Maine Coons

[Doubleraspberry]

Hello - we are contemplating a Maine Coon kitten. Can anyone give me lived experience on the pros and cons of the breed?

And this will be my first ever non-rescue cat. There are none to be had for a house with an existing cat and primary school-aged children. I’ve tried!

My friend has just adopted her 3rd! I went to meet them today. They behave like proper cats. (I have Persians who aren't real cats)
Very majestic to look at. She says hers only need a brush once a week and are quite easy coats to manage. They are climbers and grow very large. My friends aren't fully grown yet. I think hers are all indoor cats. But she does live near a busy road.

My friends cars are all rescues. From Strawberry rescue I think. But there are also other posh cat rescues. St Francis Persian rescue sometimes has Maine-coones if you go for a pedigree, make sure it's had all the health screens. Not sure what that are for that breed though.

Definitely make sure the parents have had the correct health screening and see proof (not just "they've been checked by a vet" - you want actual test results).

I think it's maine coons who are one of the breeds with a higher incidence of HCM (heart issues with can cause sudden death) but could be wrong.

@AwkwardPaws27 yes I think you are right. I lost one of my Persians to HCM.

We had Maine coons growing up. They are gorgeous gorgeous cats, look beautiful and really really talk to you. They can also grow to be huge!

Never had any issues with fur, and then the mum had kittens with random neighbourhood cat, some looked pure Maine coons, some just 'normal' cats.

Thank you, everyone: really helpful. We’ve just lost two youngish rescue cat brothers (street moggies) one after the other to what the vet reckoned was genetically weak organs. So it would be good to save the kids further heartache if we can.

My daughter is desperate to walk the cat. Is that actually doable? We live in a very quiet area so I can’t see it being an indoor cat.

We've had 2 Maine Coons. Lost one to a road accident and the other to HCM. Does not stop me wanting another one! They are beautiful cats - our 2nd one in particular was more dog like than cat like. He was very, very gentle (to humans - a lethal hunter if you were a rabbit) - but absolutely enormous! He did not like being brushed and could get very matted which then meant it had to be clipped.

He's beautiful!

I've also had a longhair that refused to be groomed and had to be shaved at the vet. The time the fur ended up blocking up her bottom was particularly lovely.

My Maine Coon is a giant furry pain in the ass, but we love him. He is anti social unless he wants something. And is very smart he does things to get your attention like waiting till you are watching to knock things over and give him attention. Oh and he plays fetch like a dog. Not sure what we were expecting but thought after a bengal a Maine coon would be easy, how wrong we were.
He does love to be groomed so hair isn’t too much of an issue

I'm on my second Maine coon, the first was a silver tabby girl, and my current fur ball boy is tabby and white. With every penny. Regal and majestic , although my boy is bloody clever and will knock things off shelves if he deems them in the way. This time of year it's always a little Xmas tree I have in the window which he knocks down to make room for him to sit down and lick his arse. He used to let me bath and blow dry him when he was a kitten but he won't now he's older, Mats have been a problem but i groom him and he tolerates this. He's an outdoor boy. I live on a farm and he rules the roost

Is it common for them to be standoffish? One of the reasons we're going for one is their reputation for being very friendly and good natured.

Beautiful cats though!

Flynn can be standoffish , he will choose when it is suitable for you to stroke him, but at the same time, he's always by my side, snoring away, and he chirrups and quietly purrs, when he miaows it sounds like he's speaking ( I always reply ) I love it on a Sunday when he jumps on my bed and lays beside me, we have a little snooze together ❤️

You really may struggle to walk a boy. They are incredibly strong up to 11kgs is not uncommon. So if the cat is spooked or jumps you could be in big trouble.

Females are notably smaller.

Coat can really vary between cats so can be woolly and knot easy and others not really need much brushing.

MIL has all the genetic testing on hers and is shocked by how many buyers never even ask let alone want proof.

Her largest boy is stunning but there is no way you can hold him if he's had enough.

My daughter is desperate to walk the cat. Is that actually doable? We live in a very quiet area so I can’t see it being an indoor cat.

Personally this is something I really disagree with. I know it's becoming increasingly popular but cats are climbers and naturally run from their prey, and leads put them in a really vulnerable position as it restricts them from escape should they get scared or frightened (eg. if you meet a dog).

Very happy NOT to walk a cat!

