How to Spot A Maine Coon Scam

Due to the rising popularity of Maine Coon kittens for family pets, there has also been a rise in the number of scammers out there. These scammers normally offer a Maine Coon for sale for an extremely cheap price and the kitten will be ready to ship soon or very soon. They make you think you are getting a great deal, you send a payment to hold the kitten, but then never hear from them again, never receive a kitten, and have no way to get your money back. There are  few things you can be on the look out for to help spot a scammer. We have listed the most common things you should be wary of when dealing with a “breeder” to know if they are real or not. 

When you are searching for your Maine Coon for sale, keep in  mind, just because a breeder may have one of the items on the list, does not mean it is a scam, but if you see several of the items, be very wary and perform some due diligence before sending any money. 

1. The price is too low. This is number one because I see it the most often. It is not common to see a healthy Maine Coon kitten for under $1,000-$1,500. If you see someone offering Maine Coon kittens for under that, do extra steps to ensure it is real. Yes, occasionally a breeder may discount a kitten for specific reasons, but if all of their kittens are that low, be extra cautious. 
2. The person accepts odd forms of payment. Most breeders want cash or equivalent as payment. I-Tunes cards or other store cards are not usually helpful. Breeders may accept a variety of forms of cash payment such as Paypal, Venmo, or Zelle, but it’s all cash at the end of the day, not a store card. (My vet won’t accept a CVS card as payment 🙂 ).
3. The photos don’t look cohesive. Are there completely different backgrounds and locations behind every kitten photo? Most breeders do not move each kitten and provide a totally different background in each photo. Now they don’t have to all be the exact same. Sometimes I take photos of the kittens on the couch or in small studio set up. But if you looked through all the history of my photos, you would find similarities that I think you could tell they were all in the same general location. 
4. The colors of kittens to parents aren’t possible genetically. If the breeder doesn’t already have photos of the parents on their website, ask to see the photos of the parents. Do the colors make sense? This is not a tell tale sign because there can be genetic anomalies, but something to think about. For example, a red female and a black male cat cannot physically produce a female that is either red or black, she must be tortie. Likewise, most torties are female. It is physically possible to get a male tortie, but it is very rare. A tortie female and a black male cannot genetically produce a red female, she must be either tortie or black. 
5. The breeder will not do a live video call.  Many breeders do not allow you to come see the kittens, if they do, great. But some (like us) are concerned about bio-security for the kittens and physical security for our families, so do not allow visitors. But the breeder should at the very least offer a live video call. Where you can see the kittens and their momma. (Possibly dad too, but many breeders keep the males separated). If the breeder insists on messages and photos only, and won’t even do a phone call, be very careful! 
6. The breeder will not offer the purchase agreement before payment is made. We require all families to see our purchase agreement before accepting payment for the reservation fee. If your breeder asks for payment first, ask to see the purchase agreement or contract beforehand. This is not a guarantee you are getting someone real, but might get you some contact information if they are putting it in their purchase agreement. 
7. The breeder insists on shipping the kitten rather then letting you pick up. If the breeder will not even let you pick up the kitten in person, even if it’s meeting outside their home, be careful. Even though we don’t allow visitors, we allow in person pick up with payment at time of pick up. If someone is leery about sending a reservation fee, and wants to pay all cash at pick up, we allow that, if the kitten is still available when they want to pick up. 
8. The website and social media pages are very new. Check out the breeders website and social media sites. If the Facebook page was just started and they have no post history to view and yet already have a 12 week old kitten ready to go, be careful. Now it’s true, everyone starts somewhere and has zero history when they start, so this alone does not mean it’s a scam, just use it with all of your tools when making a decision. 

Again, any individual item listed above may not be indicative of a scam, but if you see several of them, be careful. It can be difficult to know if the person you are dealing with is a real breeder or someone wanting to take your money. Be sure to ask questions, and finally, listen to your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, move on and find a legitimate Maine Coon breeder. You can find actual breeders at the TICA website. They have featured breeders here. These are Maine Coon breeders who are TICA members and have paid additional to be featured on their website. 

Hopefully some of these signs will help you avoid becoming the victim of a scam when you are searching for your Maine Coon kitten to join your family.