What is it like having a Maine Coon cat as a pet?

Bloody wonderful 😂.

Somebody asked this on the Quora.com website. I think that it is a good question because it invites people to answer it. Therefore, I want people to write a comment, please. I'm desperate for comments. 

I have lived with a couple of Maine Coons for two weeks. I felt treasured and privileged. Sometimes I am very tempted to adopt a Maine Coon cat. All my life I have adopted rescue cats, unwanted cats and had wonderfully loving relationships with them. But on other occasions my mind wanders to the possibility of living with a beautifully, glamorous, large Maine Coon and taking them for a walk on a leash to impress the neighbours.

'Zak' a Maine Coon I loved. Photo: MikeB

My experience of living with these two Maine Coons was obviously good. One of them, Zak, really liked me and we got on so well. He was very lovable and loving. I felt the warmth from him emotionally. I miss him. He's probably passed by now and gone over the rainbow bridge because this was a dozen years ago and he was not that young when I met him. So, what are other people saying about living with a Maine Coon?

Yildiz Bolat

Yildiz Bolat's Maine Coon Boris. Photo: Bolat.

Well, the woman who asked the question on the Quora.com website, Yildiz Bolat, a former Cabin Senior at Etihad Airways (2007-2020), says, like other people, that they are smart cats. This obviously has an effect on the relationship that you have with them. She says that her cat, Boris, learns things immediately. He understands that he is not allowed into the kitchen which means he stops at the open door. If she is in the kitchen he will stay by the door and look at her. Although she lets him in at feeding time! Go on let him in all the time 😊.

Further, she says that they have lovely personalities. They are playful, sweet and lovable. You get the picture? It's great fun living with a Maine Coon as a pet. Boris plays with anything.

It is not just their character which is charming. They have "soft and squishy fur" according to Yildiz. She says that Boris has the "softest fur". That's lovely. It must be great to touch it and cuddle it and put your head into all the fluffiness and smell it. There is a downside. 

You've got to accept the fur lying around the household. And Boris sheds for a lot so Yildiz needs to brush regularly; another aspect of living with a Maine Coon (MC). You have to brush them and ensure that they don't become matted. This must be a daily exercise but it's a good one because both you and your cat will like it and it will be a bonding experience. It may be wise to start doing it at a very early age if you adopt your MC when they are young.

Rather weirdly, Yildiz says that even though she lives in a very hot country when it is 45°C outside, Boris sometimes shivers under the full sun. What is going on? I think he was ill and she did not realise it. He became ill with a bad cold (herpes virus) subsequently. It appears that sometimes he joins in the shower and it takes four hours for his fur to dry because it is a triple coat. 

Two other good points that she makes. Maine Coons are not necessarily lap cats. There will obviously be a variation between individual cats but, in general, that square up with Gloria Stephens in her book Legacy of the Cat.

And Maine Coons hate being alone. They can be a little bit like that. They are loyal according to Gloria Stephens but a little bit independent as well and not necessarily glued to their human caregiver. That can suit a lot of people.

But if you like having a conversation with your cat then the Maine Coon might not be the cat for you because they are not particularly talkative. And they have quiet voices but big bodies! You may have heard of the distinctive chirp which is very cute and soft. They communicate with each other like that.

They like to be around their human but not necessarily on them. Yildiz says that a closed door can lead Boris to becoming panicked because he wants to be with his human. This, too, squares up with Gloria Stephens's thoughts. And she is a former cat show judge and breeder.

Another commenter and contributor to the quora.com website tells us that his Maine Coon is "the most demanding cat I've ever owned, and I have owned several other cats in my life. Fur is everywhere in my house. Teddy gives himself hundreds of baths a day. Sometimes chunks of fur get stuck in his mouth."

We're back to the fur problem, aren't we? Don't forget that Maine Coons are medium-longhaired cats.

Another contributor says that they are intelligent, friendly and furry 👍. Yes, they are furry.  Another reference to fur. You are going to have to learn to accept fur lying around the home. They say that the fur can easily matt around the ears and toes so you must regularly groom those areas.

Jenny says that "you should expect a loving, sociable, talkative and big cat but you should keep in mind that cats are individuals, and the one you get may not match your expectations."

These are wise words. Jenny tells us that the character of a cat affects the relationship and what it feels like to live with them but you can't predict with complete certainty what their character will be because they are individuals. Maine Coon cats tend to have a certain character, as described, but the individualism of the cats overrides this in my view.

Another person says that "it's like having cat hardware running on dog software". Nice saying. This is saying that Maine Coons are dog-like. I have written an article about that in which I state in firm language that the Maine Coon is not known to be dog-like. 

RELATED: Maine Coons are NOT dog-like.

Individuals will be dog-like but then individual cats of any breed or even non-purebred cats can be dog-like in their behaviour. I don't think we can brand the Maine Coon as being dog-like. The books don't support that notion.