Health Warranty
At Aub’s Maine Coons, we work hard to raise healthy, well-socialized kittens and to clearly explain what is—and is not—covered after a kitten joins its new family.
This page provides a plain-language summary of our current Pet Kitten Purchase Agreement. It does not replace or modify the signed contract. The contract issued for your specific kitten, including any disclosures or addenda, will always control if there is a difference between this page and the signed agreement.
How the Purchase Agreement Protects Both Parties
The Aub’s Maine Coons Purchase Agreement is designed to protect both the Buyer and the Breeder. It places the kitten’s information, the Breeder’s commitments, the Buyer’s responsibilities, the warranty terms and the available remedies in writing before the kitten is transferred.
This gives both parties the same information, reduces misunderstandings and provides a clear process to follow if a concern arises.
How the Agreement Protects the Buyer
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How the Agreement Protects Aub’s Maine Coons
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The purpose of the agreement is not to remove responsibility from either party. It clearly explains what Aub’s Maine Coons promises to provide, what the Buyer agrees to do and how both parties will handle a documented concern.
The signed contract issued for the individual kitten will always control and should be reviewed in full before signing.
Why We Use a Written Contract
Our purchase agreement is designed to protect both the Buyer and Aub’s Maine Coons. It places the kitten’s information, the Breeder’s commitments, the Buyer’s responsibilities, the warranty terms and the available remedies in writing before the kitten is transferred.
For the Buyer, the contract:
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The contract also protects Aub’s Maine Coons by clearly defining the Buyer’s responsibilities for veterinary care, insurance, timely communication, documentation, proper care and conditions outside the Breeder’s control.
Putting these terms in writing gives both parties the same information, reduces misunderstandings and provides a clear process if a concern arises.
What Is Included With Your Kitten
Before transfer, your kitten will:
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All warranties are subject to the requirements, limitations, exclusions, documentation standards and remedies contained in the signed contract.
The First 72 Hours
The first 72 hours following transfer are important for establishing the kitten’s health when it enters its new home. During this period, the contract requires a veterinary examination and provides a limited warranty against qualifying serious viral or bacterial disease.
Required Veterinary Examination
The Buyer must have the kitten examined by a licensed veterinarian within 72 hours of transfer. This examination establishes a documented health baseline and helps protect both the Buyer and the Breeder by identifying any immediate concern as early as possible.
The Buyer must provide Aub’s Maine Coons with the veterinarian’s complete examination notes and health findings. Failure to complete the examination or provide the required records can void the warranties contained in the contract.
Serious Viral or Bacterial Disease Warranty
The kitten is warranted to be free from a qualifying serious viral or bacterial disease during the first 72 hours following transfer.
This limited warranty is intended for severe or life-threatening illness. A qualifying illness must significantly impair the kitten’s health or require intensive veterinary treatment.
Potentially serious symptoms or conditions may include:
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Qualifying illnesses may include severe cases of panleukopenia, calicivirus, herpesvirus, chlamydia, bordetella, mycoplasma, pneumonia or septicemia when the contract’s requirements are met.
Mild sneezing, watery eyes, mild nasal discharge, temporary digestive upset or other minor stress-related symptoms are not considered serious illness under this warranty. Young kittens may experience mild symptoms following travel, vaccinations, environmental change or the stress of joining a new home.
Requirements for Warranty Consideration
To remain eligible for consideration, the Buyer must:
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If a claim qualifies, the available remedy will be determined according to the signed contract. Veterinary examinations, diagnostics, medications, hospitalization and treatment expenses are not reimbursed.
Two-Year Hereditary and Congenital Warranty
The kitten is warranted against qualifying hereditary or congenital defects that materially affect the kitten’s health for two years following transfer.
The conditions specifically identified in the current contract are:
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A screening result alone does not establish a qualifying warranty claim. The diagnosis must be made by a licensed veterinarian, supported by appropriate diagnostic testing and shown to be clinically significant.
Environmental, toxic, traumatic, stress-related, management-related and other contributing factors must be reasonably ruled out.
Maine Coon Heart Health and HCM
Maine Coons are a breed with an increased risk of certain health conditions, including Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, commonly called HCM. Aub’s Maine Coons performs available genetic DNA screening on breeding cats for known inherited conditions and known HCM-related variants.
