Maine Coon cats: all about the character and habits of the largest breed

How to choose a nursery to buy a Maine Coon

All our fears come from childhood. Our character is formed in childhood. If we received love and affection in childhood, we will transfer it to our children. The same goes for our pets, in this case Maine Coons. When we pick up a kitten from the nursery, he is similar in age to a small child. And imagine what will happen to the child if until this time he was not loved and was kept in inappropriate conditions.

This is why it is so important to choose a good nursery. We were lucky. We adopted our cat from the Telana Gold* R U . This is a cat's house, not a nursery. And the breeders, a wonderful married couple, are the mother and father of the kittens, giving love to their children every minute. They talk about them as loving parents about their children. And for the sake of profit, they will never give kittens into the wrong hands.

I think they spend more on cats than they make from selling them. Cats walk there, not sit in cages. The windows are covered with durable anti-cat mesh so that cats can breathe fresh air. And how many houses, beds, scratching posts of different types, ladders, toys are there so that cats can jump, play, hide whenever their heart desires. Cats and kittens are clean, well-fed, cheerful and well-groomed.

The windows are covered with durable anti-cat mesh so that cats can breathe fresh air.

And although more than a year has passed since we adopted our red-haired beauty, I can always get qualified advice from our breeder. She, as a loving mother, is always interested in how the fate of her children turns out.

I know that for breeding they select cats that are not only beautiful, have the correct appearance of the breed, and therefore are the most marketable and salable. A cat's behavior depends on heredity. The main thing during selection is the stable psyche of the future parents. Nervous, aggressive, withdrawn cats are not allowed for breeding. Kittens will not be vicious, since there was no one to learn such behavior from.

But we must not forget that it is very difficult for such kittens when they are taken from their home. They don't know what awaits them. It was wonderful there, my mother, brothers, sisters were there. What awaits them here? And therefore you need to give the kitten time to get used to the new home, to you. And we immediately take him to the veterinary clinic, vaccinate him and, what’s really terrible, sterilize the cat.

What kind of love on his part can we talk about? And again, it takes time for the kitten to understand that he is loved in this new home. And if we took a kitten from a nursery where he sat in a cage and did not receive love and care, then he especially does not know what to expect from you.

Therefore, time, love and affection. And all will be well. The kitten will love its new home and you.

And how many houses, beds, scratching posts of different types, ladders, toys are there so that cats can jump, play, hide whenever their heart desires.
And always look for the reason for the cat’s inappropriate behavior. Doesn't go in the litter box? So maybe they chose a small tray. That's how it was for me. Then I bought a large tray 45x65x25. And everything returned to normal.

You need to take the same filler that the breeders had. I take wood filler.
Not because it's cheaper, but because my cat plays with the litter sticks and can swallow it. By the way, the wood filler needs to be changed more often and there is more dust from it. You have to constantly clean. But what can you do?

How to comb

Maine Coons have long coats that require special care. For this procedure you will need one or two combs with sparse and fine teeth. The tips of the teeth should be blunt and not sharp. It is also advisable to have a comb with long, sparse and rounded teeth, as well as a massage brush. You can use it to brush your cat before shows. The massage brush should also be used during the shedding period.

First, combing is carried out with a comb with sparse teeth, then with fine teeth. You need to comb in the direction of the fur. For convenience, you can divide the wool into partings. It is not recommended to scratch the neck area, hind legs and tail with a fine comb, as the hair there takes a long time to recover.

Long, thick fur sometimes develops tangles. They usually cluster on the chest, belly, hind legs, behind the ears and in the lower neck area. The tangles cause anxiety for the cat. They tighten the skin when wool is wrapped around the tangle. It must be divided into several parts and combed out. If this cannot be done, then you can carefully cut it off with nail scissors or tweezers. To do this, pull the tangle towards you and cut off the hairs directly under it.

It is better to brush your Maine Coon no more than four to five days. Brushing prevents severe hair loss and massages the hair. It is advisable to train your pet from an early age.

What to feed a Maine Coon

Maine Coon diet

I feed my cat super-premium grain-free food with lamb. Or “Farmina”, as in the native nursery or “Royal canin Maine Coon”. These types of food are not a panacea, the main thing is that the food is of high quality.

Dry food should make up about 80% of the diet.

By the way, the fact that Maine Coons are voracious is also a myth. In my opinion, they eat no more than ordinary cats. 2 kg of feed is enough for more than a month. I add fur removal pads. Sometimes I give vitamins. They also cannot be overdosed. And be sure to always have fresh filtered water.

