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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Maine Coon cats

26 replies

WinkyWinkola · 29/11/2011 09:33

I don't want a dog. Dh does. But he has discovered Maine Coon cats. Apparently they are engaging, lively, quite demanding etc. He really likes the idea of them.

Does anyone know much more about them? I have 3 dcs who love animals so I guess they'd love to have a cat or a dog.

Information / recommendation much appreciated.

OP posts:
moonbells · 29/11/2011 09:37

Marking place. I want a Coon too, but we are still a bit raw from loss of our little Miss.

MyLittleFluffball · 29/11/2011 10:03

We have a 14-year-old who we think has Maine Coon in him. He is lovely, a huge personality and the alpha male cat of the neighbourhood. When he was younger he used to chase after and try to retrieve tennis balls like a dog! (Not that I'm saying that's a stable trait of Maine Coons...)

JinxAndFluff · 29/11/2011 10:07

I've had Maine Coons (MCs) for about 20 years now...Currently have 2 as one PTS 2 years ago. I adore them but they are all very different in personality, like all cats (I had moggies before) and I'm not sure that they really are any more unique than any other baffling and engaging moggie. Its just like all besotted cat owners, we are convinced (brainwashed?) into thinking they are...

Anyway, they are big, heavy cats. Massive paws, tails like feather dusters, faces are so beautiful.... But their fur does differ in texture. Some can't groom to save their lives - and won't let you unless you want to lose a finger either!! One of ours regularly had to be shaved at the vet.

They are VERY VOCAL. If you don't pay attention they will assault you from behind around your lower limbs. If you don't want to get up to attend to them in the middle of the night, they will jump onto the bed via your chest. You get my drift... They are very people orientated cats and do fixate on one person in families.

Health wise we have had a few problems They can get hip dysplasia (more common in dogs) simply due to their size. Check with breeder. One of ours did but he was never any the worse for it. Another however suffers terribly from urinary tract infections - vet not sure if this is connected to size (he's the enormous one!).

Unlike most pedigree owners, I had a strict policy of letting mine outdoors as I think cats ought to have outdoors access. Ours have never come to any harm.

Ours have tolerated children and the introduction of basset hounds (?!)..

Can't recommend them highly enough. One of ours is 17 and I am looking already into getting another from Maine Coon Rescue if she sadly goes.

Original poster
WinkyWinkola · 29/11/2011 10:17

Maine coon rescue? Will google that.

OP posts:
JinxAndFluff · 29/11/2011 10:18

Oh, and by the way, (although I will probably be flamed for this for the whole pedigree 'selective breeding thing'), colour coordination is one of the nicest bits of choosing the MC... We had, at one point, brown and white tabby, silver tabby and ginger and white. It was a rainbow!

Lizcat · 29/11/2011 13:50

You do need to ask about Hip dysplasia the most recent study showed that 50% of maine coons have it and the problem is getting worse. If he likes MC also look at Norwegian Forest Cats as they are also amazing.

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/11/2011 20:37

Just be aware that when they say "active breed" what they actually mean is cant sit still, will bug the life out of you to go out for over an hour before accepting he is not going out, and has to be involved in everything you do to the point of physically pushing him away.

We have an active breed cat and it's totally different to the chinchillas and tortie moggie I grew up with.

JinxAndFluff · 30/11/2011 09:26

Totally agree Fluffy.
All have mine have had to be rescued from the most stupid situations because they couldn't keep their noses out of stuff - one was in the middle of a field of young cows 'taking them on' (WTF?), and he was still big and LOUD enough to be seen/heard to be rescued, another has been variously trapped in an extremely expensive property that was being renovated (I knew it was her when I got the call from the painter and went round to find volumes of grey fur all over their brand new carpets...), stuck to tarmac on a building site and squeezed under decking.
But they are also gorgeous cuddly teddy bears of cats, generally very friendly and highly intelligent. Mine refuses to drink water by lapping, she ladles it with a paw. I swear if she could use a fork for her wet food, she would.

Oeufman · 03/12/2011 22:46

We share our home with 3 MCs. A mother and her 2 sons - all with access to outdoors. All 3 are very different personalities.

