About the Breed
The Maine Coon is a large domesticated cat breed. One of the oldest natural breeds in North America, the breed originated in the U.S. state of Maine, where it is the official state cat. The Maine Coon is a large and social cat, commonly referred to as “the gentle giant.”
Overview
OTHER NAMES: Gentle Giant
PERSONALITY: Amiable, gentle and dog-like
WEIGHT: Average of 9 to 18 pounds; males can weigh 20 pounds or more
LENGTH: About 19 to 30 inches
COAT LENGTH: Heavy and shaggy; silky with coat falling smoothly
COAT COLOR: Solid (white, black, blue, red and cream), tabby (classic, mackerel and ticked), bi-color (black and white, blue and white, red and white, cream and white), parti-color (tortoiseshell and blue-cream), parti-color and white (calico, tortoiseshell and white, blue-cream and white), shaded and smoke, and shaded/smoke and white
EYE COLOR: Varies according to coat color, but may be green, gold, green-gold, copper, blue or odd-eyed
LIFE EXPECTANCY: 12 to 15 years
HYPOALLERGENIC: No
ORIGIN: United States
- HEIGHT 12-16 inches
- Weight 20-28 pounds
- LIFE EXPECTANCY 10-12 Years
”Owning a cat is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a cat into your life, you need to understand the commitment that cat ownership entails”.
What To Expect When Caring For a Pug & Traits
The Maine Coon is America’s native longhaired cat. The breed, with its essentially amiable disposition, developed through a natural selection process where only the fittest survived. It should always be remembered that the Maine Coon developed basically as a “working cat” able to fend for itself in rough, woody terrain and under extreme climatic conditions. The Maine Coon is a large breed with big ears, broad chest, substantial boning, a long, hard-muscled, rectangular body and a long, flowing tail, and large feet with tufts.
Kittens are of course, more active than their adult counterparts, but if encouraged, most Maine Coons remain playful their whole lives. Interactive toys can provide both exercise and bonding time, while many play fetch, walk on a leash, and entertain their family by following simple commands (for a reward, of course!)
The Maine Coon is a solid, rugged cat that is well-proportioned and balanced despite their massive size. They have muscular, long, rectangular bodies with broad chests. Their large, round paws have tufts of hair sticking up from the toes. The head is slightly longer in length than width, with high cheekbones, a distinctive square muzzle, and large, well-tufted ears. The Maine Coon cat coat is heavy and shaggy with a ruff on the chest. The breed comes in many different colors and patterns except for chocolate, lavender, and the Himalayan (pointed) pattern.
As with other heavily built breeds, it’s important to keep Maine Coon cats from becoming overweight, something that can easily happen if the cat is free-fed (food kept in the bowl at all times) rather than fed measured meals twice a day. For all cats, staying lean is healthier. For Maine Coons, which are prone to hip dysplasia, staying lean can prevent the development or worsening of joint issues. For advice about what to feed or how much to feed daily, talk to your veterinarian or breeder.
In general, purebred Maine Coon cats cost between $1000 and $3000, but this varies based on factors like coat color and championship lines.
Gentle and laid-back
Affectionate and entertaining
Gets along well with kids and other pets, including dogs
Not big on cuddling/not a lap cat
Coat requires weekly brushing and combing
Doesn’t do well when left alone for long periods of time
Some purebred cats are more prone to developing genetically linked health issues. Maine Coons may be affected by certain medical conditions, but responsible breeders take steps to prevent these through selective breeding.
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Hip dysplasia
- Spinal muscular atrophy (a genetic disease that causes degeneration of the spinal cord and atrophy of the muscles in the hind limbs)
A genetic test is available for spinal muscular atrophy so breeders can avoid breeding affected cats or carriers. Responsible Maine Coon breeders have their adult cats screened for these and other health concerns prior to breeding them
The Maine Coon breed is available in a variety of colors and patterns except pointed (pale body and relatively darker extremities, i.e. the face, ears, feet, tail and in males, scrotum). The most typical colors and patterns are brown, red (orange) or silver tabbies (with or without white), and in classic (bold, swirling patterns along his sides — much like a marble cake), mackerel (vertical, gently curving stripes on the side of the body) or ticked patterns. In most recent years, breeders have been producing solid colored cats in black, white, and blue (grey).
Females are typically somewhat smaller at 12 to 15 pounds, but still larger than average for a cat.
Males are quite large with healthy weights that are usually around 18 to 22 pounds
