THE AURYN MISSION

What Makes AURYN Maine Coons Different?

The Good, the Bad and the Most Important…

The purpose of a proper contract is to make a transaction binding and enforceable in the eyes of the law.  A truly GOOD contract not only protects the seller in a transaction, but has strong protections for the buyer as well.  It is NOT our intention to micromanage you or become intrusive or overbearing when it comes to our kittens and cats.  Our contract has been written to do all we can as a responsible Maine Coon breeder to protect our beloved furrbabies as much as is possible within the constraints of the law.  We encourage you to read over our contract provisions to be sure these are conditions that you can comply with as you consider the purchase and acquisition of an AURYN Maine Coon.

The following is a summary of our process and how we operate. By being open and honest with you, we believe that you will be completely satisfied with your chosen furr-kid for their entire lifespan.

Who We Are and What Our Mission Is

  • AURYN Maine Coon cattery exists to fortify and enhance the breed standard of the Maine Coon cat as recognized by The International Cat Association (TICA) Maine Coon Breed Council. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that our cats and kittens meet or exceed these standards, with very little deviation and a low inbreeding co-efficient. That being said, there is no such thing as a 100% perfect kitten or cat and AURYN Maine Coon Cattery cannot guarantee the eventual size, demeanor or health (outside of our 12-month health warranty — see below) of any of its furrbabies.  Mother Nature is the only expert in this regard and she doesn’t answer to us or anyone else.  We are not raising “clones” or “production line, made-to-order” Maine Coon Cats and we make no claims to guarantee any physical attribute of any kitten/cat that originates at our cattery.  As with human beings, Maine Coons come in all varieties of colors, sizes and personalities.
  • AURYN Maine Coon Cattery breeds Maine Coon cats for health and temperament first and foremost.  We recognize and acknowledge that as sentient beings, every kitten/cat has their own temperament and personality — these are completely out of our control and as such, we cannot guarantee that every single cat/kitten we raise in our cattery will meet every potential adoptive person’s or family’s expectations.  We believe that most behavioral issues are tied to the health or treatment of the animal and can be overcome by investigating the root cause of the problem and countering with appropriate care and training.
  • AURYN Maine Coon cattery raises Maine Coon kittens and cats with passion for the breed.  They are our children and we treat the adoption of one of our furrbabies as seriously and importantly as that of a human child.  We acknowledge that we have a strict contract that we are unafraid to enforce at any time though the assistance of our legal council which we have on retainer to protect the interests of our furrbabies and AURYN Maine Coon Cattery.  We expect that adoptive candidates commit to upholding this contract for the safety and welfare of the kitten/cat they become the guardians of, without exception.

What We Do For the Kittens / Cats in Our Care

  • Dr. Cox and Nemo

    Our cats/kittens receive the “gold standard” in care. What this means is that ALL of the cats/kittens in our care are given the very best veterinary care, are fed the best diet available and appropriate for their species, are given the very best care and attention in a loving, clean and safe environment. Our cats/kittens are raised in a socialized environment that allows them the best chance at easily adjusting to any new environment they may find themselves in.

  • We do not cage our cats or raise them in solitary, confined spaces. Because they are “whole,” our Toms live apart from the remaining cats/kittens in harmony and are given plenty of space to coexist without fear of harm from other cats. Queens and kittens roam freely in the main house, raised “under foot,” except in the case of kittens younger than 8 weeks where they are kept within a spacious nursery setting while their mother has free access and in/out privileges to the nursery 24/7. The Queen’s kittens remain isolated from the remaining cat family until they are old enough to be introduced into the main house.

No Reservations, No Promises on Future Litters, Refundability

  • AURYN Maine Coon Cattery does not take reservations, make promises to outside parties or accept deposits on kittens that are unborn or do not currently exist. ALL kittens are under evaluation by AURYN Maine Coon Cattery for possible inclusion into our future breeding program. We do this in order to ensure strong genetic lines of future cats which help to preserve and fortify the Maine Coon Cats’ health and well-being.
  • Before we accept any deposit for a kitten/cat, the adoptive candidate is made fully aware that once they commit to payment of the deposit, it is acknowledged by that party that no refund of the deposit shall be given, except in the case where a reserved kitten unexpectedly dies or is injured or is somehow unable to be transferred to a new owner.  In these cases, the adoptive candidate will be given a prompt refund of their deposit funds.  No other guarantees are implied or made with regard to future kitten/cat availability.

