[rockingood]

Hi - we're getting a kitten next month, a male Maine Coon to be precise. He's going to get huge, our apartment is not. Some questions for you - first and most important, we will need a good vet near 8th & 8th in park slope (first step, neutering). I’ve not had a pet since moving to PS so not up on the vet scene here. Second - does anyone else on here have a MC? How have you handled the mammoth litter box (or do you really need a "giant")? Are those horrendous and space hogging cat trees really necessary? Are they all either REALLY ugly or REALLY expensive? Any other suggestions? I’ve had cats before but my last, who passed away of cancer at age 20, I rescued when she was a petit and mellow adult. I haven’t had a kitten since I was a kitten myself, and certainly not an extra large. I’m sure there are some additional considerations that come with big-ol kittens. Anything missing off my check list below? Thank!

Vet
Litter box/litter
Food/water bowls
Toys
Scratching post(s)
Climbing thing?????
Cat carrier

[brokechick]

i think you are maybe more concerned than you need to be about his eventual size. the average weight for a male maine coon is, i think, between 15 and 20 pounds. i adopted a stray kitten who was no fancy breed and grew up to be a tall 19-pounder (stout, but the weight was more his build than his chub), but he never required any special gear. roomy cat boxes and carriers are not too hard to find (but i usually lugged my big baby around in a pillowcase). this litter box is my favorite:

http://www.amazon.com/Cats-Rule-Charlies-Box-.....id=1257541997&sr=1-12

you can see that it comes up high in the back, so if your guy turns out to be something of a sprayer, there's no low seam for gunk to get caught in. it's completely smooth inside and cleans up beautifully, and it's nice and tall.

no cat "needs" something special to climb. they will find plenty of ways to keep themselves entertained, especially when they're kittens, and will climb just about anything they are able to climb whether you get them something designed specifically for the purpose or not. if i were you, i would focus more on babyproofing the apartment (no fun wires to chew, nothing with dangly threads, no small objects that would be fun to bat around and maybe swallow, etc.). you will want a good brush for your fuzzy guy, and try to get him used to being groomed right away. if you think you might want to trim his claws yourself, start that early, too, and do it regularly.

i like prospect park animal clinic, on prospect park west near 6th street.
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your girl is something of a shrew, hubbell.

[stacey]

I know a few people have recommended the vet on Prospect Park West (think its Prospect Park Animal Clinic) and Hope on Atlantic. Do a search and you will find many posts on this as well as recommendations for individual vets at these places.

Don't know much about Maine Coons but do know that my cats LOOOOVE their climbing tree which has sisal side for scratching. We have had ours for about 4 years now and I have had to replace the sisal on the side twice but it is very inexpensive. As far as scratching posts my babies really love the cardboard ones.
Just remember that if your kitten is large he/she will still have that kitten mentality. Make sure there are no openings the baby can get stuck in
(see what happened to another poster http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.p.....88775389f617478287797d4ab)
As far as toys - my kitties love the feather on a string do dads, those little furry mice (that look real when you go to the bathroom half asleep ), and their favorite (and a great way to give them exercise) is the laser pointer.

Good luck and hope you post pictures of your little one for all of us to ooh and aah over.

[Domino]

Had a Maine Coon about 10 years ago; what a sweet mellow kitteh!

She was large but did not go over 18 lbs. Females are somewhat smaller but there was no need for any extra large accessories at all. I did train her to use the toilet bowl (product was called Kitty Whiz - sp?). One of the smartest cats that I belonged to.

The poor baby passed away from colon cancer after 15 years and I still miss her. I would definitely suggest that you investigate some more specialized diets because I seem to remember something about "crystals" and "protein processing" common to the breed.

Good luck with the new baby!
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WHY am I always the meat in the middle of an imbecile sandwich?

[Flexichick]

OMG - a new kitty baby!

First, I like PPAC (as already mentioned above) and second, we will need a ton of pictures.