The mum is very timid and rarely seen. Only I am allowed to touch her and her coat is a constant battle. She comes in to sleep/eat and does not demand attention.

Son 1, a mackerel tabby. Very fine boned and whilst quite demanding he is a coward. He follows me around talking at me. His fur is gorgeous (think hair of prince from shrek 2 for idea of mane movement) and he is very fastidious looking after it.

Son 2, a brute of ginger tabby with a heart of gold! This cat weighs a ton! He has paws that belong to a lion and he is as soppy as they come. This boy regularly disappears up the woods, bringing down wilderbeast and return with half a tree hanging out of his tail! He does not give a damn, and please do not interrupt his REM cycle by attempting to groom.

All 3 will only drink water direct from the tap. They also seem quite unable to eat unless the bowl is very full of cat food, and cannot cope with food in hoop form - it gets caught on their teeth causing much hilarity from spectators!

They live in peace (most of the time) with 2 moggies, a boxer dog, cairn terrier, parrot, chickens, rabbit and very brave hamster! Love our Manky Coones so much.......

notjustme · 04/12/2011 16:40

Totally agree with the poster who said they will just not accept a no, our MCx is so stubborn, he will happily go on for hours and hours to be let in a room he knows he isn't allowed in and there's no distracting him. He will also quite happily think nothing of coming up to your face and doing the usual million decibel wail to get you to stroke him/feed him/play with him etc, even if it is the middle of the night. He also snores like a trooper, gets the most atrocious hairballs (and then honks them up wherever he fancies) and dribbles, and he hates being groomed. He will also only drink from a tap and comes back with half a field stuck to him like Oeufman's cats! He does tolerate other cats and the dogs very well, oh, and DD2 who insists that he is 'hers' and carries him around like a baby Hmm.

madrose · 04/12/2011 16:49

Ours has to join in with bedtime stories but likes to lie on the book. We have claw marks on the upper panels of our door where she has lifted herself up to have a peek through the door. She has unlimited access outdoors and my carpets are covered in fur and whatever she has dragged in on her enourmous tail. She is nosy and inquisitive, even been up a chimney! Wouldn't be without her.

passthechocolates · 04/12/2011 17:04

I would def reccomend Maine Coon Rescue, they send out regular emails informing you of cats up for re-homing.

We got our two from a family who moved to New Zealand.

Gizmo - Such a 'boy' not keen on being fussed over, except when he wants it, or you have a piece of ham in your hands - I swear he can hear the fridge door from a mile away! He is a big heavy lad, keeps his fur just about clump free, but we have had the odd battle trying to cut a knot out, which usually ends up in me losing!
He will do exactly what he wants, drinks from the tap and insists on sleeping on the kitchen work top - much to our frustration

Connie - Pretty little girl, smaller than the boy. She is so much more loving, and I agree with the last poster who said they get fixated on one person.
She will follow me round the house, and the moment I sit down in the evening she is on my lap for the night!
They are both quite vocal, and at 6 in the morning when they want their breakfast it can be quite annoying!
Both great mousers - and living near a field means we get several a day!

We got them totally free, with all their food/basket/etc.

Would not be without them now - i have had moggies before and I would always stick with a Main Coon now - fantastic breed.

noddyholder · 04/12/2011 17:09

I have had a few over the years. The one I have at the moment is a gorgeous big bear and very cuddly but super greedy and he 'talks' non stop which drives ds and dp mad. He isn't a great groomer unlike my female who is a cross breed long hair and is spotless. But he can chase toys etc and can sit and lie down etc so like a dog as in more interactive than your average cat. Big feet and big tail and as someone else said beautiful expressive face but also a pita

Oeufman · 05/12/2011 20:06

Ahhh notjustme - our ginger guy is regularly the baby and pushed round in dolly pram. He is very tolerant - realizing eventually this game involves feeding the baby, which usually means ham! This boy loves our old boxer dog girl, regularly snuggling up with her in front of the fire.
When our youngest was a baby she slept during the day in a big old silver cross pram. This guy would sleep on the hood (was locked rigid in up position) and if dd3 woke, he would poke his rather bedraggled ginger head over the hood - never failed to stir a giggle from the pram - the ultimate babysitter (though obviously under supervision).

purpleknittingmum · 05/12/2011 20:16

We think our cat has a bit of maine coon in him and from some of the descriptions here he must have!

