Your Maine Coon Guide

A Maine coon kitten has gone viral on social media after her owners caught her unusual playtime behaviour on camera. Well, this whole story is a fabrication really.  Sorry to be a killjoy but I like reality. The internet has run out of ideas so it makes up stories. Normal. The news media describes this cat as a Maine Coon and, frankly, I don't see that this cat is a Maine Coon cat judging by its appearance. The appearance of this cat is of a standard calico cat. If the cat is a Maine Coon cat it is non-standard and would not pass the breed standard in my view. Secondly, although slightly unusual, it is not very rare for cats to pant like dogs. It happens all the time but often we don't notice it. Perhaps it is the comparison between cats and dogs which makes a cat panting look unusual and rather strange but in truth it is not. MORE: Cat panting - click for more on this . And lastly, the video hasn't gone viral. It's attracted some attention but nothing special because i...

The world, now, understands that you can teach domestic cats to play fetch so never think that you can't train cats to do things that dogs do. Beware of what you might be getting into.  That's because they can enjoy it so much sometimes that they want to do it at a time of their choosing which will often be in the middle of the night; a time when cats can be fairly active and certainly far more active than their human caregivers. This is not Meatball but a fictional Maine Coon playing fetch in an image created by AI. Thanks AI (DALLE). This is the problem described by Eve who said that she always wanted to live with a Maine Coon cat. She tried to find one at a shelter but it is near impossible for the obvious reason that there are very, very few Maine Coon cat owners who abandon their cat to a shelter. She was told by her sister that Maine Coon cats need mental stimulation as they get bored easily. Comment: this would apply to any domestic cat by the way. But in response to tha...

Although unlikely, it is possible that a Maine Coon living in a nice home might become anxious. If the problem exists the causes would be a mixture of a timid character plus environmental circumstances such as the owner's absence or issues between cats in a multi-cat home. Note: Although as mentioned Maine Coons can be anxious it should be relatively unusual as in general this cat breed is made up of pretty laid-back cats. They have solid characters. But bad circumstances can make any cat anxious. Concerned Maine Coon, probably because of the photographer! Image: PetCareRx Here are some tips that might be helpful: Don't force your Maine Coon cat to confront what frightens them. If they are frightened of a particular area such as near the washing machine don't take your cat to that particular area to try and show them that there is nothing to be frightened about. Rather gradually encourage them over a period of time to go closer to the room until they go there of their own f...

This is a really well captured photograph of an attractive bicolour (chocolate brown-and-white) Maine Coon on a nice staircase with a toy mouse in her mouth. The staircase matches the dark areas of her coat. Her owner says that she likes to play with the mouse up and down the staircase which I thought wasn't that unusual. Perhaps the steps create an added dimension and complication to the game which makes it more exciting and stimulating for her. The owner/caregiver calls the toy a 'string toy'. Handsome Maine Coon well photographed with a toy mouse in her mouth. Photo credit: see below. The photographer did a really good job because, photographically speaking, the highlights in the white fur are not burnt out. You can see some detail in them and in the shadows; both are well-managed. That is the sign of a good photograph, technically speaking. So often we see dead shadows and burned-out highlights which ruin the quality. Such a beautiful cat requires a well-taken photo...

The reason why this red tabby Maine Coon spills all the water out of the dog's bowl is because he is bored. They need stimulation and challenges. I have to use a lot of guesswork in answering this question. But my guess is that this Maine Coon is a full-time indoor domestic cat which will predispose him to boredom.  Full-time indoor cats require more input from their caregivers for obvious reasons. And if they don't get it, they are liable to become bored. In order to self-stimulate they knock over things to see how they fall. Or they chuck the water out of a bowl to see what happens. They want movement. They want to create a fake prey animal to be caught. Maine Coon spills all the water out of the dog's bowl for fun. Why? Boredom, I'd say. In short, they need to be played with actively and with purpose and commitment. The only person really qualified to do that is the cat's caregiver. It's almost certain that nearly every cat owner does not play with their c...