Your Maine Coon Guide

I have just completed a questionnaire on the Money Supermarket website to obtain a quote to medically ensure against health risks a fictional Maine Coon that I have whose name is Bella and she is about two years of age. I requested the top end medical insurance for her, by which I mean she's covered for ongoing treatments for her lifetime and with a veterinary fee limit of between £3250-£15,000. So, this is a deluxe insurance package. Bella has been spayed and vaccinated et cetera. I've gone for a top end scenario to see what the website comes up with by way of a quote. It may interest somebody. Here are 2 screenshots at the bottom end and top end of the spectrum of premiums: Maine Coon health insurance UK low end prices. Maine Coon health insurance UK top end prices I have some other pages on cat insurance which may interest you. Please click the link below: pet health insurance – PoC (pictures-of-cats.org)

In order to avoid being scammed it is recommended that you watch out for the following 20 points when wishing to buy a Maine Coon cat or any other purebred cat online: 20 ways to tell that a Maine Coon online seller is a scammer. MC kittens. Photo: Pinterest. Text only advertising; Seller not answering basic level questions regarding pedigree i.e. parentage, including health and general information about caring for a Maine Coon; Not telling you the name of the cattery and where it is or providing any detailed information about their breeding policies et cetera; Not willing to show photographs of the cats; Demanding high value deposits upfront; Unwilling to offer a video call to allow for a face-to-face conversation and to have sight of the cats; Sending just one photograph of a kitten and no more; Refusing to send any more than one photograph of a kitten despite frequent requests to do so; Providing repetitive and similar photographs or duplicate photographs of a cat or kitten when ...

No, Maine Coons do not like to be left alone just like any other domestic cat companion. There is no difference between the impressive Maine Coon cat and any other domestic cat including moggies. To stress: they are all the same in terms of their underlying character and character traits. This means that they are all essentially quite sociable nowadays . The concept that the cat is entirely independent and solitary is incorrect. Over 10,000 years of domestication they have learned to become sociable and they much prefer their human companion being around in the home. Obviously, the owner should be a decent person and sensitive to their cat's needs for cats to like them being around, but I hope that goes without saying. Image by  Anna Sulencka  from  Pixabay . All Maine Coons are socialised to people because they have been selectively bred by cat breeders and part of their obligations and duties is to ensure that their cats fit nicely into their new homes. They can only...

This is not my girlfriend but the girlfriend of Reddit user: u/Paradisity . And he takes a good cat photograph. He's got a nice smartphone I expect. The modern phone has amazingly competent photographic qualities incorporating large sensors at around 50 million pixels and super sensitive chips able to take photos in dark conditions. They are as good as the best 35mm SLR digital cameras. Everyone can be a very competent photographer nowadays. The photo reinforces the belief that the big Maine Coons (and not all Maine Coons are huge) can be enormous will a head size that approaches that of humans. My Maine Coon compared to my 5'5" girlfriend. Words and photo by Reddit user: u/Paradisity .

No, Maine Coons should not be bathed unless there is a specific health reason. Such reasons might be that the cat has fallen into some paint or has a bad flea infestation. These would both be rare for Maine Coons as they live pretty special lives, normally, as they are purchased cats from a breeder and they can be expensive depending on the quality of the cat. They'll normally be full-time indoor cats in the interests of their security and safety and well cared for. CAVEAT: a Maine Coon owner on YouTube disagrees with me as she says that Maine Coons become smelly unless you bathe them a few times per year. Strange that as cats are fastidiously clean but I defer to her experience. Make your own choice. If your Maine Coon does indeed become smelly without any obvious reason, I'd bathe her. ---------------- Dirty stray kitten being bathed and probably enjoying it. This is NOT a Maine Coon! This is a stray who was rescued and in a bad way. Photo in the public domain. The reason...

An amazingly cute Maine Coon kitten with the face of an old man. How amazing is that?! It is by robert_sijka who has a reputation for the amazing. @robert_sijka Cutest boy ever 😍 ##mainecoon ##kitten ##catsoftiktok ##felisgallery ♬ original sound - Felis Gallery by Robert Sijka Note : videos on this site are typically made by people other than me and held on YouTube servers or the servers of other businesses (not the server storing this website). Sometimes the videos are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it. Cutest old man Maine Coon kitten. Photo: robert_sijka. This is one of those amazing 'old man' Maine Coon kittens with the human faces by robert_sijka. I am going to have to find out some more about this man. He has an amazing access to amazing Maine Coons and he is an amazing photographer and video maker as well. The upshot? Amazing stuff. This little fella is so cute an...

