Your Maine Coon Guide

Conclusion: the answer to the question depends on several factors as it always does. An acceptance of being brushed does not necessarily come naturally to Maine Coons. Domestic cats naturally groom themselves to a good standard provided they are healthy and the fur is not too long. They spend over 10% of their time grooming which is about 2.5 hours per day according to Dr Fogle. I am not sure mine does that. Do you spend that much on your personal hygiene! 😉. I don't. Nowhere near. Maine Coons need brushing and/or combing regularly to avoid matting and of course to check for ectoparasites such as fleas. It's all part of the routine of a cat caregiver and particularly important for semi-longhaired and longhaired cats as we all know. But do they like it? Or do they hate it?  It is a bit of a shame that Maine Coons need help in grooming. It is indicative of a failure in breeding if we are honest. I don't want to be too serious about this but the original Maine Coons, those ba...

Here is a visual representation of the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) Maine Coon breed standard points score. It shows you how the various parts of the body are weighted in terms of their importance in the cat fancy. Maine Coon breed standard points score (CFA). Infographic: MikeB. Click on the image to see it a little sharper and larger. We know the head shape is important because the muzzle is a major feature of this breed. The ear shape and lynx tips are also important as they help to define the breed and distinguish it from all the others. Judges will award points for each component of anatomy up to the maximum as shown in the infographic. FYI: "This is Jill. She’s my 7mo old Maine Coon tortie who has a glorious tail". The words are from the caregiver: u/mmkaytheniguess on Reddit.com. It was the best picture I could find this afternoon to showcase all the parts of anatomy. She is a glorious tortoiseshell as the owner states. Here is a CFA show cat winner on the left....

This is about an abusive TikTok video of the owner bathing and drying her Maine Coon. As a Maine Coon owner, who in their right mind would dry their Maine Coon (who had been placed in a full bath) with a human hair drier knowing that it would terrify her cat which it did? You'll see in the video how frightened the Maine Coon cat is. It is horrible to see. Drying a terrified Maine Coon with a hair drier There can only be one motivating reason why the owner (and video maker) did this: to bloody well make a shitty video for bloody TikTok.  It's got 10.5m views because TikTok run their videos on a loop so they play far more often than on YouTube. It is all fake. Anyway, how can cat abuse be so damned popular? It is perverse. It is so typical of modern-day social media video makers. They sacrifice cat welfare for the sake of getting those precious hits. It is horrible. @minka_cleftpalatepup No drying!! #minka_cleftpalatepup #petoftiktok #animallover #pet #fyp #cat #catsofti...

Maine Coon and owner. She did not ask the question! They are here to illustrate the page. Image: Pinterest. This is a question on the Quora.com website. It's an interesting question but I personally believe that it is a misplaced question. I'll explain why. I have skimmed some of the answers to the question by contributors on the Quora.com website. Individual cats The answers tell me that the cat's caregiver is describing the character of the specific cat with whom they live. They happen to be Maine Coon cats but each individual has a different experience. Despite what you read on the internet; the descriptions of their Maine Coon cats do not follow a clear pattern. And that's why the question is misdirected. It implies that all Maine Coon cats have a certain, clear personality and are either easy or difficult to live with because of it. You'll find that many website owners simply regurgitate the same conventional stuff. And the cat fancy like to differentiate each...

Maine Coons are neither more predisposed to destroying furniture or less predisposed to doing it compared to any other domestic cat. This is not about a specific breed of cat; it is about normal domestic cat behaviour and how their human caregiver deals with it as best they can and indeed how they respond to cat scratching behaviour.  I think it is fair to say, too, that the word 'destroy' is unduly harsh and provocative. Cats don't destroy furniture. They mark it 😃. Yes, they make it look less attractive but that's not the end of the world for most people. Note: Active Maine Coon kittens will probably be more 'destructive' compared to normal sized kittens simply because of their size. Do Maine Coons destroy furniture? No more or less than other cat types. This is much more about humans than cats. Image: MikeB. Of course, Maine Coon cats are bigger than the average domestic cat. This probably predisposes them to being more destructive if they scratch furniture ...

There are several topics you can discuss when answering the question. They are as follows: In general, Maine Coons are no different from any other domestic cat in this respect. It depends how you pick up your Maine Coon cat. If your Maine Coon is feeling ill or has been injured than they probably won't like to be picked up. Delivering tender loving care (TLC). Caveat : I am presuming that the cat is fully socialised as is highly likely for a cat that has been created by a breeder whose duty is to socialise their cats.  I've seen many photographs of Maine Coons which have been picked up by their owner and photographed and they have always looked very comfortable and placid just like the monster MC below 👍✔️. Chastity Hobbs with her nine-month-old kitten Kusa. Photo: Instagram account of the lady in the photo (Chastity Hobbs). No different from other cats Although we look at Maine Coons as if they are very special and in one respect they are because they are so popular and so im...

