Maine Coon cats have a beautiful coat color, a stern and intelligent look and impressive dimensions. Their absolutely unique set of characteristics and habits deserves special attention. These cats combine calmness, balance, curiosity, friendliness and independence. At the same time, they are very active and energetic.
Differences between cats and cats
The first noticeable difference, other than gender characteristics, between cats and Maine Coon cats is that males are larger and heavier. As cats grow older, they become more stubborn, independent and willful, fully demonstrating their innate tendency to dominate and confidence in their own superiority. It is especially important from childhood to accustom them not only to hygiene procedures, but also to obedience, otherwise it will be difficult to cope with an adult pet.
Cats are less affectionate and you should not expect bright manifestations of love and affection from them.
At the same time, like faithful dogs, they relentlessly follow on the heels of their owner.
It seems that at any moment they are ready to carry out any assignment.
During the period of sexual heat, cats can behave aggressively, try to run outside, and scratch doors. They jealously guard their space and mark their territory. At the same time, like wild predators, the urine of Maine Coon males has a sharper and heavier odor than that of females, and even castration does not help solve this problem.
Cats are more affectionate and friendly, they tend to express their love for their owner and make every effort to win his favor. In addition, their character is much more flexible, they make concessions, and it is easier to find a compromise with a cat than with a stubborn cat. Females have better developed hunting instincts, and they are more aggressive towards rodents and birds. At the same time, it is believed that they understand the difference between street prey and pets, but testing this in practice is still risky.
Cats are cleaner and are ready to spend hours brushing their fur, getting real pleasure from it. With the onset of puberty, females may change their character and behave strangely during estrus.
Let's play in freedom
As already noted, the Maine Coon has a playful disposition. You can’t tell that by looking at this giant from the outside.
There is no better activity for raccoon cats than playing with children. Hide and seek, for example. Playing at home becomes a kind of hunting substitute for the Maine Coon. No one has canceled natural instincts.
The character of the Maine Coon breed is unique. Sometimes a cat behaves like a dog, expressing all devotion to its owner, sometimes walking by itself, like a typical heroine of Kipling’s work.
The animal can reach great heights without much difficulty. However, large forms cause caution in behavior. Therefore, the likelihood that a Maine Coon cat will walk around the mezzanine, wiping dust there, is not so great.
The cat will be happy to share a sporting activity with its owner. So, like a dog, he will fetch runaway tennis balls and badminton shuttlecocks, chase frisbees and watch how a volleyball flies.
Maine Coons love free space. That is why this is an ideal animal for large apartments and even more so country houses.
If your apartment is not large, try not to clutter the corners and take your raccoon cat for a walk more often.
By the way, the Maine Coon is an excellent hunter. Having settled in the country, he will save the owners from the hassle of rodents and other unwanted elements.
Activity
Despite the fact that Maine Coons prefer open space, they easily get used to life in city apartments.
But at the same time, it would be a mistake to expect that these cats will spend all their time in peace and sleep; they are not phlegmatic at all.
By nature, Maine Coons are rather sanguine.
They need constant movement, active games, and communication. To satisfy the desire of representatives of this breed to constantly do something, you should purchase special toys, scratching posts, and complexes. In this case, this is not a whim or pampering, but a necessity - without them, hyperactive pets will find an outlet for their energy through damage to property, albeit unintentionally.
You cannot limit the activity of a Maine Coon - this will negatively affect the development of its skeleton and muscles.
These cats love to walk outside and feel quite comfortable in a harness, but before such walks they need to undergo a full course of vaccination and flea and tick treatment.
Maine Coon vaccination
The first time the procedure is performed on kittens is at the age of 2-3 months. If a young Maine Coon lives with a breeder, the breeder provides veterinary care on his own and hands over the vaccinated pet to the new owners.
If for some reason the vaccination period was missed, the next time it is allowed to be done at the age of 8 months. This is due to the period of teeth change, during which the Maine Coon’s natural immunity is weakened and vaccination can cause unwanted complications.
Important! The specific features of the “street” keeping of Maine Coons (applies to animals that walk outside the apartment) include mandatory regular treatment for external and internal parasites.
Intelligence
Another distinctive feature of Maine Coons is their high level of intelligence. They are observant, thoughtful and smart. Cats of this breed have excellent memory. Thanks to this, they are easy to train. They master many commands without problems, and easily find a common language with family members, remembering their intonations, gestures, and capturing their emotions.
