Your Maine Coon Guide

I've seen homes where there is more than one Maine Coon. Greedy I'd say! Just joking but there are some good argument for having two cats rather than one provided the budget can stretch to two.  But as you probably know resident cats often don't really like new cats coming to live in THEIR place, their home range. After all, although domestic cats are pretty sociable after 10,000 years of domestication the wildcat character within dictates and that character is inherently solitary. Although there are occasions when cats that were strangers become best buddies. That's what you want. But even with the best pick from a cat breeder for the newcomer and even with good luck I wouldn't expect anything more, initially, than the resident cat to tolerate the newcomer. Then they might gradually warm to each other and become friendly. Two better than one Ideally, all other things being equal, two cats are better than one as if they get along, they can entertain themselves. This...

Cat "ownership" has changed. Or the opportunity to change how you live with your domestic cat companion has arrived thanks to Covid-19. I think that it is worth discussing. Covid-19 brought extensive lockdowns. This led to remote working where appropriate. At the end of Covid remote working remains in place in many businesses because employees like it. Employers reluctantly have given way to the demands of employees because there's a shortage of employees. And the reason for that is perhaps because we've gotten lazy! Anyway, that's another problem but there are a lot more employees working remotely all the time after Covid-19. Bao Zi the nomadic cat traveller. Image: Caters News Agency. That's the first point to make. And working remotely means that workers can live where they want to live. It actually means more than that. They can move around the world constantly, staying at one place for a week and then moving to a new place while working and earning. It is...

The Maine Coon x Siamese mix is a popular cat. Or at least it is discussed a lot on the Internet. But these are informal hybrid cats. They are not accepted by the Cat Fancier's Association (CFA), the premier association in the American cat fancy.  It is just breeders or individuals experimenting it seems to me. They like the idea of a hybrid of a cross between them Maine Coon cat and a Siamese cat. And it is quite a nice hybrid. Lynx point Siamese x Maine Coon hybrid. Image: Reddit.com user: u/chance_tyler11 However, it is a hybrid which is rejected by the CFA breed standard. You will note a couple of references to the pointed cat coat of the Siamese in the CFA breed standard which indicates this rejection. RELATED: Lynx point Siamese . Disqualification Firstly, in a paragraph concerning Maine Coon cats that should be disqualified at cat shows it refers to both the kinked tail and crossed eyes . In other words, any Maine Coon cat with a kinked tail or crossed eyes will be disquali...

Some people who want to adopt a Maine Coon might be thinking about adopting an emotional support animal at the same time. And as it happens, the character of the Maine Coon is highly suited to being an emotional support animal (ESA). See the video below for the story behind this picture. Screenshot. Video showing Maine Coon ESA at work (UK) Here is a really nice video of a beautiful relationship between an ESA Maine Coon and a girl in the UK. What a great recommendation for the Maine Coon as an ESA. This is an amazing story and this Maine Coon likes water (do they all?) which was handy as the girl didn't. The young girl was frightened of water until she became best friends with her cat. It's great, isn't it? Ultimately this is a question of character and to be fair there are many non-pedigree cats with a character equally suited to the role. It's just a question of finding the individual.  However, my knowledge of the Maine Coon cat (MC) personality indicates to me that...

This video maker calls it a 'chirp' but this is incorrect as far as I am concerned. It is called 'chattering'. The chirp is akin to a trill which is a greeting sound. The chattering that we see in the video has nothing to do with greetings. It is to do with killing and death!! As Maine Coons are nearly always home cats - full-time indoor cats - cat television (window gazing) is very important to them as it entertains. It is mental stimulation. A vital part of their day. It is important that there is activity outside, particularly birds because they can imagine themselves catching and killing them.  It sounds brutal but cats are top predators after all and the birds are safe. The birds don't see the cats so there is no stress on the birds. But this Maine Coon is imagines herself chomping down on the nape of the bird's neck to kill it by severing the vertebrae. The cat does not just imagine it. She does the action in a vacuum - vacuum activity. It is as if she is ...

