Guide: Health & Genetics — Wind in Willows

This is our combined health and genetics guide. We use it to explain what we test, what we monitor, and what we want every owner to verify before and after adoption.

Essential pre-adoption checklist

Veterinary exam summary and vaccination card.
Microchip details and transfer instructions.
Deworming/prevention timeline already completed.
Current feeding routine and food transition instructions.
Written health guarantee in the purchase contract.
Transportation plan with timing and stress-reduction notes.

First 72 Hours at Home

Set up one quiet room with food, water, litter, and hiding space.
Keep routines predictable while the kitten learns the environment.
Monitor appetite, stool, hydration, and activity daily.
Book a local veterinary check shortly after arrival.

How We Prioritize Health at Wind in Willows

At Wind in Willows, health is the first priority in our breeding and placement decisions. Maine Coons are generally a robust breed, with many living around 12 to 15 years and some reaching their late teens with strong preventive care.

Any cat can still inherit or develop health conditions, so we use DNA testing, careful pairing, routine monitoring, and practical owner education together.

Our Testing and Breeding Standard

For cats we place on the GCCF Active Register, we follow current GCCF Maine Coon requirements that took effect on June 1, 2024. Our baseline includes:

Condition / Test	Our standard	Why it matters
SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy)	Breeding cats are DNA-negative before Active Register use.	Reduces risk of inherited neuromuscular disease in kittens.
PKDef (Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency)	Breeding cats are DNA-negative before Active Register use.	Helps prevent inherited anemia risk.
HCMmc (MYBPC3 p.A31P)	Breeding cats are homozygous negative before Active Register use.	Limits one known inherited HCM mutation in Maine Coons.
Blood type	Breeding cats are blood-typed as part of pairing safety planning.	Supports safer breeding decisions and neonatal risk planning.
BAER (white cats)	Any white breeding cat has a negative BAER result before Active Register use.	Screens inherited hearing risk in white cats.

Important: a negative HCMmc DNA result does not exclude all forms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We still consider echocardiography an important part of long-term monitoring, especially for breeding cats.

What We Share Before Reservation

Named sire and dam DNA reports or official lab summaries.
How the parent pairing reduces risk of affected kittens.
Written health guarantee terms in the contract.
Vaccination and vet records provided before pickup or delivery.

What We Ask Owners to Watch For

Obesity: Often linked to excess calories and low activity; can worsen joint strain and diabetes risk.
Mouth, teeth, and gum disease: Watch for inflamed gums, drooling, bad breath, pain eating, or weight loss.
SMA: Affected kittens may show hindquarter weakness and altered gait by 3 to 4 months of age.
PKDef: Inherited red blood cell enzyme disorder that can reduce red cell survival and cause anemia.
HCM: Thickened heart muscle may cause breathing changes, lethargy, fainting, arrhythmias, or clot-related emergencies.
Hip dysplasia: Can cause pain, limping, stiffness, and reduced willingness to jump or climb.
Inherited deafness / DBE-associated risk: White cats and some dominant blue-eye lines may carry higher hearing risk.

Reference Reading We Share

Next topic: daily care routine for long-term wellbeing.

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