Beware of Kitten Scams: How to Recognize a Fake Breeder
An important message from Adora Maine Coon Cattery about protecting yourself when searching for a Maine Coon kitten.
Bringing a Maine Coon kitten into your family should be a joyful and exciting experience. Unfortunately, online kitten scams have become a serious concern, and even experienced, careful buyers can find themselves dealing with people who are not who they claim to be.
At Adora Maine Coon Cattery, we have personally encountered fraudulent social media pages impersonating our cattery. We have also heard from prospective kitten owners who feared they had been deceived by someone posing as a legitimate breeder.
We created this guide to help families recognize potential warning signs, verify breeders, and protect themselves before sending money.
Why Kitten Scams Can Be So Convincing
Scammers know that people searching for a kitten often become emotionally attached long before bringing their new companion home.
They may use beautiful photographs, convincing stories, professional-looking websites, fake reviews, and even the names of established breeders to gain trust.
Some impersonate real catteries. Others invent breeding programs that do not exist. They may communicate warmly and patiently at first, only to become increasingly demanding when it is time to collect a deposit.
The most important thing to remember is that a convincing online presence does not necessarily mean you are dealing with a legitimate breeder.
Eleven Warning Signs of a Possible Kitten Scam
No single warning sign automatically proves fraud. However, several appearing together should encourage you to investigate carefully before proceeding.
1. An unusually large selection of available kittens
Be cautious when a breeder appears to have dozens of beautiful kittens of different ages and colours, all immediately available.
A responsible breeding program generally involves planned litters, limited availability, and considerable time devoted to raising each kitten.
2. Prices that seem too good to be true
Purebred Maine Coons from established breeding programs involve substantial expenses, including veterinary care, nutrition, health testing, and responsible breeding practices.
An unusually low price, especially when combined with pressure to pay immediately, should raise questions.
3. A website with little information about the breeder
A website focused almost entirely on selling kittens, with little information about the breeding cats, health practices, adoption process, or history of the cattery, deserves closer examination.
A website alone is not proof of legitimacy.
4. Recently created social media accounts
Look beyond the number of followers.
Check how long the account has existed, whether posts have appeared consistently over time, and whether there are genuine interactions with kitten owners.
A page containing many photographs uploaded within a few days may have been assembled quickly using images from other sources.
5. Photographs that do not seem to belong together
Pay attention to differences in backgrounds, lighting, image quality, and photographic styles.
If every kitten appears to have been photographed in a completely different environment, the images may have been collected from unrelated websites or breeders.
Try a reverse image search using Google Lens to see whether the photographs appear elsewhere.
6. Refusal to arrange a live video call
A live video conversation can help establish that the breeder has access to the kitten being offered.
Ask to see the kitten moving naturally, and, when appropriate, its mother or familiar surroundings.
A prerecorded video is not the same as a live interaction.
7. Pressure to send a deposit immediately
Be especially cautious if someone insists that you must pay within minutes because several other buyers are supposedly waiting.
Legitimate breeders may have reservation policies and deadlines, but you should still have a reasonable opportunity to review the terms and verify who will receive your money.
8. Requests for suspicious or difficult-to-recover payments
Be wary of payments to unrelated individuals, changing recipient names, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or unfamiliar payment services.
An Interac e-Transfer is not automatically suspicious; many legitimate Canadian businesses use it. What matters is whether you have independently verified the recipient and understand the transaction.
9. No clear written agreement
Before paying a deposit, ask for written information about the kitten, price, payment terms, reservation conditions, and responsibilities of both parties.
Be cautious if the seller refuses to provide clear documentation.
10. Inconsistent names, addresses, or contact details
Pay attention if the seller provides conflicting locations, changes email addresses, or asks you to communicate through an unrelated social media profile.
Scammers sometimes copy the name of a legitimate cattery while providing their own payment details.
11. Unexpected additional fees
Be cautious if new charges suddenly appear after the initial payment, particularly for supposedly mandatory insurance, special transport permits, refundable shipping crates, or emergency delivery arrangements.
Unexpected fees accompanied by threats or urgent demands are a serious warning sign.
Our Experience: When Scammers Impersonated AdoraCoon
Unfortunately, our own cattery has been targeted by impersonators on more than one occasion.
Over the years, we have discovered fraudulent Facebook pages and profiles using names resembling AdoraCoon or AdoraCoonCanada, sometimes accompanied by photographs and information taken from legitimate sources.
Despite reporting suspicious accounts, similar pages have continued to appear.
These impersonations have caused genuine confusion. We have received inquiries from people who believed they were communicating with our cattery when, in fact, we had never spoken with them.
In one particularly upsetting situation, a person who had encountered a misleading Facebook presence believed she had been dealing with us and subsequently left a negative Google review. The communication and payment requests she described did not originate from our cattery.
Experiences like these demonstrate that online impersonation can harm both unsuspecting families and legitimate breeders.
Please remember: AdoraCoon does not advertise or sell kittens through independent Facebook or Instagram sales conversations.
Our social media accounts are used to share photographs, updates, and news about our cats. Our official website is the starting point for inquiries and our adoption process.