[rockingood]

I'm so relieved to hear that others with very large kittehs have found standard equipment suitable. Reading on-line I was fearing we would need a 3' box. Thankfully he wont reach full size until he's around 5yo so I guess there's plenty of time to get it all figured out. And maybe my daughter's bunk bed will be enough to climb...
PPAC it is - thank you all. We wont be bringing him home until right before christmas when we're home all day, every day for a while but want to have everything ready well in advance of the holiday madness. I habitually research everything which of course leads to overthinking the smallest detail. The upside is that I tend to be very well prepared!
We are so excited for our little dog-cat. Pics after christmas (no tinsel this year).

[Flexichick]

Buy all of the toys you want but be prepared for kitty wanting to play with the wrapper, tin foil balls and rubber bands

[vanilla]

don't forget to post the big kitten photos!

[apbklyn]

Our Maine Coon passed away about a year ago. She didn't get to be as big as most MC cats, but that was just luck, Any standard/large litter box will do. Cats don't care about size, just that it's clean. However, you do have to keep up with the brushing and as it's a constant struggle to keep all that fur under control and off the furniture. As far as scratching posts, Felix is the BEST. i've been ordering from them for about 30 years, and have never had a cat not love it. They're expensive, but they work. Make sure you get the Large. Climbing trees (any brand) are ugly, and we keep them in the bedrooms and the scratching post behind the couch, where the cat is most likely to scratch furnitue. Enjoy your new kitty!



http://www.felixkatniptreecompany.com/

[tybur6]

The "babyproofing" comment is probably the most important thing... but don't underestimate how big he will be long before "full grown."

Think about a Maine Coon kitty like a puppy... just faster and more agile! A lot of them a completely friggin' nutso when their little. The same as any kitten -- but MUCH bigger. If you have a priceless doodad, you might want to put it away for a year or two until he's calmed down... otherwise, SMASH!

Also, how small is your apartment? This breed of cat needs exercise... for the health of your cat, you really should train him on a harness and leash and bring him for walkies. Yes, you'll be THAT person... but it's about the health of the cat and you've decided to bring a huge cat into a tiny apartment. So with that choice, comes responsibility and discarding of your dignity. Also, you might be able to get him trained like a dog to shit outside.

[rockingood]

[OpossumQueen]

I highly recommend the furminator brush. My brother suggested it but I was convinced when I saw a friend's dog after he first used the brush on her and thought she must have been sick and lost 10lbs.

I convinced another dog friend to get it for their pup and they said it's also been great for their cats. If you use it regularly (start early with the baby to get it used to brushing) you will have far less hair on the floors.

Also, I'm happy with PPAC for my pooch for regular visits but I have good friends that use Hope and I'm convinced it's a great spot, but too far to walk the dog for regular visits.

[rockingood]

[OpossumQueen]

[rockingood]

[The Psycho-ologist]

I agree completely with those who warned to "kittie proof" your place. Cats and especially kittens can get into and get trapped in the weirdest places. They can chew on dangerous things, like wires, poisonous plants, things that they will choke on as they try to swallow etc. Be prepared for your cat to claw up your furniture in spite of scrating posts. He/she will also knock over your fragile valuables that arent secured and prefer to climb other things other than your cat tree. I have two beautiful purebred siamese (munki & dr. wundt) that taught me what I am telling you. Oh yeah Prospect park animal clinic rocks! I dont care what anyone else says.. fresh step is the best at minimizing odors. Cinnamon in the litter box works to keep odors at bay just as well as baking soda. Your cat's shit may stink badly if you feed it fish products or meow mix.. watch me get flamed for saying that, but its been my experience.
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a teaspoon of kisses and a drop of glee

[tybur6]

I agree with the above about Fresh Step or any of those other litters that clump and smell nice -- nothing worse that a "cat person's house" smell.

However, when a cat is a kitten they like to eat all sorts of stuff. Experimenting. So, I guess you're not supposed to use litter that clumps (with clay and such) -- for the first while. Like the first year. It can get stuck in their gut. Once they figure out what is edible, you can give them whatever they'd like in their poop box.

My friends got this all-natural pellet stuff...think it's made of sawdust and paper. When they piss on it, it sort of puffs up. Not as clumpy and easy, but it's still clear what needs to be scooped out. Also, they only put like 3 cups of pellets in the box at a time -- but the kitty is really small... not like your future monster