Home in Raksi's advice on feeding, preventive care and the things you'll need.
Coons eat little and often, so dry food should be available all the time. Put the water bowl at least 1 metre away from the dry food.
Give raw meat as a frozen mix (frozen for at least 2–3 days). Thaw it at room temperature.
Raw quail eggs: 2–3 times a week.
Fresh water should always be available. Change it at least twice a day, morning and evening.
Coons love to "dig" in their water, so keep the bowls well apart so that splashes don't soak the dry food.
We recommend CANINA Petvital VITAMIN-GEL (with taurine). Give it from a syringe without a needle: 0.5 ml for a small kitten, rising to 1 ml by one year old.
Course: 30 days → 2–3 week break → another 30 days. From 6–8 months, lengthen the break to 1 month.
Next vaccination at 1 year old, then every year. Use a combined vaccine against infectious diseases and rabies.
Essential if the cat goes out in an outdoor enclosure: every 1–1.5 months. We recommend Frontline spray (France) or Advantage spot-on drops (BAYER, Germany).
Up to 4 kg for kittens, over 4 kg for adult cats.
Every 3 months if the cat has contact with the outdoors or other animals. Without such contact, every six months or once a year, a week before vaccination.
We recommend CANIQUANTEL (one tablet per 10 kg). Weigh the kitten and divide the tablet in proportion to its weight.
Coons eat a little at a time, in small portions but often. That's why dry food should always be out. We put the dry food at least 1 metre away from the water bowl. Coons love to "dig" in their water, and the splashes mustn't get on the dry food.
Fresh drinking water should always be available, and it needs changing at least twice a day, morning and evening.
Natural food is best given as a meat mix that has been frozen for at least 2–3 days. Thaw the mix at room temperature.
Raw quail eggs 2–3 times a week are good for them.
Commercial food, such as tinned and dry food, should be part of the diet. Dry food should be available at all times, especially while the kitten is growing. Kittens keep nibbling at it all day, especially when nobody is home. Tinned food can be given whenever the kitten wants it. Do not feed brands such as Whiskas or Pedigree. Cats get firmly hooked on them and refuse any other food. They are allergenic and often cause stomach upsets. If the kitten refuses raw meat because dry or tinned food is available, either take the commercial food away for a few days or switch to a different professional brand.
Vitamins and trace elements should be given to a kitten throughout its first year, and twice a year to females that aren't being bred and to adult males. We recommend vitamins by CANINA: Petvital VITAMIN-GEL (with taurine). The easiest way to give them is from a syringe. With the needle removed, draw up 0.5 ml for a small kitten, and as the kitten grows and gains weight, increase the dose to 1 ml by its first birthday. The course lasts 30 days. Then take a 2–3 week break and repeat the course for another 30 days. Once the adult teeth are through, from about 6–8 months, you can lengthen the break to 1 month, because too many vitamins are far more dangerous for a cat than too few.
Done every year. The kitten's next vaccination is due at one year old, and then once a year after that. Use a combined vaccine against infectious diseases and rabies.
Preventive flea treatment is done as needed, depending on how the cat lives. If the cat goes out in an outdoor enclosure, flea treatment is a must, on average every 1–1.5 months (depending on the product you choose and its instructions). For kittens we only recommend FRONTLINE spray (France) or Advantage spot-on drops for the back of the neck (BAYER, Germany), which come by weight: up to 4 kg for kittens and over 4 kg for adult cats. Frontline also makes spot-on drops. You can also choose another imported product.
Preventive worming is done on average every three months if the cat has contact with other animals and the outdoors. If it has no such contact and there are no other animals in the home that go outside, the wormer can be given every six months or once a year, one week before vaccination. CANIQUANTEL is the best choice (one tablet per 10 kg). Weigh the kitten and divide the tablet in proportion to its weight.
Dry food. A litter box, ideally covered or with high sides. Maine Coons are big animals and dig hard in the litter. The litter box must always be clean. Litter: FRESH STEP or any other. We use wood litter at the cattery, but the kitten will soon get used to a different one. A scratching post with a cat house. The kitten must have a place of its own where it can rest and sleep in peace without getting in your way, while still keeping you in sight. We recommend scratching posts with cat houses made by Pushok. Which ones we have at home, and how to order them at a discount with our promo code, is on the Scratching posts for Maine Coons page. Combs, a slicker brush… Toys, toys and more toys…
Home in Raksi cattery: available Maine Coon kittens in St Petersburg