Your Maine Coon Guide

Aficamten for the treatment of HCM in the Maine Coon and other cats. Image: MikeB A study - referred to at the end of the article - concludes with the words below in testing a new drug called aficamten  for the treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in cats of which the Maine Coon is perhaps the best known cat breed to suffer from this inherited disease. "A single dose of aficamten significantly decreased LV systolic function and improved LVOTO, both of which are harmful aspects of this disease process that contribute to the pathogenesis." The sentence above describes the effects of this medication called aficamten on a condition that causes abnormal function in the left ventricle of the heart which is how HCM is manifested in cats and people. The left ventricle becomes enlarged and malfunctions. Here's a breakdown: A single dose of aficamten significantly decreased LV systolic function: Aficamten reduces the pumping ability of the left ventricle (LV) to a noticea...

If you are about to purchase a Maine Coon cat and if you are concerned about the longevity of said Maine Coon cat, you would be wise to question your chosen breeder on the issue of HCM in purebred cats. HCM, as you probably know, stands for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which is a pretty commonplace and serious heart disease causing a thickening of the left ventricle which reduces the functionality of the heart to the point where the cat can become lethargic and breathless and cause more serious ailments. AI created illustration of HCM affecting domestic cats. This is not a Maine Coon. In fact HCM eventually kills cats by shortening their lifespan sometime substantially because this disease can start at around four months of age in Maine Coon cats . It's a very serious potential and actual illness which people need to know about particular those people who are researching the adoption through purchasing from a breeder of a beautiful Maine Coon kitten. HCM is the biggest factor in red...

Maine Coon with Dali whiskers If your veterinarian diagnoses your Maine Coon with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), the next steps typically involve the steps below. This information comes from veterinarian websites such as Langford Vets and UC Davis. Genetic Testing : To confirm the presence of the mutation associated with HCM in Maine Coons, a genetic test may be recommended . Management and Monitoring : There is no cure for HCM, but treatments can help improve your cat’s quality of life. This usually includes medication to control symptoms and prevent disease progression. Regular follow-ups with echocardiograms to monitor heart function are also important Lifestyle Adjustments : Depending on the severity, your vet might suggest changes in diet or activity levels to reduce stress on the heart. Breeding Advice : If your Maine Coon is part of a breeding program, it’s recommended to remove them from it to prevent passing on the gene. It’s essential to work closely with your vet to est...

This is a remarkable study for its conclusion. It was conducted in 2010.The scientists evaluated a population of 127 cats who'd been treated at the Royal Veterinary College Queen Mother Hospital for Animals in the UK between 1997 and 2005. The cats included some purebred cat including Ragdolls. They concluded that "Overall median survival from date of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy diagnosis at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals was 1276 days".  This is saying that cats taken to this animal hospital for diagnosis and having been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) lived for a further 3.5 years.  Comment: a very short time. Clearly the age of the cat when diagnosed is a factor which dictates the length of time that they have to live.  Younger cats lived longer after being diagnosed with HCM. That's pretty obvious and HCM can affect young cats around 4 months old. That said, we know that Maine Coons and Ragdolls are just 2 breeds with a history of HCM. The...

As a Maine Coon cat caregiver you almost certainly know that the breed is genetically predisposed to developing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). In my view, this disease, which can start early in life, is the reason why Maine coon cats have, on average, a shorter lifespan than they should otherwise have. One study says that their lifespan, on average, is 11 years .  It's a great shame that through suboptimal breeding, this majestic cat breed is so predisposed to this serious disease. Omar an overweight Maine Coon cat who's probably predisposed to HCM. Image: Screenshot from a YouTube video. Omar lives in Australia. The study that I'm referring to observed certain anatomical characteristics of Maine Coon cats that were predisposed to HCM. They decided this because the Maine Coon cats in their cohort (group) of 63 cats that had HCM commonly had these anatomical characteristics. They are as follows: Older: This is to be expected. Older Maine Coon cats are more likely to hav...

