The Maine Coon is the World’s largest domesticated cat. In fact, the World’s Largest ever domesticated cat was a Maine Coon called Stewie who measured 48.5 inches long.
It is believed they are descendants of domestic short-haired cats that bred with Scandinavian cats brought to North America by Norsemen, but in truth no one really knows for sure.
These unusually large cats were a regular entrant in cat shows in the 19th century in the United States until long-haired breeds from overseas became more popular, threatening to end the breed all together. Thankfully, this gentle giant made a comeback in the 20th century and has been strong ever since.
Their massive, shaggy appearance includes a long, bushy tail which is usually at least the length of their back, and paws that are large and well-tufted which allowed them to walk comfortably on the Scandinavian snow.
Despite their large appearance, they are very affectionate, sweet natured and gentle, making them one of the World's most popular cat breeds.
They’re an endlessly entertaining cat who can’t resist clowning around with a love of sleeping in odd places and a fascination of water.
Maine Coon cats are gentle natured and friendly, which makes them great companions for cat owners.
They’re often playful and curious and remain kitten-like throughout their lives, even as older cats, which makes them an endless source of entertainment.
They love their family but don’t crave attention like other breeds, but that doesn’t in any way mean that they don’t enjoy some lap time, and they will certainly still follow you around the house.
They’re a highly intelligent breed who likes to know what is going on in the house. This intelligence means they learn new things quickly which is handy because their high energy levels mean they need regular exercise and play time.
Perhaps the oddest part of their characteristics is their voice which is not your typical meow like other cats; instead they make more of a chirping noise, as well as other noises like yowling.
Maine Coons can adapt to any type of home in any climate and, although they are built for outdoor living, it’s safer to keep them inside so they don’t get hit by cars or run the risk of disease spread by cats.
They’re well suited to people who live in the countryside, or at least a quieter areas as they love to roam around outdoors and are well known for their ratter abilities which could cause them to chase small rodents away, putting them at risk if they’re near busy roads.
They’re extremely affectionate and thrive on human contact, so they don’t like being left alone for long periods of time. Because of that, they are best suited to a house that always has someone home, or that has another pet to keep them company.
They get on well with dogs, especially if they’ve grown up together, but do take care when introducing them to dogs they don’t already know, in case that dog is not so cat friendly.
Most importantly, their outgoing, affectionate and gentle personality makes them the perfect choice for families with children, even toddlers.
The Maine Coon has a long coat that is heavy and silky to the touch and needs brushing twice a week to remove any loose hair and keep their coat in good condition. If you neglect their brushing, you will find your cat ingests them when they clean themselves, leading to hairballs.
Like many breeds, they will shed more heavily in Spring and Autumn, so you may find you need to brush more regularly at these times.
As with all cats, you must trim the nails as needed, which is usually weekly. Keeping their nails trimmed prevents them painfully breaking them if/when they get caught in carpet or furniture. It also limits the damage they cause to both your furniture and yourself. Make this job easier for both you and your cat by getting them used to having their nails clipped when they're a kitten.
Check their ears weekly for infection which will show itself as unusual redness, bad odour and sometimes discharge, among other symptoms. To avoid infection, clean them with a cotton ball dampened with a gentle cleanser recommended by your vet.
Finally, brush their teeth frequently to avoid tartar build up and gum disease and reduce the risk of trips to the veterinary clinic for costly dental treatment.
Although they enjoy grooming more so than other breeds, you should still start grooming early on, so your cat gets used to this being part of everyday life.
Maine Coons are Generally a hard breed, built for enduring cold, harsh winters and are known to be a healthy breed, but there are some hereditary issues that can affect them.
When you buy from a breeder, they should give you a feeding schedule. It’s important to stick to this schedule and feed your kitten the same food. Not following this could lead to your kitten having stomach issues.
Hip Dysplasia is an inherited condition that means the thighbone doesn’t fit snuggly in the hip joint.
The symptoms are generally pain and lameness which will vary in severity and can be present in one or both rear legs.
Make sure you ask any breeder if the kitten’s parents have been tested and cleared for Hip Dysplasia. If they have not, or the issue is present in one or both, find another breeder.
Sadly, it’s not uncommon for the disorder to lead to hip replacement.
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disease found in Maine Coons. It’s characterised by progressive instability with unsteady gait and posture abnormalities due to loss of motor neurons in the lower spinal cord and atrophy of muscles in the hind limbs.
Although mobility is slightly hindered, the disease is neither painful nor fatal and affected cats can live comfortably indoors.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is one of the most common heart diseases in cats and is the most common cause of sudden death in indoor cats. Essentially it is an abnormal thickening of one or several areas of the walls of the heart, usually the left ventricle.
The disease is caused by a variety of genetic abnormalities of the cardiac muscle proteins that are prevalent in Ragdolls, Main Coons, Oriental Breeds and Devon Rex’s, but also common in domesticated short hair cats.
The disease is usually diagnosed at middle-age but there’s also a juvenile form that affects young cats (usually Ragdolls).
There are many different forms of hypertrophy which means the impact of the thickening of the walls of the heart is variable. In mild cases, cats can remain symptom free for their whole life however, in severe cases, the ventricle will have a hard time distending which leads to increased intra-cardiac pressure and congestive heart failure.
Other complications of the disease include cardiac arrhythmias, leading to fainting or sudden death and clot formation in the left atrium. These clots may fragment and travel in the aorta and obstruct a major artery.
Symptoms range in severity from difficult breathing, to extreme lethargy, collapsing and even sudden death.
To diagnose HCM, your cat will likely need x-rays, electrocardiograms (ECG), blood work or blood pressure monitoring.
Treatment can involve hospitalisation to treat congestive heart failure which results in abnormal fluid accumulation in the lungs. Treatment typically includes oxygen therapy, diuretics, blood pressure monitoring, and medications to make the heartbeat more efficiently.
The aim of treatment is to slow the heart rate, correct abnormal heart beats, improve blood flow, decrease blood clot formation and alleviate fluid build-up.