Maine Coon Cat Characteristics

Maine Coon Cat Characteristics

There are many ways of identifying a Maine Coon.

You can look at its physical characteristics like shaggy fur, large eyes, large size and its tapered tail and ears.

And because Maine Coons are often friendly and outgoing, they can easily be identified by observing their personalities and behavior.

In this article, I will tell you some of the most common Maine Coon characteristics so you can easily identify them.

Physical Characteristics

Look for a large cat.

Among all cat breeds, Maine Coons are undoubtedly the largest.

There is a rugged and sturdy look about them. Some people have even likened Maine Coons to bobcats.

If your cat appears unusually large, it just might be a Maine Coon.

Tips

• Males weight roughly 15-25 pounds, with female cats weighing 10-15 pounds. If your kitty lies within these ranges, chances are that it’s a Maine Coon.

• In terms of the length, males are normally 10-16 inches tall and 40 inches long. On the other hand, females are 8-14 inches tall and about 40 inches long. You can easily determine your cat’s height and length by using a tape measure or a yardstick.

Touch The Cat

Another way to identify a Maine Coon is to simply touch it.

These cats often have a fluffy, oily coat which serves to protect them from the harsh winter weather.

They have big and fluffy tails to keep them warm during their rest period. Note if the fur is fine, and the body is muscular and firm.

Large Eyes

Maine Coons are a bit slanted or oblique, not perfectly round. These cats are typically gold or green, though they may also be blue.

Fur Length

Maine Coons tend to have a long and shaggy coat.

The fur isn’t thick, but is abundant.

The paws, tails and even the ears are covered in feathery tufts of fur. The fur found on the back of the cat should be shorter towards the cat’s front but longer toward the rear of it.

On the sides, the fur should get gradually longer from the front to back.

The most common color pattern for the Maine Coon is brown tabby pattern. But the cats can be found in 75 other color combinations.

Long Growing Cycle

The majority of cats tend to reach full potential at the age of 9-12 months.

However, in the case of Maine Coons, they can grow for at least 2 years.

Some even grow for as long as four years. If your cat won’t stop growing, there are excellent chances it is a Maine Coon.

Other Physical Characteristics

Maine Coons are known for muscular their legs which are of medium length.

But these need to be proportional to their bodies.

The body should not be compact, but must be long. Maine Coons have tails which are wide at the base and then gradually narrow.

Try to reach the shoulder of the cat with its tail. If you do that or nearly reach its shoulder, this could be an indicator that it could be a Maine Coon.

Its tail ought to have a long, flowing fur. Lastly, check if it has tapered ears.

Behavioral Characteristics

Friendly Demeanour

One distinguishing characteristic of Maine Coons is their friendly and relaxed personalities.

They are easy with kids and other pets. Does this sound like you kitty?

You could be having a Maine Coon!

Undying Love For Water

Maine Coons love spilling and splashing water.

They can splash about in toilets, too. You can tell that your cat is a Maine Coon if it has a strange fascination with water.

If it also has other characteristics of a Maine Coon, it is probably one.

Dog-like Behaviors

To most people, dogs are faithful and generally extroverted.

Likewise, Maine Coons are also famous for their outgoing and reliable behavior.

If you have a cat that greets you when you wake up in the morning and when you get back from work, it could belong to Maine Coon family.

Personality

Maine Coons have awesome personality that in fact we have a whole section to talk about it.

These cats will look you directly in the eyes, before proceeding to talk to you. example of adjectives you can use to describe the Maine Coon’s personality are cuddly, loud, sweet, loving, goofy, friendly, family-oriented, and demanding of attention among others.

Each of these traits should be taken into the context of a whole cat, and all you will see is gorgeous animal.

In other words, don’t expect that upon looking upon a Maine Coon, you will find one outstanding characteristic about it. All these characteristics should come together into a handsome cat.

Other Tips

DNA Test

You can also tell that your cat is Maine Coon from carrying out a genetic test.

For this, you would need a vet or even medical professional to take your cat’s DNA sample.

This is typically accomplished through swabbing your cat’s inside cheek to get skin cells.

After that, blood is drawn using a vial.

Another alternative is to clip its fur. After that, the vet will compare the genome of your cat against known DNA of a Maine Coon and see if there is a match. Genetic tests are roughly 90% accurate.

Monitor Your Cat’s Health

Ordinarily, Maine Coons have excellent health.

But they have high susceptibility to two common conditions.

HCM or Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, is one of these conditions. It causes the walls of your cat’s heart to thicken.

The other one is the feline hip dysplasia, a condition that results from underperforming Maine Coon’s hips and leads to arthritis and pain.

• Before you purchase a Maine Coon, make sure that the breeder you are buying her from screens it for HCM first.

• Given that Maine Coons tend to be naturally larger, there isn’t much you can do to help it keep hip dysplasia away. Consult your vet to help you treat your kitty in case it develops this condition.

Conclusion

Big, beautiful, and long shaggy fur, are just a few of the characteristics one thinks of when they think of Maine Coon cats.

Apart from being the largest cats in the world, Maine Coons are also friendly, have large eyes and exceptional fur length.

I hope that the above characteristics help you identify a Maine Coon cat.

Have a look at the following video for more information;