Do Maine Coon cats get on with other cats?

Maine Coons are just like any other domestic cat in terms of whether they get on with other cats. They are not a special case with extraordinary powers of friendliness and amicability. Yes, generally (subject to good socialisation as kittens) they have nice, laid-back characters but this does not override the domestic cat's instinctive behaviour to claim a home range and protect it from 'invaders'.  

A person who knows the Maine Coon well, Gloria Stephens, a cat show judge and breeder, says that 'most are nothing but sweet'. Not the qualifying word 'most'. She says that her female is calm and collected 'controlling the house with a mere glance of the eye'. A nice character but still a classic domestic cat in overall character.

Omar is a good friend to a standard moggie - a dark tortie. Image: Instagram.

A new cat to a home would be nearly always be regarded as an invader. The reaction depends on the cat. It might be mild or there may be aggression. They may make friends fairly quickly if there is 'chemistry' or they may be hostile towards each other all their lives.

But a resident Maine Coon is not normally going to saunter up to a new cat in the family, brought into the home for the first time, and nose-touch with their tail up (friendly greeting) and hug them!! They are more likely to hiss and be a little aggressive. But it does depend on the individual cat's personality.

All the guidelines that you see on the internet about introducing a new cat to the home where there is a resident cat apply to Maine Coons as much as other domestic cats including non-purebreds and other cat breeds.

The leading Maine Coon website says that "they naturally enjoy the company of other animals" which is misleading. The author does not qualify that statement by saying that whether a Maine Coon gets along with other cats depends on if they've been properly socialised to other animals. It is likely that they are but it needs to be stated.

And Maine Coons are like any other domestic cat; they are territorial. 

If you have a resident Maine Coon and buy another cat, you'll have to introduce the newcomer gradually to allow the resident cat to get used to the newcomer occupying their home range (their space). The Maine Coon Central website implies in their statement that Maine Coons are not territorial and that they are entirely different to normal domestic cats. This is untrue.

The Maine Coons character might make them more tolerant of stranger cats but the underlying 'wildcat character' within which means that all domestic cats are essentially solitary plays a big role on whether a Maine Coon and any other cat gets along with other cats. They have this solitary nature inherited from their wildcat ancestor which is a barrier to getting along with other cats. Although over 9,500 years of domestication the domestic cat including the Maine Coon has become acceptably sociable on occasions.

As for dogs, it is possible that the breeder did not socialise their kittens to dogs. An individual Maine Coon might be fearful of dogs and other animals.