Maine Coon

[Baranj]

Hi everyone. I would really appreciate some honesty regarding cat ownership. Whilst I’m mainly interested in hearing from Maine Coon owners, I’d appreciate advice from any feline owners.

I have never owned a pet. My DD has been begging us for a cat for the past three years, and we’ve settled on the Maine Coon breed having read so many wonderful things about them, however, I suffer from major OCDs - I’m a total hygiene freak!

I have read that they are great at cleaning themselves, but being long-haired I understand they can suffer with the occasional messy bottom. (Q1) I would like to know how common this is; and does shaving the area reduce the chances of this happening?

I’m also concerned about spraying. We’ve decided on a male and we will have him neutered between 9-11 months as suggested by the breeder (although this is later than what some other breeders have suggested).

(Q2) Did your male Maine coon ever spray indoors; or ever decide to stop using the litter tray? Even though he will be neutered, I understand they may still spray - and that both males and females can do this.

We will allow our cat access to the garden and the breeder said this would be fine, as long as the garden is cat friendly. We also intend on taking him for walks on a harness.

Again, my main concern is the spraying and if this happened to anyone with a neutered male Maine Coon and, if so, how did you resolve it. We would hate to make a financial and emotional investment only to realise I’m out of my depth.

Thank you.

@Worddance did your child’s dairy intolerance improve when you gave the cat away? I didn’t think this was even possible? Was it caused by parasites? What was your biggest struggle cleanliness wise?

@Heronatemygoldfish wow! It must be very exciting for you. If we do decide on one, it won’t be for a few months yet. The breeders we have gone with have a waiting list. Great for me as I still need time to decide if I can handle one or not! Good luck, please do share pictures when he arrives. I love the marmalade ones!

Honestly I don’t think it would work for a Maine Coom. They are gorgeous, cuddly cats in the home, but move like wild cats outside. Ours leaps onto a two metre high gate post and runs up trees.

having had both, would recommend a Ragdoll. Gorgeous and cuddly, but no aptitude for escaping and roaming. Always around and looking for cuddles.

ragdolls love company, so if you can get a pair.

@Londonlondon4 yes there are some giant versions available. Which means more hair and poo really. I have been in contact with two TICA registered breeders whose male MC’s reach 12kg. The average appears to be 9kg for most. Is 12kg the giant version you’re speaking of? Can they get bigger??

That sounds like the top size. Be wary, as the huge ones don‘t live so long. The Ragdoll is half Siamese and so very clean. When ours accidentally got shut away from his litter tray he howled at the door.

Our Maine Coon not 100 per cent will wee in shoes if they have been near another cat.

I have a rescue Maine Coon (probably a cross). She is an incredibly sweet-natured cat.

From your OP it sounded like hygiene was a big issue for you but from your updates it sounds like you’re a lot more relaxed about pee and poo than I first thought.

The hair gets everywhere, it’s so fine and silky and floaty that it ends up all over the place. The hair balls are gross but my cat is pretty relaxed about being groomed, so that means we don’t get them as often as if we had a cat that was resistant to being brushed. Mine is very good about never peeing or pooping outside the litter box but every so often we have total poo disasters. Very memorably I once came home and she’d got soft poo stuck to her bum and all over her tail. She’d smeared poo all over the floor trying to clean her bum off and then sat up on the window sill and had swooshed poo smears from her tail all over the wall underneath the window. It was awful.

My friend has a Maine Coon that pees everywhere when stressed. I don’t think it’s a breed thing as such. Any cat can develop inappropriate peeing when stressed.

Not enough photos on this thread. Bad show cat people.

@Silkiebunny Are you looking to become a breeder? Yes, lots of dodgy people on Pets4Homes. I am looking for TICA, GCCF as well as FIFe members. All the breeders we have contacted test for HCM, PKDef, SMA, FIV/FeLV as well. I will look at the one you recommended too. Thank you.