Often the actions of Maine Coons are conscious. So, they can learn to open doors by pressing the handle, and even easily become accustomed to the toilet. These cats have a lively, tenacious mind, they are interested in everything that surrounds them - they love to look out the window, at the computer or TV monitor. The subject of their attention and interest are all moving objects and images that make sounds.
Habits and characteristics
| Habits, features | Description |
| Love for water | Unlike most cats, representatives of this breed enjoy all bath procedures. They are interested in water, they like to bathe in baths or open bodies of water, and sometimes rinse pieces of food in a bowl of water before eating it. It is also interesting how they drink - first they dip their paw in the water, lick it and only after that they start drinking. According to felinologists, this attitude towards water is associated with the natural habitat of these cats and the need of their ancestors to clean the water in streams from leaves and debris with their paws. |
| Voice | Maine Coons almost never meow or hiss. They purr and the sounds they make are unique and reminiscent of birds chirping. |
| Parental instinct | There is no need to separate male and female cats after the kittens are born. Male Maine Coons do not show aggression towards their offspring. Moreover, they strive to take care of the kids, participate in their upbringing, pass on their knowledge and skills and teach basic cat habits. |
| Using paws while eating | The likelihood that representatives of this breed will eat with their nose in a bowl is almost zero. As a rule, they eat with their paws, picking up pieces of food from the bowl with their claws. |
| Lack of tendency to steal | The problem of cats stealing and eating food from the owner’s table is not uncommon. But with Maine Coons you don’t have to worry about this - if they climb onto the table, it’s only to make it more convenient to look out the window. |
Attitude towards people
Maine Coons are people-oriented, love communication and playing together.
They get along well with all family members, despite the fact that they choose only one person as their owner.
Cats can hardly stand loneliness and joyfully greet their owners from work, but they never impose themselves and will lie or sit next to them only if the household members do not mind.
Representatives of this breed are also well suited for families with children - they are friendly towards children, do not let out their claws and steadfastly tolerate all the child’s pranks. If a child accidentally hurts a pet while playing, it will simply leave. They are wary of strangers and will never allow strangers to hug or pet them. It takes time for these cats to get used to new people.
Other animals
Thanks to their respectable size, Maine Coons behave with dignity both in front of other cats and dogs. Their character, which is free of aggression, fear, mistrust and selfishness, and their love of communication and games, allow these cats to easily win the affection of all pets and establish friendly relations with them.
This is explained by the fact that Maine Coons are pack animals and expanding the group is a common thing for them.
At the same time, it is better not to have rodents or birds at home - they will probably be perceived by cats, whose love of hunting is fixed at the genetic level, as prey.
Description of character
Habit and behavior
The character of the Maine Coon cat is peaceful; the animal will never attack first. They are neat and tactful; they divide all things and objects in the house according to their belonging - into “theirs” and “theirs”. Due to their large size, these cats do not like confined and narrow spaces; for them, open and free areas are a priority.
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Maine Coon cats are observant and smart, they carefully study and analyze their owners, trying to adapt as much as possible to the conditions and lifestyle of the family in which they live. Interesting habit: the Maine Coon cat is always close to its owner, preferring to be at his feet!
Intelligence
The main character trait of the Maine Coon is its penchant for contemplation; these animals are very observant and thoughtful. Their habit and behavior can surprise the owner and others, they are so smart and resourceful. Maine Coons have an amazing memory, they are able to remember a lot of commands and words, and can navigate even by a person’s looks and gestures.
Education
Feedback from owners about the Maine Coon's character speaks of their unique ability to learn and train. They subtly capture the intonation, character and mood of people, reacting to them consistently and clearly. The sense of devotion of these animals knows no bounds. To reveal its enormous potential, a cat must receive enough attention and communication from its owner.
Socialization
Another habit: with strangers, Maine Coons initially keep their distance, looking and studying them. They can easily make friends with other pets and easily get along with children of any age group. The owners' favorite activities eventually turn into their pet's hobbies, if it is a Maine Coon.
