Maine Coon cats can be considered moderately high maintenance due to their grooming, extra large accommodations and social requirements. From my personal experience, these are the biggest demands when you own this breed. If you’re at home a big part of the day, have space in your home, and are able to spend time with your cat, and can commit to the regular combing and brushing then this is the absolute perfect cat.
The maintenance needs that come along with owning a Maine Coon are trivial compared to the benefits and happiness that you’ll receive from having one of your own.
Grooming Needs
- Coat Care: Maine Coons have a long, thick coat that requires regular combing and detangling. Failure to do this will result in mats in your cat’s coat that are difficult to remove. In most cases, the mats need to be cut out or in some cases, shaved off.
- Shedding: With the long thick coat of fur comes shedding. It would be amazing if they didn’t shed but that’s just not the case. Spring and Summer seasons bring the highest amount of shed. Regular grooming can help reduce the amount of shedding hair. There’s also some awesome tools on the market to remove the fur from your furniture and clothes. Yes, you need to be ok with wearing cat hair.
- Bathing: It’s not necessary to bathe your Maine Coon although some people choose to. If you’re kitty loves water and enjoys bath time, then by all means, a monthly bath might work out well.
My Personal Thoughts About Grooming Maine Coon Cats:
There are two different type of coats on a Maine Coon. The “good coat” and the “bad coat”. The good coat is one that requires very little maintenance.
A simple brushing on the weekend will be just fine. This type of coat doesn’t get many mats and looks smooth and silky.
The bad coat requires more frequent, sometimes daily, brushing and detangling. Even with routine grooming, they still get mats in high friction areas (armpits, belly, back of the legs).
Shedding is something that you’ll deal with on a daily basis. I use a few specific tools to help manage the cat hair on my clothes, furniture and rugs. These tools are very effective and I honestly don’t know how to manage the hair without them. The “rug rake” is a recent discovery and I use it every day.
Social and Emotional Needs
- Affection and Interaction: Maine Coons are highly social cats. So much that they’re considered the dog of the cat world. They absolutely love to be with and around their humans. It’s one of the reasons they’re such a sought after breed of cat. To translate this into more simple terms, I’d say that they’re clingy.
- Compatibility with Other Pets: Since I’m a breeder of Maine Coon cats, I’ve witnessed hundreds of interactions between Maine Coons and other cats. I’ve also seen the connections that are made once my kittens go to their new homes and meet other pets that are in the family. I have never seen a true conflict between a Maine Coon cat and another cat or dog. It may take them a couple for everyone to adjust, but ultimately everyone gets along and lives happily ever after.
- Dealing with Separation Anxiety: Since this breed is such a social kitty, they may get upset and/or get anxiety when separated from their humans for a long period of time (More than 24 hours). It’s important to realize and understand their communication efforts, and make the necessary plans if you’re going to be away from your cat.
Living Environment
- Space Requirements: Since Maine Coons are larger cats, they do require bigger things. Beds, furniture, cat trees, scratching posts, and litter boxes to name a few. Especially if you own a male Maine Coon, as they tend to grow into very large and heavy cats.
When I got my first Maine Coon, I bought a regular cat tree on Amazon. Within 7 months the tree was wobbly and basically destroyed from my Maine Coon kitten running, diving, and climbing all over it. That’s when I realized that I needed to invest in a better tree for my cat. So I got one from Furwood Forest (Im not sure if he’s still selling trees) made out of real tree limbs. It’s been 9 years and I still have that tree and it’s still in great condition. I also have some from CatTreeKing, which I also like a recommend to Maine Coon owners.
Ever since then, I make sure I buy high quality items for my Maine Coons.
“Cheap is Never Good and Good Is Never Cheap”
The Pros of Having a Maine Coon Far Outweigh the Cons
I was in my 40’s when I discovered the Maine Coon breed. Ever since then I’ve (obviously) been very passionate and obsessed about them. Their kind, gentle and highly social nature makes them such a wonderful cat to have as a pet. I’ve had cats my entire life, and Maine Coons are much different than any other cat that I’ve had. They’re wonderful companions and just have remarkable personalities.
The addition of a new kitten or cat to your home should always be taken with great consideration. Doing research about the breed, it’s requirements, personality and health risks are always in your best interest before making a decision.
We love Maine Coons and think that everyone should have at least one! But then, you’ll find that one isn’t enough and you’ll want another…and another….and another. 🙂 We have a few litters of Maine Coon Kittens Each year. We cater to the luxury lifestyle, and just may be the perfect fit for you!