He has big paws, a feather duster tail, follows my husband around, loves to play fetch

He does however love to be groomed and is a huge fan of washing himself. He is a spoilt indoor cat and loves to snuggle up with us! Photo of him I think on my profile!

Oeufman · 06/12/2011 20:53

The ginger man has just come in with an oozing puncture wound to hind leg - its like he forgets those limbs. Vet tomorrow with my boy, he gets transported in a car seat - he can't fit in a cat cage :)

notjustmewithballson · 07/12/2011 15:59

Ours doesn't go in a cat cage either, if he has to go in a cage he goes in a dog one! And that's if he doesn't go on a harness and lead Hmm

FluffytheSnowman · 08/12/2011 10:10

Does remind me of when I got a call some years ago to come and collect first MC, after he'd got himself lost on one of his adventures yet again. I didn't have the cat carrier with me as I was en route to work. When I arrived to get him, I was in such a foul mood as he got fur all over my suit, that I just opened the passenger door and chucked him in.
I then drove home, arguing with him, while he stood on the passenger seat with his front paws on the dash board arguing back. There was a lot of pedestrian finger pointing and much laughing. Thankfully no traffic cops around.
He was the bane of my life. I used to get in from work with my tired crying 18mo DD, let him in, then have to put him back outside again and shut the curtains as I couldn't bear listening to both of them crying at me at the same time.... But I adored him....

Fluffycloudland77 · 08/12/2011 19:16

Fluffy, I can imagine the argument!

notjustmewithballson · 08/12/2011 19:20

Oh god I have that argument every day! Not in the car though, it usually goes something like:

Cat at DD2's bedroom door: Miaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaow
Me: No, you're not going in there
Cat: MIIIIAAOOOOOOOWWW
Me: No!
Cat: MIaAAaAaaAaOOOoooOoOoWWWwwww (combined with cat grunts)
Me: No! You're not allowed!
...ad finitum, until I give in and open the door.

noddyholder · 08/12/2011 19:22
Grin
JingleBelleDameSansMerci · 08/12/2011 19:22

My ginger boy (Mr Darcy) is curled up next to me. His sister, my old grey cat (Storm) is in the bathroom sink.

Maine Coons are lovely. Mine are eleven now but both seem fine although I can see they're ageing. When my DD (4) cries, Storm rushes to her to see if she's ok. Darcy used to sleep under her cot when she was a baby. DD bit Darcy when she was quite small. He yowled but didn't scratch or bite her. He's such a lovely old cat. I will be devastated when he's not here any more.

thunderboltsandlightning · 08/12/2011 19:25

Norwegian forest cats are nice too:

www.nfcc.co.uk/

Mine used to walk to heel.

MedusaIsHavingABadHairDay · 11/12/2011 19:56

I have a 22 pounder ..cream and brown and utterly gorgeous.
His nature is just so gentle and snuggly (he is spread across me as I type..in fact I keep having to push his paws off the keyboard)

He is however as thick as a brick.. Grin just enough brain cells for eating sleeping and a mooch outside ( he comes and goes like our other cat who is not a MC)

My friend also has MCs..met mine and fell in love..and she found her boy cat is as daft and affectionate as mine, but the girl is more reserved..not sure if this is usually the case but worth bearing in mind.

My boy is ridiculously persistant when he wants attention and definitely thinks I am HIS woman.. he tries to shove my DH out of bed by sneaking in in the night and pushing DH away with his big back legs Grin then he snuggles up to me and purrs an purrs....

No health issues so far (he is 9 yrs old)

RandomMess · 11/12/2011 20:02

MIL has MCs and has started breeding them (and shows them) as a hobby.

Her are all different personalities and some much quieter than your average cat.

Please be aware some of them have very "woolly" fur that needs a huge amount of brushing. One regularly has to be shaved because he gets horrific knots and when he says no he means "no" to being brushed.

She has previously bred and shown ragdolls and persians, so very experienced with long haired cats and she does find the grooming side hard work.