The Maine Coon trill is talked about a lot. People associate the breed with this particular feline sound. But the trill is certainly not unique to the Maine Coon. Perhaps they do it more than usual and it is done so cutely that people take notice.  Large cat small sound It is particularly endearing when produced by a Maine Coon as they are a large cat breed - the largest - and the sound is quiet (small). Overlapping sounds and variations The first difficulty with describing cat sounds is that they overlap and a described sound like the 'trill' is produced in different ways by different cats. It is often tricky to be precise. Trill to chirrup - onomatopoeic For example, the trill can be also be described as a chirrup. Both these words are onomatopoeic meaning that saying the word is a little like making the sound because the word's creation is closely based on the quality of the sound. So, the chirrup can slide into a trill when produced by a Maine Coon. What does it mean!??...

This article should be a warning (if it is needed) to first-time adopters who are looking for a Maine Coon cat at a discount price. You won't find one unless you are very lucky with one at a Maine Coon cat club for instance. Petfinder If you search for a Maine Coon to adopt on Petfinder.com they present 604 cats ready and waiting for adoption (at late March 2023)! Clearly, they cannot all be purebred Maine Coons. I didn't have the time to check all of the candidates but the first half dozen were all Maine Coon mix cats according to Petfinder.com. Maine Coon mix cats on Petfinder. Screenshot. But they simply are not. These are all random bred cats. They are moggies. And they are beautiful and very adoptable moggies but they there is no Maine Coon DNA in them.  I'd expect all 604 cats to me moggies and mislabelled as Maine Coon mixes. Warning to adopters People wanting to adopt a Maine Coon but can't really afford the purchase price should be aware that the Petfinder Main...

A few days ago, I wrote about the possibility and reasons for giving a Maine Coon cat a lion cut which is okay if done by a competent vet and not under general anesthetic .  The cat in the picture is not a Maine Coon (as far as I can tell) but they did receive a lion cut from a veterinarian's clinic and it looks as if they used garden shears because it is an unmitigated disaster. It is horrendous. However, I think it would be fair to state that veterinarians are not necessarily professional cat groomers and most of the time when they provide a lion cut, they are doing it for medical and health reasons.  It is not meant to be aesthetically pleasing. Despite that, it would certainly help if it was aesthetically pleasing as well as medically beneficial! Veterinarian seems to have used garden shears to give this cat a lion cut! Image: u/JuanPabloVassermiler The picture comes from social media and a veterinarian helpfully provided their comment about the picture. They said the foll...

This is a discussion about choosing a Maine Coon cat breeder and whether the first-time purchaser should select a cat from a TICA (The International Cat Association) registered breeder or a CFA (Cat Fanciers' Association) registered breeder. There will, I believe, be a subtle difference in the appearance of Maine Coon cats registered with these two top cat associations in America.  TICA and CFA Maine Coon comparison. Photo: Helmi Flick. This might interest first-time buyers of this breed particularly if they are researching the breed carefully and have specific requirements. Initially I look at the breed standards regarding the coat from these two cat associations and then I discuss how it might impact the purchase. TICA breed standard for Maine Coon coat "Length: uneven; shorter on shoulders, gradually lengthening down the back and sides. Long, full, shaggy belly fur and britches. Tail fur long, full, flowing. Frontal ruff becomes more develop with age. Texture: all-weather c...

In a peculiar way the question in the title is not bad because it begs further questions. I can think of a couple: As Maine Coons are full-time indoor cats it is fair to ask if their thick, shaggy, double coat is unsuited to their indoor lifestyle which must be the way in order to protect them. And, is it okay to give a Maine Coon a lion cut to allow them some relief from the muggy indoors if that is what it is like? Are lion cuts safe and reasonable to give to domestic cats? But first things first, the question in the title needs to be answered. The famous Richie must feel the heat in warm weather. Maine Coon are built for colder climates. Thank God for air-conditioning! Image: Instagram. Do Maine Coons enjoy cold weather? If a Maine Coon feels a little overheated inside the home because the central heating has been turned up, yes, he or she may enjoy sitting in the catio which has one side open to the elements with only a screen to protect her from the icy wind in winter. By the way,...

