Your Maine Coon Guide

 Don't get the wrong impression that Maine Coons snarl a lot. They don't. They are pretty laid-back cats. This picture caught my eye as the large, square muzzle of the Maine Coon makes a domestic cat snarl look particularly impressive. This brown tabby Maine Coon has a very strong, masculine face. His crinkled nose is the icing on the cat for a feline facial expression.  The owner says this about the picture: "My Maine Coon buddy Quentin. He does the best don't-mess-with-me snarl. He even crinkles his nose." It is harder to read the emotions of domestic cats through their facial expressions than it is for dogs . The cat is known to be inscrutable but not so in this instance. Adorable Maine Coon snarl with crinkled nose. Image: Twitter/X The relatively inscrutable face of the domestic cat compared to the domestic dog is all to do with the fact that the cat is solitary and therefore has less of a need to communicate with other cats compared to dogs which are pack an...

Maine Coons are inherently territorial with males being more concerned about maintaining their home range (territory they claim as theirs) than females but both genders have home ranges. How strictly a home range is defended from intruders also depends on the character of the individual cat and the circumstances under which they live. Are Maine Coons territorial? Yes. Image: MikeB For instance, a Maine Coon living indoors full-time with three other cats is going to have a very small amount of territory that he/she can call their own.  There will be overlapping territories. They'd have to be a lot of give and take. A lot of flexibility and the willingness to adapt to compressed territories and unnatural conditions. To ask if Maine Coons are territorial is like asking whether Maine Coons walk on their toes (are digitigrades). The answer is yes of course because Maine Coon are the same as any other domestic, stray, feral or wild cat species. No matter what species of cat or breed (all...

The question is almost insulting!! For the regal Maine Coon to suggest that they might stoop so low is insulting. But there is a serious side to this. It seems that kittens sometimes eat their own poop. This applies to any cat of any cat breed or moggy. No reference in my books The first point is that in all my reading about cats in a large number of books over many years I can't recall encountering any references to cats or kitten eating their own poop. Perhaps I have ten years ago or something but it's a very rarely encountered topic. Internet - reliable? But you can quickly find references to it on the internet. Strange that. I feel that the habit of eating poop called 'coprophagia' is rare in kittens and cats. It must be rare to very rare. Some internet articles imply that it is common among kittens. I don't believe it. The Internet authors have a habit of writing clickbait and exaggerating. I am not saying that they have exaggerated in this instance but it is c...

Image: MikeB Below is a list of seven potential Maine Coon behavioural problems from a well-known website about this cat breed. I would like to discuss them. The picture that I have made hints at the fact that I question whether these really are genuine Maine Coon problems. They are clearly natural behaviours because everything that a Maine Coon cat does is essentially natural; a reaction to the circumstances under which they find themselves and for a Maine Coon cat those circumstances are invariably created by their human caregiver because nearly all Maine Coon cats are full-time indoor cats. They live inside a human world; a human environment both in terms of the inanimate objects and the animate objects. Aggressive Territorial Clingy Inappropriate Climbing Spraying Scratching Furniture Destructive Aggression Of course, Maine Coon cats can be aggressive. Their inherent character trait lends this cat to be pretty calm and unaggressive; perhaps, in general, less aggressive than a typic...

'Monster' is a monster! A Maine Coon monster. And he is a black smoke. Basically, it is the same amazing coat type sported by one of the internet's most famous Maine Coons: Richie . And as the video states he has got it into his mind that he needs to jump up onto his caregiver's back as he prepares to take them outside for a walk on a harness and lead, which is a great idea. The perfect way to entertain a full-time indoor Maine Coon. The internet stories about Monster say that he does this to make sure that he is included on the walk but I am not sure. I think he does this because he is excited and he shows it by effervescently jumping up on the man's back because he wants to get involved even before he gets out the front door for that daily and much-loved walk. It is fun and excitement. A clear sign that this caregiver is spot on in terms of the quality of caregiving that he delivers. 'Monster' - his name - Maine Coon has a unique way of telling his caregi...

 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...

This video maker calls it a 'chirp' but this is incorrect as far as I am concerned. It is called 'chattering'. The chirp is akin to a trill which is a greeting sound. The chattering that we see in the video has nothing to do with greetings. It is to do with killing and death!! As Maine Coons are nearly always home cats - full-time indoor cats - cat television (window gazing) is very important to them as it entertains. It is mental stimulation. A vital part of their day. It is important that there is activity outside, particularly birds because they can imagine themselves catching and killing them.  It sounds brutal but cats are top predators after all and the birds are safe. The birds don't see the cats so there is no stress on the birds. But this Maine Coon is imagines herself chomping down on the nape of the bird's neck to kill it by severing the vertebrae. The cat does not just imagine it. She does the action in a vacuum - vacuum activity. It is as if she is ...

