Maine Coon

Who it suits

A household where the cat is part of the family. The Maine Coon follows people from room to room, copes well with children and dogs, and tends to be curious rather than shy.

It is a cat that talks — but quietly. Instead of miaowing it chirps and trills; for its size its voice is surprisingly soft.

It was shaped by work, not by the show bench: it developed on New England farms as a mouser that could survive a hard winter. Hence the water-resistant coat, the big furry paws and a taste for playing with water.

It does not suit a small flat without vertical space. A big cat needs a solid scratching post that will take seven kilos and somewhere to jump up to.

What it looks like

• Weight: males 6–9 kg, females 4–6 kg; some males exceed 10 kg
• Length: commonly around a metre including the tail
• Coat: semi-long and uneven — shorter over the back, longer on the flanks and belly; a dense ruff and a bushy tail
• Ears: large, set high, with tufts inside and often with lynx tips
• Paws: large, with hair between the toes — natural snowshoes
• Colour: most colours and patterns are accepted except chocolate, cinnamon and the colours derived from Siamese pointing
• Lifespan: usually 10–15 years

It matures slowly. Full size and head shape arrive only at three or four years old — until then it looks like a long-legged kitten that everything is too big for.

Temperament and environment

The Maine Coon is calmer than the oriental breeds, but it is not lazy. It likes to fetch, it opens doors, and it treats a running tap as entertainment.

It will tolerate being alone for a while but does not enjoy it — in a home that is empty all day, two cats are the better answer.

Coat care

Brush two or three times a week, more often when moulting. The semi-long coat with its undercoat mats mainly behind the ears, in the armpits, on the flanks and under the tail.

A mat is not pulled out by force — it hurts, and the cat will refuse grooming from then on. It is cut out, or removed by a professional.

The big furry paws pick up snow in winter; trimming the hair between the pads helps.

Feeding

An adult needs roughly 70–100 g of dry food a day depending on weight, or the equivalent in wet food. A big cat eats more — but the ratio to body weight is the same as in any cat, so the idea that a big cat can eat as much as it likes is simply wrong.

A growing kitten needs kitten food for longer than in small breeds: the Maine Coon grows until three, and the energy and protein have to last that whole time.

Common health problems

• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) — thickening of the heart muscle. An inherited mutation is described in the breed and a DNA test exists; breeding cats should also have a heart scan.
• Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) — inherited, showing as an unsteady gait in young cats. A DNA test exists.
• Hip dysplasia — unusual in cats, but it occurs in this large breed.
• Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) — less common than in Persians, but tested for.
• Hairballs during moulting.

In no other cat breed does it pay off more to ask the breeder about testing. HCM and SMA can be excluded from a blood sample, and a good breeder shows the results unprompted.

This is not a diagnostic guide. A cat breathing with its mouth open, staggering or suddenly unwilling to walk needs a vet straight away.

Anything else to consider

A big cat means everything bigger: litter tray, scratching post, carrier and food ration. A standard cat carrier is too small for an adult male, and people usually discover that on the way to the vet.

And expect hair. The Maine Coon sheds all year round, and heavily during the moult.