Here is a list of Maine Coon clubs and associations as at 2021 which may not be comprehensive but which you might find useful nonetheless. Clubs and associations tend to come and go but the ones mentioned here are well-established. Maine Coon (brown tabby) siting on a table looking very cute. Photo in public domain. The Maine Coon Cat Club , affiliated to the GCCF and established in 1985 (UK based). In 1995 it published a guide to the breed: Introducing the Maine Coon . They have an initial joining fee of 1 pound with a single annual subscription of 5 pounds or a joint annual subscription of 7 pounds. For those under 16 they have a junior subscription of £2.50 but juniors have no voting rights. They have forms on their website to complete. They have a Facebook page, Maine Coon Cat Club UK , on which they say that the club currently has five hundred members, both in Britain and abroad. Membership is open to anyone. You don't have to own a Maine Coon to join. Many of their members...

I don't have a lot of hard detail on the story but what is clear is that a Canadian resident of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada tried to purchase a purebred Maine Coon from what appears to be a breeder in the United States. The Halifax District Royal Canadian Mounted Police were notified on May 17 that the victim had sent money to purchase the cat and then determined that they had been scammed. RCMP spokesperson Corporal Lisa Croteau confirmed that the person scammed was trying to adopt a Maine Coon. We don't know the amount of money involved and therefore lost. And it appears that there have been similar scams in the past as reported by Global News. Handsome Maine Coon. This cat is no associated with the scam mentioned. This cat is simply here to illustrate the page. Comment: this particular scam will be one of very many. It is a classic scam of purchasing an expensive cat online and sending money online perhaps by bank transfer, direct, customer-to-supplier without first...

Like many purebred cats, the Maine Coon can suffer from inherited genetic illnesses which is a great shame because it is a stain on the breeding of this wonderful American cat. This beautiful cat can inherit at least five diseases one of which is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy a.k.a. HCM. And, to the best of my knowledge, it is still work in progress as to what mutated genes cause this disease. One of them is the A31P mutation referred to in the title. I have an article on another heart disease caused by a genetic mutation which can read by clicking on this link . Glorious Maine Coon. The presence of the photo does not infer that this cat suffers from an inherited disease. Photo in the public domain. The figure of 26%, referred to in the title, comes from Langford Vets who provide cat genetic testing to help breeders and I presume veterinarians and cat owners understand whether their cats or cat carry one of these genetic mutations. They are based in Bristol, UK. Their Molecular Diagn...

You can answer the question from two standpoints (1) the statements of Maine Coon cat owners of which you can find many on the Internet and (2) the statement of a well-known cat show judge, Gloria Stephens. Huge ginger tabby Maine Coon being cuddled and enjoying it. Picture in the public domain (believed to be a screenshot from a video). Those that live with and love Maine Coons Anecdotally, and their evidence is completely believable, Maine Coons like to cuddle. They are like any other domestic cat in terms of their personalities and characters. They live in the human world and provided their human companion and caretaker does a good job, even an excellent job, the Maine Coons in their charge will want to cuddle up and be close to their human.  Of course, it depends upon how well socialised the cat is but all Maine Coons should be well socialised because it is part of the work of a good cat breeder. All Maine Coon cats have been created by a cat breeder. I am referring to pureb...

This is not about individual cats of the Maine Coon breed being scared of everything. Maine Coon cats are just like any other domestic cat. They are not scared of everything. If they are properly raised underfoot and socialised then, just like any other properly raised domestic cat, they are not scared of everything. That said, domestic cats in general can be a little bit anxious about many things because they are, after all, living in a human world. We should not forget that. My Maine Coon is scared of everything? Image: MikeB based on images from Pixabay and a Instagram. The Maine Coon in the background is not 'scared of everything'! So, if a person visits the Internet looking for advice because their Maine Coon cat is 'scared of everything', they need to look at three things (1) how their cat was socialised by the breeder from whom they purchased the cat or (2) if they adopted the cat from another person whether that person mistreated their cat or allowed their ca...

