The Maine Coon Persian Mix (What You Need To Know)
Many Maine Coons are not purebred cats.
Many Maine Coons are mixed.
In fact, only 2% of Maine Coons are considered purebreds.
The Maine Coon is one of the most popular breeds of cat out there, so that’s a lot of diluting of the breed.
As it happens, there’s another breed that’s really common – the Persian.
It would be no surprise then to learn that these cats can crossbreed, and produce a mixed kitten.
The Maine Coon Persian mix.
What are these cats like, and what can an owner expect?
What Is A Maine Coon Persian Mix?
Essentially, it’s a kitten that has one Maine Coon parent and the other Persian.
It gets traits from both of its parents – the long hair, big paws etc.
But crossbreeds are always unpredictable, so no one can say what their appearance will be like exactly.
Perhaps surprisingly, not many people have bred Maine Coon and Persians together – or at least there doesn’t appear to be many specific breeders.
Maine Coon vs Persian Cat
The two breeds aren’t too far apart, but there are some differences.
At a glance then, let’s run through the breeds.
The Maine Coon
It’s a physically large cat, powerful and athletic.
The largest domestic breed of cat there is in fact.
It’s intelligent and a good hunter – or at least those are the attributes that owners value.
It’s considered one of the “heaviest” breeds out there, weighing between 12-20 pounds.
They’re known for being affectionate cats who enjoy human contact.
It’s social, affable, friendly, loyal, and is affectionately described as ‘the gentle giant’ – a tribute to their manner and personality.
They also follow you around like a dog and can be quite talkative with a range of vocal talents.
Maine Coon owners know what I mean here.
The Persian
The Persian is a breed of long-haired cat with rounded ears and mesmerizing eyes.
Persians are intelligent and docile making them easy companions – although they do demand affection!
They’re also known – somewhat confusingly – as ‘Persians’, in the singular form.
They’ve been popular for decades, but have declined somewhat since the 1980s due to, among other things, an over-breeding problem.
The Persian is quite a recognizable cat.
The long dense fur coat is somewhat of a giveaway.
Persians are known to be placid and gentle – they’re a good choice for families with children.
Their coat is the main defining factor and grooming this ball of fur can be quite some work.
The Size Of The Maine Coon Persian Mix?
The Maine Coon is a physically imposing cat compared to other breeds.
It’s known as the gentle giant and can be between 48 to 100 centimeters in length.
A small Maine Coon will be 19 inches in length without the tail.
They are 10 to 16 inches in height, and males weigh between 5.9kg to 8kg (13 to 18 lbs). Females weigh less, around 3.6kg to 5.4kg (8 to 12lbs).
Persians are smaller than Maine Coons as an average.
Persians are said to range from 10 to 15 inches tall, but they’re noted for slightly smaller legs.
They’re 14 to 18 inches in length, not including the tail.
That’s quite a bit smaller than the Maine Coon.
With Persians, males weigh between 4kg-6.3kg (9 to 14 pounds) and females weigh 3.2kg-4.9kg (7 to 11 pounds).
The difference between a purebred Maine Coon and a purebred Persian isn’t large but it is noticeable.
A reasonable conclusion is that a Maine Coon Persian mix will be slightly smaller than Maine Coon, but bigger than a Persian – on average.
How Will A Maine Coon Persian Mix Grow?
Maine Coons mature slowly.
They will continue growing till they are 3 to 5 years old.
Persians mature and finish growing at 2 years of age.
A Maine Coon mix will have the genetics of these two breeds and will probably mature and stop growing at 2 to 4 years of age.
It largely depends upon the dominant gene, but on average it will be between these two ranges.
Expect it to grow beyond 2 years as the kitten will have some Maine Coon genetic maturing to do.
What’s The Diet For A Maine Coon Persian Mix?
The Maine Coon from a kitten has a need for a high protein diet.
They grow for quite a while, but animal meat products contain the protein requirement for a Maine Coon.
A Maine Coon diet should be protein rich, so a Maine Coon Persian mix should have a protein rich diet as well.
Protein is essential for body growth and muscle development.
The other fact is that purebred Persians often have hairball formula in their diet as well due to their flat faces, small noses, and very long fur.
Hairball formula diets reduce hairballs, so it will be a good idea to add this foodstuff to their diet on a reasonably regular basis.
Are Maine Coon Persian Mixes Rare?
No, they’re not rare.
Maine Coons are extremely popular and the Persian is no slouch either.
The breeders of both are numerous as well.
Most Maine Coon Persian mixes will be produced by accidental breeding (the two were in proximity to each other) or planned breeding for specific purposes such as show, breeding stock, family pet, etc.
One study found that up to 1/3rd of the cats present in an animal shelter mix with Persian breeds quite frequently.
The Personality Of The Maine Coon Persian Mix
The Maine Coon is generally considered to be an easy going and gentle cat.
It’s able to tolerate the presence of others, including children quite well.
Persians are noted for being calm, affectionate cats that like to entertain their owners by playing games such as fetching or using a laser pointer – it’s all in their nature.
The Maine Coon Persian mix will have a blend of the traits from the parent breeds.
