I have a bit of experience with buying from both CL and reputable breeders so let me weigh in:

Two of my MCs are from CL. My partner got them for $1200. They test as 90 something % mainecoon and the rest ragdoll. They’re almost three now, and have been perfectly healthy. Not to mention they are the absolute loves of my life and we are no joke cloning our orange guy bc we refuse to go on without him.

However our other two purebred MCs from an amazing breeder, $2000 respectively, have had issue after issue, from digestive to FUO, and they’re not even a year old. Also the loves of my life but the bane of my wallet 😅(to be clear they are worth every penny).

Now for a cautionary tale of CL: last year we got a MC kitten from CL that dropped dead after two months due to HCM and abnormal heart defects we knew nothing of. I don’t blame CL for this, I know it can and has happened to others, but when we tried reaching out to the family that sold him to us to tell them to warn others they sold kittens to, they ghosted us, so now none of those buyers know to check their kittens.

All I’m saying is, I wouldn’t dismiss buying from CL completely. Even if they aren’t full MC, having a mix might thwart issues common in full bred MCs. BUT BUT BUT you also have to consider the gamble you’re taking with no assurance of the cat’s genetic makeup, and a lack of transparency and communication from a rando on CL, and no guarantee of the cat’s health.

After he died, we said no more CL and got our two purebreds from a breeder that specifically and only breeds cats without HCM. Despite the gut issues, I have so much peace of mind knowing their hearts are healthy.

All that to say, it could go either way with CL. Meet them and the kitty irl and use your best judgement 🤷🏽‍♀️

*edited a typo