living in its old home.

Also, once the cat is in your home, bought and paid, she should be YOUR cat. It's nice to think that the seller cares for the cat and might want to see her but, like I said, you want a clean break. The seller shouldn't visit the cat or bug you to know what she is up to, all of the time. I'd say that the seller has the right to know that the cat has a good home but, beyond that, it's a clean break. Maybe you could e-mail a picture of the cat in her new home, just to let them know that everything is all right but, after that, YOU are her new human.

The only other thing that I can think of is to make sure that you agree upon an adjustment period with the seller. What if the cat just can't adjust to her new home? You'll want to have an "out." This is really not likely because Maine Coons are such well-mannered, adaptable cats but it is something you should keep in mind. Let's say a few weeks or a month... If the cat just isn't happy in her new home, can you call the person and negotiate a way to send her back? Again, not likely but you should talk about that before you plunk down your hard-earned cash.

Same thing for preexisting medical issues. If she gets sick because of some problem that she had before she came home with you, there should be an agreement on what to do.

Beyond those things, I think you are looking at a very nice cat. She seems to be healthy and, from what you say, well behaved.
If you really like her and want to bring her home, I don't think that $200 to $300 is too much to pay for a purebred Maine Coon cat as a pet.

From here, the decision is up to you.

Do you really feel like she is the cat for you? ;)
Thank you! That is exactly what I need to think about!
 

sivyaleah

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Caspers Human Caspers Human made excellent point and expounded on why not to let this person come to you house.
It's customary for a rescue organization to drop the cat off; they have no emotional tie to the cat (usually). And they are a business, verified and bonded normally. But in this instance it's someone you don't know at all. Even under the best circumstances, people can change their minds suddenly and surely it would be very distressing to have her hounding you especially if she knew where you live.
I would, however, ask if she wants references from you. And, would even be surprised if she does not. That to me would show she doesn't really care where the cat winds up - she just wants it gone, it's a burden to her at this point. And that, IS a negotiating tool for you.
 

Caspers Human

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I agree that references are important. Be prepared to give references if asked.

My father did most of his business by word of mouth. He knew the people who bought his dogs, at least through a third-party. References were just understood. A buyer wouldn't be likely to get in the door, in the first place, if my father didn't think they guy was legit.

That's the way things were done, back then. Your word was your bond and a deal was a deal. If you didn't want to do business the honest way you could go fly a kite. (Except Dad didn't say "fly a kite." It was something else that started with the letter "F." ;) )

In only a couple of cases did us kids get to visit with the dogs that went to new homes. They were special cases where my father knew the guy well. It's hard to explain. Let's just say they were friends... kinda' sorta', ;)
 

GoldyCat

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Hi, I appreciate all of your help! I met the cat and she is very nice. She was sold with an agreement to spay (she was spayed) from show quality parents but with a household pet clause. All of her medical documents were available (no issues) and the paperwork was there with the breeder information blacked out.
Was the cat's registered name visible? If so, the first part of the name should be the cattery name.
 

AlohaGirl

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The price depends on a number of factors. But before I start asking those questions, you need to have the current owner check his/her contract. Many breeders include a clause in the contract that if the buyer cannot or does not want to keep the cat it must be returned to the breeder, not sold or given to someone else.

So now the questions.
Is she registered with one of the cat associations (CFA, TICA, etc.)?
Was she originally sold as pet quality or show quality?
Does she have any medical issues that will require ongoing vet care/expenses?

Prices can vary widely, partly depending on the cat's background and partly on the part of the country/world where she is being sold.
That was exactly my first thought as well. All of our cats obtained from our ethical and very qualified breeder have a clause in our contract saying that if at any point in time you can no longer care for the cat, don't want it anymore, etc. then the cat must be returned to the breeder. That is a very standard thing to see in contracts when purchasing any sort of purebred or pedigreed animal from a good breeder. I actually also have a pet ferret (I know I'm weird lol) I got from an amazing breeder and my signed and notarized owner contract has the exact same clause.
 

