Maine Coons are 'skinny' under their shaggy coats or should be

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Kusa weighs less than you might think at 16.5 pounds
Kusa weighs less than you might think at 16.5 pounds. Image: TikTok.

All Maine Coons are skinny under their shaggy coats. Perhaps the word 'skinny' is a bit strong but they are slender and athletic if they are in good condition. In technical language this is about their 'body conformation'.



Maine Coon 'Kusa' looks enormous but weighs 16.5 pounds because he is skinny under his impressive coat. Or they should be. 
"It's crazy he is only 16 pounds!"
They give the impression that they are larger in terms of fat coverage than they are because their coat is very full. I am sure if all the huge Maine Coons were shaved of their fur, we'd be quite shocked at their slender frames.

The breed standard describes the Maine Coon as 'rugged'. That comes from their barn cat background. They are a large cat but not stocky or cobby (the cat fancy's word for stocky) as is the case with some other breeds (the British SH for instance).

There is a practical reason nowadays for ensuring that your Maine Coon is slender: hip dysplasia. You want to minimise the weight on those hip joints to help the cat maintain mobility.

Note: Kusa looks very similar to Kefir the Maine Coon who took the internet by storm not long ago as he is genuinely enormous. They are not the same cat. Click the link below to see the amazing Kefir.


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