Rights of Refusal; Adoption and Application Process

  • AURYN Maine Coon Cattery reserves the right to refuse to sell any of our cats/kittens to any person(s) for any reason we believe is justified and/or perceived by us as unfavorable to our cats/kittens, or would put our cats/kittens in any situation considered less than favorable to their quality of life in which they are accustomed. We REQUIRE ALL potential adoptive families and individuals to complete the Questionnaire Application prior to consideration of acquiring any AURYN Maine Coon Cat.
  • Kittens/Cats are offered to potential adoptive persons/families based on the application they submit from our website. AURYN Maine Coon Cattery reserves the right to make the final determination of eligibility for an adoptive person/family. Cats/kittens are offered to successful applicants in order of completion of their online application based on the timestamp of submission applied to their application when submitted. Applications for adoption are only accepted once a litter is announced or a retired breeding cat is made publicly available for adoption ONLY on our website or official Facebook or Instagram account. We do not advertise the sale of kittens/cats on eBay, Craigslist, Oodle, Hoobly, Backpage or any other online classified ad provider.

Minimum Requirements to Releasing Kittens to New Owners

  • We understand that new adoptive families/individuals are excited and (sometimes) impatient to get their new furrbaby home. Our process, however, requires that our kittens are given a full opportunity for health, growth and social interaction. Our experience has shown that kittens are best ready to transfer to their new homes at 16 weeks or older. This allows them to be completely litter box trained, fully weened from their mother, transitioned to solid food, have received their complete regimen of kitten inoculations, have been completely screened by our veterinary team and their immune systems have kicked in. Remember that Maine Coon Cats take longer than most felines to fully mature (as much as 3-4 years), so new families/individuals will have lots of time to make memories with their new furrbaby as they continue to grow and mature into adulthood and beyond.
    • We understand that other catteries will release kittens prior to this (some as early as 8 weeks). We DO NOT make any exceptions to this policy. We go to great lengths to share pictures and videos of a future family’s/individual’s kitten through direct email contact and through links on our secure website. We do NOT respond well to insistence to bend or break our policy and will happily find another candidate who is willing to comply with our requests if we are continually harassed over this policy.

Protecting Our Kittens/Cats: Identification, Restricted Outdoor Accesss, Declawing

  • EVERY AURYN Maine Coon cat/kitten is implanted with an identifying microchip which meets ISO 11784/11785 standards. AURYN Maine Coon Cattery registers themselves as PRIMARY contact on every microchip, with future adoptive families/individuals listed as SECONDARY custodians. This is mandated by our contract in order to protect our animals from abuse, neglect or unintended loss.
  • As part of this identification process, adoptive families/individuals must agree to the terms in our contract restricting their cats access to the outdoors to protected cat yards/catios only. The adoptive family/individual must also agree that DE-CLAWING is NEVER an option for our cats (see our statement on De-Clawing Cats here: http://wp.me/P8CUyI-8b) and that if the adoptive family/individual feels that it is a requirement, they MUST return the cat/kitten to AURYN Maine Coon Cattery for re-adoption to a family/individual who understands that de-clawing is never an option or acceptable to the well-being and safety of the cat/kitten.

Genetic Health Guarantee / Insurance Policies

  • Because of our level of care, we offer all adoption candidates a full GENETIC health guarantee for the first 12 months of their lives with their adoptive candidate, as long as the adoptive person or family follows a strict regimen of veterinary care and provides us with evidence from a licensed veterinarian that they have received standard veterinary care as spelled out in our contract.
    • As part of the health guarantee, the adoptive candidate must ensure that the health and safety agreement of our contract is strictly followed.  Failure to comply with these requirements in any way will void the GENETIC Health Guarantee section of our contract and no replacement will be offered.  We encourage prospective adoptive candidates to read over this section of our contract very carefully as we fully expect our kittens/cats to be protected and housed in a manner consistent with their upbringing at our home and as we are very protective of our furrbabies, we enforce this section with a “zero tolerance” approach.
  • ALL kittens/cats that leave our cattery for a new home are REQUIRED to be examined by the adoptive family/individual’s personal veterinarian of choice within 72 hours of taking possession of the kitten/cat.  Proof of this examination MUST be faxed or emailed to our veterinarian’s offices for review by our veterinarian.  We cannot over-emphasize enough the utmost importance of this clause of our contract.  Failure to comply with this obligation by the adopter will completely null and void the 12 month GENETIC Health Guarantee and no refunds or replacements of the kitten/cat will be forthcoming.
  • We provide every kitten/cat with a FULL Wellness Insurance policy (issued and underwritten by Veterinary Pet Insurance Company, part of Nationwide Insurance, https://www.petinsurance.com/comparison), that covers most veterinarian costs (every policy has a $250 annual deductible and a 10% co-pay; insurance policy holders are required to pay their veterinarian in full at the time of service and submit claims to the insurance company for up to 90% reimbursement, once the $250 annual deductible has been satisfied). This coverage is transferred to the new adoptive person/family as a new policy by the underwriter when ownership of the kitten/cat is transferred. It is the responsibility of the adoptive person/family to continue that insurance coverage by paying the associated premiums, however is it not a requirement to keep this policy. The adoptive person/family may alter or cancel the insurance policy/coverage their cat/kitten has been issued, however any/all veterinary costs associated with their adoptive cat/kitten is solely the responsibility of the adoptive person/family.
    • Should the adopted cat/kitten perish within 12 months of transfer of ownership to the new adoptive person/family due to a genetic disorder or any malady that would be caused by or acquired at our cattery prior to the adoption of said cat/kitten, AURYN Maine Coon Cattery will offer to replace their adoptive cat/kitten with a future available cat/kitten of their choice, as long as a FULL NECROPSY of their adoptive cat/kitten is performed by a licensed veterinarian (at the adoptive person/family’s expense) and the complete report is forwarded to AURYN Maine Coon Cattery for review by our official veterinary staff at Cottonwood Animal Hospital, Cottonwood Heights, Utah.
    • We reserve the right to have our veterinary staff consult with the attending necropsy veterinarian for final disposition prior to any future cat/kitten being offered to the adoptive person/family of the deceased cat/kitten in question.  FAILURE to produce a valid necropsy report and analysis VOIDS all guarantees or warranties, written or implied by our contract.