The Maine Coon trill is talked about a lot. People associate the breed with this particular feline sound. But the trill is certainly not unique to the Maine Coon. Perhaps they do it more than usual and it is done so cutely that people take notice.  Large cat small sound It is particularly endearing when produced by a Maine Coon as they are a large cat breed - the largest - and the sound is quiet (small). Overlapping sounds and variations The first difficulty with describing cat sounds is that they overlap and a described sound like the 'trill' is produced in different ways by different cats. It is often tricky to be precise. Trill to chirrup - onomatopoeic For example, the trill can be also be described as a chirrup. Both these words are onomatopoeic meaning that saying the word is a little like making the sound because the word's creation is closely based on the quality of the sound. So, the chirrup can slide into a trill when produced by a Maine Coon. What does it mean!??...

I think that it is always useful to go to science to examine the behavioural traits of any single cat breed. In this instance, a Finnish study titled: 'Breed differences of heritable behavioural traits in cats', looked at 5,726 individual cats through a questionnaire given to their owners.  Ginger tabby and white Maine Coon chilling. Image in public domain. Maine Coons participated in study as did other breeds and non-purebred cats. They were looking at whether selective breeding of Maine Coon cats and other breeds controlled to a certain extent the cat's character. And they found some correlations between genetic inheritance and behaviour. I have always said that in any chosen breed you can't say that all the individual cats are going to have the same character. That is impossible and it doesn't make sense. That's because there are two influencing factors: inherited character and environmentally altered character through experiences. Also, there are many breede...

Outdoor Maine Coon decides where to go. Image: MikeB based on image in public domain. How much space have you got? You haven't got enough space. I'll explain why. Maine Coon cats are like any other domestic cat in terms of their space requirements. Their space requirements are based on their 'home range'. Your average domestic cat, given complete free rein in order to satisfy their natural, wild instincts, would probably need to travel 50 meters to 400 meters in any direction from their home where they live with their caregiver.  On my calculation, the longer distance represents about 50 hectares or 124 acres! The lower figure of 50 meters represents a space of about 2 acres or 84,540 square feet. The average house size in the United States is 2,500 square feet. Most Maine Coons are confined to 2,500 square feet which is about 3 percent of their free travel desires. Movements of domestic cats allowed to go out based on a scientific study.  Seeing as Maine Coon cats real...

This is a slightly scary picture according to those who've seen it. One social media user said it was the devil and "If I walked into a room and saw that, I would assume some shit is about to go down". There is a ghostly stillness and sinister feeling about the image. 'Eerie' is a better description. This attractive cat appears to be completely at ease and comfortable sitting on top of a chest of bedroom drawers. The lighting from below (deliberate?) enhances the eerie effect. It seems possible that this is a photo-edited image but if so, it has been done with great skill. However, I don't think this is Photoshopped. Rethink: to be honest, the more I look at the picture, the more I feel that this is a photo-edited image. It is just too unnatural to be real. Although some domestic cats get themselves into some very strange positions. Maine Coon calmly sitting just like a human on a chest of drawers. Picture source unclear. Image deemed to be in the public d...

One top Maine Coon website states that statistically only 30.4% of Maine Coon cat owners claim that their cats are lap cats. They don't state where that information comes from. But it means that about a third of Maine Coon cats would like to jump on your lap and cuddle up. That sounds about right to me although it'll be guesswork. In fact, I would expect about 25% to be lap cats. Another person who claims to know about Maine Coon cats, states that they are not usually lap cats. Another website states that male Maine Coon cats are more likely to be lap cats than females. Huge Maine Coon lap cat in which the lap is too small! Image: Pinterest. Different answers You will find different answers to the question in the title on the Internet. I know that you want a nice solid answer, but I am afraid there isn't one because no one's done a good survey. Individuals And each individual Maine Coon will have their own character anyway. Some like to jump on a lap while others don...

The question asks whether Maine Coons are more energetic than your average domestic cat and the answer is that they are not. In my personal experience their energy levels are very typical of any normal or standard domestic cat companion. They are not known for being lazy or energetic.  For example, the Bengal cat or Savannah cat are both known to be more energetic than your typical domestic cat because of their wild cat inheritance - they are wild cat hybrids.  Are Maine Coons energetic? Not really but they are stars 👌✔️😃. The pic is from Purina. At the other end of the spectrum there is the Persian cat which is known to be less energetic or more passive than the typical domestic cat. In between these two extremes you will find the vast majority of cats belonging to the other cat breeds and of course the non-purebred cats as well. The question in the title is a little bit difficult and imprecise to be perfectly frank. The energy levels of a domestic cat is impacted by their ...

