Maine Coons are large, cheerful cats that love movement and play, so their home should be adapted not only for relaxation, but also for entertainment. You can buy a house for a Maine Coon, or you can make it yourself, taking into account the features of the apartment’s interior and the nuances of the animal’s character. Some manufacturers of cat systems offer individual modular assembly, when the product is created only from popular elements. Often, hanging toys such as mice or pompoms are included in Maine Coon houses.
How to choose or make a house
A full-fledged house for an adult Maine Coon will be his favorite place in the apartment if you provide it with all the necessary components. Many owners of such cats prefer to buy a ready-made complex in a store rather than spend a lot of time building it at home. This is convenient - you will bring to the apartment a ready-made home for your Maine Coon, which he will certainly appreciate.
Those who are looking for a profitable option financially should think about building a house for a Maine Coon cat with their own hands. You yourself will take into account and make for yourself a list of those components that must be included in the cat complex. Agree, you know your pet better than anyone else, what games and entertainment he likes best. The assortment in the store is not always pleasing.
Another point that speaks in favor of building a house with your own hands: store-bought copies (even if you take into account that you have found an option that is ideal for a pet) are usually made of cheap materials. You can spend money on a much better quality house, but their range is small, due to the fact that the demand for such expensive complexes is quite low. Even if you have the funds, it is not always possible to buy a good house for a Maine Coon.
So, in order to build a multifunctional and practical complex for your Maine Coon, you should consider the following recommendations from experts:
- height of the observation deck. As a rule, there should be at least two such sites. Their sizes depend on your preferences. But if you want to please your pet, watch him. Where does he most often like to be located? Surely, he has already noticed several observation platforms in the apartment and often climbs there. Make the upper viewing area slightly higher than where the Maine Coon spends a lot of time, and the second area should be slightly lower - this is the main “comfort zone” for the cat;
- viewing area. Most houses for Maine Coons are located opposite the entrance to the room. By nature, these guards like to control the entire room with their gaze. It’s good if the entrance to another room comes into their field of vision - they will immediately prefer to occupy such a place;
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- presence of a scratching post nearby. Otherwise, its role can be played by completely different objects;
- designing the shape of the booth. This largely depends on the character of the cat. If she likes to hide in the closet or under the bed, then her home complex needs to be equipped with a closed place where she can fully relax.
Nobody can offer you a mandatory house design as such. Rely on the habits of your pet and the practicality of the materials you plan to use. Experiment to your heart's content, and the house will become your pet's favorite place.
Scratching post. Step-by-step instruction
Now let’s make a scratching post , this is also quite realistic and not difficult, and in three stages.
- Let's take two boards and fasten them together in the shape of a cross. This will be our basis.
- You can find in the forest or garden a not too thick tree trunk about a meter high. We attach it to the base.
- With certain decorating skills, you can improve the appearance of the structure.
This is the easiest way to make a scratching post. If we consider other designs, they will require engineering solutions and more serious design skills. But is there a need to invent something yourself if in every pet store you are offered several options to choose from?
There are models that are attached to the wall, while others simply stand in the corner on a stable basis. If you don’t like any of their finished products, you can order a design based on your own design. There are also plenty of such offers on the Internet.
Choosing a food bowl
The choice of a bowl for food must be approached with the utmost seriousness: even small kittens require a lot of food, so the container for food mixtures should be both spacious and convenient for the pet. It is advisable that the diameter of the bowl be 15–20 cm. As for the material, the best option would be ceramic or stainless steel. The second copy will be much cheaper. Don't forget to consider the presence of a rubber rim at the bottom. Otherwise, such a bowl will always slide on the floor.
The water bowl also needs to be selected wisely. Interestingly, drinking is a real ritual for Maine Coons. Before starting the process, he often rake the water with his paw. Some individuals even put their paw there, and then bring it to their mouth and drink. Accordingly, such a process is unlikely to be completed without water splashing. A much bigger problem awaits the owners of these huge pets when they reach adulthood. An adult Maine Coon will chase the water bowl around, spilling water everywhere. That is why the container must be spacious and stable. Some owners prefer to install a fountain for their animals.
Why do you need a scratching post?
This simple item exists not only to save your furniture from attacks by pets and tearing off the upholstery, but also to ensure that your furry pet remains healthy.
It is very important for them to be able to grind down their claws and do it in a timely manner. Otherwise, the claws may become chipped, and this is incredibly painful, even more painful than a pulled out human nail.
A deformed or curled claw makes it impossible for a cat to climb trees or simply walk freely. In some cases, the animal cannot even step on its paw.
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Ultimately, discomfort and pain can lead to serious injuries , torn ligaments and even tragic accidents. It is your direct responsibility to provide your pet with everything necessary to maintain health and improve the quality of life.