Sa'ida Maryam

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OMG, I think you should pay as little as possible to the so called owner of this beautiful kittie. They have some hidden stuff going-on.Black Out breeder name , but never fear the registration number remains the same , always .and a little white wash would reveal the hidden information. :running:A cat of this elite quality deserve a caring conscience RESPONSIBLE owner and the fact you came to this site shows you are concerned. I advise please not let his baby end up abused, neglected and homeless. Maine coons are loyal like dogs ,close to their owners.their heart are sensitive ,they know what ppl feel about them, especial when you yourself move back home, or take in new people cats may act out. Your situation could change and then where will this Kittie be?

One thing, the seller isn’t giving you the papers in your name, so she could come back to claim theft. You never know. Get some thing in writing from her to release the cat to you even if the agreement is that she refuses to provide transfer of ownership , my guess is she will find someone less scrupulous to sell to.
To Casper’s human. I let that bargaining strategy

Please this isn’t personal, just some thought for the future
 

Caspers Human

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One thing, the seller isn’t giving you the papers in your name, so she could come back to claim theft. You never know. Get some thing in writing from her to release the cat to you even if the agreement is that she refuses to provide transfer of ownership , my guess is she will find someone less scrupulous to sell to.
You could pay by check or some other traceable means.

If the seller hesitates at taking a personal check, you could pay half, up front, then when the check clears, write another check for the remainder and take the cat home.

You could also go to your bank and get a cashier's check or you could go to the post office and get a Postal Money Order.

With any of these means, there will be bank records that can be traced. If, in the unlikely event, that the seller tries to pull a fast one, the authorities can pull the other person's bank records which will show a transaction for the amount of the sale and, for which you wrote on the check, "Paid in full for purchase of cat."
 

JC fka JClark

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That price is seems almost free for a purebred Main Coon. Males are more expensive because of their size and run up to $1k depending on the color. For comparison my first MC was a 6 month old solid blue male bought for $350 (circa 1999) and at the time the most popular colors were going for $600.

This breed takes 4 years to mature btw and are a blast to have around.
 

Dianne's Maine Coons

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The cat definatly looks full breed Maine Coon to me. I breed them myself.
However, you need to see the contract and the pedigree for the cat.
If the owner has neither then the cat is not pedigree (however much it looks as if it is)

Is there a clause in the contract about rehoming the cat ? I have a clause in my contracts. This ensures that the cat goes to a good home if the current owner cannot care for it. I have the cat come back to me and I rehome it myself.

The price that she is asking is very reasonable. How old is she ?
My retired Queens and studs are neutered and spayed. Then sold for £350 to their new permanent homes to rest and retire.
 

sivyaleah

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Dianne's Maine Coons Dianne's Maine Coons I agree with all of this. I had mentioned earlier in the thread that a reputable breeder would want to know if one of their cats was being given up, and that most contracts have the right of first refusal in them. Some years back, I found out about this as a purebred Ragdoll was made available to us to adopt through a local rescue. When I went to see the cat at the owner's home, I asked to see the breeder's papers (I was mistrustful) and once she produced them, saw the clause of returning the cat clearly written.

I then declined adopting the cat (she wasn't very nice and social anyway). With some help of the rescue and others, the cat was returned to the breeder. I later wrote said breeder to tell her who I was, and that it was my doing that led to her being returned. She was so happy to hear from me, and told me they had rehabilitated the kitty (indeed, she had not been well taken care of hence her anti-social behavior) and, had a new home for her coming up. The breeder happens to live not to far from me and I now follow her just in case I ever want a Ragdoll :)

I also do agree the cat looks like an MC. We have a purebred/pedigreed female (1-1/2 years old now). I rarely tell people here that their cats resemble or are a specific breed in this subforum, but in this case, it certainly does appear to be a Maine Coon. Price seem quite fair to me as well.

We never heard back from the OP so I wonder what ever happened?
 

