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DO NOT BUY A CAT FROM DEBBIE JEAN IN DEERFIELD NH. Her cattery is called Pawstuctaway. I bought a cat from her for $1100 and then another for $700. They both have had chronic diarrhea since we brought them home. I brushed it off with the first one because I thought he was stressed out due to the move. The second cat we bought has NEVER had a solid stool. It has always been straight water with blood in it. She is also very bony because she barely eats! She is very skittish and doesn't like to be touched. It is like she isn't used to humans at all! Which is understandable considering the house they came from. Debbie has all of her breeders (15 cats) shoved onto a tiny porch. The cats who did not have visible mats were shaved to the skin. These are long haired MAINE COON cats who need to be brushed EVERYDAY! She also keeps her breeding dogs in her basement. We heard them the day we were there buying our first cat from her. She has since given me ridiculous excuses for not being able to take her back. If you are looking for a HEALTHY, gorgeous Maine Coon kitten I can recommend five different breeders but don't waste your money on her. She is not the loving and caring breeder you are looking for. ALL SHE IS, IS MONEY HUNGRY. If ANYONE would like more information or would like to read the emails from this terrible breeder feel free to let me know.
I have been online looking for Deb Jean's address because today is Django's 10th birthday, and I wanted to tell her how wonderful the past 10 years have been with this smart and beautiful Maine Coon male . Personality-wise and health-wise Django has been one of the best animals I've ever had in the past 35+ years of living with cats. Opie at Pawstuctaway was his dad.
I hope she's out of business. I can't bear to think of the tears and grief of children and families, not to mention your hard-earned money as you care for a sick kitten and cat from a disreputable breeder.
Think twice about adopting from this woman.
My sister purchased a kitten from Deborah Jean in November of 1999. Because of Thanksgiving travel, Deborah Jean agreed to keep her over Thanksgiving so that we could pick her up on the way home from a visit to our parents in Pennsylvania.
I have owned (and shown) cats for years and have been on a CFA breed counsel for some years, and have dealt with breed rescue. I was struck by the spaciousness of the facilities as well as its cleanliness. Because my sister was going to purchase a kitten, we were shown her parents and given a tour of the cattery. Maine Coons shed. The hardwood floors were completely free of fluff and fur. The cats (who came up happily to greet visitors) were well groomed and appeared healthy. (They were heavy and muscular when I lifted them, which is a good sign.)
The breeding males were in very spacious multi-level cages with a good view of goings-on, and none of them were despondent, unhappy or aggressive.
My sister selected her kitten from a group. The price was reduced because the kitten (who lived to be 15 years old) had a 'subluxating patella'. Since she was happily scampering about, it didn't seem to be a problem, but my sister had her checked out by her vet who commented that if that kitten had a subluxating patella, it was long healed and might as well have never existed.
Casey 'Pawstuctaway Kahlua and Cream' lived to a ripe age and my sister (and I ) really miss her.
My sister was sorry to hear that Pawstuctaway is out of breeding. Deborah Jean fit well in with the very fine breeders of whatever breed of cat I have known in my time owning and showing pedigreed (as well as random bred) cats.
I would purchase another Maine Coon from her in a heartbeat if she were still breeding.
I purchased a mainecoon kitten from this breeder in 2009. We dealt with her husband, who didn't seem to know anything. The 2 kittens that were there were absolutely terrified of people, which should have been a red flag, but we thought it was just because we were new to them. We ended up with the slightly less frightened one. She's had diarrhea all her life and been extremely sickly (respiratory infections, even though none of our other cats are or have ever been sick), she constantly [censored]s herself all over the place, because of the diarrhea, constantly throws up everywhere (and the vet has no clue why) and starting at a year old, her teeth just started falling out. This is the most expensive cat we've ever owned, between the cost of the cat and the vet bills, food bills ect. She is also the most sickly cat I've ever had. I do not recommend this breeder at all, especially reading the other comments, saying almost the same thing as our experience. It's clear something is wrong with the genetics of her cats (which we all mixed together and makes me wonder if they even know for sure who the father's of the kittens really are). That all said, our kitty (Luna), is extremely lovey, tho she is far dumber than any other cat we've ever had. Like she has never hunted anything, ever, like she doesn't know how to. She never plays, even as a kitten. She just wants loves and sleeps. She has a hard time figuring out normal cat things, like drinking from a dish, she uses her paw to drink and to eat, it's strange, especially because we've always had at least one other cat with her since she was a kitten and she never picked up on how to do it right. And it totally makes sense after reading the comments and someone saying that the cats drink from the faucet. Please rethink your decision and go to a different breeder if you are considering a mainecoon, as I believe this lady's cats are inbred. It would certainly explain the sickly, semi-retarded cat that I have and that others had similar experiences with.