 'Patterns' obviously means the shape and design of the markings on a cat as dictated by the cat's genetic makeup (genotype). The breed standards including that of the number one cat association, the CFA, allow a huge range of coat types for the Maine Coon. It is one of their defining features. Although you'll see the majority of Maine Coons with tabby coats. Maine Coon with a classic (blotched) tabby pattern. Image: Ruffians Maine Coons. I have listed the patterns and types in the table below. This table shows more than the patterns such as mackerel or classic tabby and bicolor. It also refers to the colours. Please use the bars at the base of the spreadsheet to move it around. Technically, "solid colours" does not constitute a pattern because there is no pattern but I have included it in the list for completeness.  The description "patched tabby" refers to a tortoiseshell tabby coat which is also described as a torbie. As the description indicates,...

Maine Coon kitten. Not the kitten referred to in the article. Image: MikeB The person who asked the question in the title on social media also said: "All of our other cats love my girlfriend more, so when I bought our new Maine Coon, I really wanted to finally have a pet that loved me the most. What are some tips to becoming my Maine Coon's bestest friend?" My response was: " Create a bond through a lot of gentle, loving interactions in which you do things that your cat really likes. You'll learn what they like. And plenty of play because they'll like it and it is an interaction between human and cat. Let them share the bed at night and your lap during daytime (if they are a lap cat). Find out their favorite food treats and give them, the same time and the same place to create a routine. He'll ask. Plenty of TLC - tender loving care delivered consistently. Talk to him melodiously (quiet, pleasant voice) and pet him gently and in a way that he likes. Don...

I think that it is interesting to get an online quote from an insurance company for a Maine Coon cat. I may have cheated somewhat because I have told the insurance company that my fictional Maine Coon cat has no current health problems. Therefore, there are no pre-existing conditions. But a seven years old a Maine Coon cat might have pre-existing conditions such as the beginnings of hip dysplasia or HCM as examples. How much is pet health insurance for a healthy seven-year-old Maine Coon in the UK? Image: MikeB It is a great sadness that this wonderful cat breed does have this cloud over its reputation and certainly it affects insurance premiums. If you selected a SAINSBURY'S lifetime insurance policy (a premium policy) which provided for £7,500 of veterinary fees maximum per year, with complimentary treatment at £1,500 and an excess of £99, you would expect to pay £496.92 p annually or £41.41 p per month. Lifetime cover for a 7-year-old Maine Coon. This is a Sainsbury's insura...

The title underneath this video on YouTube is, I believe, misleading. It says "Dad saw his Maine Coon son for the first time and was shocked!" I don't see a shocked father but an inquisitive dad who wants to be involved. You see the father licking his "son". And the mother then comes in onto the scene and they recognise each other as parents and then things carry on as normal. The newborn is male because nearly all ginger tabbies are male. There is one remote possibility that the kitten is not the offspring of the cats we see in the video! That's not been mentioned or discussed. But I will presume that they are. The father's coat is a beautiful dilute red tabby. The mother seems to be a silver tabby and the offspring is a ginger tabby. But the issue is how much involvement does a male domestic cat desire in raising offspring? That's what comes to mind here but the situation is somewhat artificial. The father in this instance is involved to a certain ...

It is a useful question to ask because the answer might surprise you. I've mentioned it before, but the CFA, the leading cat association, do not insist through their breed standards that the Maine Coon cat should be big but TICA differ. The 'end product' is the choice of the breeders. The weight range of this popular breed reflects the cat association's breed standards. Dr. Bruce Fogle DVM in his book THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF THE CAT states that the weight range is 4-10 kg (9-22 lbs). The lower weight applies to females which as you might expect are generally smaller than males. And it is a weight which is not untypical for a large number of non-purebred cats. One website, 11pets, states that the average female weight is 11 pounds and the average male weight is 14.8 pounds. They also state that 25% of male Maine Coon cats weigh between 6 kg and 8 kg. And 30% of females way between 4 kg and 6 kg. Another website states that the average weight of a Maine Coon cat varies betwe...

