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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 Coons

46 replies

DoYaDontYa · 05/02/2013 21:59

I took in 2 abandoned kittens recently & after lots of research & my Vet saying he is 90% sure, they are both Maine Coons , I'm just wanting to know from owners of any Maine Coons what they are like & what I can expect etc as I have already noticed the difference in temperament & behavior to my basic moggy , Also do they have any special dietary requirements ?
Thanks in advance

OP posts:
QueenOfCats · 05/02/2013 22:05

They get huge!

Lucky you - I'd love a Maine coon!

Original poster
DoYaDontYa · 05/02/2013 22:07

They are very quiet & not playful at all which I'm not use to as I were expecting them to be climbing the walls & instead they watch Tv Hmm

OP posts:
TheOneWithTheNameChange · 05/02/2013 22:08

Amazing cats. They do get huge!

Very friendly and love climbing, outdoors.

They talk too, little bit like Siamese.

I loved mine. She was adorable and made a very good lap blanket!

Original poster
DoYaDontYa · 05/02/2013 22:12

They are already huge & are only 6 months (i think) but they look deceivingly small until they stretch out .
The Boy loves to go outside as long as the whether is ok & runs around the garden like he is hunting while the girl will sit & watch him Grin

OP posts:
gemma4d · 07/02/2013 21:55

Just to warn you, they keep growing for years (they reach adult-hood later than other cats). We thought our rescue must be fully grown at 3 years old.... apparently not! Lucky she is small for a MC.

They are also not a pampered, highly strung show breed who are up their own tail - I read somewhere they were bred to be outdoor ratters in some snowy part of America originally (just looked for link and can't find it now, though!) but they also came in the house to keep the farmer's wife warm, or something like that!

Certainly our MC has a good temperament, which fits with what I read about the breed.

AlwaysWashing · 07/02/2013 22:05

We have 2, a girl & a boy too. They are both lovely but very different in personality. They both talk a lot & like a great deal of attention, they love being brushed and like having some water to play with (we put their big water bowl in a (clean) litter tray so they can paddle a bit when they fancy it. They both benefit from one of the really big scratch posts otherwise they'd wreck the carpets! They're indoor cats btw. Our boy is a happy lap cat whereas the girly is a bit of a "hostess with the mostest" & prefers to dash back and forth between people and give snippets of attention to everyone! We've always fed them Canin Maine Coon as they both honk up anything else and they both have had him problems which I believe they are prone to.
Hope you really enjoy your big beasties!

AlwaysWashing · 07/02/2013 22:06

Gum problems not him problems! Doh

Original poster
DoYaDontYa · 08/02/2013 01:15

I did wonder why they weren't willing to go outside .
My female basically treats my house as a hotel & I swear she only stays for the free food , she doesn't bother with any of us in the slightest & spends her days curled up under the radiator .
They haven't started talking yet so I guess I have that to look forward to Grin
Thanks for advice on the gums I will keep an eye on them .
Quick question why is it they don't go outside ?

OP posts:
catladycourtney1 · 08/02/2013 01:40

They're beautiful! I wish I could find a couple of Maine Coons (although obviously I don't wish that they be abandoned in the first place).

They get very big and very hairy Smile

merlincat · 08/02/2013 13:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
DoYaDontYa · 08/02/2013 15:05

Thanks they are certainly good natured

OP posts:
babooshkadoll · 09/02/2013 16:35

We have massive MC boy.Most loveable cat ever- loves human attention.Is generally being carried around the house by someone baby fashion or lounging on a sofa.

He does have his own beautiful wicker king size basket but will not entertain it.
Loves playing football and loves a bit of catnip.

Also fed on canine cat food as recommended by our vet buy ours online about£60 a month!!

Will 'shout' on you if he's not seen you for a while or come looking for you.
Great with the DCs
We inherited our boy but has converted us to MCs.

MedusaIsHavingABadHairDay · 10/02/2013 00:05

Maine Coons are the BEST!
I have a 22 pound (neutered) boy and he is the most affectionate, soppy, talkative cat I have ever known. I have always had cats and adore them but he is my baby:)

Downside.. he's a greedy sod and prone to bolting down his food, then if he can push the other cat out of the way, HER food, then he comes back for more.. then he pukes! He has a very sensitive tum and tends to the squits no matter what food, dry or wet, he eats. And he goes out but always comes in to use his litter tray!

He potters around but never goes far from the garden, and he actually hugs..paws round my neck and kisses me. I don't think he is very bright tho.. aged 11 now and has only just worked out how to scratch at the door!!!

