Are Maine Coons energetic?

The question asks whether Maine Coons are more energetic than your average domestic cat and the answer is that they are not. In my personal experience their energy levels are very typical of any normal or standard domestic cat companion. They are not known for being lazy or energetic. 

For example, the Bengal cat or Savannah cat are both known to be more energetic than your typical domestic cat because of their wild cat inheritance - they are wild cat hybrids. 

Are Maine Coons energetic?
Are Maine Coons energetic? Not really but they are stars 👌✔️😃. The pic is from Purina.

At the other end of the spectrum there is the Persian cat which is known to be less energetic or more passive than the typical domestic cat. In between these two extremes you will find the vast majority of cats belonging to the other cat breeds and of course the non-purebred cats as well.

The question in the title is a little bit difficult and imprecise to be perfectly frank. The energy levels of a domestic cat is impacted by their environment. Take for example a full-time indoor cat where the owner has to go out to work every day. 

The cat will tend to be inactive at home while they wait for the return of their owner. Maine Coon cats are often full-time indoor cats. Some of these cats are going to be left alone for part of the day. If they are the sole cat in the family that they are likely to snooze while they wait for the return of their caregiver.

This might give the impression that they are inactive and lack energy. It would be wrong to make that assessment. It is simply that they don't have enough stimulation. Cats are responsive to the environment in which they live.

But then take a non-purebred cat, allowed to go outside through a cat flap. They might spend a large part of the night wandering around the neighbourhood hunting, patrolling their territory and waiting and watching to see what is going on. This cat is naturally more active because they have the opportunity to behave like this.

A cat can be stimulated into being energetic and a cat's energy levels can be suppressed in an unstimulating environment.

The book that I have on the cat breeds (Legacy of the Cat), written by a Maine Coon owner and cat show judge (Gloria Stephens), tells me that with respect to the Maine Coon temperament, they are "relaxed and easy-going". They are people orientated and "they do not constantly demand attention, preferring to hang out with their owners". This points to a laid-back cat who is not particularly energetic. But those words pretty much describe any standard domestic cat.

However, I do have the distinct impression that, if anything, Maine Coon cats tend towards being slightly less energetic than your typical cat. I might be wrong in that assessment. This may be due to being full-time indoor cats by the way.

There has to be one other point worth making which is the age of the cat. Clearly, very young cats can be dramatically energetic, almost playing and chasing non-stop whereas an elderly Maine Coon cat for example is going to be quite static.

In short, there are what I would call 'qualifying factors' to the answer to the question in the title and these are both environment in which they live and the age of any individual cat. And course, within a cat breed, individual cat will have their own character. This, too, must impact upon energy levels.

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