Bobby Flay and Nacho. Image: Instagram Boby Flay is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, businessman and reality television personality. He is also known for being the caregiver of Nacho and a cat lover. He is one of those celebs who owns a Maine Coon. There aren't that many on my reckoning. It is with an absolute broken heart that I report Nacho has passed away peacefully. He announced on Instagram five days ago the passing of Nacho. And he really, really loved this cat. It went deep so he is badly cut up by Nacho's passing. It is very sad to read the story. But what I immediately noticed was Nacho's age when he died: 9! This is about half the age of a moggy with a good lifespan. We are not told the cause of death but I can guess: HCM. Heart disease to which this very popular breed is genetically predisposed and they should not be. It is a travesty that Maine Coons should be dying at 9-years-of-age. This is far too young. He should have had many years ahead of him. My...

In layperson's terms, we know that it's possible to screen Maine Coon breeding cats, foundation cats and the parents of kittens plus the kittens created at cat breeders for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in order to prevent the creation of Maine Coon cats who are predisposed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and therefore to reassure purchasers of purebred Maine Coon cats that their purchase will not show signs of the disease quite soon after purchase and have a shortened lifespan as a consequence. By 'screening' I mean testing for a mutant gene that causes the disease. When a Maine Coon breeder says that they screen their cats and kittens for the disease that they sell to clients, should a negative test result totally reassure the client that their purchased kitten will not develop HCM? That is the $64,000 question. The answer to that question is clearly NO , sadly. My research clearly indicates that a Maine Coon cat screened as negative for HCM may still develop this...

Maine Coon photo copyright Helmi Flick. This is very much a 'normal' Maine Coon not bred to extreme. Introduction I am not a veterinarian I am good at research I am good at understanding medical/scientific studies I can summarise them into plain English --------------------- Ramipril is an ACE inhibitor. ACE stands for "Angiotensin-converting enzyme". ACE inhibitors such as Ramipril are medications that help relax the veins and arteries to lower blood pressure.  Key point: ACE inhibitors prevent an enzyme in the body from producing angiotensin II, a substance that narrows blood vessels.  Alternative names for Ramipril include: Lopace, Ramipril, Triapin, Triapin Mite, Tritace (British Heart Foundation). The study I am referring to is: The Effect of Ramipril on Left Ventricular Mass, Myocardial Fibrosis, Diastolic Function, and Plasma Neurohormones in Maine Coon Cats with Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy without Heart Failure. Link to study abstract:  https://doi.o...

Maine Coon was breathing heavily one day and he was euthanised the next due to sudden sign of heart disease. Maine Coon was put down one day after the first signs of heart disease emerged. Image: Instagram account of northstarvintage. RELATED ARTICLE: Mavacamten is slated as a possible new drug for HCM in Maine Coon cats  - always seek vet advice about these sorts of stories. This story on Instagram shocked me a little. I and many others know that Maine Coons are predisposed to heart disease through inheritance. It is part of the breed sadly. It should not be. It is down to bad breeding. Anyway, a Maine Coon owner posted a glorious picture of their ever so shaggy Maine Coon (never seen a Maine Coon so shaggy) with the following poignant words: Yesterday we learned the hard way that Maine Coon Cats are prone to heart disease. Junior started breathing heavily and what I thought would be a quick and easy trip to the vet became a heartbreaking afternoon as his chest was filled with flu...

Indicators that a Maine Coon may be predisposed to HCM - hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (heart disease). Image by MikeB Scientists looked at some possible indicators that a Maine Coon might be predisposed to developing HCM in their lives. Their conclusion was that the following signs may indicate a predisposition: low birth weight and catch up with rapid growth through good nutrition after poor nutrition as an embryo. obesity. neutered cat, which is linked to 2 above. heavier. long forelimb bones connecting the elbow and shoulder (humerus). Conclusions of the study Below are some extracts from the study. They are technical but they are here for completeness and they may interest some readers. 1. These data support the hypothesis that early growth and nutrition, larger body size and obesity may be environmental modifiers of genetic predisposition to HCM. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the effects of early nutrition and growth on the phenotypic expression of HCM 2. Low birth wei...

