What are Maine ***** like?

4847 Views 19 Replies 6 Participants Last post by JonTempleton, May 15, 2012

Blacksheep

Discussion Starter · Dec 19, 2011

Yesterday I saw a tiny kitten cross the road. A couple hours later, I saw a tiny dead kitten in the road. I cried for a bit mostly because I was going to stop and pick him up but didn't. Anyway I have been pondering KEEPING a cat (not just summer fostering) since January.

The only mc I have met was my friend's 8 year old. He was a lovely tabby that sat around and meowed only once when I tripped over him. Since then I have been iffy about getting one. People say they are mellow and very sweet (my other tendency is to look at turkish vans or just black cats.) Oh yeah I also have a thing for black cats. I just love the way black shines.

So the bf and I talked and he was fine with it.
I checked out the local shelter and found this super duper cute black maine **** kitten.

He is my first choice but I am doing my research before I decide to take him home.

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Sasami

· #2 · Dec 19, 2011

That's so sad about the kitten

.

I would focus more on the individual cat than the breed. Not only may the breed given by the shelter incorrect (from my time volunteering at a shelter I remember we would assign "breeds" to the cats to make them more appealing...they were really just random mixes, ha) but cat breeds don't play a huge role in temperament (with a few exceptions and when talking about purebred cats from actual breeders).

Dog breeds tend to vary a lot in temperament because they were bred for such a wide range of tasks. The same isn't true for cats who either bred indiscriminately (the actual "working" cats) or were bred for a specific look. Temperament was rarely a factor.

Cinder is very cute

. Why not go meet him to see if he has the personality you're looking for?

Blacksheep

Discussion Starter · #3 · Dec 20, 2011

Thanks for that. Yeah that shelter is pretty good at IDing breeds. I will be going to check him out for sure and hopefully come home with ONE cat lol. I keep telling myself "ok...ONE cat. Just one" especially in the event he is a real mc. I'm not made of money and would probably upgrade my cat trees a lot.

FlickeringHope

· #4 · Dec 20, 2011

Very sweet. We have one here who was a stray, and kept getting booted away from the food bowls our neighbors put out for the strays. He's huge but his personality is all fluff. He's actually even afraid of the kittens, lol. He loved the dog we had, too.

Blacksheep

Discussion Starter · #5 · Dec 21, 2011

Sasami said:
That's so sad about the kitten .

I would focus more on the individual cat than the breed. Not only may the breed given by the shelter incorrect (from my time volunteering at a shelter I remember we would assign "breeds" to the cats to make them more appealing...they were really just random mixes, ha) but cat breeds don't play a huge role in temperament (with a few exceptions and when talking about

Cinder is very cute . Why not go meet him to see if he has the personality you're looking for?

Yeah small cats are cute but I just love me some big ol cats haha. Interestingly enough, we do have a purebred rescue here and the only foster in my area has a maine **** for adoption. I'd just rather give a chance to someone that is surrounded by metal bars.

I'm looking for laid back, independent, gentle giant. With kittens, I know its hard to tell. That teeny, wild, shy and quite evil feral kitten I gave my friend is now a huge, sweet, laid back lover lol. Not what you'd call a working cat one bit.

Its kind of a tough call. There is someone giving away feral borns here...but doesn't quite understand the problem. Its get kittens and alter them so they don't produce more or safe one that is already behind bars. I think I'm just gonna go with one behind bars (or a rescue so they can save another behind bars.)

Sasami

· #6 · Dec 21, 2011

I'd go for the shelter cat since a shelter adult will be more likely to have the personality you want

. It'll also have any needed medical care done (I've known of several people who got "free" kittens and then had to spend tons of money treating them for parasites, infections, etc.).

Whatever cat you get, make sure to post pictures!

Blacksheep

Discussion Starter · #7 · Dec 21, 2011

Sasami said:
I'd go for the shelter cat since a shelter adult will be more likely to have the personality you want . It'll also have any needed medical care done (I've known of several people who got "free" kittens and then had to spend tons of money treating them for parasites, infections, etc.).

Whatever cat you get, make sure to post pictures!

Yeah you're right. I am going to check out the kitten first though. If he isn't my cup o' tea then I will be calling foster mom. I have contacted them because my city shelter also just picked up a big ol maine **** too.

I'm happy though. I found out our shelter is mostly "no-kill" with the exception of behaviorally challenged animals and those extremely ill. We have connections from a large amount of fosters to other rescues.

Dragonrain

· #8 · Dec 21, 2011

I understand why you'd want to rescue one out of an actual shelter to get it out of the shelter cage etc., but keep in mind that if you do end up getting one that's in a foster home that by adopting that cat, you'll be freeing up space for the foster family to be able to take in and foster another cat in need.

Either way you'll be doing a good thing by adopting.

Blacksheep

Discussion Starter · #9 · Dec 21, 2011

5

Yes I totally agree. I have had problems with local rescues though. Example, I set up a time to meet an animal once. Foster mom never showed up to meeting place. A few of them approved me for an animal but never gave me a call back (even though the animals were still up for adoption.)