My Maine Coon is 18 months old and weighs just over 10kg. He’s definitely not a lap cat (due to his size), loves jumping up on my shoulder and is always lying beside me. He chirps and chatters all day and it’s like he’s speaking to you. He likes a lot of attention and fuss, he’s an indoor cat and plays with all his toys and playing fetch. I feed him Untamed wet food and Concept for life dry food. He loves being groomed - i brush him every day and he is also meticulous at cleaning himself. He is my first MC and I absolutely adore him, he’s a great companion and is so entertaining. I didn’t know about the Taurine supplement so I will be adding that to his food. Pictures of my baby .

@Takoneko thank you for that wonderful story 😂 I am concerned how regular these mishaps are. I am not unrealistic and understand that animals, as well as humans, can sometimes have accidents. Since I’ve never owned a pet, I have no idea about their toilet habits and what it would be like in terms of frequency. Judging by the comments, I am more relaxed knowing it isn’t as frequent and as bad as I thought. Yours is one of the worst ones here so far 😀 Obviously, if cats were vomiting daily, peeing everywhere and leaving poo around the house, I don’t think I could cope. Once in a while is something I have factored in. Hair in food as someone else pointed out would also be a no. My DD is only focused on the cute side of pet ownership and I can’t see past hygiene. Obviously, it’s somewhere in between. Pee is an issue as well as poo. If it’s contained in litterboxes I’d be happy with that. Reality is I might end up with a MC that is a serial pooper. I want to see how common this is and how others cope.

Cute cats. They always remind me of Max out of Where the Wild Things Are.

No not looking to be a breeder. It would just be a one-off thing. DH has agreed to a Mrs Floof and DD wants babies but DH doesn't. We know people who want kittens and kids are leaving home before too long, well DD will be, DS is asd but we need to think through whether its practical. DD regularly messages all her friends about Floof so I imagine we are responsible for lots of parents being nagged. The kitchen fitter bought his son round here who fell in love and asked his Dad to buy a Maine Coon, think the Dad also loved him as he was saying he's fine with being picked up and cuddled isn't he. 😂Then two big electricity guys came and we had about 20 minutes of questions on Floof. They are like having a child you love them so much. And they don't argue back unless its food or a game.

She’s never pooped anywhere other than the litter tray. I’d say every couple of months on average she’ll get poo stuck in her fur and it will require quite an intensive washing and removal process though. It’s gross and you need a strong stomach to deal with the clean up. I think it happens because she backs herself too close to the walls of the litter tray and so she presses the poo into her fur.

Only once has it ever been as bad as the example in my last post though.

Mine has never peed on anything she shouldn’t except in the carrier when we were bringing her home from the rescue. My friend has a MC that regularly pees on furniture, carpets, blankets, shoes and bags. The cat gets urine infections when stressed and just pees everywhere. I don’t think it’s the breed though, some cats just do that. I don’t think a MC is more likely to pee on things, although they are obviously a lot more likely to get poo stuck in their fur than a short haired breed.

I am mystified as to why you have decided to get a Main Coon. They are Instagram cats. They are photogenic, so you can let everyone know that you have a cute, expensive accessory. But they really are very expensive and have long hair. There are such large numbers of short haired cats who need to be adopted. Why not do that good deed, save yourself money and choose to not have a house full of fluff ?

@Mizzl45 do you walk him on school runs? Or are they by car? Does he want to dart off? I have heard they stay close to owners and some say they never show the desire to want to leave the house even if doors remain open. On here, I am learning that if a fence is not high enough he will escape. I know they are all different, but wanting to stay indoors was what I read about the breed.

@RockingAmadeus you’ve won the MC lottery with this one! Gorgeous and loves being groomed! 10kg is very large and I understand they’re not fully grown until 3-5 years? Has he been neutered? Yes, the Taurine supplement was new to me and a great idea. I had never heard of it for cats. Does he shed a lot? My daughter likes the ginger, cream and red tones. She will go crazy when I sow her yours. Is he your first pet?