In human terms it is sexist to select one sex over another and I feel slightly uncomfortable doing it but this article should interest people who are thinking of adopting a Maine Coon cat (MC). 2 reasons why female Maine Coons are better than males. Image: MikeB HCM If you are thinking of adopting you probably know by now that the MC is predisposed to several inherited diseases, one of which is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). It is a serious heart disease and ultimately a killer. It can start at a very young age . A breeder says that a cat predisposed to HCM should be tested for the disease yearly. How do you check ? This disease is present in the general domestic cat population and in other breeds at a higher prevalence e.g., the Bengal cat at around 15% of all Bengal cats. It is also present in humans at 0.2% prevalence (1 in 500). However, 30% of Maine coon cats have a genetic mutation that makes it likely that they will develop hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Cats in general are mo...

This was a scientific abuse of the Maine Coon in using the cat as an animal 'model' of HCM. A study confirmed that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in Maine Coon cats is inherited as a non-sex linked dominant genetic mutation. The study found that HCM was inherited with 100% penetrance, meaning that all cats with the genetic mutation that causes HCM will develop the disease.  Image: PDSA. Thank you. Affected cats typically did not show signs of HCM until they were at least 6 months old, and the disease progressed during adolescence and young adulthood.  Mode of inheritence Of 22 offspring from breeding affected to un affected cats, 12 (55%) were affected. When affected cats were bred to affected cats, 4 (45%) of the 9 were affected, 2 (22%) unaffected, and 3 (33%) stillborn. To restate the first sentence of the above para. If a breeder mates a Maine Coon which carries the genetic mutation causing HCM with a Maine Coon that does not carry the gene, around half the kittens fr...

I realise that this is a bit technical which can be boring but I think that it is important that people in the cat fancy which includes cat association administrators and cat breeders get a handle on inherited diseases in Maine Coon cats. Why are they accepted? They spoil an otherwise great cat breed. What about the cat? They are sometimes destined to die young of HCM. It's not nice of humans to bring into the world an animal for sale that will be breathless and dying well before their time. Beautiful young Maine Coon. Image in public domain. Below is a 'translation' from the very technical language of a Maine Coon study into the body size and metabolic differences in Maine Coon cats with and without HCM. It looks at things that it seems to me can be done by the breeder to help lengthen lifespans. HCM is caused by an inherited gene mutation but it can be exacerbated it seems by the factors mentioned. RELATED:  How do I check if my Maine Coon has HCM? Hypertrophic cardiomyo...

Beautiful Maine Coon ginger tabby kitten but are they predisposed to HCM? Image: Photo: Viktoria Vyacheslavovna Terskaya. My research using clinical studies informs me that the disease usually appears around 6 months of age but perhaps as early as 3 months of age according to one American hospital. ---------------- The first study I looked at describes the development and characteristics of a colony of Maine coon cats that had familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHCM), a genetic heart disease. The researchers bred affected and unaffected cats to determine the mode of inheritance of the disease and used echocardiography to identify affected offspring and determine the natural history of the disease.  The results showed that the disease follows an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance with 100% penetrance, meaning that individuals who carry the genetic mutation for the disease will develop it. The disease usually appears in cats around 6 months of age and becomes more severe i...

I think this is a reasonable question. It would certainly concern me if I lived with a Maine Coon. I'd be watching out for signs that my cat had developed HCM which is a well-known inherited disease to which this breed is predisposed. Does it generally worry Maine Coon caregivers? It can start when a cat is quite young. Blood test to check for HCM in Maine Coon. Image: MikeB from images in the public domain. Update 24 hours after publishing this page: it has been seen by 2 people!! No one gives a damn if their MC has HCM. That must be the message. There is no point in my writing these sorts of articles. So, you have possible signs that your cat has HCM. What to do? Only one thing: have some tests done at a good veterinarian who will do the following as I understand it: A physical check-up - listening to the heart and lungs and checking blood pressure. NT-proBNP – blood test that measures a heart stress hormone that can help detect heart disease. Electrocardiogram (ECG) – to measur...