Sorry but this is an absurd question. However, I feel compelled to address it briefly because Google tells me that people ask it. All domestic cats scratch furniture if the opportunity arises because all domestic cats need to scratch something. If they were allowed outside it would be the side of a fence or a tree trunk. If it is inside the home, where Maine Coons should be living full-time in my opinion, it should be a solidly constructed cat scratching post, one of which I recommend and which can be purchased on Amazon.  You can see it in the photo below. You can't miss it on Amazon. Scratching posts have to be sold and big to be effective and attractive to domestic cats. Marvin at scratching post. Marvin lives with DW, a regular contributor. The photo is by her. Maine Coons are just like any other domestic cat. I don't really need to state that, but I will just to be absolutely clear. They need to scratch to stretch their back, to deposit scent onto objects around them, t...

Omar is a beautiful ginger tabby-and-white Maine Coon cat living in Melbourne, Australia with his human companions and a calico cat called Strudel (a.k.a. Ru). He is a celebrity cat, which is unsurprising because he looks like a celebrity; a glamour boy. He is made for celebrity status but then aren't all the huge Maine Coon cats that we see on the Internet? They have this presence which immediately catches the eye. His caretakers have a fantastic Instagram informational slide show which allows me to provide some details about his life. "Leaning into those ear scratches! Omar LOVES having his head petted. He leans right into it, he purrs, he drools and sometimes if you’re not petting him he will shove his head into your hand and force you to pet him." - words from his Instagram page. He was born on 21 September 2013. He weighs 14 kg and his approximate length is 120 cm (nose to end of tail). He has four siblings. Two brown tabby sisters and two red brothers. Omar'...

I don't have a lot of information about this handsome cat except that he is a Maine Coon which is pretty obvious anyway because this cat's appearance is very much in line with the breed standard. I am referring to the lynx tipped ears and plumed tail plus the square-muzzled face and the overall size which is very large - the largest of the domestic cat breeds. I think - a bit of a guess - that this cat lives in Germany. He lives with Silvia Schäftner and I believe that his name is Picasso. He has a collar. This points to the possibility that he is allowed to go outside unsupervised but I am guessing again. The place looks tidy and well organised which supports the view that this is Northern Europe and the owner's name is, I believe, German. Picasso is a blotched brown tabby, a very nice and appropriate coat type for a Maine Coon as it is a reflection of the coat of the early Maine Coons in America when they were non-purebred barn cats. Super Maine Coon outside in the backya...

One of at least five inherited diseases which can be suffered by the Maine Coon is spinal muscular atrophy. You can read about the others by clicking on this link . As mentioned, this is a genetic defect occurring in this popular cat breed. The nerves that control the skeletal muscles of the body, which are situated in the spinal cord, die off. The disease becomes apparent when the kitten is about 3 to 4 months old. At this time a kitten will move with a sway in the rear end. Beautiful tabby Maine Coon. Photo: Helmi Flick. At five or six-months old kittens with this disease can't jump. Their muscle mass is decreased although they do not appear to be in pain and can lead fairly normal lives as indoor companion cats. There is no treatment. Genetically, this is an autosomal recessive trait. You may be able to get a genetic test on this condition by sending a cheek swab to the Laboratory of Comparative Medicine Genetics at Michigan State University. They have developed this test. It...

The snow sort of adds to the image. And this is an impressive image because the cat is so impressive. What a beauty she is. Girly-looking Maine Coon beauty in a snowy place. Photo: Twitter. This very large cat looks distinctly female which is almost certainly true because nearly all calico cats (tortoiseshell-and-white) and tortoiseshell cats are female due to the genetic link between sex and coat type. This cat's face is distinctly female for me. Very girly. Sometimes you can tell the gender of a cat from their face because some feline faces are distinctly female or male. But on other occasions it is not so clear. As cat owners we don't pay much attention to the fact that our cat might look masculine or feminine. This is a good and we should take that attitude forward in our relations with humans! Less judging people on their appearance and more on their behavior. And a more open mind to appearance would help in the drive for equality and less prejudice. A bit about the rar...

I have one of these cat strollers ( see it heading a website by clicking on this link ). And it is particularly nice, partly for that reason, to see this man take his outstanding and enormous Maine Coon cat in a stroller into New York City. He is a laid-back cat and his name is Samson for obvious reasons. The man who owns Samson -- wrong words, lives with and is the servant of -- wants to make him as famous as possible and so he has an Instagram account with over 100,000 followers.  Samson is a huge Maine Coon living in an apartment in NYC who gets taken out in a cat stroller to the delight of the residents. The stroller is behind him on the balcony . Screenshot from the video below. And of course, there is this YouTube video and I'm sure other outlets which help to promote this beautiful chocolate brown bicolour coated Maine Coon. He seems to be living in an apartment in NYC. In the photo you can see the stroller on the balcony in the background.