Spay/Neuter Requirement

  • ALL AURYN Maine Coon cats/kittens are spayed/neutered prior to leaving the home cattery.  Cats/kittens are released for travel once they have recovered from surgery (boys typically can leave 2-3 days following neutering; females typically are released 10 days following spay surgery).  Unless a buyer has entered into a “Breeder’s Addendum” contract with AURYN, there are NO exceptions to the early spay/neuter policy.

What our GENETIC Health Guarantee DOES NOT COVER

  • AURYN Maine Coon Cattery takes monumental steps to ensure that any kitten that leaves our home is healthy and has been given the best chance of survival and a long, happy life in the care of their new owners.  As mentioned earlier, your new kitten/cat will have received their entire regimen of initial vaccinations to help strengthen their immune system against feline diseases.  As with human beings, however, there are some things that are simply out of our control and would be impossible to guarantee that your new furrbaby would avoid contracting.
  • We cannot guarantee against the following conditions:
    • Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) There are two forms of this insidious viral infection.  Sadly this disease can crop up anywhere and at anytime.  There is no known cure for this virus (although researchers have been working overtime on a possible defensive vaccination).  There are two forms of this infection: Wet FIP and Dry FIP.  Both are deadly and this virus is NOT exclusive to the Maine Coon breed.
    • Feline Renal Failure: Kidney failure is almost always associated with diet and/or environment.  There are rare cases that have correlated to genetic disorders, however it is extremely difficult to prove this outside of a research laboratory.  Most renal issues are related to diet: either a poorly formulated diet or the cat/kitten ingesting a substance that can lead to renal failure.  Bladder inflammation and crystal formation (in many cases Cystitis), is directly related to an imbalance in pH levels from the food that your cat eats, or can also be caused by “high stress” situations within your cat’s environment (i.e. other aggressive or dominant animals in the house, constant exposure to strangers in the house, new baby, etc.). It is important to try and identify the stressors and your veterinarian can assist with this.
    • Feline Distemper (Feline Panleukopenia): This disease is usually fatal and very fast acting.  Although our kittens are vaccinated against this treacherous disease, it’s very difficult to keep the kitten/cat immune from it, if it is constantly exposed to cats who are infected.  Keeping your cat indoors or under the protection of an enclosed catio or protected cat yard will ensure your furrbaby is not infected during its lifetime.
    • Cancer:  This disease can strike any animal at any time without warning.  Keeping your furrbaby healthy through proper nutrition and living conditions are the best defense for a life.

Breeder/Buyer Relationship, Social Media Exposure & Our Reputation

  • AURYN Maine Coon Cattery desires to keep the lines of communication open between us and the buyers of our kittens and cats.  We understand that acquiring a purebred Maine Coon cat can be a daunting experience and we are here at anytime to assist with education, guidance and counseling about any aspect of your new furrbaby’s life.  Our goal is to make our relationship with you one of friendship and trust throughout the entire lifespan of your Maine Coon.  We encourage continued contact with our buyers to assist at any time for any reason.
  • AURYN Maine Coon Cattery passionately defends their reputation. We work tirelessly to ensure that we treat all people fairly and without bias. We have an obligation to our animals that they are placed in the most protective and loving environments that we can provide them in terms of a new family/individual. Many times, in this modern era of social media, unfiltered and false statements, and online public trials and verdicts are handed out by self-righteous or perceived “jilted” potential clients. Slander and libelous acts are met with very swift action by our attorneys on retainer to ensure that our interests are protected against willful and/or frivolous accusations or false perceptions that cannot be supported by genuine evidence. We will not hesitate to protect our interests in a court of law to shield our reputation from such people and their actions.

Information on this page last updated: January 2020