Discussing the Maine Coon's hairy feet

We know that the Maine Coons has hairy feet. They have tufts of hair sticking out between the toes. It varies between the cats but you will see some extraordinary photographs of very long hair tufts poking out through the paw pads going downwards. This means that the fur is between the floor and the paw pads when they walk. The Maine Coon cat must have hairy feet as per the cat breed standard of all the cat associations.

RELATED: Maine Coon has the most amazing 'tufted paws' that you'll ever see.

The Maine Coon cat's hairy feet are wonderful. Image: Mon Balon.

This is a neat topic for discussion. Do you trim them? If a Maine Coon owner has a hard floor which are quite common these days and if that floor is shiny because it is well polished, there may be a slight risk of a Maine Coon cats slipping and sliding on it because their hair tufts are in between their paw pads and the floor.

More hairy feet! Image: Facebook.

I think that's a fair assessment.  It is based upon the fact that the hair is harder and shinier and therefore more slippery than the softer, fleshy paw pads. Also, paw pads perspire when the environmental conditions are warm which is going to help with the cat gripping the ground provided there's not too much perspiration!

I don't want to get too technical and too complicated about this but the issue then is whether Maine Coons owners should trim the paw pad fur. The answer depends upon the owner of course and it depends upon how long the fur is.

One owner said that it is better to leave them alone because it's natural. It is nature's way and why interfere with that? Good point but there is a counter argument to that.

RELATED: Difference between Maine Coon and domestic long hair. One of the differences is the hairy feet!

Historically, the Maine Coons was a barn cat in the 1800s. The weather is quite cold in the US state of Maine or very cold sometimes. When living in a barn the forerunner of the Maine Coon cat needed all the fur, they could get to keep them warm including on their feet. So, there was a purpose behind nature's way in ensuring that this cat evolved to have furry feet.

But today, most Maine Coon cats are full-time indoor cats living in an air-conditioned or centrally heated home. There is no need for those hairy feet any more. Although they look great. They are a hallmark of the Maine Coon cat. There are several features of the Maine Coon cat which stand out and one of them is their hairy feet!

For example, Theresa Williams said on Facebook: "Purely for safety because I have polished floors. Wouldn't let children run around with socks on, same for the cats!" She was, as you can guess, referring to trimming the hair tufts sticking out of her Maine Coons cat's paws. She decided to trim them.

Susie Bright said: "They are meant to grow fur on their paws! They need it! It's beautiful. Why would you trim it? Unless they get something stuck in it."

Good argument as well.

Kim Kim has a different perspective and I like it. She said, "The fur also doubles as a protective covering for their paw pads, ensuring that it is protected from skin trauma and exposure to the elements. If they are always inside, the fur on his paws will protect him from indoor debris like chemicals and small toys.”

I agree with this. They will help protect a cat's paw pads from a sharp object on the floor. So they still have a benefit even for a full-time indoor cat.

The debate can be decided on how risky it is for a Maine Coon cat to walk on a hard polished floor. The risk, I would say, is incredibly small. At the very worst they might slip slightly but so what? It can't be a problem.

And, therefore, if the benefit from trimming feet fur in terms of not slipping on a hard floor is very minor or almost infinitesimal, but the benefit to the cat from the added protection to their paw pads is more substantial and realistic, the argument is that you should leave them alone!

Do you agree?