14 common questions of Maine Coon kittens buyers: how to buy a kitten from Russia from the Gatto Celesto cattery .

In this article, I will answer regular questions from buyers from other countries.

  1. Briefly about us
  2. How do our cats and kittens live ?
  3. The price of a Maine Coon kitten?
  4. How much does cargo delivery cost?
  5. How to pay for a kitten and its delivery?
  6. How many times will our kitten visit the vet before leaving for a new home? How to be sure that the kitten is healthy?
  7. What skills does the kitten have at the time of moving to a new home?
  8. At what age is it possible to move a kitten to another country from Russia?
  9. What does a kitten get when moving to a new home?
  10. What do HCM,SMA, PKDF genetic tests mean? Why does a kitten need them as pets?
  11. Can a kitten travel now? The COVID-19 pandemic continues in the world.
  12. I liked the kitten, we like the price. What to do next?
  13. How will the kitten be delivered to our city/country?
  14. How do we make sure that you are not a fraudster?

This article uses our personal photos of kittens, as well as photos that were sent to us by the owners of our kittens.

1. Briefly about us

My name is Irina Toropova. I am a Maine Coon cat breeder. I have been breeding cats since 2013. I live in Moscow, Russia. By education, I am a pediatrician and a clinical pharmacologist-a specialist in the safe use of medicines in humans. My education helps to properly raise kittens, monitor the health of my pets.

2. How do our cats and kittens live ?

All the kittens live with us. They know what a vacuum cleaner is, they know how to sleep with us. They know what a TV is, they know that there is delicious food in the refrigerator. They are affectionate with children and are friendly with dogs and other cats.. Many of our kittens bring toys like dogs. You throw him a toy, he catches it and returns it to you so you can throw it again. Some of our kittens can eat oranges. Check out our instagram-3-4 years ago. There are at least 2 videos-the cat asks me for an orange, and then eats it!

Kittens are born at our home and live with their mother for up to 5-6 weeks. She feeds them, teaches them to use the toilet and eat adult food. I do not post kittens on the site until 8-9 weeks. They are difficult to photograph, they do not want to sit still.

I also want to make sure that the kittens are healthy, understand their character, so that each buyer chooses a pet with the desired character.

After 6 weeks, the kitten begins to communicate with other adult cats. He learns to communicate with humans and other cats. Kittens grow up in love and care, they become affectionate and sociable.

3. The price of a Maine Coon kitten?

The price of a kitten depends on the purpose of purchase, on the gender and color.

The price of a kitten as a pet is 800-1000 US dollars. The kitten will arrive sterilized.

The price for a kitten with the right to breed is 1200-3000 dollars. The kitten does not get neutered. Only the best kittens can participate in the breeding program. The best can’t be cheap.

If you buy 2 of our kittens in one family — I can give you a discount. The discount is discussed specifically in each case of buying two or more kittens.

In Europe and the United States, there are families who have been buying a second and third kitten from us for 1-2 years. See the «feedback» page on our website.

The kitten claims that he is a great hunter!

4. How much does cargo delivery cost?

According to international rules-1 kitten flies in one bag. If two kittens of different ages fly to the same family, they fly in different bags. Depending on the city of arrival, the price of cargo delivery for one kitten varies from 800 to 1000 US dollars.

According to the international rules for the transport of animals — in one box, you can send two kittens of the same date of birth, if they are under 6 months old. The price of delivery of 2 kittens in one box or if you receive 2 kittens in two boxes at once is 1200-1400 dollars. Then the cost of delivery of one kitten will be 600-700 dollars. It is profitable to buy and organize the delivery of 2 kittens at the same time.

5. How to pay for a kitten and its delivery?

Payment is made to my bank account or by Western Union, Moneygram transfer.

We do not work with PayPal. This system is not accepted in Russia. Our friends, breeders from other countries, have faced buyer fraud when paying via PayPal. The buyer received the pet under the cargo system, but then they made a withdrawal of the money back.

The buyer kept the kitten and returned their money. When PayPal returns money to the buyer, it does not track the return of the animal from the buyer to the breeder. Not a single pet was returned home to the breeder. I know at least 5 similar cases.

6. How many times will our kitten visit the vet before leaving for a new home? How to be sure that the kitten is healthy?

Before moving to a new home in another country, the kitten visits the veterinarian five times. And now for more details.

10 days before the first vaccination (age 7-8 weeks), the kitten receives treatment from worms.

