Tell me about Maine coons

[ocelot41]

Hiya, we are thinking about getting a pair of cats and would like ones which are kid-friendly and fun to play with for our only DS. I work from home 3 days a week so they wouldn't be left alone all day every day whilst we worked. Other than MCs getting big and needing regular grooming, what are they like to live with? How do they cope with a cattery when owners on holiday? Any experience on the whole inside/outside debate?

Ours goes out. He's a bit dim. It's a quiet road so I'm less worried. For first eight years they only went on leads in garden. So mainly with us.As they did that when kittens it was normal. Now, we moved, they are chipped and collared and potter about 4 gardens in total.

Thank you. I'm very proud of him. I'm still stunned I 'own' such a beautiful creature.

If I find the other ill add her... She's gorge too!

Beautiful pussum Boomtown! Am I right in thinking two are better together if we will both be at work two days a week?

A Ragdoll is the most similar cat to a dog if that makes sense. They make great companions, he follows us from room to room, sits on the edge of the bath during anyone's bath (!) sleeps snuggled up to me at night and doesn't swipe out at the children. He lets them lug him around the house and he sits next to their games. He likes to be in the midst of the family. He's playful too, especially with the flying frenzy.

Thats so sweet MrsPnut

And your neighbours did WHAT Doctor??? How did that one come out??

Thanks for the suggestion Minimalist. How do they compare with Coonies in terms of attention needs, grooming etc?

Tbh with ours I think they'd prefer to be alone. They tolerate each other nicely but aren't soppy together. I think it would be fine for this breed to be alone as they consider themselves very included in the humans.

The bath but made me laugh, coons are water cats. Ours get in...! Very funny.

They get in!!! Crikey! Do they like hairdryers afterwards???

This is our girl - she needs a fair bit of grooming, and she is really loud! Our neighbours think she's hilarious because she stands at the front door shouting to be let in, completely ignoring her cat flap

My DSis has a Norwegian forest cat who used to stalk up and down the side of the bath. Until the day when she fell in.

Aw cute cat

And what about the famed hunting skills? I used to have a BF who has a shorthair who was always bringing half alive 'presents' which we would then have to dispatch as humanely as possible with a shovel.
The worst was a baby rabbit. At 2am. It was a game for all the family, that was...

Very sweet fluffball Dumpylump

Ours is now 17 and slightly senile. But in his youth he has been a nanny to the kids, running to them and comforting at the first sign of tears. He'll still have the odd game of paper ball football even now. He used to wander down to the newsagents with me and wait outside but doesn't really leave the garden much now. Maine Coons are smart, beautiful and nurturing and you're very lucky to be getting some.

It looks likely we will be moving in the Spring so we are waiting until then. Just mulling it over now. Want to make sure we would be doing the right thing as it's a big responsibility to decide to become owned by a cat (or two!)

That's just gorgeous year!

our older boy is half MC (half lord knows what) and he is the most adorable big cuddly tabby ever - we luffs him and he's a soppy thing

Also does anyone know of reputable breeders of red MCs? My DC has BRIGHT ginger hair (which bless him he does get teased for at school a bit). He loves ginger cats because he sees them as his cats....

oce they need company, so you being in a lot is perfect. I use the zoom groom once a day on him. They're indoor cats. They like to be near you. He likes a good play twice a day and will do the rag doll flop at your feet for a stroke. They like to be held cradled like a baby too.

This is our cat

The neighbours kindly dropped a note through the letterbox(!) to let me know that they were holding 'her' [male cat] hostage.

He'd been going 'out' for longer periods of time, then disappeared overnight.

I spent a distraught few hours looking for him, and it transpired that the neighbours had decided that he was a [pedigree] stray, who was obviously not being fed properly [at 20-odd lbs], and who was being left out all night to fend for himself

They took it upon themselves to lock him in their house all night so that he wouldn't get eaten by foxes(!), and then when they found my address on his collar they complained that he'd spent all night miaowing by the front door.

It was a bizarre series of encounters, and I had a thread on here about it at the time.

We have since moved, but opt for a lead or the catio when venturing out for some fresh air.

In a previous house, a neighbour called and asked me to come and remove him from their property because he'd been in their garden pacing up and down outside to their glass conservatory doors (like a lion at the zoo), and he was scaring their two toddlers!

Just beyootiful MrsPnut. I particularly like the first one with emerald glowing eyes. She looks almost other worldly!

Your neighbour catnappers do sound weird Doctor. Surely the first thing you do if you have a cat which you think is lost is check its collar and call the no immediately? Are you sure your beautiful puss hadnt just taken to using their garden as a litter tray and they were fed up with it?

From what you are all saying, it does look like a MC would be a good match for us. Would one be OK during the day do you think or would two be happier together?