Are Maine Coons friendly?

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Google tells me that people are searching for an answer to the question "Are Maine Coons friendly?". To be brutally honest, it's a silly question. It has to be a silly question because Maine Coon cats are just like any other well-integrated domestic cat. It seems that I have answered this question before 😕. I will press on nonetheless.

Maine Coon love-in
Maine Coon love-in. Photo: Pinterest.

The central point that has to be made is that Maine Coons are purebred cats. They are created by cat breeders running hobby businesses. Part of the job of a cat breeder is to make sure that their kittens are 'raised underfoot'. This means that they are raised with people around them during the first weeks of their lives. The purpose: to socialise the cats and make sure that they are well-integrated into the world of humans. And ideally, they should also be integrated into the world of dogs and other pets.

So from the get-go, Maine Coon cats are being trained or indoctrinated into being friendly to people. In those early weeks they lose their fear of people. A reason, incidentally why cat abuse is a terrible breach of trust. 

Other than creating a cat with the required appearance as per the breed standard, the role of a cat breeder is to do just that: create very friendly well-socialised companion animals.

Quite a lot of emphasis is placed upon the temperament and character of the breeds. Authors like to distinguish one breed from another in terms of their character. It's a little bit of a stretch to do that because they are, after all, all domestic cats with the same underlying character. 

Although, you can hopefully selectively breed into cats a certain character because if you use a foundation cat with a distinguishable character then their offspring are likely to have a similar character and so on down the generations.

RELATED: The meaning of “lines” in cat breeding.

I think the discussion of cat breed character is a little bit overemphasised or exaggerated. Nonetheless, Maine Coons are relaxed and easy-going and in the words of Gloria Stephens, a past show judge and a highly knowledgeable feline expert, they "generally get along well with children and dogs, as well as other cats. They are people-orientated cats, but they are not over-dependent".

Good words and words that would apply to any well-socialised domestic cat. She makes an interesting point on the issue of Maine Coons being friendly. She says that some individuals develop a strong attachment to their female owners. This can lead to them becoming "recalcitrant when the female owner is away".

RELATED: Maine Coon abandoned because he was too big, too greedy and too demanding! Now loved and famous!

I think, too, you could extend that statement by saying that all domestic cats form a strong relationship with their owner provided their owner is tender and loving towards them, which leads to the possibility of separation anxiety, a condition which Gloria Stephens implies in her statement above.

Separation anxiety can only arise if there is a strong bond between cat and person. And a strong bond between cat and person can only arise if the cat is friendly towards the person. I'm overemphasising the answer but I think you get the point.

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