First visit: age 2 months (9 weeks). The kitten receives the first vaccination against viral infections. This is the Nobivac Tricat vaccine

Second visit: the kitten receives a microchip. This is a mandatory international requirement. You can put the chip on the first visit-but we feel sorry for the kittens, they are still babies.

Third visit: At 3 months (13 weeks) — the kitten receives the rabies vaccine Nobivac Rabies and the second vaccine against viral infections Nobivac Tricat (calicivirosis, rhinotracheitis, panleukopenia). It is very important that at the time of vaccination against rabies, the kitten has a microchip and a note about the installation of the chip in the veterinary passport.

We use vaccines that are recognized in other countries — Nobivac Tricat, Nobivac Rabies.

The kitten learns to eat the food of adult cats. Little piggy!

Different countries have different requirements for traveling with animals. In Europe and Russia, a kitten can fly by plane on the 22nd day after the date of vaccination against rabies. For a kitten to travel to Canada and the United States, it is necessary that 30 days have passed after vaccination against rabies.

The fourth visit to the veterinarian is 1-4 days before departure to another country. The doctor of the state veterinary clinic confirms the health of the kitten and conducts additional treatment against fleas and worms. He makes notes in the veterinary passport, issues a paper document and enters the kitten into the electronic database of animal travelers.

Fifth visit: just before the flight to another country-the kitten is also examined by the airport veterinarian. The doctor shall issue a veterinary health certificate – a health certificate of the pet.

You will receive this certificate together with the kitten. This document is an additional certificate of the pet’s health. When registering a kitten with a veterinarian in your country – you will have to show the doctor not only a veterinary passport, but also this veterinary certificate.

We live in Russia. For our kittens ‘ trip to Europe or the USA/Canada — Antibody titers are not required after rabies vaccination.

The exceptions are Israel and Thailand. A kitten can fly to these countries if, strictly 30 days after vaccination, it has passed a blood test for antibody titers for rabies vaccination (control of the availability of the vaccine). The analysis is carried out within 7-14 days.

If the kitten flies to Israel, the kitten receives a rabies vaccine, passes the test after 30 days, and only then can it fly to a new home. The age of the kitten by the date of moving from 4 months and 2 weeks.

Also, before you transport a kitten to Israel or Thailand, you must obtain a state permit for the import of animals.

Remember! The requirement of America and Europe: all domestic animals (cats and dogs) flying from Ukraine to other countries must have an anti-rabies antibody titer analysis. Ukraine is considered a dangerous country for the incidence of rabies.

Pets from Russia can fly to the countries of Europe, North and South America without antibody titers to the rabies vaccine.

7. What skills does the kitten have at the time of moving to a new home?

The kitten is trained to clean its claws on a special tree, it regularly uses a toilet tray. He knows other cats and gets along well with them. We don’t have dogs at home. But the kittens who grew up in our home in love and care-know how to be friends with dogs. The owners of my graduate kittens regularly send me photos and videos where the kitten is friends with the dog.

I believe that the parents of kittens can become cats that have no aggression at all. All our kittens are friends with children. Kittens and Maine Coon cats from our cattery are safe for young children.

8. At what age is it possible to move a kitten to another country from Russia?

Vaccination against rabies is carried out to the kitten exactly in 3 months. Next, quarantine is required. For a trip to Europe – 21 days, for the USA and Canada-30 days. The next day after the end of the quarantine – the pet can fly to a new home.

9. What does a kitten get when moving to a new home?

  • Veterinary passport;
  • Pedigree of the TICA system;
  • International Health Certificate;
  • Copies of parents ‘ genetic tests – HCM, SMA, PKDF;
  • Large plastic travel box. This box is approved by the IATA for traveling pets on an airplane.

10. What do HCM,SMA, PKDF genetic tests mean? Why does a kitten need them as pets?

HCM-hypertrophic cardiomyopathy of Maine Coons. Incurable heart disease of a kitten. In some kennels, there are cats that carry this pathological gene (N/HCM). Participation of animals in breeding is allowed. But it is required that the second parent of the kittens be completely clean (n/n). This will exclude the birth of kittens with HCM/HCM tests. HCM/HCM kittens-have a high risk of death in the first 2 years of life.

SMA-spinal muscular atrophy. A genetic disease with an autosomal recessive type of inheritance. If the kitten carries 2 pathological genes, the disease manifests itself in the first 12 weeks of life. The kitten develops muscle tremor, muscle weakness, and gait disorders. The disease is incurable. Signs of muscle weakness are progressing. The kitten dies in the first year of life on the background of progressive muscle weakness.