Since 1996, We've had 3 of Debbie Jeans Maine Coons. They are and were the healthiest. The first 2 lived to 13yrs and 18yrs . They were beautiful with wonderful personalities. Our #3, Doogan is awesome. He's got a personality that won't quit! He' s almost 8 & a half. He's so much fun and he loves us. There has never been any health issues. Make sure you use good foods and be careful about cat litters. Rick & Candy
It's difficult to write this, as it's not been long at all since we had to put down our beloved MCC at age 10. We purchased him from this breeder. He was chronically ill most of his life, with major allergies, a constantly inflamed mouth, gums, and GI tract. We had no other animals in the household. He received the best of veterinary care and food. He lived indoors. He escaped for 10 minutes just once in his life, and so no contact with ferals or other animals. The vet ran many tests but the chronic inflammation source could not be pinned down. The only time he was ever healthy and feeling well was the few short stretches when he was given antibiotics. He never weighed over 12 pounds. He was in a state of constant dehydration. So very sad. I have to add that they taught him to drink from a dripping faucet at this breeder's. They actually showed me where they drank in the bath tub. He never adjusted to drinking from a bowl. Just imagine the inconvenience, and the torment for him when no one was around to turn on a faucet when he was thirsty. Imagine trying to board him and explain he only drink from a running faucet! He was constantly dehydrated. The heartbreak we suffered seeing him ill and then dying cannot be described. What can you say? Where did the problems originate? Was it bad luck or bad genes? We will never know for sure.
It's been almost a year since we put down our beloved Maine Coon after only 11 years on this Earth. He was purchased from this breeder in 2004. He was a lone indoor cat for all of his life, so no contact with other cats. He was also sick most of his life. He had chronic inflammation of the mouth, gums, and GI tract. The vet could not pinpoint the cause, but consider the huge costs of repeated vet visits, blood tests, cultures of all kinds, and still no firm diagnosis. The only time he was ever seemed well was the few short stretches on antibiotics. He never weighed over 11 pounds, even though males are known to reach 20. He was in a state of constant dehydration. This was from being taught to drink from a dripping faucet in the breeder's bathroom (which I saw myself during a visit there). He never adjusted to drinking from a bowl. Just imagine the inconvenience, and torment for him, when no one was around to turn on the water when he was thirsty. The heartbreak we suffered seeing him ill and then dying cannot be described. Where did his problems originate? Bad luck, bad genes, bad breeding practices? I suppose we will never know, but all the comments here make me wonder. I cannot express how devastated we were when we finally lost him.
There are many water 'fountains' for cats and dogs available online and in pet stores.
These 'fountains' you mention re-circulate water all day (or for many days) that become breeding grounds for all types of microbes. They require almost constant cleaning and in parts and tubes you can't even easily reach to sterilize. How you can consider this "healthy" is beyond belief.
Sadly two of the four kittens that we purchased from this breeder died very prematurely in the past few years. The first male maine coon developed sarcoma at 5 years old and after a valiant effort (and thousands of dollars spent at MSPCA in Boston), we had to put our beloved cat down. After overcoming our grief, we made the mistake of going back to Pawstuctaway and purchased two more kittens. At 2 years old, our beautiful male kitten suddenly fell ill with severe weight loss and lethargy, completely out of the blue. Once again, we ended up at MSPCA in Boston spending several thousand dollars (again) trying to save this cat's life. It was unimaginable that we were going through this nightmare once again with our maine coons. Sadly, he had to put put down after all of the tests done were non-conclusive but pointed to the fatal feline disease, FIP. The loss of our two beloved pets was so overwhelming that my husband and I vowed to never get pets again as the grief was too much to take. The remaining two females from Pawstuctaway (each related to the deceased cats) are seemingly healthy except for the younger girl who has had chronic diarrhea since we brought her home. I do want to say that Deb was nice enough to refund us for our last kitty but it really can't take away the pain and suffering we went through plus the tremendous medical expenditures we made to save their lives.
Sadly two of the four kittens that we purchased from this breeder died very prematurely in the past few years. The first male maine coon developed sarcoma at 5 years old and after a valiant effort (and thousands of dollars spent at MSPCA in Boston), we had to put our beloved cat down. After overcoming our grief, we made the mistake of going back to Pawstuctaway and purchased two more kittens. Her kittens are beautiful and we thought that cancer happens so why wouldn't we go to the same breeded. Well, at 2 years old, our beautiful male kitten from this breeder suddenly fell ill with severe weight loss and lethargy, completely out of the blue. In complete disbelief, we ended up at MSPCA in Boston spending several thousand dollars (again) trying to save this cat's life. It was unimaginable that we were going through this nightmare all over again with our maine coon babies. Sadly, he had to put put down after all of the tests done were non-conclusive but pointed to the fatal feline disease, FIP. The loss of our two, young beloved pets was so overwhelming that my husband and I vowed to never get pets as the grief was too much to take. The remaining 2 females from Pawstuctaway (each related to the deceased cats) are seemingly healthy except for the younger girl who has had chronic diarrhea since we brought her home. I do want to say that Deb was nice enough to refund us for our last male kitty that we had to put down but it really can't take away the pain and suffering we went through plus the tremendous medical expenditures made to save their lives. The intent of this complaint is to let potential buyers know what they are possibly getting into.