I have decided to do what I would call a 'round up' of the mutated genes behind the disastrous inherited heart disease of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in this very popular domestic cat breed which is in top three most popular breeds on some polls .  Mutated genes cause HCM in Maine Coons, but the problem is fixable by removing studs and queens with the mutation from breeding lines. Why isn't this happening? Image: MikeB By 'round up' I mean pulling together the strands of information that I have discovered about the causes of this disease from research conducted over many years. I have endeavoured to use plain English at all times as this is a very technical topic. A round up is needed because different research projects have come to apparently different findings, but they are overlapping as in all cases the genetic mutation responsible has a negative impact on the creation of heart muscle such that HCM is programmed to occur at some stage in the affected cat...

For me, to be very frank, the question is not that useful because it is encouraging me to generalise, and it is wrong to generalise on lifespan because it will vary between individual cats even when they are all Maine Coons.  Precious Maine Coon life beginning. Will he have a long life free of HCM? Image in public domain (as assessed). But I'm going to try and answer the question nonetheless because a well-known website on Maine Coons answers it and they say that you can expect Maine Coons to live beyond 12 years of age. Like I said, that's not extremely helpful. My assessment that their lifespan is 12 years! Not beyond it. See the update below if you want to cut to the chase. HCM the key It seems to me the discussion about Maine Coon lifespan should centre on a critically important inherited disease that affects this popular breed namely hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). A lot has been written about this heart disease. How does it affect lifespan? It must affect lifespan to ...

Respected sources of information on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in Maine Coon cats tell us that about 30% (25%-33%) of Maine Coons have a genetic mutation that makes them likely that they will develop HCM which is a thickening of the muscle walls of the heart leading to heart failure and other complications such as an increased risk of blockage. So, what are the signs that your Maine Coon cat is developing HCM? Image: MikB based on images in the public domain: heart: Wikipedia and MC: Pixabay. The genetic mutation referred to is a defective gene which is autosomal dominant. It affects both males and females. One copy of the gene may lead to the disease. RELATED: Mavacamten is slated as a possible new drug for HCM in Maine Coon cats . Test for genetic mutation In the US, the Veterinary Cardiac Genetics Laboratory at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine can test cats for this defect using a cheek swab or a blood test. That information was valid in about th...

There are two studies on the Internet in which the Maine Coon cat breed is compared to other breeds and non-purebred cats concerning visits to a vet for health issues under an insurance policy. One comes from Sweden and the other from Japan. Maine Coon vet visits compared to other cats in Japan and Sweden. Image: MikeB based in background image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay Sweden They evaluated vet visits for health problems of insured Swedish cats between 1999-2006 by age, breed, sex and diagnosis. I am able to look at the summary ONLY which is about 10 lines. There were 875 visits to veterinarians for health problems per 10,000 "cat-years at risk".  They concluded that the Siamese, Burmese and Abyssinian cats had higher rates of claims compared to the Norwegian Forest cat, the Maine Coon, the European Shorthair and domestic cats (moggies).  In other words, the Maine Coon, on this evaluation, is healthier than the Siamese, Burmese and Abyssinian cats. The most common claim...

The MYBPC3 gene gives instructions to the body of developing Maine Coons to make cardiac myosin binding protein which is part of heart muscle cells. Cardiac MyBP-C is linked to a basic unit of muscle contraction. When the MYBPC3 is mutated, it is associated with a significant increased risk of the development of the well-known heat disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy for which the Maine Coon is also well-known to suffer from. It is one of several inherited disease very sadly affecting this impressive a popular cat breed . Genes and chromosomes. Image in the public domain. The mutated gene is also referred to as 'cardiac myosin-binding protein C3 mutations'. The mutated MYBPC3-A31P gene was identified in a colony of Maine Coons way back in 2010. So, it is present in the USA. A study (see title below) was concerned with its prevalence in European Maine Coons. The researchers assessed 3757 cats from different breeds including 2744 Maine Coon cats for this mutation. The muta...