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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

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ProtegeMoi · 11/02/2013 14:11

It's worth pointing out that vets have no training in identifying breeds. A lot think that any large cat is a Maine coon which is not true.

Most vets could not distinguish between a Birman and a Ragdoll and will have never even heard of breeds such as the Scottish fold.

2blessed2bstressed · 11/02/2013 14:16

My vet however often judges at shows, and has pedigree rag dolls herself. Take your point though.

Original poster
DoYaDontYa · 11/02/2013 16:16

protegemoi They are most certainly Maine Coon , There are pictures on my profile , I know the difference between a Moggy & a Maine Coon & have had it verified .

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Original poster
DoYaDontYa · 11/02/2013 16:25

protegemoi my two were found abandoned in an alley at 6 weeks old , the woman didn't have a clue what they were and just wanted rid so I took them in as I didn't want them bn sold to the highest bidder .
I later found out after much digging around that the mother had killed one & the old lady didn't know what to do with my 2 so put them out back in hope they would be found & thank god they were Sad

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Original poster
DoYaDontYa · 11/02/2013 16:28

Oh and because you say it can't possibly happen because people would rather sell them , well of course it happens , you can't possibly account for every cat owner in the UK Hmm

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ProtegeMoi · 11/02/2013 20:54

Your saying the breeder had no idea what they were? How can you breed a pedigree Maine coon without knowing. Half Maine coon at the best as these sort of people let their females out to mate with any old Tom. What are the chances of a pedigree Maine coon roaming the streets in heat just so happening to bump into another pedigree Maine coon?

You say you are certain they are Maine coon? When you started this post you said the vet was 90% that has soon changed. You also say you took them in so they were not sold to the highest bidder but when you started this post you had just found out they were Maine coons?

Look if you want to believe your cats are pedigree Maine coons worth several hundreds of pounds and are some sort of amazing miracle then fine, it's not harming anyone (unless you decide to breed them) but like i said it is very very unlikely.

By the way your profile does not appear to be clickable.

discrete · 11/02/2013 21:04

poster rockinhippy Mon 11-Feb-13 01:22:44
IME they are wonderful, affectionate, strikingly intelligent, fun, chatty, huge, beautiful & fiercely protective of their humans & will take on anything in the process

Totally agree with this! They are a wonderful breed.

Mine spend loads of time outdoors, but prefer to be with us rather than on their own in general. They are not at all indoor cats though.

Original poster
DoYaDontYa · 11/02/2013 22:37

They are not from a breeder , why on earth have you hijacked this post & I found out over a month ago that they are Maine Coon as I've had them since they were about 8 weeks , I don't give a crap what they are worth I only decided to find out whether they were Maine Coon because of how ill they were on wet food .
90% is good enough for me to believe they are Maine Coon .
They have no Moggy attributes at all .

OP posts:
ProtegeMoi · 12/02/2013 01:57

I mean breeder in the sense that they bred the parents, accidental or not. Like I said believe what you will.
Without a picture to identify I stand by the fact it's highly unlikely. Why not email a Maine coon breed club? I am sure the true experts are happy to confirm or deny for you.
By the way ALL cats are bred from moggies, pedigree cats are created by selectively breeding desired attributes into a cat over time. A cat that has absolutely NO moggy attributes at all is proberly a dog :)

ProtegeMoi · 12/02/2013 02:01

And as an after note. Take your cats to the vet f they are so ill on wet food. While some brands do make breed specific food it is certainly not essential. What would lead you to believe that there dietary issues are a result of breeding as opposed to a health issue? Have any investigations been done?

Original poster
DoYaDontYa · 12/02/2013 07:22

They have been to the vets & I have had it confirmed by a Maine Coon breeder that has Bennett. feeding them for years

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ColG · 18/02/2013 15:57

I have 2 and they are just lovely - very vocal and friendly. I've read that they keep their kitten nature until about 5-6 years old. They've both learned to come when their names are called, and know the sound of their treats bag.
I feed mine in Iams and they seem happy. They also get tinned tuna every now and then or a tin of whiska's, but that does make their poo honk a bit.

MrsSchadenfreude · 18/02/2013 20:07

My Maine Coon came from a cat rescue place. He was a year old when we got him. They also had several Siamese cats and a British Blue there.

Or of course, he could just be any old large tabby moggy, according to ProtegeMoi. Hmm But his history sheet said he was bought to breed but it didn't work out (he was probably too thick to know what to do - he is not the brightest cat).

He is lovely - likes human company, but not a lap cat (sadly), but always comes and sits next to you. He chats away (chirping) as well.

StatisticallyChallenged · 18/02/2013 23:51

I have 3 Maine Coons (a just 3 year old male, a 6 year old girl and a 7 month old boy kitten who we have only had for 2 weeks) and I do find their temperaments quite distinct from cats I have had before.

They are all very affectionate. My husband took a photo last night of me lying on the sofa - all 3 were on there with me, 2 of them actually lying on me. They are also very gentle with my daughter (and any other small people), quite easy about strangers etc too.

They can be quite vocal - the girl is a noisy wee critter and the kitten is starting to be quite burbly and has a charming meow.

They're quite playful. Not huge climbers really, although they do like their tall scratch post. But I don't tend to find them on high shelves or wardrobes. You can also train them - we had a girl who sadly died at New Year and she played fetch.

They can get BIG. VERY BIG. Our adult boy is around the 2 stone mark. Not fat, just immensely big. The "kitten" is the size of a relatively large full grown moggy.

Mine eat Royal Canin Maine Coon food - the girl we lost had a very sensitive tummy and this suited her, but it has agreed with all of them and the bigger kibble stops them just inhaling their food.

merlincat · 19/02/2013 00:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StatisticallyChallenged · 19/02/2013 00:10

Wow what a mix you have Merlin (jealous...maybe!) Our two have already accepted Colossus (the kitten, blame DH for the name) and the big guy was sitting grooming him earlier and goes running if he hears him crying. All of mine seem to quite like having other cats around. The girl doens't "play" but she will happily share her space and cuddle up with them

scrumpkin · 19/02/2013 00:15

I have 3 Maine coon's and they are absolutely beautiful creatures.

Although semi long haired, they don't moult much. Very vocal and have an array if noises which mean different things. Very serene and dignified yet in your face the moment you sit still. Lick me like a dog and play fetch with a knotted straw!

Original poster
DoYaDontYa · 19/02/2013 00:31

Mrsschaudenfraude Grin I somehow doubt protegemoi is right either , if she is then I have the strangest Moggys ever

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Original poster
DoYaDontYa · 19/02/2013 00:39

Still waiting for mine to find there voice .
There fur is so odd , you can see water just run straight off them instead of soaking in .
My 2 have started fighting & my older cat smacks them & then they sulk off to bed Grin
They both know there names and come running.when called a bit like a dog or child .
They also have different tastes my boy likes crisps & my girl will drink tea/coffee if your not paying attention Hmm

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StatisticallyChallenged · 19/02/2013 00:49

I have a chip eater and a cheese lover.

MrsSchadenfreude · 19/02/2013 21:54

Mine likes to sit next to me and suck my thumb. Confused He just sits there with it held very gently in his mouth, sucking and licking it.

He also likes water and playing in the shower.

He has bonkers paws with huge tufts of fur poking through the pads.

He sleeps on his back with his legs in the air and likes having his tummy tickled.

He can't have wet food either. Cleaning the arse of a very furry Maine Coon is not a fun job...

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