Do you like Maine Coon cats because they are the biggest or for some other reason?

This is possibly an interesting philosophical point at least for some people. It's a brief discussion on whether the popularity of the Maine Coon cat is exclusively because they are the biggest domestic cat breed. Or is it a combination of reasons?

And if being the biggest domestic cat breed is a major factor as to why this particular cat is very popular, what is behind that thought?

Big Maine Coon family including the human. Image: Instagram.

Bigger is better

There is certainly a mentality in humankind (but not by all people) that bigger is better. And it probably comes from our origins, going back to when we were hunter gatherers and even before that when we were just emerging as bipedal, intelligent creatures at a time when the planet was entirely different and when lions inhabited Europe.

Why is bigger better? When you're starving the more food that you have, the better. If there is a chance of you starving, then the more food you have stored in the pantry the better. And if there's a chance of you being attacked by a predator, the bigger you are the better. Watch out for those lions! And if your child is really healthy, he/she is likely to be big and if he is unhealthy, he might be very small. Think of the concept of the 'runt of the litter'.

And if people live in a large group, they feel better protected than if they live in a small group. Nearly all these points revolve around the fact that the world is pretty hostile and sometimes very hostile and therefore size counts.

We see the bigger is better concept in modern cars. There is a great trend towards building bigger cars certainly in the UK. This goes against manufacturing cars which are less likely to cause global warming through carbon dioxide (CO₂equivalent) emissions and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. 

That doesn't matter because bigger is better when it comes to cars for some people. It doesn't matter that they are difficult to park and that garages can no longer accommodate them and neither can some roads.

It probably also goes to insecurity in many people. If there are in a big car, they feel safer. If they have a big dog, they feel safer. If they have a big cat, it doesn't mean they feel safer because the Maine Coon cat is a very pleasant and mild-mannered companion animal, but they might become a status symbol.

 And a status symbol is one which makes a person superior to others and in being superior to others they are protected. So indirectly a bigger cat probably makes a person feel safer.

Maine Coon popularity is certainly dependent upon size

My gut feeling is that the popularity of the Maine Coon cat is very dependent upon the fact that this is the biggest domestic cat breed. You take away that accolade you are left with a very beautiful cat which is sometimes bred to extreme. But when not bred to extreme, and if they are a normal size, they become a fairly average domestic cat.

There would be little difference between a regular Maine Coon that is a standard size domestic cat and a non-pedigree domestic cat. The cat below is an exception 😎.

Beautiful calico Maine Coon. Photo: copyright Helmi Flick.

Extremes

There is another linked factor. People like extremes and by that I also mean that there is a segment of society who like the smallest cats. The smallest domestic cat breed is the Singapura. 

Not many people who are not involved in the world of cats have heard about this breed. But there was a time when people were fascinated with miniature cats. 

And people still quite like the dwarf cat breeds although they are unpopular in some ways because they are inherently unhealthy but then again so are many of the better-known cat breeds.

And the reason why some Maine Coon breeders breed their cats to extreme and beyond the guidelines of the breed standard is because they become instantly more outstanding and attract attention. People like possessions which attract attention which are striking in their appearance.

And a very big Maine Coon with a very strong face, the face of a tiger almost (and there are Maine Coon cats like that) are going to make the 'owner' feel very proud of their cat. That will make them feel special themselves and different.

Difference and individuality

Many people have a need to feel different. They don't want to be one of 'the masses'. Life can feel pointless. If they feel different and special, they feel that their life has meaning. Sometimes these people live vicariously through special objects that they possess. This might be a particularly large Maine Coon cat with a striking face.

Purebred pedigree

Of course, there is a segment of society who like purebred, pedigree cats rather than moggies i.e., non-purebred cats, the kind of cat you normally see at rescue centres. These are the kind of people who like special things, glamorous things, different things and they are not normally content to adopt a rescue cat because they are too commonplace. This, too, is another reason why the Maine Coon cat is popular.

Conclusion

Size counts for some people. It doesn't particularly interest me. In fact, I prefer smaller things so there is a wide range of opinions on this but by and large size does count and 'bigger is better' for many people and for these people the Maine Coon cat is impressive which is why they are popular.