Are paw pad tufts of hair obligatory for Maine Coon cats?

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Yes, is the answer. The full-blown version of Maine Coon paw pad tufts of fur has a messy appearance, but it is very functional.  And the breed standard insists that Maine Coon have fur sticking out between their toes.

The CFA breed standard is clear: "Paws large, round, well-tufted". The phrase "well tufted" (a very cat fancy phrase) essentially means plenty of fur sticking out between the toes.

Maine Coon paw pad tufts of hair as per the breed standard
Maine Coon paw pad tufts of hair as per the breed standard. Image: Flickr photographer: Sage.

This means that it is obligatory if a breeder wants their cats to be in line with the breed standard. All Maine Coon breeders should desire this. 

It is their raison d'etre. The breed standard is their firm guide. 

RELATED: Cat Paw Hair.

The reason why the administrators of the CFA and other cat associations insist on copious amounts of paw pad fur is because they see the Maine Coon as a natural American cat at heart. It is America's home-grown purebred cat.

It is this aspect of the breed which is a major component in making it a popular breed.

And this naturalness harks back to the original Maine Coons of leading up to the time that they became pedigree cats at cat shows in the late 1800s. 

These were attractive barn cats. Working cats in part. Doing what the early domesticated cats did, keeping down the rodent population while, at the same time, providing company and friendship to farmers.

This is important. And Maine is pretty cold in the winter. 

"The cold season lasts for 3.3 months, from November 27 to March 4, with an average daily high temperature below 34°F. The coldest month of the year in Maine is January, with an average low of 8°F and high of 23°F." - Ref: Weathespark.
Well, actually in the north of Maine winter is very cold. Bitterly cold. Barn cats need those hair tufts covering their paw pads. They are a functional part of the Maine Coon's anatomy.

They remind me of the diminutive sand cat. The sand cat adapted to desert living. The sands vary in temperature from scorching hot to freezing cold at night. And so sand cats have tufted paws as well but perhaps less so that for the Maine Coon (MC).


The MC's paw pads in purebred cats are somewhat exaggerated and emphasised because that is the way cat associations like it. That's okay.

I'd expect the paw pad tufts of the original MCs (pre-late 1800s) to be more normal but noticeable, nonetheless.

In other cat breeds such as the popular British Shorthair you see neat and tidy feet. The MC is unique in this regard. 

But this untidiness is also in line with the other stated requirement of the MC, their shaggy, unruly medium-longhaired coat. 

It is said that TICA likes this natural appearance while the CFA prefers a more coiffed and tidy appearance.

Location: Maine, USA

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