Dianne's Maine Coons

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Dianne's Maine Coons Dianne's Maine Coons I agree with all of this. I had mentioned earlier in the thread that a reputable breeder would want to know if one of their cats was being given up, and that most contracts have the right of first refusal in them. Some years back, I found out about this as a purebred Ragdoll was made available to us to adopt through a local rescue. When I went to see the cat at the owner's home, I asked to see the breeder's papers (I was mistrustful) and once she produced them, saw the clause of returning the cat clearly written.

I then declined adopting the cat (she wasn't very nice and social anyway). With some help of the rescue and others, the cat was returned to the breeder. I later wrote said breeder to tell her who I was, and that it was my doing that led to her being returned. She was so happy to hear from me, and told me they had rehabilitated the kitty (indeed, she had not been well taken care of hence her anti-social behavior) and, had a new home for her coming up. The breeder happens to live not to far from me and I now follow her just in case I ever want a Ragdoll :)

I also do agree the cat looks like an MC. We have a purebred/pedigreed female (1-1/2 years old now). I rarely tell people here that their cats resemble or are a specific breed in this subforum, but in this case, it certainly does appear to be a Maine Coon. Price seem quite fair to me as well.

We never heard back from the OP so I wonder what ever happened?
Well done you for asking about the contract. That ensured that the cat went back to it's breeder and eventually found it's new home.
I am sure that the breeder vets her potential buyers as I do. Any good breeder should.

We put so much into breeding these cats, Not just the money and time but our hearts and souls !
It's not all sweet bundles of fluff at the end of a pregnancy either, there are occasional heartbreaking scenarios too.

You sound like a very responsible owner. You did the right thing and everything worked out well for the cat too.
This is why we have the contracts in the first place.
 

sivyaleah

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Well done you for asking about the contract. That ensured that the cat went back to it's breeder and eventually found it's new home.
I am sure that the breeder vets her potential buyers as I do. Any good breeder should.

We put so much into breeding these cats, Not just the money and time but our hearts and souls !
It's not all sweet bundles of fluff at the end of a pregnancy either, there are occasional heartbreaking scenarios too.

You sound like a very responsible owner. You did the right thing and everything worked out well for the cat too.
This is why we have the contracts in the first place.
Well, I used to moderate on these forums, so I learned from the best :D

The breeder we used for our MC, was already known to me - I had seen her cats in CFA shows some years back and there's a famous person who has one of her cats that I've followed for years on social media. The breeder is active in CFA too. Interestingly, we are on the list for another MC, was on this list prior to getting Luna. They are incredibly active on social media and VERY transparent about all the joys and setbacks breeding entails. One of the reasons I initially was interested (aside from how good looking her cats are of course). This other breeder, as it turns out, sold a kitten to that same famous person last year. So, I'll have something in common with him once we get the 2nd MC. Such a weird coincidence when you think of the odds of that happening.
 

GreyLady

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Well I have a much shorter answer that I definitely think that's a fair price from what Ive seen. She may have blacked out breeder info because she doesn't want to go back to the other state and has heard stories about breeders being contacted by 3rd parties. I would ask her to give you permission to call her vet (you can be added to the account easily) and get a copy of the vet records (don't ask for it directly from the seller- she blacked out info in the contract and may black out or occlude info from the health records.)
 

Dianne's Maine Coons

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Dianne's Maine Coons Dianne's Maine Coons Is that Samson in your avatar? I've just looked at your site and signed up for newsletters. They're all beautiful.
Yes that is Samson. He is a big boy already at 8 kilos.
We have recently put one of our females to him and are expecting kittens at the end of November.

Thank you so much for signing up for our news letter :)
 

sivyaleah

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Yes that is Samson. He is a big boy already at 8 kilos.
We have recently put one of our females to him and are expecting kittens at the end of November.

Thank you so much for signing up for our news letter :)
Followed too, on Facebook (although I'm under a completely different name there).
Your cats are lovely! Luna is my avatar here but that photo is gosh, maybe close to a year old already. I should change it!
 
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