Activity
Description of the nature of the Maine Coon breed is associated with constant physical activity. Exercise is important for these cats as it helps their skeleton and muscular system develop properly. The Maine Coon cat has the character of a tireless and passionate hunter; the animals can wait indefinitely and track down prey, they are happy to catch up, competently attack and kill their prey. The object of the game can be a mouse, a ball or a laser pointer.
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Do not take hard plastic or metal toys for play development, as your pet can injure himself with them. The habit of an adult Maine Coon is to calmly respond to leashes and collars. During walks, they behave with restraint, never trying to run away or hide.
Flaws
Maine Coons are intelligent, smart, non-aggressive animals with many other advantages. However, these cats also have a number of disadvantages:
- Due to their impressive size and heavy weight, they often have problems associated with cardiology. In addition, they are prone to diseases of the musculoskeletal system - arthritis and hip dysplasia.
- The need for a special diet. Industrial food (both dry and wet) for this breed differs from similar products for other cats and their cost is much higher.
- Strong, specific, pungent odor of excrement. The tray must be removed immediately.
- Possibility of destruction in the house and damage to property. The fact is that these cats mature slowly - their mental development lasts up to 3 years. Physically, they develop much faster and at the age of 1 year they already weigh about 10 kg. Therefore, such a kitten can cause a lot of trouble.
- If there are other pets in the house, the Maine Coon can show leadership qualities and take on the function of the leader of the pack. He will back up his rights to this with serious size and body weight.
- If you are planning trips to the dacha with your cat in the summer, his movements there without a harness should be limited. The reason for this is that in the wild, the prey of these cats is mainly birds, and an adult pet can destroy all bird nests.
- Representatives of this breed require regular grooming, otherwise their coat will become matted or matted, and there is also a risk of developing diseases.
- During shedding, there is a lot of hair loss, so frequent cleaning will be required, otherwise the whole house and all things will be covered in cat hairs.
- They can't stand being alone.
Also, the disadvantages of the breed include the high cost of kittens. Of course, you can find sellers offering a kitten at a price below the market average, but in such a situation there is a high probability of buying a pet that is unhealthy or does not meet breed standards.
How to choose a kitten
Before choosing a kitten, take a look at its parents. This will give an approximate idea of the weight and size of the animal as an adult. When choosing, it is also important to understand whether you are going to breed or not. In any breed there are three classes of kittens:
- for home;
- for breeding;
- for exhibitions.
There are quite a few breed standards that are used in various felinological systems, the largest of which are TICA, WCF and CFA. As a result, the classification of a kitten depends on which felinological club the breeder belongs to and is determined through certification - establishing compliance with breed qualities. The cost of kittens directly depends on the class.
Maine Coon kitten for breeding, female, blue cream ticked
The main attention is paid to the strength of the kitten's build, the size of its paws, the density and length of the tail - it should reach the shoulder blade. Also, kittens should have high, vertical ears and a regular head with characteristic features - a “square” muzzle and a small crease on the bridge of the nose. But “branded” tassels are an optional element, although desirable.
There are two main types of Maine Coons: European and American. The former have a longer tail and body, an elongated muzzle, and large tufts on the ears. The latter are larger, squat and stockier.
Male Maine Coons are larger than females by an average of 2–3 kg; they have a more straightforward and independent character. If you are interested in affection and the ability to comfortably hold a cat on your lap, take a female, they rarely weigh more than 6 kg and are much more affectionate.
The optimal age for purchasing a kitten is 3 months. By this age, he had already completely switched to solid food and was litter box trained. He received his primary vaccination and was probably already introduced to brushing, bathing and nail trimming. At the same time, at 3 months behavioral reactions are still being formed, so the animal lends itself well to training.
Like other cats, Maine Coons love to get a good night's sleep.
Where is the best place to buy a kitten and how much can it cost?
Advertisements for the sale of kittens can be found on the Internet and in pet stores. But you need to buy a kitten only from professional breeders if you have all the necessary documents: passport, pedigree, medical certificates of the parents. The seriousness of the approach will also be indicated by the agreement on the transfer of the animal, which the breeder will give you to sign - this is a mandatory condition of all felinological clubs.
To find breeders, visit cat shows or search the Internet for contacts of local felinological clubs.
The price of a kitten “for home” starts from $300, “for breeding” - from $1000. Prices vary greatly depending on the breeder.
Maine Coon kitten, one and a half months old, looking out of a box