The Maine Coon is known for –
Social
Affable
Gentle
Affectionate
Calm
Playful
Loyal
Talkative
The Persian is known for –
Sweet
Quiet
Relaxed
Easy Going
Laid Back
Loving
Soft Spoken
The lists are very similar in terms of attitude and temperament.
The Maine Coon mix will likely be laid back, easy going, friendly, affable, and social.
The area where there appears to be a difference is that the Maine Coon is very talkative and communicative whereas the Persian is quiet.
The other is that a Maine Coon will follow you around to see what you’re doing, while a Persian won’t.
So, a Maine Coon Persian mix could have these dominant traits from either breed.
Each mixed cat will be unique and take more traits from one breed with respect to the other.
How Much Do Maine Coon Persian Mixes Cost?
A purebred Maine Coon kitten will cost anywhere between $800 to $2000 depending upon age, health, color, status, rarity, gender, and demand.
For the same set of factors, a purebred Persian kitten at 12 weeks will be in the range of $1500 to $2000.
You might expect then that a Maine Coon Persian mix would be in the $1200 to $2000 range.
However, a Maine Coon Persian mix doesn’t mean both parents are purebreds,
The mixed kitten can have slightly more ‘Persian’ in their DNA but the Maine Coon traits might be more dominant.
There’s a lot of factors to consider when dealing with genetics, a lot of which is pure luck of the draw.
Also, mixed breeds are much more common than purebreds which drive down the price.
About half the price for a mixed breed can be about right if the kitten comes from a good home.
What’s The Lifespan Of A Maine Coon Persian Mix?
Just as both breeds have different life expectancies, the Maine Coon Persian mix will do as well.
The Maine Coon life expectancy is between 12 to 15 years, although the average is 13.5 years.
The Persian is identical with an average lifespan of a Persian cat is 13.5 years.
As they are the same, the Maine Coon Persian mix should live a similar amount of time, around 12 to 15 years.
Health And The Maine Coon Persian Mix
Most information you will find online tends to refer to the health of a purebred.
The information will be generic to cats such as FIP or FIV, but can also be breed specific.
There are diseases or conditions that are more likely to display themselves in some breeds rather than others.
The Maine Coon is known to have an increased risk of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) for example.
That doesn’t mean that another breed can’t get PKD, it’s just that the Maine Coon has a predisposition to it.
It’s a known ‘problem’ for the breed.
As one of the parents will be a Maine Coon and the other a Persian, let’s run through what each breed may have health issues with:
The Maine Coon has 4 main issues associated with the breed;
polycystic kidney disease (PKD)
hip dysplasia
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)
spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)
The Persian has a few more;
polycystic kidney disease (PKD)
progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)
bladder stones
cystitis (bladder infections)
liver shunts
The Persian has had studies done, and found that the two most common causes of death were kidney disease (23.4%) and cancer (8.5%).
While the Maine Coon Persian mix would suggest that there would be a blend of the health issues of the parent breeds, kidney problems does seem to appear prevalent in both breeds.
Conclusion
The Maine Coon Persian mix should cost a little less than the purebred forms, have a life expectancy of around 13.5 years, be laid back, easy going, and social.
They will mature a little later than the normal cat and will need a protein rich diet well past normal kittenhood.
The Maine Coon Persian mix is playful, fun loving, and social – likely to take on the attributes of both parents.
If you have a lot of time on your hands and like interacting with your pets, this would make an ideal pet for you.
It’s important that if there are any health issues associated with either parent breed that the breeder is aware of so they can be tested for.
If this is not the case, then you’ll be taking a gamble on the health of your cat.
They are both hardy breeds, you can expect to see some breed specific traits as well as mixed ancestry related attributes.
You might find a Maine Coon Persian mix is independent while also playful.
With the Persian being very furry, these cats tend not to shed much more so some grooming might be in order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a Maine Coons Persian mix have a mane?
The Maine Coon is noted for it’s mane and the Persian under all that fur is considered a cat breed that has a mane. If the parents are from breeds that have manes, the offspring, a Maine Coon Persian mix will have a mane.
Will a Maine Coons Persian mix shed a lot?
All cats shed, but the Maine Coon is noted for needing grooming because of the shedding. The Persian has some of the longest fur available on a cat breed, so a Maine Coon Persian mix will likely need a lot of grooming to help with its shedding.
Will a Maine Coons Persian mix be high maintenance?
The Maine Coon is not a high maintenance cat. Neither is the Persian. They are not needy, have laid back, sociable, and affable natures. They won’t be high maintenance in terms of attention, but the long fur of the mix will need care to stop furballs, and health problems.
My name is Ann and I have been looking after and breeding cats since 2013. I am currently the proud ownder of Alita, a female Maine Coon to whom I've dedicated this site. She has had 2 litters and is around 3 years old. We share adventures and stories together.
My name in Ann, I am a Thai citizen hoping to tell the world about the Maine Coon. It’s my favorite breed of cat and I have learnt a lot of things about them. Please look around my site and let me know what you think. This is Alita, my Maine Coon and you can find out more on the About Me page.
