Maine Coon glossary
Definitions for informed kitten buyers.
Pedigree
A record of a cat’s ancestry issued by a relevant registry or club. Verify the issuer and that the document matches the individual animal.
TICA
The International Cat Association, a feline registry. Mention of TICA does not by itself prove an animal’s current paperwork.
WCF
World Cat Federation, a federation of feline clubs; a local club’s relationship and an individual cat’s registration are distinct matters.
FIFe
Fédération Internationale Féline, an international federation of national feline organisations.
Pet / companion
A placement for life as a family companion. Breeding rights and sterilisation obligations must be stated in the individual agreement.
Breeding rights
Express written permission to use a cat in a breeding programme; not implied by buying a pedigreed animal.
Show potential
An assessment of conformation and development, not a promise of a title or future show result.
EMS colour code
A standardised code used by many feline organisations to describe breed, colour and pattern.
HCM
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: thickening of the heart muscle. Some genetic variants are known, but a negative DNA test does not rule out every form; echocardiography assesses the heart at the time of examination.
SMA
Spinal muscular atrophy: an inherited neuromuscular condition associated with a known variant in Maine Coons. Check the specific test report.
PKDef
Pyruvate kinase deficiency: a hereditary red-blood-cell disorder. It is not the same condition as PKD.
PKD
Polycystic kidney disease: a kidney disorder. Do not confuse it with PKDef or claim a test was performed without documentation.
Microchip
A permanent identification transponder. Compare the microchip number in the applicable records with the actual kitten.
Reservation
A commitment governed by individual written terms. A listing is not confirmation of availability or receipt of a deposit.
Health screening
A specific examination or test tied to an animal, result and date. Screening is not a lifetime guarantee.