I believe that you can answer the question in the title in two ways. Super-looking young Maine Coon. Photo in public domain. Not all cats of one breed are the same There is the general feeling that you can brand all individual cats of one particular breed with the same character. I don't believe it. There may be a slight predisposition towards having a certain character within a cat breed but there will be big variations between individuals due to all kinds of factors including environmental and genetic. How the kittens are raised underfoot counts. In other words, how they are socialised. And although cat breeders use selective breeding to fix the appearance of their cat they don't focus on behaviour characteristics and this is not a science in any case. So, under this heading, you will find that some Maine Coons are lap cats and some aren't due to individual preferences. The conventional viewpoint I have two books I can refer to including the Internet. The general mood ...

This is an example of an online scammer who set up a website which gave the impression that he or she sold Maine Coon cats and kittens. A metro Detroit couple were fooled by what they thought was a legitimate website.  They had sadly experienced the death of two Maine Coon cats not long ago and because they were very attached, they wanted their family to be "whole again," said Richard Cockrum. Richard wanted to do something nice for his girlfriend Nancy and search for a Christmas present for her. They looked online for Maine Coon kittens. It was a tough year for them because Richard had contracted Covid-19 and was hospitalised for several days. He's been on furlough and he wanted to end the year positively. He found this scammer website which she thought was genuine which you can see in the images below. The site cannot be accessed at the moment probably because the scammer has pulled it off the internet after this story broke but he will be back with another scam no doub...

OLNEY, MARYLAND, USA - NEWS AND VIEWS: It is highly unusual, perhaps almost unique, for a gloriously fine looking, silver tabby Maine Coon purebred cat to remain unsterilised and to be allowed to roam around his neighbourhood picking fights with other cats, which he no doubt won because of his 18 pound size. Apparently he had lost some teeth but was in otherwise good health. Karen Efird, grandson and Hobo. Photo: Karen's husband? His owner was Irina Guerman. She obviously has what I would describe as a laissez-faire attitude towards cat guardianship. In fact she had two cats but her beautiful Maine Coon decided on a new home during his extended travels. Karen Efird saw the 18-pound cat just after Thanksgiving in 2020. He was having a nap in the bushes at the side of her home. She had seen him before but this time he let her approach with food and water. Other people had seen him and he had acquired a nickname among residents: "Ghost Cat". Others called him 'Bigfoot...

The video shows a wonderful friendship between a resident Maine Coon and the incoming Maine Coon. The owners were a little nervous about the prospects of them getting along but, it seems, they needn't have been. They are the best of friends. When it works out like this it is incredibly pleasing. It can be difficult to predict whether an incoming cat will get along with a resident cat. In fact, it is probably impossible because it is about chemistry just like humans. And there is no accounting for chemistry in relationships. Incoming Maine Coon gets on great with resident Maine Coon pleasing their owners. Screenshot. But, when they get along the owner knows that some responsibilities are taken off her shoulders. The responsibility of making sure that their cat is entertained and content. That responsibility is still there but with a cat companion a resident cat who was the only cat in the household suddenly has a feline friend and that's a bit different to having a human frie...

There is a lot that is wrong with the so-called Maine Coon cats and kittens which are advertised for sale on the website Gumtree. Firstly, many if not all are not purebred cats. They are labelled 'Maine Coon mix' or even Maine Coon but they are not.  In one example the advertiser tells us that her cat Bella gave birth to 7 kittens and that Bella is a Maine Coon but 'she does have a little bit of Norwegian Forest from her great-grandparents'. In other words this person is advertising Maine Coon kittens but when you read through the advert you know that they are not purebred but Maine Coon mix cats; essentially moggies. Yes, all her kittens are moggies because they are effectively random-bred, in a strict sense.  Maine Coon mix cats for sale on Gumtree are a rip-off. Photo: Gumtree. The word purebred contains the word "pure". If the genetic line, the bloodline is not pure, as is the case with Bella, the cat can't be purebred and if the mother is not pureb...