Genetic testing is an important breeding tool that helps reduce risk, but it cannot guarantee that a kitten or cat will never develop HCM or another medical condition. Current DNA testing screens only for known genetic variants. A cat that tests negative for those variants may still develop HCM from an unidentified genetic cause, an age-related change or another cause that available DNA testing cannot predict.
Any cat may develop a medical condition despite responsible breeding practices, genetic screening, veterinary care and other reasonable precautions. DNA testing does not make a kitten immune from all future illness.
Heart Murmurs
A heart murmur is a sound heard during a veterinary examination and is not, by itself, a diagnosis of HCM or another hereditary heart defect. Low-grade murmurs may sometimes be heard in young, excited or stressed kittens and may be temporary or clinically insignificant. However, some murmurs may also be associated with structural heart disease.
The grade of a murmur alone does not determine whether a kitten has HCM. When a murmur persists, becomes louder, is accompanied by symptoms or raises concern during a veterinary examination, additional evaluation may be recommended. This may include an echocardiogram performed or interpreted by a veterinary cardiologist.
A grade 1 or grade 2 heart murmur alone, without cardiologist-confirmed heart enlargement, abnormal cardiac function or clinically significant HCM, does not qualify for a refund, replacement or other warranty remedy.
If a kitten is diagnosed within two years following transfer with clinically significant HCM that materially affects the kitten’s health, the diagnosis must be confirmed by a licensed veterinarian or veterinary cardiologist and supported by appropriate diagnostic testing.
The Buyer must notify Aub’s Maine Coons within 48 hours of diagnosis and provide complete veterinary records, diagnostic reports and confirmation of the kitten’s microchip number. Screening results, the presence of a murmur or a preliminary veterinary opinion alone are not sufficient to establish a qualifying warranty claim.
Aub’s Maine Coons reserves the right to communicate directly with the licensed veterinarian, veterinary cardiologist, laboratory or testing company involved and to obtain clarification regarding the examination, diagnosis, testing methods, results and clinical significance of the findings. The Buyer agrees to provide any authorization necessary for this communication.
For a qualifying living-kitten claim, the kitten must be returned to Aub’s Maine Coons in living condition. If the Buyer chooses to retain the kitten or does not return the kitten as required, all refund, replacement, credit and reimbursement remedies are waived.
If the claim qualifies after the required records and diagnosis are verified, Aub’s Maine Coons will select the remedy available under the signed contract. Veterinary examinations, cardiology consultations, echocardiograms, diagnostic testing, medications, treatment and other veterinary expenses are not reimbursed.
Remedy for a Qualifying Diagnosis
The affected kitten must be returned to Aub’s Maine Coons in living condition for a warranty remedy to apply. A Buyer who chooses to retain the kitten waives eligibility for a refund, replacement, credit or reimbursement.
After the kitten is returned and the documentation is verified, Aub’s Maine Coons will select one of the remedies permitted by the signed contract:
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Veterinary bills, diagnostic expenses, surgery, treatment costs and other related expenses are not reimbursed.
Death Within the Two-Year Warranty Period
If a kitten dies within two years of transfer due to a qualifying hereditary, congenital or idiopathic cause, Aub’s Maine Coons may provide one replacement kitten of equal quality, subject to all requirements and exclusions contained in the signed contract.
The Buyer must obtain and pay for a complete necropsy performed by a licensed veterinarian. The necropsy report must:
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No replacement will be provided without a complete necropsy or when death is related to neglect, abuse, trauma, an accident, poisoning, preventable illness, environmental exposure or a weather-related event.
After a claim is approved, the Buyer must pay the $500 replacement-processing fee required by the contract. The fee must be submitted within 30 days of approval.
This provision offers a replacement kitten only. It does not provide payment or reimbursement of veterinary expenses.
Pet Insurance Is Required
Every kitten includes the opportunity to activate 30 days of complimentary Trupanion coverage. The Buyer may instead obtain coverage through another pet insurance provider.
Coverage must be activated within 24 hours of transfer. Proof must be provided within 48 hours and must include:
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Maintaining active pet insurance is required for warranty eligibility. Failure to activate coverage and provide proof as required can void health-warranty eligibility and any return, refund or replacement consideration.
