LaRhae Maine Coon Cats is careful to select cats for health, temperament, breed standard, and structurally sound conformation. Our males and females go through comprehensive health screening before becoming part of our breeding program.
We DNA test our cats through Optimal-Selection. Their Wisdom Panel provides us with information regarding dozens of genetic diseases, including but not limited to HCM, PK-Def, and SMA. It also includes traits for blood type, coat color and coat types to name a few. Their panel also provides us with a report for genetic diversity for the cat tested and overall breed population.
Our cats are DNA negative for the MYBPC3 genetic mutation found to be associated with an increased risk to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) in the Maine Coon breed. They are routinely screened with echocardiogram by a board certified veterinary cardiologist to be clear from HCM. While echocardiogram ensures they do not have this condition at the time of examination; There is unfortunately no way at present to determine if any cat will develop HCM in the future.
In addition, our cats are screened for Feline Hip Dysplasia (FHD) with radiographs by our veterinarian to confirm there is no sign of this orthopedic disorder.
Our kittens come with TICA registration papers and a 3 year health guarantee against HCM and FHD.