Your Maine Coon Guide

A study found that there's a range of responses by Maine Coons to being brushed which is a necessity to avoid matting . Some might dislike the process or even hate it. One user on the social media website Reddit confirms this variability of acceptance in being brushed by saying that his/her cat hates it. My extra fluffy boy has never enjoyed being brushed, which has led to some truly awful matting over the years. We’ve gotten special brushes and combs to try to get them out, but he just isn’t having it. This led to matting. Matting is problematic for health. It is hard to know for sure why a Maine Coon might hate being brushed. Most cats of all breeds and non-breeds enjoy it to varying extents. But all cats are individuals as we know. And some cats might have been a little traumatized when they were brushed too hard perhaps when they were kittens or the 'wrong' brush was used as far as the cat was concerned. This is about preferences again. There are not a lot of options in...

In my opinion, YES, is the answer to the question in the title but a little less is probably okay.  I'd suggest that as a minimum it should be three times a week but daily is better, I'd say. I don't think you can overdo grooming your Maine Coon provided you are not brushing through matts causing discomfort or pain. Of course, daily brushing/grooming to prevent matting is the answer. Grooming a Maine Coon. Screenshot from the video on this page. I think that regular and routine brushing of a Maine Coon with a grooming tool which is perfectly suited to grooming Maine Coons can only be a positive experience for human caregiver and cat alike. Enjoyable for both Provided the grooming is conducted in a respectful and caring way the cat will enjoy it. And so will the caregiver as it creates a nice bond and close relationship between cat and person. It also gives the owner the opportunity to check out the coat condition and the skin for health issues. Grooming a Maine Coon not onl...

Social media users are asking the question how to keep their Maine Coon clean? And what they are referring to is not keeping the whole cat clean because they can do that for themselves by and large. What they are referring to is poop stuck to their cat's backside. This appears to be a problem with Maine Coon cats. It is certainly not uncommon . There are several things that can be tried to alleviate if not eliminate the problem. Please read on. There are some useful links to information about litter trays/boxes and substrate which may help. This Maine Coon has difficulty in keeping his butt clean. Image: Reddit.com. The owner asks how he/she can keep him/her clean. Interesting aspect of the question Normally domestic cats are fastidious about keeping themselves clean including their bottoms. If they can't it can only be because the problem overwhelms them and they need intervention. Initial question It seems to me that you have to ask yourself an initial question. It is my Main...

 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 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. He flicks his hind leg He pushes himself away slightly 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...

To answer the question in the title we need to know what controls the shedding of fur in domestic cats including Maine Coons. When you answer that question, you can answer the question in the title. Some people think that seasonal temperature changes governs the shedding of fur in Maine Coon cats and other domestic cats. This makes sense because fur keeps cats warm and therefore if it's warmer, they don't need so much fur. Dante - a Red Tabby Maine Coon in the Snow. Photo by Wendy Photosensitive But it appears that cats are photosensitive meaning that they respond to the amount of ambient light when it comes to shedding fur. In other words, shedding fur is more influenced by the amount of light impacting upon the cat than by temperature changes. But of course, the amount of ambient light is directly linked to the ambient temperature outside i.e. seasonal changes. Other factors It's also important to note that other factors such as diet, health, and grooming habits can affec...

It's a bit like asking how long is a piece of string? I'm joking but the answer depends to a certain extent upon the perceptions of the cat's owner. Some Maine Coon caregivers will hardly see tumbleweed hairballs blowing around the kitchen floor !  Or whiskers that have been shed lying on the carpet or bed. Domestic cat fur does tend to get everywhere and an experienced cat caregiver will be somewhat blind to it because they become used to having it around. Huge Maine Coon will be difficult to groom. Image in the public domain with words added by MikeB. But to answer the question, Maine Coons shed their fur like any other domestic cat which is to be expected. Only, as they are a medium-longhaired cat, the hair strands are longer and therefore there is more hair in terms of overall bulk being deposited on household surfaces. This is compounded by the fact that they are the largest domestic cat breed . Of course, the old adage is that caregivers of medium-longhaired and longh...

Conclusion: the answer to the question depends on several factors as it always does. An acceptance of being brushed does not necessarily come naturally to Maine Coons. Domestic cats naturally groom themselves to a good standard provided they are healthy and the fur is not too long. They spend over 10% of their time grooming which is about 2.5 hours per day according to Dr Fogle. I am not sure mine does that. Do you spend that much on your personal hygiene! 😉. I don't. Nowhere near. Maine Coons need brushing and/or combing regularly to avoid matting and of course to check for ectoparasites such as fleas. It's all part of the routine of a cat caregiver and particularly important for semi-longhaired and longhaired cats as we all know. But do they like it? Or do they hate it?  It is a bit of a shame that Maine Coons need help in grooming. It is indicative of a failure in breeding if we are honest. I don't want to be too serious about this but the original Maine Coons, those ba...

