A first cat for a family with young children

Maine Coons are recommended for families so often that the reason gets lost. It is not that they tolerate rough handling; it is that they are unusually slow to escalate. A Maine Coon will typically walk away three or four times before it ever swats, which gives children the chance to learn the boundary without anybody getting hurt.

Juniper flew to Calgary at sixteen weeks. Her family set two rules before she arrived: nobody picks the kitten up off the floor, and the space under the bed is hers alone. Both rules held, and within a month the children were the ones she sought out at homework time.

She is now four years old, weighs thirteen pounds, and sleeps at the foot of the younger child's bed. Her family's advice to other first-time buyers is the advice we give too — decide the household rules before the carrier comes through the door, not after.

See the Maine Coon kittens available now.