Purchasing and choosing a location for the tray
What should a litter box be like for a Maine Coon? For an adult pet, it is better to install a closed toilet - a tray with a door. If you want to purchase an open container, keep in mind that its walls must be high. Maine Coons love to dig into the litter: if the tray is low, small particles will be spread throughout the apartment, and a lot of dirt will accumulate around the toilet itself.
Related article: What diseases do Maine Coons most often suffer from?
It is advisable that the sides of the tray be bent inward. This option is considered standard. However, not all owners of these large cats go to a pet store to buy a tray. You can find a good alternative: bathtubs with high sides, trays, and various storage boxes.
There should be litter in the tray, but it is advisable for you to think in advance about how to teach the kitten to go to the toilet without it - this may be necessary in case of tests. In general, there are several types of litter for an adult Maine Coon:
- woody;
- mineral and clay;
- silica gel.
Never fill your pet's potty with sand brought from outside. As for where it is better to put the tray, the most optimal place is the bathroom. You can also place the cat litter on the loggia or balcony. Remember: the Maine Coon must have constant access to the litter box, so do not close the door tightly.
Story
Large cats first appeared in the American state of Maine, located in the north of the country. Living conditions in those places are so harsh that natural selection left only the hardiest and strongest animals alive. This is how a breed of large cats, covered with thick hair, was formed.
At first, local farmers did not pay attention to the unusual appearance of their pets. Maine Coons have very developed hunting instincts, and farmers were simply glad that they had such effective helpers in the fight against rodents.
regarding the origin of our heroes. According to one of these legends, a raccoon was inflamed with passion for a cat and, in all likelihood, achieved reciprocity. In fact, the consolidation of the breed occurred through natural selection. Small animals simply would not survive in Maine conditions.
A visiting lover of these animals drew attention to the unusual beauty of northern cats. The tourist left the inhospitable area with a kitten. This was the Maine Coon's first journey into a new life.
Fame came to them only in 1861 at an exhibition in New York. The popularity that flared up after this event quickly faded away. At the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Persian cats came into fashion and farmers remembered our heroes again; it was thanks to their ability to fight tailed pests that Maine Coons survived. The breed was officially recognized in 1878. These days, cats are rarely used as mousecatchers; their duties in the family are often limited to companionship.
What kind of carrier and harness are needed?
It is recommended that a Maine Coon kitten be taught to wear a harness from a young age. During the first walks, your pet will most likely not feel very comfortable, but a strong harness is necessary so that you can control your cat. The best material for a harness is leather, but many people prefer to buy nylon straps.
A Maine Coon carrier is another item in the arsenal of the owner of cats of this breed. The thing is that this pet does not really like transportation; even a trip in a car can be very stressful for him. That is why purchasing a special backpack or bag is simply necessary. For carrying, they buy both plastic containers and cages. What exactly is right for your four-legged friend remains to be seen. First, buy a bag, leave it in the apartment - let the cat gradually get used to it.
Similar article: How to organize food for a kitten and an adult Maine Coon
suspended house
These options are not used so often, since few cats actively use them due to the instability of the structure.
If you plan to construct a rigid frame, then you need to use materials such as plastic, wood, MDF or chipboard, plywood or thick cardboard. It is unacceptable to leave these materials without covering. Because cats love everything soft.
But the skin must be sufficiently resistant to mechanical damage. Therefore, we make a cat house with our own hands step by step and from the right materials. After all, the cat may well want to sharpen its claws on the surface.
Other useful accessories
A simple design will contain only two elements - a Maine Coon house and a scratching post. If desired, this modest set can be supplemented with new items.
- Add another round or rectangular stand braided with cord.
- Cats are very fond of hammocks, which are stretched over the supports of the structure.
- They arrange transition ladders or connecting slats that resemble a narrow cornice.
Shelves are made between two claw masts.
All additional attributes must be covered with fabric, and when using a pipe or timber, they must be wrapped in rope braiding.
Features of the play complex for Maine Coon
We must not forget that the Maine Coon is an unusual cat. Next to other pets, she looks like Gulliver among Lilliputians, so when making a house with a scratching post, additional conditions must be observed.
- Length up to 120 cm - it should be taken into account when calculating the size of beds and shelters. The cat should be able to stretch out to its full height, and it is also necessary to provide a small amount of free space.
- The same parameter for the height of the scratching post - a large cat needs to be given at least 1.2 meters to “grow”.
- The thickness of the flat surfaces should be sufficient so that they do not sag under the weight of the Maine Coon. An adult cat can gain up to 15 kg, so chipboard or plywood from 15 mm is suitable.
- You can place a bed on top of the scratching post - American cats love to watch what is happening from above.
- It is imperative to make a stable base - when Maine Coons jump, they greatly shake the structure and without reliable support it will fall.
It is best to make a house for the Maine Coon with two levels of different heights. This will give the cat more space to play, and the wide base will hold the entire structure stable.
Important recommendation! The house and scratching post should be designed taking into account the size of an adult cat. The Maine Coon grows quickly and a prudent owner will not have to replace the structure.