Play is the main (excuse the pun) answer and plenty of it (plus a catio at least) but another is to steel yourself and train your Maine Coon to take a walk with you on a lead. I know that you have to live in the right sort of place where there is some space and little traffic and other distractions.  I don't think taking your Maine Coon for a walk suits everyone but if you are on the edge of countryside, or in relatively quiet suburbia, I can't see a problem. Here is the video of Felix, a silvery-gray tabby looking majestic on his lead in suburbia. It looks like a very suitable location. Training and willingness The only problem is a willingness on behalf of the cat owner to make the effort. I can understand the barriers. It takes time as you see in a video of another cat - not a Maine Coon - who was timid but who became more confident with plenty of confidence building. There is a video of a sweet longhaired moggie that looks a bit like a Maine Coon who has been handled brilli...

Yes, I know you think the title is clickbait. How could I stoop so low 😉. Only it is not. The title is true. All you have to do is click some buttons and let a super smart AI computer do all the work for you. You can claim the finished picture as your own because you managed the AI computer and gave it instructions. Here is my Maine Coon cat cartoon character: Image by DALL E. Instructed by Mike B! I'll claim it as mine. I am unsure why the computer-artist decided to crop off the top of their cartoon character. It is no big deal but a little strange. Why should you want to create a Maine Coon cat cartoon character?! Good question. What if you live with a Maine Coon and you want to make your own birthday card for a child. Ask DALL E to draw/paint it and then print it. You have your personalised Maine Coon cartoon cat birthday card. When I asked DALL E to do another Maine Coon cat cartoon character it produced something quite different: Image by DALL E. Instructed by Mike B! I'l...

I am writing this from the West; specifically, near London, UK. There will be quite a few people living in the West who'd like to adopt a Maine Coon cat and they would like to adopt one from a Russian breeder because they do have a certain style.  I sense, although I don't have hard evidence to support this feeling, that the top Russian breeders of Maine Coon cats might be superior to breeders from other countries.  I am putting aside Putin's invasion of Ukraine when writing this article. Some people might object to dealing in anyway with a Russian business on account of that barbaric and illegal invasion. We should remember that Russia has quite a strong cat fancy. They like their cats and they love their purebred cats particularly the Maine Coon. It is in fact a cat breed which is quite naturally suited to the Russian way of life and climate. There's lots of space in Russia with a relatively low population and therefore there are going to be houses with large grounds ...

You may find these images surprising knowing that they were created entirely by a computer without any input other than asking the computer (in the first image) to create a 'realistic painting of a Maine Coon cat'. I think the computer did a very good job. It created the image in about 10 seconds with three others! All of them different. Painting of a Maine Coon entirely by an artificial intelligence (AI) computer.  Below is another painting by the same computer. I instructed it to create a painting of a Maine Coon cat in the Picasso style. I don't think this is quite as good because I do not think that the painting is in fact in the Picasso style 😉. I was looking for one of those classic Picasso paintings where the eyes and ears and mouth are all out of position with strong angular lines and black outlines. I have got something which is more like an impressionistic painting. Still good though. Painting of a Maine Coon entirely by an artificial intelligence (AI) computer i...

The question in the title is important for Maine Coon owners because this condition is present in about 30% of cats of this breed at various stages of their lives. It needs to be managed by their owner and the options are limited in respect of preventing or treating feline hip dysplasia. The Cornell Feline Health Center tells us that this inherited condition is, indeed, painful . For example, it causes the avoidance of physical activity. The reason why is because it is painful to engage in these activities. If the hip is touched by their owner, the cat may give a clear indication that it is painful. A Maine Coon cat might persistently lick or chew at the hip area. Another sure sign that the area is painful. That answers the question. Why painful? The pain emanates from bone-on-bone contact. This occurs because the cat inherits a malformation of the ball-and-socket joint which connects the cat's thigh bone (femur) to its hip. The socket (acetabulum) is in the hip and the top of the ...

For those who don't know Warrior Cats is a book series by three authors, Cherith Baldry, Kate Cary, and Tui T. Sutherland as well as editor Victoria Holmes, who develops the story for the books. They collectively call themselves Erin Hunter. There are 80 books. And there are or were many role play groups online. Image: MikeB. It is free to use if you like! The Warrior Cats in the series belong to clans and they live in the forests. They live a wild life away from 'two-legs' (humans). Therefore, there are almost certainly no Maine Coon cats in the series as they are feral and stray cats. And no cat breeds are mentioned. This also supports the thought that there are no Maine Coons among the many clans. But in the imagination of readers there is nothing stopping them creating a mental image of a magnificent Maine Coon cat regally lording it over a clan or two. As shown in the picture above. The big Maine Coons are very regal. They are princes, princesses and kings. The books ...

