Maine Coon behavior when brushed is described as strange. Is it?

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 This fluffy Maine Coon's reaction to being brushed and combed is described as funny. Funny peculiar. But is it? His name is Barny and he is on TikTok.

Maine Coon behavior when brushed is described as strange. Is it?
Maine Coon resists being brushed. Image: MikeB based on screenshot.

If you look at the video a couple of times, you'll see three types of body language which gives the game away as to his attitude to being brushed.

  1. He flicks his hind leg
  2. He pushes himself away slightly
  3. He places his paw on the brush to stop it moving and approaching him

What does that tell us? What does it hint at? P.S. He also vocalises slight irritation.

That Barny does not want to be brushed by his caregiver. Why? I think because it is over-stimulating. It irritates him which is going to be a little irritating to his caregiver because Maine Coons do need human intervention on coat maintenance. Or he may find it uncomfortable based on previous sessions.

@mainecoon.barny Comb number 3 and my mainecoon cat🖤#mainecooncat #blackmainecoon #mainskamyvalikocka #mainecoongrooming #mainecoonbarny #combingmainecoon ♬ Comedia - Ricardo Verdelho

How typical is this behavior? It is probably unusual as most cats enjoy being brushed because it is reminiscent of their feline mother licking them when they were kittens.

But each cat has their own character. More importantly it is probably likely that the owner has struggled to comb Barny's coat as it is really fluffy and dense.

It looks like a nightmare to comb. It is probably that she has caused Barny some mild pain in the past and he rejects the idea of being groomed because of this past uncomfortable experience.

It is going to be a hard one to get over as cats have good memories of prior experiences. It colours their future reactions.

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