Is there a specific cat food for Maine Coons to reduce shedding?

The worst thing about the Maine Coons is their fur! That's a result of a survey. What the result means is that with a Maine Coon cat you are going to get a lot of fur lying around the home which is entirely normal and which occurs for any domestic cat. 

However, because the Maine Coon has a shaggy medium-longhaired coat and because this is a large cat, there's going to be more fur than normal and which is shed when the ambient light increases during the shedding season. Remember, it is the increase in ambient light not the increased heat which is the main trigger for a domestic cat to shed fur.

Maine Coon cats are known for their luxurious long and thick fur under which, by the way, can be quite a rangy, slender but large domestic cat.

I think it is fair to state that there may not be a specific high quality cat food exclusively designed for Maine Coons to reduce shedding. But you can still choose a high-quality cat food which promotes a healthy skin and coat which can help, incidentally, to manage shedding for this highly popular cat breed.

It is really about ensuring that your Maine Coon is at optimum health which in turn will help to reduce shedding to a certain extent. I don't think you can expect dramatic improvements but every little bit helps as they say.

When selecting a cat food for a Maine Coon cat or indeed any other cat breed you might consider the following if you want to improve their health and reduce shedding:

1. Protein content: look for cat foods with a high-quality protein source as the main ingredient. Protein is essential for skin and coat health. The protein should come from sources like chicken turkey or fish. Comment: a lot of people disagree on this but nowadays you can buy a plant-based high-protein cat food. It is a dry cat food but it does satisfy the requirements of an obligate carnivore in terms of protein content. I mention that because some people are vegans or vegetarians and they can be a little uneasy with feeding their cat meats. I recall a study on plant-based cat food and the scientists approved it. If you go this route there is only one dry food of this type available to the best of my knowledge: Benevo dry food. Don't make your own vegan cat food as it will dramatically harm your cat.
2. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids: these fatty acids are crucial for a healthy coat and skin. Foods that contain fish oil, flaxseed and other sources of these fatty acids can help limit shedding and improve the quality of the Maine Coon cat's coat.
3. Limited carbohydrates and fillers: once again we are referring to a high-quality cat food. Carbohydrates and fillers should be reduced as much as possible as these elements of commercially prepared cat food may not provide the necessary nutrients for coat health. They are fillers for a reason: to improve the maker's profit margin!
4. Nutrient balance: it's wise to ensure that the cat food you choose is well-balanced and meets all the nutritional needs of your Maine Coon cat. That means a high-quality commercial food which are typically formulated to provide the right balance. They are complete in terms of vitamins and minerals and necessary nutrients such as taurine and arginine.
5. Avoid artificial additives: opt for cat foods with natural ingredients and minimal additives. Some artificial additives, it is believed, might contribute to skin and coat issues. Once again, the general advice from all the experts is to pick the highest quality cat food you can and the default cat food should be wet cat food with some dry perhaps be grazing at night and the odd treat. The point here is that wet cat food contains a similar amount of water as the classic domestic cat prey animal, the mouse, whereas dry cat food, as described, does not. That means you're Maine Coon cat is going to have to drink a lot of water to compensate for that loss of intake of water. The problem is that domestic cats don't compensate adequately by drinking more because they are poor drinkers. This is an inherited trait going back to the North African wildcat, the ancient ancestor of the domestic cat which lived in an arid environment and therefore they evolved to be poor drinkers by modern standards. The North African wildcat would obtain a lot of water from the prey animals that they hunted. Wet cat food replicates that behavioural trait.

You might wish to consult with a veterinarian for recommendations on high quality cat foods that are suitable for your Maine Coon's specific needs.

Grooming

And, in addition, regular grooming and brushing will be particularly helpful in managing shedding and keep the coat and skin healthy. You might wish to consider a wide tooth metal comb which will last the lifetime of your Maine Coon cat. Brushes with natural bristles produce less static electricity and broken hair than do nylon ones. I think that you will find that the recommendation is to groom your Maine Coon cat daily in a ritual which both of you will enjoy.

Obviously, your cat will groom themselves but a bit of assistance and interaction between human cat is no bad thing and some individual cats are going to struggle to groom themselves adequately especially the elderly cat or the cat who's not entirely well. Don't forget that Maine Coon cats inherit several diseases to which may hinder autogrooming as self-grooming is called. The first as hip dysplasia which is painful and the second is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which can render a cat breathless and lethargic.