Interesting that we just lost our 6 year old to flp and previously a 4 month old kitten that just died . Our remaining girl had her eye removed due to melanoma.
Our boy had diarrhea for 9 months when he came home from Deborah's. Always negative for parasites we finally learned it was a food allergy. Now he's happy and beautiful, age 4.
I also have to disagree with the complaints made on this page. My Pawstuctaway MC is one healthy boy! I purchased him in 2005 and he has been the healthiest cat... never one problem with him. He is a happy cat, has a friendly disposition and just a love. Maine coons tend to be a little shy sometimes, and I have two other Maine Coons that are from a different breeder and they are way more shy than this one. As far as chronic diarrhea is concerned, I urge all pet owners to look at what they feed their cats before deciding it is a breeders fault. So many cats nowadays suffer from IBD/chronic diarrhea that has nothing to do with breeding, and everything with the terrible food that is on the market. One of my other two Maine Coons had this issue, and I improved her diet to raw and she is perfectly fine now.
I have to say that I disagree with the complaints on this page. My family purchased a Maine Coon kitten in September 2001, she was perfectly healthy kitten and it a perfectly healthy to this very day. She is a senior cat with no medical problems since day 1. I went back to this breeder recently, my kitten was born August 2014 and I picked her up in January 2015. I took her to the vet for her standard kitten check and she was completely healthy with the small exception that her ears were a little dirty. But I have not had any health issues from my Maine Coons and they are beautiful. The kittens all seemed well taken care of and sometimes when you have a few cats, especially unaltered males it's going to smell a bit.
We are talking about a specific breeder here, and not the breed in general. There are a lot of grief and grievances here and it's not just the loss of thousands of dollars, it's the trauma to families AND THEIR CHILDREN who trust an untrustworthy breeder and then suffer for it.
I too purchased a kitten from this breeder. The kitten came with 4 parasites, giardia and the corona virus which she will have all her life. While she is currently on the healthy side after much antibiotic treatment, she will never be cured, will always be infectious and will need treatment on an as need basis. I too feel this cattery should be shut down. Please DO NOT BUY from this so called breeder. It is a kitten mill.
Watch your baby closely. Our passed away last night at age 6 with flp related to the corona virus
I agree with the above complaints. When I went with a friend to pick up her two Maine Coon cats to this breeder, I was immediately struck by how crowded the house seemed with cats, and how much it smelled. On this first impression alone I wouldn't go back to this breeder, nor recommend her to others. Then, over the past year, I've watched my friend struggle with health problems with those Maine Coons- giardia, viruses in eyes and gums, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss. They have never been healthy, despite vigilant and loving care, and repeated trips to the vet. So, I urge you to go else where for your cats. Ruth, Keene, NH
I went to this breeder with a friend to pick up her two maine coon kittens. When I entered the house I was struck by how overcrowded it seemed and how it smelled. On these first impressions alone, I would not recommend this breeder. Now, I have witnessed the health problems these cats have struggled with for the past year- giardia, viral infections in their eyes and gums, chronic bloody diarrhea, and weight loss. So after the past year, my first impressions have been reinforced strongly. I would never recommend this breeder nor would I ever get animals from them. Ruth, Keene, NH
Hi Nicole,
I just wanted to say that I had exactly the same experience with Debbie Jean. My two cats, who are now 16 months old, have spent their entire young lives with health problems. They had giardia which took me 8 months to cure and included my boy cat having neurological side effects from the medication, a chronic viral infection, colitis, gastritis, and gingivitis/stomatitis which might lead to my girl cat having to have all her teeth removed. Hopefully if enough of us speak up, people won't give her any more business.
Sophie, and 2 sick but loved cats George and Susan
My porch ius 16 by 10, not a tiny thing. That leads into a hall that is bigger, which leads into my living room which is even bigger than that. My cats are all very well cared for. My vet knows my home phone number by heart, what does tht tell you?
You don't have your facts straight. You bought a kitten then came back for a second already having other kittens in your house. Who's to say where the exposure to anything came from. I know that one of your other kittens had upper respiratory issues. You don't mention that. At least one of those kittens was sick, whose to say where this problem came from. You don't mention that the 1st kitten that you got from me is a big love. Who's to say that your young children didn't make the 2nd kitten afraid. That happens. Your kids are young and busy. You are not a Maine Coon cat breeder, but want to be. You have a high ideal idea in your mind that everything will be rosy, but it is not. You don't mention that I was giving you advice and you just didn't do it.
Funny that you don't mention that you were totally refunded. Funny that you don't mention that you also got 3-4 other kittens with at least one with health issues. The cats go throughout the house, not just on the porch. There is one cat who has the lion cut, that is not a bad thing. The dogs are put into the bedroom when people come so that they are not annoying. They are not breeding dogs. You had better be careful what you say and do so that you will not be sued.