Here are the other locals I'm checking out. The best part about fosters is you can read about them. Not in short supply though. Someone will be getting a new home for Christmas/New Years!

Daisy Mae - Foster. Came in with a litter and shes all thats left!

Larry - Foster. I have a feeling he would be hard to adopt since foster parents have had him since he was 4 weeks. He is now a year and a half.

Tessa - I believe she is a foster.

Surrey - foster. I believe he may be at a petsmart. Even on adoption days, I have issues with people being rude and such.

And I'm not a fan of orange but this guy REALLY knows how to work the camera! I present to you, mr handsom Simba

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Dragonrain

· #10 · Dec 22, 2011

Aw looks like you have a lot to choose from! One of the kitties will be very lucky to have a new home

I always said that if I ever got a cat I'd adopt a black one. I think they are beautiful, but apparently they are the hardest color for shelters to find new homes for.

Blacksheep

Discussion Starter · #11 · Dec 22, 2011

Yes its called black dog syndrome lol. Some call it black animal syndrome seeing as it isn't just limited to black dogs. I was shocked when I took home a blonde puppy but then that was a funny day where people were adopting mostly pit bulls and black dogs lol.

The more I look at him and the more I read about him, the more Surrey seems to call to me. Thick coat, sweet personality. You cant see it but he has an ear tip. He was picked up as a stray at a year old and didn't get put down. He is either one super unique feral or something. I thought maybe he was a pet and someone took him to a feral clinic but he was spotted in an established colony.

Simba is just a Frank Sinatra. That picture just melts my heart.

Sasami

· #12 · Dec 22, 2011

Blacksheep said:
Yes its called black dog syndrome lol. Some call it black animal syndrome seeing as it isn't just limited to black dogs. I was shocked when I took home a blonde puppy but then that was a funny day where people were adopting mostly pit bulls and black dogs lol.

The more I look at him and the more I read about him, the more Surrey seems to call to me. Thick coat, sweet personality. You cant see it but he has an ear tip. He was picked up as a stray at a year old and didn't get put down. He is either one super unique feral or something. I thought maybe he was a pet and someone took him to a feral clinic but he was spotted in an established colony.

Simba is just a Frank Sinatra. That picture just melts my heart.

A cat being stray doesn't make it feral. Feral cats were born "in the wild" and had no socialization as kittens. They're generally totally wild and rarely tame down. His personality doesn't sound like a true feral to me.

It sounds like he was a pet at some point but perhaps dumped at a young age?

Dragonrain

· #13 · Dec 22, 2011

Yeah my town has a huge feral cat problem, and part of the problem is that even when you go in and catch them they very rarely warm up to humans enough to make good pets. If ferals are brought to the shelter here, pretty much all of them end up being euthanized because they never really become tame. The town is trying to work out a trap-neuter-release program so they don't have to be euthanized, but will not be able to breed anymore.

Maybe he was dumped by someone? I think that happens here too. People see that there are a lot of stray/feral cats living in the area and dump their unwanted pets out with the ferals.

Surrey is a handsome cat

You should go meet him, if you haven't already.

Sasami

· #14 · Dec 23, 2011

Dragonrain said:
Maybe he was dumped by someone? I think that happens here too. People see that there are a lot of stray/feral cats living in the area and dump their unwanted pets out with the ferals.

That's a good point, he might have been purposely dumped with the other cats. Sad, either way

.

Blacksheep

Discussion Starter · #15 · Dec 23, 2011

Sasami said:
It sounds like he was a pet at some point but perhaps dumped at a young age?

You know what? I'm reading over his bio...here is what it says.

If patience is a virtue, then Surrey is virtuous! This wonderful fella had been at the shelter since early May. He came in as a little guy with an ear tip (which means someone neutered him through a feral/abandoned cat program at one point.)

I'm wondering if this is an old bio because he is now 2 years old.

Blacksheep

Discussion Starter · #16 · Dec 23, 2011

Dragonrain said:
Surrey is a handsome cat You should go meet him, if you haven't already.

Yes I'd love to meet him and Simba.

This is a close up of Surrey.

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Blacksheep

Discussion Starter · #17 · Dec 23, 2011

2

Update

So everyone is out of the shelter and into foster care at Petsmart. They are directly linked to the county shelter. They have re labeled some of them.

Tessa and Simba are Turkish Angora and Tessa actually came with papers!!!

Simba...still strikingly beautiful

Turns out Surrey is actually 4 years old. Oh well.

Also I'd like to say that Cinder has been adopted! Yay!!!

I talked to some people and they actually suggested a kitten named Pepi. This poor little girl has been through ****. Also believed to be a Maine ****. They say she is mellow, quiet, and independent.

Super happy because everyone is at the same petsmart now lol. Very cute but I have a sort of Good Luck Chuck thing with animals. When I go to get them, they tend to be adopted right away.

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Nibbler

· #18 · Dec 24, 2011

Good luck ^_^ i hope you find the kitty you want

Blacksheep

Discussion Starter · #19 · Dec 24, 2011

Thanks. I put in my adoption application online but I think it is on hold till Monday due to the holiday.

JonTempleton

· #20 · May 15, 2012

Maine ***** = Gentle Giants

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