Friends of ours have a lovely MC girl and it's always funny comparing her to our moggy boy: basically it's Lady and the Tramp. They both weigh about 7 kilos, which is big for a mog but fairly petite for MC.

She's MUCH cleverer than our mog. She can open doors and tears open packets of treats if they're not locked away. That would be well beyond the scope of our thick but sweet boy.

She does deliberately push breakables off tables and shelves if she wants attention. She's a complete diva and attention hog (our boy just goes for a more direct ankle nip), but totally unaggressive about it.

She hates being groomed to the extent that she has to be sedated at the vet twice a year for a complete shave (lion cut). She will then sulk for a few days afterwards.

I would love a MC, but I don't think the mog would tolerate competition at home.

My boy is half MC, and is the best cat ever. Smart, funny, dog like in a lot of ways. Very communicative, affectionate, his purr is like a train, he cleans my hair in exchange for treats and likes the odd game of fetch. Nothing really phases him, and he is the most handsome cat there ever was.

I love Maine coons, ours needed regular grooming in the first year and got matted hair, but they stopped once he got better at cleaning himself. They are very intelligent and need stimulation so personally I wouldn't have one as an indoor cat unless you have a really good set up (eg cat run in the garden). I kept mine indoors as a kitten up to 6 months and he was a right pain, climbing everything, once we let him outdoors he was much improved!

I have a male maine coon. I will say I didnt want a cat, im definitely more of a dog person, but DH had wanted one for years. What we have is a dog in a cat body. He is my baby, follows me round, chirps at me and in response to me talking to him. He is very snuggly and cuddly, super playful and generally hilarious.

He is a very big boy and unfortunately we have had some hip issues, that we think are due to early neutering and his rapid growth. Even after all the problems we have had, I wouldn't change him for the world, he is amazing and I may have to get another.

We have a main coon - a male (neutered) smoke. He has access to a secure garden and a very quiet neighbourhood, although he does not wander, much. Just like the others; I emphasise getting your kitten's heart and hips checked. We brush ours twice a week and do a hygiene clip around the legs and bottom. In the summer, we also trim his belly fur, to stop him from getting so hot (this was after he flopped in the paddling pool).

Our Maine Coon has adopted DH as "his" human and will sit and sulk whilst DH is away. He also sulks if DH is not sitting down to cuddle him at 8pm at night or if we stay up past 10:30pm (he sleeps on us).

For more urgent matters (like a lost toy), we get The Paw coming out, starting with gentle tapping, progressing up to full-on hair-biting. He has also worked out if either of us are in meetings, the easy way to get attention is to lick the video camera. Unfortunately, his height and large paws mean he can open doors (and cupboards). No chicken is safe on the side as his height means he can easily reach it. On the plus side, he is happy to do kitty yoga with me and chase the kids around the garden.

If you want a calm, happy cat with a magnificent personality, get a Maine Coon. You will also need to supersize the cat tree, the cat box and the portion sizes. You've been warned...

Maine Coons are awesome! But if you're by any chance looking for something similar, slightly more sedate and smaller with no matting issues then I'd suggest you also look up Siberian cats.

Ah, what lovely sounding cats!

I would hate an indoor cat (without medical reason for it) and we’ve got a cat flap and a quiet garden. We are looking for a ‘cat dog’ which has led up to Maine Coons. I will have a look at Siberian’s; I checked out a Siberian rescue yesterday and they look very majestic.

My lovely old long haired moggie had to be shaved as she resisted grooming, so it’s useful to hear that can be an issue.

Anyone have an idea what we might pay for a kitten? No rescues that I can find so far, although we won’t be in a position to take/home adopt until early next year. I expect it to take quite a bit of time to find one by any means. I see the breed club warns you off paying more than 1k - is that holding firm after all the Covid price rises?

You've had some varying answers on here. Of you're looking for a similar breed and perhaps a bit more reliable in terms of being hugely friendly and accepting being groomed then Norwegian Forest Cats could be a good bet. Mine also tolerate being walked quite well ..... they are outdoor cats but when one was recovering from an illness and wasn't safe to be let out, he did enjoy a walk on a lead. In terms of reaction to danger the trick is to be absolutely always on the alert and pick up the cat before danger approaches. How old is the daughter that wants to walk them as you do need a certain technique to hold a cat safely?

I did look at Norwegians too, and they are beautiful.

My daughter is a tall and strapping ten (physically often mistaken for a teenager) but I wouldn’t have her do it by herself if we did give it a go.