Are Maine Coon Cats Cuddly?

Maine Coon lovers all over the world are constantly on a quest for the cuddliest kitten. That is a kitten or cat who is the most affectionate and will spoil its owner with head butts, loud purrs, biscuit-making activity, and cat-induced human lap rest.

While all of these characteristics sound delightful, it doesn’t fit the mold for every cat, not even a Maine Coon.

One of the most common questions I get is “Do Maine Coons like to cuddle”? It’s a fair and reasonable question to ask. Let’s get into it.

Let’s define what “cuddly” means in regards to a Maine Coon. A cuddly cat is one that is huggable. It will curl up in your lap, make biscuits on you, and rest its head on your chest. It will lay between your legs, sleep on your pillow and ride on your shoulder. The cuddly Maine Coon will also tolerate being picked up and carried around very well.

Cuddliness in Cats and Why It Matters to Cat Lovers

People have a strong desire for connection and affection. Often times, we look to our pets to fulfill this emotional need. Having a cuddly cat offers a great expression of love and comfort which appeals to people seeking companionship.

It’s well known that owning and interacting with a cat has positive effects on mental health. Cuddling with your Maine Coon can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and just put you in a better mood. This is why a “cuddly” cat is more desirable.

What Makes a Maine Coon cuddly?

There are several factors that influence how much your Maine Coon will like to cuddle with you.

Genetics

The temperaments of the parents play a role in the offspring. Being especially interested in how temperaments are passed down to kittens, I’ve played close attention to this detail.

Kittens can inherit temperament from either (or both) parent. I’ve discovered that they pick up behaviors and mannerisms from mom and dad. So it’s important for me to only use cats with great temperaments in my breeding program.

Occasionally, there will still be a kitten with a mind of its own. While it may fall from parents that are friendly and cuddly, it turns out to be standoffish and very independent. There’s no way to fully predict the outcome of every Maine Coon kitten.

Socialization

Personally, I believe that the socialization of a kitten from birth to 12 weeks old plays more of a role in temperament than genetics.

If you think about it, feral kittens that have no human interaction at a young age are terrified when approached by a human. If they go too long without human contact, they may never recover.

On the other hand, a kitten that is hand reared and constantly given positive attention and affection by a human tends to be very people oriented.

As a breeder, it’s a priority for me to spend individualized time with each kitten to give them the nurturing they need to be a gentle and loving pet.

Individual Temperaments

We all know that cats are individuals, just like humans. With some kitties there’s no gene or amount of human interaction that can make a cat cuddly.

Quite honestly, I think there are more cats that AREN’T cuddly than those that are. I love them all just the same and respect them for their unique traits.

Are Maine Coons cuddly?

Maine Coon cats are known for their friendly and sociable demeanors. They’ve adopted the nickname of the gentle giant because of their large size and affectionate nature.

Being around Maine Coons for the last 7 years has taught me that they absolutely love being around their humans. Like dogs, they follow you from room to room and want to be a part of your every day life.

They prefer more to sit next to you, lay next to you, sleep with you and hang out with you. They are very affectionate cats.

I don’t think they love the idea of being picked up and coddled. Some of them even dislike that.

My favorite Maine Coon (Chichi) is definitely my companion. Wherever I go, she goes. If I’m scared, she’s scared. She is my spirit animal, and we certainly have a bond. However, she’s not what I consider “cuddly”. She does make biscuits in my hair and literally sleeps ON MY HEAD. I guess she qualifies as somewhat cuddly.

They don’t have to be a cuddly Maine Coon to be the perfect companion.

Just like people, each cat has a unique personality. They all have different habits and behaviors that make them unique. It’s best to not have any expectations about certain traits that you want them to have. They may end up being the total opposite, but they all want to be loved equally.

What is a Cuddly Maine Coon, anyway?

When you think of a cuddly cat, what do you see?

• Is he curled up in a perfect circle sitting in the middle of your lap while you read a book by a fire?
• Is he laying on your pillow while you sleep while purring and making biscuits on your head?
• Does the cat jump on your desk and pace back and forth with his tail in the air, asking for you to stroke his back and then give you a head bump?
• Or does the kitty let you pick him up any time you’re feeling sweet, and let you hold him in his arms on his back like a baby?
  

No matter what your ideal portrayal of a cuddly Maine coon is, the ultimate goal is to know that your cat loves you and wants to share affection. Cats display their love for their humans in many different ways (other than cuddling in your lap).

Watch this video below to see how many of these love languages that your cat uses:

Maine Coon Love Language

The sooner you get to know your cat and decipher your cats’ body language, the sooner your cat will appreciate that and respect you even more. Understanding that “cuddling” isn’t always the cats’ first choice for showing affection. There are plenty of other ways that cats communicate.

• Slow Blinking – Slow Blinking is cat language for “I like you” or “I trust you”.
• Your Cat Naps with You – If your Maine Coon naps with you or even near, he trusts you 100% and feels safe.
• They head bump you
• Your cat soft meows, chirps, and trills
• Your cat brings you dead animals (bugs, mice, etc). They only share their prey with someone they trust.
• They hang out in your space, even if they’re not paying attention to you.
• Purring in Your Presence
• An upright or question-mark-shaped tail or tail curled around you when you’re around
• Your cat follows you around, they like your companionship
• They lick you – it’s their way of grooming you. It means your family.
• Your cat shows you their tummy. This isn’t an invitation to rub it, but it does mean they feel comfortable around you.
• Your cat kneads you or “makes biscuits”

Trust Translates to Love

Safety is the cat’s most important priority. So if your Maine Coon shows signs that he trusts you, then it also means that he loves you.

Yes, there are plenty of Maine Coon cats that are cuddly and big giant lap cats. But this article was to share some facts about other ways that your cat will show you that he loves you other than being a cuddle bug. After all, there are also plenty of humans that aren’t “cuddle bugs”, either.

Give your Maine Coon Cat a big fat kiss on his sweet head and a gentle scratch under the chin to let him know that YOU love HIM today. You can also admire your Maine Coon from one of the best Cat trees for Maine Coon cats.