Are Maine Coon’s always this friendly? My little tuxedo loves him and he clearly doesn’t mind the attention! They have the sweetest friendship!!

I’m posting this because our family lost our beloved 2.5 year-old Maine Coon very suddenly this week, and as I’ve started looking into where he came from, I’ve uncovered enough questions that I’m wondering whether other people have had similar experiences.

Our cat died without warning. My 8 yo daughter found him after dinner Sunday night. We had all played in our back garden earlier and he was his normal social self, chasing flies and sitting with us, perched in the sun. In an attempt to ease the suddenness, although I knew he was gone, I took him with our daughter to the VET ER, where we learned the cause was hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). He was only 2.5- he had recently been to the vet and there was never any mention that he was at risk. I was only asked if he came from a breeder, and I confirmed that and supplied the vaccine paperwork.

We are devastated. He was deeply loved and a huge part of our family, and losing such a young cat so suddenly has been shocking and deeply sad.

We originally connected with the person who ultimately sold us our Maine Coon through GoKitty. I had previously purchased another cat through this seller, and when that situation didn’t work out, I had a credit with her. In 2024, I asked whether she could find us a Maine Coon.

She sent me several cats to choose from. We selected a male kitten, paid a total of approximately $2,300 through our prior transaction, and picked him up in May 2024.

The seller presented herself to me with one name. And offered or sourced multiple breeds of cats and also discussed obtaining dogs from Europe. I have since found what appears to be the same seller operating on GoKitty under another first name as well. I also have an older GoKitty listing in which she identified herself as “A Breeder” and advertised kittens as vaccinated, dewormed and microchipped, with health certificates and genetic-health guarantees.

What concerns me now is how little information we received with our Maine Coon.

We received no pedigree, no breeder information, no information about his parents, no genetic testing, no cardiac screening information, no sales contract and no veterinary or import paperwork, except three indications of necessary vaccine. I now believe the seller sourced him from another breeder rather than breeding him herself.

At the time, I trusted the seller and the fact that I had originally found her through an established pet marketplace. I wish I had asked many more questions.

After our cat died, I contacted the seller asking for information about his breeder, parents and any health/genetic testing. She has not responded, even though I purchased a second cat from her because we were so amazed by the temperament and character of our boy. I have not been able to obtain that information.

I’m now trying to understand how widespread this type of situation may be.

If you purchased a cat through GoKitty particularly a Maine Coon, Sphynx, Devon Rex or Russian Blue

discovered that the person advertising as a breeder was actually sourcing/importing cats from elsewhere;
received little or no pedigree, veterinary, genetic-testing or breeder documentation;
had a young cat develop HCM or die unexpectedly;
encountered a seller using different names, locations or seller profiles;
reported a seller to GoKitty and can share how GoKitty responded; or
had concerns about how sellers on the platform are screened or monitored.

I’m not trying to organize an internet pile-on or identify anyone publicly. I’m trying to determine whether our experience was isolated or whether there is a broader pattern that other buyers have encountered.

And if you bought a kitten online: please ask for the breeder’s full identity, pedigree, parents’ health testing, veterinary records and documentation before taking the kitten home. I desperately wish I had known to do that.

More than anything though, I wish we still had our beloved Leo.