PKDF is an autosomal recessive genetic disease-a defect in the pyruvate dehydrogenase enzyme. The disease is manifested by sudden anemia, which requires a blood transfusion to the pet.

If the kitten is a carrier of two pathological PKDEF/PKDF genes, it will die before the age of 2 years. If a cat carries only 1 pathological gene – it can live for a long time or the first signs of sudden anemia may appear at the age of 7-8 years.

The competent work of the breeder is to prevent the mating of two animals carrying pathological genes, to exclude the birth of kittens with two identical pathological genes. Now there is a good trend among breeders-to exclude carriers of genetic diseases from breeding animals. This makes the Maine Coon cat breed stronger and healthier, it reduces the cost of the owners of kittens to the veterinarian.

You can not buy animals that carry 2 identical pathological genes — you risk losing a pet in the next 1-2 years.

All our cats have genetic tests. All our cats have negative tests for three genetic diseases.

11. Can a kitten travel now? The COVID-19 pandemic continues in the world.

Despite the fact that international borders are closed to many countries for tourists from Russia, cargo delivery is carried out even during the pandemic. From October 2020 January 15, 2021 — 8 of our kittens have gone to other countries.

We have a successful experience of moving our kittens to the USA, Stockholm (Sweden), France, and Israel.

Before the outbreak of the pandemic, many of our kittens left for Europe. My husband and I were doing a personal kitten delivery. Unfortunately, we can’t personally deliver kittens to Europe right now. But there is a reliable courier who can send the kitten to Europe.

We have always sent Cargo to the USA and Canada. The prices of cargo in the United States and Canada before and after the outbreak of the pandemic have not changed.

Our personal kitten delivery in Athens, Greece. August 2019.

12. I liked the kitten, we like the price. What to do next?

On the website, in the «Contacts» section, choose a convenient way for you to contact me.

Choose a kitten

You ask clarifying questions.

Provide your personal data – full name, full address, phone number, and email address

I’m preparing a contract for you

You get acquainted with the contract, sign it.

If the kitten can already move to a new home (age 4 months) or will be ready to move in the next 2-3 weeks-you must pay the full amount of payment for the kitten and its delivery.

If the kitten is ready to move to a new home in 1-2 months, you can make a reserve, the rest of the amount you pay no later than 14 days before the expected date of departure of the kitten.

Kittens fly to a new home after full payment of the cost of the kitten and the cost of its delivery.

When the full amount of payment is made – we discuss and agree on what day you can go to the airport to meet your pet. During the pandemic, the number of flights per week to the United States and Canada is limited. For example, the flight to Miami is made once a week on Wednesdays. Flights to New York – 3 times a week.

We will regularly inform you about how your kitten is growing during the waiting period for moving into your home. We will also be constantly in touch with you during the preparation of the kitten for the flight, we will send photos and videos. If you have any questions about the content of the kitten after moving to your home – we will always give you a free consultation. It is very important to us that our kitten is happy in your home.

13. How will the kitten be delivered to our city/country?

Currently, only Cargo can be delivered to the United States and Canada.

We purchase a specialized plastic box for moving a kitten by plane. He will have a new high-quality travel box.

The kitten will fly without a human escort in a warm cargo hold. It is safe and reliable.

After the kitten gets on the plane, we will send you a photo document-an invoice. According to the invoice number, you will receive the kitten at the cargo terminal at your airport. When receiving cargo animals in some cities, a broker is required. We will give you the contacts of a reliable broker in your city.

The delivery of animals from the plane is made an hour after the landing of the plane. Arrive at the airport on time, don’t be late!

Kittens who grew up in love and had a good home maintenance-calmly endure a flight of 6-12 hours. I am sure that they will survive the long journey well!

14. How do we make sure that you are not a fraudster?

I’m writing an article – how to identify a fraudster selling non-existent kittens. I’ll put it on the site soon.  Link to the article here.

Add me as a friend on Facebook! Link to my page in the contacts section.

On Facebook, I will introduce you to other buyers of our kittens in different countries.

English is not my first language. I can read medical articles in English without an interpreter. However, I have poor conversational English. I’m working on fixing it.

I wrote this article in Russian. I used a Google translator so that you could learn more about buying kittens in our cattery and delivering them to your city / country.

If you find an error in this article (perhaps some words Google incorrectly translated into English) — please let me know.