If someone contacts you through social media claiming to represent AdoraCoon and requests a kitten deposit, please verify the information with us directly through our website before sending money.
A Real Conversation That Inspired This Guide
In September 2026, a prospective kitten owner contacted us after becoming concerned about a deposit she had already paid to another breeder.
She had been eagerly preparing for her new kitten, purchasing toys and making her home ready for the arrival. However, difficulties communicating with the seller left her worried that she might have been deceived.
We shared several warning signs and encouraged her to examine the situation carefully.
The seller eventually resumed communication, and she decided to wait for the planned pickup date.
We do not know whether her concerns ultimately proved justified, and we would never suggest that delayed communication alone establishes dishonesty.
Nevertheless, her experience reminded us how vulnerable families can feel when they have already invested money, trust, and affection in a kitten they have not yet met.
Years before establishing AdoraCoon, I personally came close to falling for a similar scam while searching for my first Maine Coon. Fortunately, I became suspicious before sending money.
I still remember how believable everything seemed at first.
That experience is one of the reasons I believe prospective kitten owners deserve clear information and honest communication.
How to Verify a Breeder Before Sending a Deposit
We recommend taking the following precautions:
Find the official website independently. Do not rely solely on links provided in social media messages.
Review the breeder's history. Look for consistent information about breeding cats, previous litters, and their program.
Check social media carefully. Use links published on the official website rather than searching by name alone.
Request a live video conversation. Ask to see the kitten in real time when possible.
Why Reputable Breeders May Not Allow In-Person Visits
Many responsible breeders, particularly those operating small home-based catteries, limit or completely restrict in-person visits to protect their cats and kittens.
Visitors can unknowingly carry infectious agents on their clothing, shoes, or hands, especially after visiting other animal facilities. Young kittens, whose immune systems are still developing, are particularly vulnerable. Frequent visitors can also cause unnecessary stress to nursing mothers and their litters.
At AdoraCoon, we learned this lesson the hard way. Several years ago, visitors came to our cattery after visiting another breeding facility where some animals were ill. We subsequently experienced a serious health incident that required extensive veterinary care and considerable expense. Since then, we have stopped offering in-person visits for viewing or selecting kittens.
However, refusing an in-person visit is very different from refusing to show a kitten at all.
A reputable breeder should be willing to provide reasonable opportunities to verify that the kitten exists and is being raised in appropriate conditions. Live video calls are an excellent alternative, allowing prospective families to see their kitten in real time, observe its behaviour, ask questions, and, when appropriate, meet its mother or other breeding cats virtually.
At AdoraCoon, we are happy to arrange live video calls with prospective families when a suitable kitten is available. In-person visits are reserved for the collection of an adopted kitten.
Remember: A breeder who protects their cattery from unnecessary visits may be acting responsibly. A seller who repeatedly avoids any reasonable opportunity for live verification deserves closer scrutiny.
Verify registration claims. Contact the relevant registry if necessary.
Review the written agreement. Understand the deposit and cancellation policies before paying.
Confirm payment details independently. Make sure the recipient is associated with the breeder you have verified.
Keep records. Save correspondence, receipts, agreements, and relevant screenshots.
A responsible breeder should be willing to answer reasonable questions about their breeding program and adoption procedures.
At the same time, remember that legitimate breeders may have different policies regarding home visits, waiting lists, deposits, and transportation. Evaluate the overall transparency and consistency of the business rather than relying on a single rule.
What to Do If You Suspect You Have Been Scammed
If you believe you may be communicating with a fraudulent seller:
Stop sending money until you have independently verified the seller.
Save screenshots of advertisements, profiles, conversations, payment requests, and receipts.
Contact your bank or payment provider immediately if you have already transferred money.
Report the suspicious account to the social media platform or website hosting the advertisement.
Report suspected fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
If money or personal information has been stolen, consider contacting your local police and taking steps to protect your accounts and identity.
Useful official resources:
Even if you have not lost money, reporting a suspicious account may help protect someone else.
How to Contact the Real AdoraCoon
Adora Maine Coon Cattery is located in Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada.
Our official website is:
Our official email address is:
adoracoon@gmail.com; info@adoramainecoon.ca
You can find our authentic social media accounts through the links published on our website.
We encourage prospective families to begin with our official website and complete our Kitten Adoption Questionnaire before proceeding with an adoption inquiry.
We do not arrange unsolicited kitten sales or request deposits through unrelated Facebook or Instagram accounts.
If you are ever unsure whether a message genuinely came from AdoraCoon, please contact us directly using the information on our official website.
A Final Word from AdoraCoon
Finding your future companion should be filled with anticipation, not fear.
Most responsible breeders genuinely care about their cats and the families who welcome them. Unfortunately, dishonest individuals sometimes exploit that trust.
We hope this guide helps you recognize warning signs, ask the right questions, and approach your search with confidence.
Take your time. Verify before you pay. And never let anyone pressure you into making a decision before you feel comfortable.
Example of a fraudulent Facebook page impersonating AdoraCoon. This page is not affiliated with our cattery.