Also my MC has always used his litter tray, he was neutered when I got him at around 12 weeks and has never sprayed. I clip his nails every few weeks and occasionally trim around his bum, he’s quite happy for me to do this. He is indoor only and doesn’t ever try to run out if the door is open but I wouldn’t chance ever leaving it open. He’s very vocal when he wants attention or his breakfast and that can be anytime from 4am. He’s going for his booster annual injection on Monday so I’m not sure how that’s going to go. I’m thinking he won’t like a stranger manhandling him but it has to be done. I’ve had to buy an XXL carrier so here’s hoping it will all go to plan. Good luck with your new pet, you won’t regret it.

He’s my first Maine Coon, I had regular domestic cats in the past and a Himalayan before getting the MC. The Himalayan cast like you wouldn’t believe and had to be sedated to get properly groomed such a thick coat. He was a lot of work but so worth it. The MC doesn’t really shed much at all in comparison but I do groom him every day and he is always grooming himself too. So far no hair balls. His weight has been stable for the past month so I’m thinking he will stop growing for a bit but I know he’ll probably grow more, so
“I Think I’m going to need a bigger house” lol. Never goes near the huge expensive cat tree, crazy cats 😀

We have a Maine Coon. They aren't remotely like a normal cat, they are clever like a dog (learn words, work out things like what putting on coats means), very sensitive hence neurotic meaning sensitive stomachs and weird behaviour if they don't like or understand what's going on, that includes pooing, they have incredibly luxurious coats which coat everything so you have to vaccum everyday, they want lots of attention and stimulation, you can't leave them alone for long. They are not easy cats, they are Instagram cats as someone else said.
Just be sure you are prepared to deal with hassle, tbh, you don't sound as though you are.

Yes hair amount is tripled and worse at certain times of year. I groom them once a week, they are not keen but needs must! They seem to manage fine in a multi cat house hold, we’ve always have numerous cats. They appear to Co exist peacefully.
We have a four bed house, and they have access everywhere so can have space. We don’t disturb them when sleeping. The advice is litter tray per cat once one spare so we do that and scoop daily which helps.
I am watching Strictly in the living room and they are all in here asleep, they’re just so peaceful to have around. All three sleep in our bedroom at night and two on the bed.
I don’t think I could live without a cat.
one day I will definitely have a MC.
You will definitely fall in love!

@IthinkIamAnAlien My OCD overhypes scenarios and can result in a very negative outlook and take on things. Pets should be rewarding, but currently I see them as serial shedders and poop machines. My negative outlook shouldn’t deprive my DD of her dream. This is why I’m here. If it is as bad as I think based on your experiences, I will not commit to it. I just don’t want to make that decision based on a hunch. That wouldn’t be fair to her.

DD is now 9 and is able to take care of herself mostly. Currently, I am happy and stable in life and wouldn’t want major disruption, especially if they required constant cleaning. I have read wonderful things about them, but this thread has given me a real insight into what it could be like. My OCD could tolerate occasional mishaps. The hair is also an issue for me as I enjoy cooking and would hate hair in my food.

I am not looking for an Instagram cat. It’s the first time I’ve heard them being described this way. DH and DD read a lot about them and we all found stories from owners that said they were the best cat breed they’ve ever owned. Others on this thread have stated the same. I accept they could be biased, but most of the opinions come from people who have owned other breeds of cats and dogs too. The poo issue seamed to be related to long-haired breeds and I wanted to see how common it was and how I’d deal with it. I am not taking on a cat for myself. It is for my DD. She is too young to take on the responsibility of taking care of another life, so most of that falls on me and DH. I just don’t want to take it on and not be prepared for what’s involved. Pets can be great for children, but there is the not so fluffy side of taking care of them. I want to know as much as possible before we make any decision.

@FatCatatPaddingtonStation this is exactly what my DD envisions! Watching TV with her cat.

Based on your latest update, I don’t think a MC will be for you. The hair is so fine and floaty… it hangs in the air and gets absolutely everywhere. When my cat is moulting I regularly end up with bits of cat hair in my mouth from just breathing them in from the air. My cat never gets on worktops in the kitchen and I keep it pretty clean but the odd hair here and there is inevitable.