Stunning flame coloured Maine Coon. Photo:  Катерина Силантьева. Bred in Russia. What are the ethical standards like in Russia? Any different to anywhere else?  This is a provocative question and a statement that implies that all cat breeders are bad people. This is incorrect and unfair. It is generalizing far too much. Breeders including Maine Coon cat breeders are not bad people. If you met one - usually a middle-aged lady - you'd probably like them and get on just fine. They are just people who normally don't see the problem with cat breeding in terms of the following two overarching issues: When you breed an individual cat such as a glorious Maine Coon kitten which will be bought by somebody, in effect you take away the possibility of adoption of one rescue cat in one shelter somewhere. That is somewhat theoretical but the equation is obvious. A person adopting a Maine Coon cat might have adopted a beautiful, large rescue cat with medium-length hair instead, that's been...

The quote in the title comes from the mumsnet.com website and of course it caught my eye because I am a great fan of allowing your cat to come onto your bed at night and sleep with you even if 'you' means you and your husband. That makes a threesome which is a bit tricky but it's a compromise and cat care givers need to compromise with their cat because they are members of the family. Right!? Image: MikeB It means a change to sleeping arrangements but quite quickly you get used to these new arrangements. And it can mean sleep being disturbed because as we all know domestic cats can tend to be active at night. It depends upon the cat but sometimes they can be active all night which means going outside through the cat flap if they are allowed outside and then coming in again with, perhaps, a mouse in their mouth!  There's all kinds of things going on but this is the price that one pays living with a cat including a Maine Coon cat although Maine Coons would rarely be allow...

From baby Maine Coon to massive monster in 15 seconds in a video. Cool. The time lapse video makes the cat wriggle, writhe and expand like THE INCREDIBLE HULK, the silver screen green giant. A very cool video by the master of Maine Coon media on the internet: Robert Sijka. I don't expect this video to stop working but if it does, I am sorry but I don't control its existence on TikTok (see note below). @robert_sijka From baby to adult in 16s #mainecoon #kitten #cat #felisgallery #robertsijka ♬ original sound - Felis Gallery by Robert Sijka Here is a still image from screenshots. Not only is the video very clever, the cat is damned amazing. The adult is nothing but awesome. And interestingly the coat colour has changed as he grew up. It goes from a steel grey tabby to a ginger/brown tabby. It looks to me like a torbie coat - a tortoiseshell tabby. A fairly rare form of tabby coat. I've just noticed that you can actually see the hint of red orange fur on top of the...

It is a highly palatable liquid puree which is certain to delight. I can think of a number of appropriate occasions when it might be useful to have to hand an appetite stimulant/motivator. Maine Coons are like any other domestic cat when it comes to acquiring an illness such as a nasal infection caused by for example a herpesvirus infection (nearly all of them are).  Inaba liquid puree food treat enjoyed by a Maine Coon Note: I am not promoting the product deliberately. I have no connection with the manufacturer. This is about feline health. Smell so important for appetite As domestic cats rely heavily on their sense of smell to assess the edibility of food, they may lose their appetite when their nasal cavity is blocked by a discharge. They stop eating.  You'll need to treat the infection as per vet advice and your own skills and knowledge plus consider encouraging your Maine Coon to eat by feeding their favorite food treat. This product appears to be designed to meet that ne...