The Buyer is responsible for all premiums, deductibles, copays, exclusions and expenses that are not paid by the insurance provider.
Notification and Medical Records
The Buyer must notify Aub’s Maine Coons as soon as reasonably possible after first noticing an illness, injury, neurological symptom, trauma, abnormal behavior or other medical concern. Initial notice must be provided within 24 hours unless an emergency reasonably prevents immediate communication.
When a diagnosis is made, notice must also be provided within the timeframe required by the applicable warranty section, generally within 48 hours of diagnosis.
Official notice must be sent by text message or email. A social-media message is not considered official notice unless Aub’s Maine Coons acknowledges it in writing.
For any warranty claim, return or request for consideration, the Buyer must provide:
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Screenshots, verbal summaries, online opinions and partial records are not sufficient. Failure to provide complete documentation or authorization can void any warranty or return consideration.
What Is Not Covered
Except when a serious illness qualifies under the limited first-72-hours warranty, the following conditions, events and expenses are excluded:
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Seizures and Neurological Conditions
Seizure disorders, seizure-like activity and other neurological episodes are excluded from warranty coverage. This includes symptoms such as convulsions, tremors, excessive salivation, collapse, loss of consciousness, altered awareness, abnormal movements or muscle rigidity.
These conditions may be idiopathic or multifactorial and can be associated with trauma, toxins, environmental exposure, veterinary products, illness, stress or causes that cannot be definitively identified. The warranty does not guarantee that seizure activity or another neurological condition will never develop or occur.
Environmental and Toxic Exposure
Cats can be extremely sensitive to substances commonly used in homes. Illness, organ damage, neurological symptoms, seizures or death associated with environmental or toxic exposure are not covered.
Potential hazards include, but are not limited to:
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The Buyer is responsible for researching products and maintaining an environment that is safe for cats.
Veterinary Expenses, Maximum Responsibility and Available Remedies
After the kitten is transferred, all veterinary expenses are the Buyer’s responsibility. Aub’s Maine Coons does not pay, reimburse or contribute toward veterinary expenses, including:
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A Buyer may not keep the kitten and receive veterinary reimbursement, a refund, replacement kitten, credit or other warranty remedy. When the applicable warranty provision requires the kitten to be returned, the kitten must be returned to Aub’s Maine Coons in living condition before any remedy will be considered.
If the Buyer chooses to retain the kitten, refuses to return the kitten or otherwise fails to complete the required return, all refund, replacement, credit and reimbursement remedies are waived.
Aub’s Maine Coons’ maximum responsibility is limited to the single remedy expressly available under the applicable warranty section of the signed contract. Depending on the specific qualifying claim and the applicable contract provision, that remedy may be a replacement kitten or a refund as determined under the signed agreement.
Only one remedy may be provided. Remedies are mutually exclusive and may not be combined or stacked.
No warranty claim will result in payment of veterinary bills, diagnostic expenses, insurance deductibles, cash reimbursement in addition to another remedy, multiple replacement kittens or a combination of a refund, replacement and credit.
Pet insurance is required so that the kitten can receive timely medical care. The limited warranty provided by Aub’s Maine Coons is not a substitute for pet insurance and does not function as veterinary medical coverage.
Why Certain Conditions Are Excluded
An excluded condition is not necessarily minor or unimportant. Conditions are excluded when they may be contagious, environmental, traumatic, toxic, idiopathic, stress-related or multifactorial and therefore cannot reliably be attributed to breeding.
Once a kitten is transferred, Aub’s Maine Coons no longer controls:
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The warranty is intended to provide defined remedies for qualifying serious infectious illness during the first 72 hours and qualifying hereditary or congenital defects during the first two years. It is not unlimited medical insurance.
Breeding Rights
Breeding rights are offered only in limited, individually approved circumstances and must be expressly granted in a signed Breeding Kitten Purchase Agreement.
Pet kittens are not sold with breeding rights. Any reproductive, fertility, breeding-quality, testing, exchange or replacement terms are governed exclusively by the signed agreement issued for that particular breeding kitten.
Please Read Your Contract Carefully
Every Buyer receives a contract containing the complete terms, requirements, exclusions and remedies that apply to their kitten.
This website page is provided only as a general summary. It does not create additional guarantees, modify the signed contract or replace the Buyer’s responsibility to read the agreement in full.