Original poster
DoYaDontYa · 11/02/2013 00:40

My 2 seem to have extremely sensitive stomachs as they constantly have the squits .
Can anybody recommend a food for them & also how often do you feed your kitties

OP posts:
2blessed2bstressed · 11/02/2013 00:59

We have girl Maine coon, she's nearly 6, and is the loudest cat in the world. She's not overly affectionate, and doesn't like to sit on your lap and be petted, but she does love company, and prefers to hang out in ds2s bedroom, because he's in there on his Xbox or with his friends, but he doesn't keep trying to cuddle her like I do
We had a rescue boy too, he lived til he was 18 and was the best cat ever. Ruled the street and weighed 2 stone in his prime. I cried like a baby when he had to be pts Sad. And he did like to be cuddled!

rockinhippy · 11/02/2013 01:22

IME they are wonderful, affectionate, strikingly intelligent, fun, chatty, huge, beautiful & fiercely protective of their humans & will take on anything in the process :)

I've been lucky enough to have been owned by 2:) - both had beautiful lush fur, but neither ever needed grooming until much older, they always kept their own fur in good nick, unlike my chinchilla persian who had to be brushed daily of he was a big matted mess, generally very easy cats to keep.

my last old girl lived to be over 20 & was enormous, along with my moggy tom, she actually saw off burglars & fought to protect me clamping herself on the head of the guy climbing through my window, ripping him to shreds - another time she also attacked a neighbours dog who tried to attack me - my other MC also attacked a man who got a bit aggressive with my mother whilst she was looking after her.

They are playful in a different way, not so much toys & chasing things, as playing tricks & being magpies, I've found stashes of money behind pipes & had one knock on the door & hide - this went on for months & left us very puzzled as to who was playing tricks, until I came home & caught her stretching over from the fence & banging the letterbox & then jumping down behind the fence to hide:) both loved TV, both were a bit too good at hunting & bringing gifts - for example 3 squirrels in bits under my bed wasn't uncommon.

I agree with gum problems too, though I had no clue that is a breed thing, but both of mine suffered in later life.

Still miss my old Polly & its been 3 years since she died at almost 21, that was despite being epileptic too.

I love the 2 morgues I now have, but very envious of your new MCs - enjoy :)

ProtegeMoi · 11/02/2013 01:27

Maine Coons are pedigree cats and expensive. It's highly unlikely that you have acquired a pair without realising.

I would assume you have a large tabby moggy.

If you would like to upload a photo I am happy to check for you.

rockinhippy · 11/02/2013 01:27

and he actually hugs..paws round my neck and kisses me

medusa my old girls used to do that too, I've a lovely photo somewhere of her doing it with DD too - I should have added, she was amazing with DD too, even when newborn, she used to watch over & guard her:)

rockinhippy · 11/02/2013 01:32

ProtegeMoi

Cats homes are often as full of abandoned pedigrees as they are moggies these days, its heartbreaking

ProtegeMoi · 11/02/2013 01:34

I am well aware of that but these are young cats. The sort of person likely to abandon them would sell them if they could. I bet you will be hard pressed to find a young healthy Maine coon in a rescue never mind a pair.

rockinhippy · 11/02/2013 01:38

Not true, I've seen several & many bengals, Persians, Siamese & so on when I've helped out at a large national cat rescue centre, like I say, it's sadly a sign of the times, recession & all that, people lose there homes & have to give up there beloved pets, so are brought in feral - it's not new, but definitely more common,

rockinhippy · 11/02/2013 01:39

Some are brought in feral - iPad fail

ProtegeMoi · 11/02/2013 01:45

I work in cat rescue. I am well aware like I said.

However I stand by the fact that you will seriously struggle to fund a young healthy Maine coon in rescue, feel free to link and prove me wrong.

Feral yes, old yes, ill or with behavioural issues yes. These are a pair of 6 month old friendly kittens. Highly unlikely.

rockinhippy · 11/02/2013 07:57

I do understand what you are saying & Highly unlikely, yes, but impossible, no - my old girl was one if a pair of 8 month old MC kittens I adopted via CPL many years ago, sadly one died very young & I was left with just the one who lived to be nearly 21, but she was definitely MC

2blessed2bstressed · 11/02/2013 13:52

Our boy was found with his brother in a wheelie bin, just a few weeks old. Vet confirmed he was, indeed, a Maine Coon. Perhaps whoever dumped him was too thick to realise they could've made a quick buck Hmm

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