What is the American Shag ?! No, it is not describing a passionate encounter between two Americans. I think that's why the name was dropped 😃. You might be able to guess that it is an alternative name for the Maine Coon . The Maine Coon cat actually has a lot of different names in its history such as the: American Coon Cat Maine Trick Cat American Longhair American Forest Cat American Snughead It appears that in the early days, somewhere between the late 1800s and the early 1900s, the cat fancy struggled a bit with how to name this cat and they eventually settled on the "Maine Coon", which surprises me greatly because it is a horrible name (by today's standard at least).  Shaggy coat of the Maine Coon inspired the American Shag name. Image in public domain. Well, the first bit of the name is good but the second bit is ridiculous and the name as a whole now has become objectionable because of the second part, which has racist connotations. Anyway, the second part mig...

It sounds as if interior decoration is being discussed. 'Furnishings' normally means the furniture, fittings, and other decorative accessories such as curtains and carpets, for a house or room.  But in the great family of cat fanciers, it means ear hair 😊 and Maine Coons have lots of it. Sticking out of the top of the ear (lynx tips) or sprouting from inside the ear and fanning out like water sprinklers on a football pitch. Cat fanciers love it. I like it too but I find it strange because for humans it is the opposite. Men ask their barber to shave the inside of the ear to remove their ear hair. Well, the barber asks first and the client always says 'yes'. After all ear hair is unattractive 😎. So why is it attractive when it is on domestic cats? Maine Coon ear furnishings. Image by MikeB Well, I can think of one reason but there might be others. Cats are covered in fur, millions of hair strands. How many hair strands are there on a domestic cat? I tried to count them ...

Image: MikeB Note: In later films she had blue eyes. Her fur is brown and grey which is typical of a tabby Maine Coon. Mrs Norris was/is the pet cat of Angus Finch the caretaker of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She would alert Finch to misbehaving students.  This cat, was played by three Maine Coons and is described as looking like Filch which is an insult to Mrs Norris, the cat 😎. Filch looks horrible. She has been described as having 'bulging yellow, lamp-like eyes, a scrawny, skeletal body and dust-coloured fur' in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 8 of the book. Well, something went wrong with the casting! This Maine Coon is not skeletal and scrawny and her eyes do not bulge. Maine Coons are handsome and impressive as we all know. It should be said by the way that the Maine Coons selected for the part were standard Maine Coons, nice and evenly balanced and not bred to extreme, which is something I like.  In the videos below there is a dis...

There are at least 2, possibly three and more,  core Maine Coon features. It depends on your point of view. The three I have chosen are important. The third - the feet - are important to me because the Maine Coon (MC) is famous for polydactyl feet and they are part of the history of the breed which makes it very odd that the CFA do not accept polydactyl show cats. Polydactyl cats are great. Fortunately, TICA does accept them. TICA is more open minded and less stepped in tradition than the CFA. Polydactylism is benign. It is said that the ships' cats that were brought over with early immigrants to the USA were often polydactyl because the sailors believed that they could maintain their balance with greater certainty than non-poly cats. A reason why they were chosen as ships' cats. As I said it is an important part of the MC history and should be featured. The Boston area on the east coast of the USA is famous for a preponderance of polydactylism in domestic cats. In addition to ...

NEWS AND COMMENT, Jan 2023: It is extraordinary that a Maine Coon breeder based in Kharkiv, Ukraine is continuing to run her business. Kharkiv is in Ukraine's northeast not far from the Russian border and one of the first cities to be attacked by the Russians. It has been devastated and the Russians have terrorized the population of this important Ukrainian city. So many civilian building have been shelled to destruction. VivatCoon's Diva a super-looking Maine Coon. Image: the cattery. VivatCoon's website boldly states: "We are glad to welcome you on the site of our Maine Coon cattery". And it is in the middle of the most brutal invasion of a sovereign country by an aggressor since the Nazi's invaded Poland at the beginning of WW2. This is a convenient point to introduce the only bit of information I have as to how the cattery's owner manages to continue to breed Maine Coons in Ukraine; the cats are in Poland ! Below is the announcement on her website: La...

This is the other side of the coin to the last article about why you shouldn't buy/adopt a Maine Coon (MC). So why should you? Because if your heart is set on adopting a purebred cat, the MC is the best! Simple. Of course, that is a personal viewpoint but that said polls tell us that the MC is in the top three most popular cat breeds 2022 . Their popularity has surged over the past 5 years. Please note that I have made the presumption that you are committed to adopting a purebred cat. If not, adopt a rescue cat and do a good turn for animal welfare. But no criticism if you don't. America's cat the Maine Coon. Image: MikeB from (cat) Colorado Maine Coons and (flag) Amazon. America's very own big domestic cat Why are they the best cat breed? One reason is that if you are an American living in America, you'd be adopting America's very own purebred cat. And the MC is so American in appearance; big and bold. It would be a patriotic act to adopt one 😊. The MC is co...