Are Maine Coon cats indoor cats?

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Not really. Maine Coon cats like any other domestic cat would enjoy life more being outside because it's a more natural environment (depending on how their indoor environment has been enriched). Also, the history of the Maine Coon cat is very much one of being an outside cat. These were originally barn cats and therefore semi-domesticated. They are built physically to endure harsh conditions. This is noted in the breed standard. And therefore, anatomically speaking they are quite definitely indoor/outdoor cats.

Maine Coon on a lead
Maine Coon on a lead by Ruffians.

But, and there is always a but, they are also very popular cats and they have a distinctive appearance. A lot of people recognise the Maine Coon cat. Therefore, you can't let them go outside unless they are supervised. And the only way to do that realistically is to leash train your Maine Coon. 

Or you might have 5 acres of land at the back of your house and pots of money. You could then build a cat confinement fence around the entire plot of 5 acres. That 5 acres would be your cat's world and it would be a great one because they could explore the natural world, be stimulated and enjoy themselves while at the same time keeping safe.

RELATED: Maine Coon Cat History.

The question is interesting because it goes completely against the history of this large cat breed. If you were living in the 1860s in the state of Maine in the USA and if you were a farmer, you might have a couple of 'Maine cats' living in your barn. In those days they were called 'Maine cats'.  In the 1860s there was no cat fancy in the USA. There were no formal purebred cats at that time and therefore no formal Maine Coon cats.

And the Maine Coon cats of that era were more like normal medium-longhaired random-bred cats. You can't see a big difference between the cats of that era and moggies. The first winner of an American cat show at Madison Square Garden in New York City, was a Maine Coon cat and their appearance was very different to the appearance of Maine Coon cats today. And I'm sure that cat was an indoor/outdoor cat.

RELATED: America’s First Cat Show May 8th 1895.

Times have changed. The Maine coon cat has become glamorous and very popular. They are much larger and their features are distinctive. Nowadays Maine Coon cats are very distinguishable from the general non-purebred cat population. And with that change in our relationship with this cat, there is a change in how cat owners look after them. 

This means that they should be kept indoors and when they go outside, they go on a lead. And their home should have a catio or a cat enclosure so that they can have some stimulation in between those outdoor sessions with their owner. That is my perception of the modern era of the Maine Coon cat.

But wouldn't it be lovely if they could go outside whenever they wanted to, safely? In a dream world that would be possible and it would be the best lifestyle for this breed.

Helmi Flick, a cat photographer has or had a couple of Maine Coons and they were full-time indoor cats. What I did not like about their caregiving was that they had a decent sized backyard and they could have built a large catio at least for their cats. But no. I found that sloppy to be honest especially as they knew a hell of a lot about cats. They could have done better, much better. And they were away a lot doing cat shows. That couldn't have been good for the four cats. The other two were British Shorthairs.

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