We own 2 mostly Maine Coon cats(not really sure since they were abandoned as kittens but have grown up in size and markings very similar to Maine Coons). Both are male from the same litter and are ver, very close to twins.

When these kittens were very young they were brought to the vets for general health and neutering. They were both back to the vet quite a few times for a serious case of worms (worm type missed diagnosed by the vet). During these visits they were checked for general health and their hearts were listened to.

They have since been brought to another vets who has been administering their shots and given them routine exams. Again, their hearts were listen to and no problems were detected.

A third vet examined them today and at 16 months old one of them was found to be in perfect health. Both weigh in at around 13 lbs. The other cat was diagnosed with a heart murmur . We think that it is very strange that after all these check-ups this is the first vet to detect any problems.

We asked the vet if the cat might outgrow this problem and he stated that cats generally would have outgrown this by the age of 1 year but we understand that Maine Coon's do not fully mature until the age of about 3 or 5.

Is there any feeling that he may still outgrow this condition or is it something that we should be very concerned about? The cat is very active and shows no signs of problems. He has suggested an ultra-sound to further exam the cat. Do you feel that this is a necessary procedure or is this a condition that we should not worry about immediately?

If this is not the right forum or if there is some other place that might also be helpful we would appreciate the information. We have grown very attached to these gentile giants that have alot of intellegence.

-- Anonymous, August 30, 1999

Answers

We had two Maine Coons full breed. Both were 5 years old. The female developed a heart murmur last winter. She suddenly died 3 weeks ago. We then rushed the male to the vet. They found no murmur but after x-rays and an ultra-sound, he was found to have developed cardio-mytopia, a genetically inherited heart disease. We are treating him with Cardizium CD. There is no cure. We are hoping to prolong his life. He has no other symptoms and seems to be very robust. I would not take your cat's murmur lightly.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 1999

An excellent place to start learning about your Maine Coon is Cheaptrills Maine Coons at www.geocities.com/Heartland//7528. This is a delightful site and very informative. There are terrific lists available for specifically Maine Coons too. Just get on the Net and start digging. You'll be amazed at the wealth of information and as you become acquainted with the data that is available you will learn who knows what they are talking about and who is simply jabbering.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 1999