In presenting Maine Coon eye colour, I have relied upon two sources: Gloria Stephens in her excellent book Legacy of the Cat illustrated by Tetsu Yamazaki and the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA).  With hazel-yellow eyes. Image in public domain. Gloria Stephens illustrates eye colour in drawings in her book. The CFA describes them in words. Gloria Stephens has included hazel as a Maine Coon eye colour. I take this to be a shading between green and gold because this is how the CFA describes the eye colour for this breed - see infographic. The Maine Coon is recognised in all colors and divisions of the traditional category for the coat. Most are brown tabbies. Coat colour Eye color has no relationship to coat color. This means that the breed standard does not insist that there needs to be a certain eye color with a certain coat color. Spectrum Eye colors are a spectrum of colors and subtle shades. The infographic shows certain colors. Aqua Note on the infographic: the 'Aqua' ...

This video is nicely instructional for people interested in adopting a Maine Coon. Here we have a very nice little video. It shows an Australian lady (an amusing woman) interviewing an Australian woman who is a Maine Coon cat breeder. The interview appears to have taken place at a cat show where this beautiful 10 kg (22 pounds) male Maine Coon cat has won two titles that day at this cat show.  RELATED: Here's a list of Maine Coon breeders in Australia and some extra information . And as is so typical of Maine Coon cats he sits there completely chilled out minding his own business while they talk about him. This is a strange place to this cat but no problems. He just wants to sit down and chill. Australian Maine Coon breeder talks through the breed in an interview at a cat show in Australia where this cat won twice. Screenshot. How many times have we seen Maine Coon cats chilled and super-calm like this? I've seen them all the time. And it must point to a personality for this br...

Fast Eddie a great looking cat show Maine Coon. Screenshot. Fast Eddie, a superlative ginger-and-white Maine Coon show cat impresses at a CFA cat show. I think Fast Eddie came second in this CFA cat show in the United States to a copper-eyed, pure white Persian but he has been the best cat in other shows. I think he was the best Maine Coon at the show.  If you want to know what a great Maine Coon looks like as per the CFA standard, this is your boy. He's purrfect.   It is nice to see what the top cat association thinks the Maine Coon should look like. Potential adopters can get a little distracted by the huge Maine Coons on social media. The show judge makes a nice remark as she talks through the judging of Fast Eddie (who's anything but fast as he is incredibly calm and static which is great at this juncture of the show). She says that Maine Coons should have a balanced body conformation. They should not be extreme as some Maine Coons are. The character of the Main...

The first mention of Maine Coon cats in a literary work was in 1861 in Frances Simpson's The Book of the Cat (1903). I have a copy of that book! It is a terrible copy, as if it has been photocopied and bound together. It is hard to read. Simpson was the leading writer about the cat fancy at that time. For those who are interested in cat history particularly American cat history and the Maine Coon cat I will recite verbatim what she said about the first major cat show held in the Madison Square Garden, New York, on May 8, 1895. She does say that in the state of Maine they had cat shows well before this one. These must have been fairly informal.  Comment : Maine Coon cats in those days were called 'Maine Cats'. Several cats brought over from England died after the show. I find this shocking. Frances Simpson does not explain why they died. She does mention that there were very high temperatures in the showroom and it may be that they fell ill because of these high temperature...

Maine winters The state of Maine in the United States has a cold winter climate. I'm told that the cold season lasts for 3.3 months from late November to early March with an average daily high temperature below 34°F which is just above freezing point. The coldest month of the year in Maine is January with an average low of 8°F and a high of 23°F which is well below freezing. In the snow! Image: MikeB. Adaptations over 400 years in Maine The point of the introduction is that if we agree that the Maine Coon cat originates in the state of Maine which it almost certainly does, we can suggest that this cat breed developed physical adaptations in its coat primarily for survival in harsh winter climates. Maine in the late 1800s. Image in public domain. Coat The coat is shaggy and has a water-resistant top layer of fur. The downy undercoat is like a duck down filling for a duvet. Shaggy coat! Image in public domain. Hind legs The hind legs have thick fur down to their hocks. This gives the...