For me this is a beautiful ginger tabby Maine Coon being intelligent. Ginger tabbies are always intelligent! The cat's owner disparages her cat, Teddy, by implying that he can't jump over 18 inches when he is a member of the biggest cat breed. But this is incorrect, I think. Cats find the easiest route over or through barriers.  As the barrier is not solid Teddy goes through it. If it was solid I would confidently expect him to jump over it. It is cat intelligence at the end of the day linked to survival. In the wild, cats have to conserve energy to maximise their chances of survival in a harsh world. Domestic cats as we know inherent all the attributes of their wild cat forebears. They are all there plain to see and they come out all the time especially when cats are alone outside in a forest.   Yes, the soundtrack is crap! Really irritating but the MC is great and the cat's behaviour is interesting and completely different to the description in the video. Update: Video ...

I have stated in the title that Maine Coons can understand their name and the names of four other cats if they live in a group, for example, in a multi-cat home. But I've been a bit cheeky because the statement that I have made applies to any domestic cat. I just wanted to write an article about Maine Coons and this study which has been reported on the Internet recently presented itself to me at an opportune moment. 😎 I stated in the title "when spoken by humans". That might look a bit odd but it is just possible that cats refer to each other by name! No one's discussed that. However, the point that I would like to make early on in this article is that I knew about this well before the Japanese scientists confirmed it in their study. And I'm not boasting because any decent cat caregiver understands that their cat responds to their name. If they live in a multi-cat home then they will also understand that each of those cats can understand their name. I'm not s...

The video shows a Maine Coon (Gizmo) exasperating his owner because he refuses to go through a hole cut into a child gate and prefers to jump over it which he struggles to do. It is an amusing video on TikTok (@gizmos_best_life), which is at the base of the page. Maine Coon wants to go over a child gate rather than through the hole made for him. Screenshot. Anyway, that's the technical stuff out of the way but there is another technical question and that is why this Maine Coon does what he does. Why can't he go through the hole that his lady owner has built for him? It must have been quite troublesome to do it. And there is the gaping hole staring him in the face. "For some reason he tried climbing over the gate instead of going through the hole that we specifically cut out for the cats to use. I had to climb up to show him how to use it." - owner, Kayla. I have one suggestion and it's this. This cat has been trained to believe that the child gate is impassable...

Regal Maine Coon does a majestic blep. Screenshot. The cat blep is the 'feline tongue sticking out behavior' which we all see from time to time. When a regal Maine Coon does it, it looks out of place. It is a bit like the Queen of England sticking her tongue out at her subjects 😊.  The video maker, Robert Sijka calls it the 'most majestic blep ever recorded'. I agree. Sijka takes awesome photographs of awesome Maine Coons too. @robert_sijka The most majestic #blep ever recorded. #mainecoon #cats #catsoftiktok #felisgallery ♬ original sound - Felis Gallery by Robert Sijka Note : This is an embedded video from another website. Sometimes they are deleted at source or the video is turned into a link which stops it working here. I have no control over this. In an earlier article I discuss five reasons why cats do the blep - see link below. It may interest you and you may have some thoughts of your own. If so, please leave a comment. RELATED:  5 possible reason...

His human caregiver says that 'he always asks for more'. He clearly has his own individual way of asking (see video below). It is very cute. There are a couple of interesting points. Firstly, there is some food left in the bowl so he could have finished the bowl before asking for more.  Why didn't he? In my experience cats tend to leave a bit of food in the bowl even when hungry. It may point to the fact that they have poor near range eyesight and depend on their sense of smell to detect food. As there is very little left the smell is slight. They think the food has run out. Screenshot. He has way of asking for more food. The second point is that he is being fed with Royal Canin Maine Coon dry cat food. So, what is this? Why do Maine Coons need special cat food?  You might have guessed that this is all to do with the Maine Coon's inherited health problems.  RELATED:  Maine Coon Health Problems . They inherently suffer from hip dysplasia and patella luxation. The form...

Bloody wonderful 😂. Somebody asked this on the Quora.com website. I think that it is a good question because it invites people to answer it. Therefore, I want people to write a comment, please. I'm desperate for comments.  I have lived with a couple of Maine Coons for two weeks. I felt treasured and privileged. Sometimes I am very tempted to adopt a Maine Coon cat. All my life I have adopted rescue cats, unwanted cats and had wonderfully loving relationships with them. But on other occasions my mind wanders to the possibility of living with a beautifully, glamorous, large Maine Coon and taking them for a walk on a leash to impress the neighbours. 'Zak' a Maine Coon I loved. Photo: MikeB My experience of living with these two Maine Coons was obviously good. One of them, Zak, really liked me and we got on so well. He was very lovable and loving. I felt the warmth from him emotionally. I miss him. He's probably passed by now and gone over the rainbow bridge because this w...