The quality of a cat's coat is controlled by a number of factors: The cat's hormone concentrations; Nutrition; The general health of the cat; Parasitic infestations; The cat's genetics; How well the cat grooms herself; And finally, whether the cat's owner brushes their cat at all or how regularly. When a cat grooms themselves their tongue, covered with backward facing spines made of keratin, combs their coat. The wet saliva is deposited on their fur which by the way is how people who are allergic to cats pick up the allergen as the saliva dries and flies off onto furniture. The saliva catches dirt and their tongue pulls out loose hair as they groom themselves. Mothers teach their kittens how to do this. And you will see allogrooming in which cats who are friendly with each other groom each other in an act of friendship. Brushing a Maine Coon. Image: PetsKB. Grooming tips Cats will normally keep themselves clean but when they get older or when they are ill it won't ...

I'm afraid not. Maine Coons are just like any other domestic cat. They shed hair. In fact, as they are medium-longhaired there will be more actual hair in your home because the hair strands are longer. I think the question is a 'cri de cœur' to use a bit of French, by which I mean a desperate cry into the Internet to ask and hope that the Maine Coon sheds less than average because the person who asked the question loves Maine Coons but dislikes the idea of hair lying around their home. It is one of those minor (for some) and major (for others) downsides of being a cat caregiver. You have to learn to live with cat hairs around the home if you live with a cat. That is the best way to deal with it. Just reprogram your mind to accept it. You can minimise it by brushing your Maine Coon with one of those special brushes that picks up dead hair. You will find many examples on Amazon and online in general. Grooming a Maine Coon. Screenshot. I wouldn't advise bathing your cat to...

"Giant Maine Coon cat ATTACKS groomer". The title to this video, with one section in capitals for emphasis, is misleading. It gives the impression that this affable and remarkably tolerant Maine Coon is aggressive and difficult. The true picture is far from it. He accepts a lot of human activity which domestic cats really don't like. Professional groomers do things to cats which they inherently don't understand and dislike. Let's remind ourselves that domestic cats, in an ideal world, do not need grooming by people. They are well able to do it themselves. Tolerant Maine Coon accepts a lot of things that they dislike or hate at a professional grooming parlour. Screenshot. The trouble with the Maine Coon cat in general is that their fur is long and it can become matted. Matting can be irritating to a cat and it can create health problems. Removing matting can also create health problems if it is done by the owner and they use scissors! You just have to be incredibly...

This is extraordinary. I have never seen so much fur come out of a cat simply by grooming them. I've seen similar piles of fur being removed from a cat that has been neglected and become matted but nothing like this. This woman is simply combing her cat in the normal way albeit a bit vigorously. But the cat likes it so that's okay. Huge pile of fur combed out of a Maine Coon cat. Is this genuine? Is the fur from more than one cat? Screenshot. Huge pile of fur combed out of a Maine Coon cat. Screenshot. And then suddenly we are presented, on the video, with this huge pile of fur which she has combed out. It must have been the shedding season! But only fur which is loose and which is going to be lost anyway is combed out like this so this cat was going to shed a lot of fur during the brighter weather. It is increased light which triggers shedding rather than heat as you might expect. THOUGHT ! :) - perhaps the pile of fur has come from several cats! I think so. She wants to gi...

No, Maine Coons should not be bathed unless there is a specific health reason. Such reasons might be that the cat has fallen into some paint or has a bad flea infestation. These would both be rare for Maine Coons as they live pretty special lives, normally, as they are purchased cats from a breeder and they can be expensive depending on the quality of the cat. They'll normally be full-time indoor cats in the interests of their security and safety and well cared for. CAVEAT: a Maine Coon owner on YouTube disagrees with me as she says that Maine Coons become smelly unless you bathe them a few times per year. Strange that as cats are fastidiously clean but I defer to her experience. Make your own choice. If your Maine Coon does indeed become smelly without any obvious reason, I'd bathe her. ---------------- Dirty stray kitten being bathed and probably enjoying it. This is NOT a Maine Coon! This is a stray who was rescued and in a bad way. Photo in the public domain. The reason...

There is a high potential for matting in this superb Maine Coon. I know that the coat needs to be shaggy to meet the requirements of the breed standard so they look like genuine barn cats of the late 1800s but this guy needs ongoing maintenance of a serious kind: daily grooming by their human caretaker is probably a must to avoid mats forming. Once they form and take hold, they are hard to remove. Proactive action is far easier and more successful. Maine Coon's trademark shaggy coat. Needs human intervention of the grooming kind! Photo: Reddit. The important thing about grooming your cat is to be gentle. And the best care is proactive. Far easier. And commercial grooming parlours might not that good as they are unregulated and you don't know what is happening.  Will your cat be scared and traumatized? Is he safe? Are there dogs at the parlour as well? How do they dry cats? Are there safety controls? I would not use a grooming parlour as there have been some terrible stories ...

Grooming tips for a Maine Coon cat will be the same as for any cat or at least any semi-longhaired or longhaired cat. Longhaired need to be groomed by us. Shorthairs can be left alone but grooming is beneficial. I can't think of one tip that is more important than this one: groom regularly, ideally once or even twice a day. The key is to prevent matting. Once you have matting it is very hard to remove the matts. Your cat won't like it and neither will you. But your cat will enjoy being groomed with a nice comb bought perhaps at your local veterinary surgery or online at Amazon. The Furminator is very efficient but beware of the fact that it might be too strong for your cat. Not all cats will like the Furminator. A more gentle brush/comb combo device is probably better to keep the matting at bay. If your groom regularly you can even get a flea comb through a dense coat (32 teeth to the inch comb). Not all cats will like being groomed but most will. The key once again...