What food can you give your Maine Coon?

I give beef, chicken, turkey, chicken gizzards or deep-frozen chicken gizzards , which I always pour boiling water over. I read that it’s good to put offal through a meat grinder and make balls, but, in my opinion, this is not correct. Any minced meat is less digestible.

Coons are carnivores; they need to grind meat with their teeth. Meat is a source of protein and taurine, which are so necessary for a cat. I give him a piece of meat every day. If you give your cat just meat, you can harm the pancreas.

You can give eggs, preferably quail. But they cause diarrhea in my cat.
You can give low-fat fermented milk products , since the liver suffers from fatty foods.
Sea fish, salmon or cod, boiled without salt and spices , can be given no more than once a week, carefully choosing the bones.

Fish should not be given more often as the pet may develop hypovitaminosis due to the action of the enzyme thiamiasis, which destroys vitamin B1, which leads to anemia, and vitamins E, K, which prevents blood clotting.

The function of the thyroid gland is impaired. Cardiovascular diseases occur and urolithiasis develops. So even though your cat loves fish, if you love a cat, don’t give him too much.

What not to feed a Maine Coon

You should not give milk , since cats do not have an enzyme that helps digest it. Sour cream, contrary to popular belief that cats love sour cream, will also not benefit your pet.
You should not give your cat dog food , as it contains less protein and taurine, which the cat needs.
You cannot give food from your table. The cat generally does not like sweets, since its receptors do not perceive sweets. Too many treats will only harm your pet. 60% of cats are obese.

How to choose a bowl for Maine Coons

I bought a ceramic voluminous bowl for water, in my opinion, which is intended for St. Bernard, since coons love to rake water with their paws, as their wild ancestors once did, raking leaves in a pond, and bathe toys in the bowl. I also chose a ceramic bowl for food, but not quite the right one. It is better to take a bowl with gentle sides. This will make it easier for your cat to take leftover food. And you definitely need another bowl for the meat. The neat aristocrat doesn't like everything on one plate.

A plastic bowl is not suitable for an allergic cat. You can take metal bowls, especially on a stand, like for large dogs.

Characteristics of Maine Coon cats

The Maine Coon is one of the most beautiful and large cats. She became famous thanks to the cat Mrs. Norris from the Harry Potter film. Coons are very loved by their owners. No wonder this is the first animal cloned commercially. Little Nicky was reproduced from the DNA of the cat Nicky, who died at the age of 19. An owner from Texas paid $50,000 to create a complete genetic clone of her pet.

5 Maine Coon Personality Traits

The Maine Coon has an opinion on everything . This cat will be your faithful friend if she wants it. And for this you need to try very hard. Coons can be gentle and affectionate, sociable, but independent. They like to be alone.
Very vulnerable, but not vindictive, like most cat breeds. Chewed shoes, a puddle in a shoe - this is not about coons. If a cat has done something, it needs to be punished, but very carefully. Don't yell at her or run after her with the newspaper. Cats don't feel guilty. She'll just get offended and hide. The cat will remember that you hurt it and will be afraid of you.
Coon will never hiss or release his claws. If he doesn't like someone, he will leave. The cat is very picky in communication. This aristocrat is always balanced and carries herself with dignity.
Maine Coons are not selfish. That's why they are the best cat sitters. They love children and other animals. Of course, if there are mice or birds in the house, then the hunting instinct may awaken. What can you do?
Maine Coons, unlike other breeds, do not get used to the house, but to you. This is a companion cat. They don't like it when you leave or, even worse, go away for a long time. And it doesn’t matter that there is water and food, that the neighbor visits them. Coons are sad. The cat feels unwanted and abandoned.

These few days are an eternity for a cat. Out of melancholy and hopelessness, she can even cause mischief. Man, I can't live without you! Therefore, do not scold her after a long absence, scold her a little and that’s enough.

Maine Coon intelligence

Maine Coon is one of the smartest breeds. They take conscious actions. They have a very good memory and can remember many commands. For example, fetch, give me a paw. Can open doors and perform various tricks. Walk on a harness like a dog.

But again, the cat needs to want it herself. Of course, you need to reward her diligence with a tasty treat. If you are angry, the kun psychologist will look at you with intelligent eyes, and you will feel ashamed.

Habits and behavior of the Maine Coon

For some reason, our red sun loves to sleep on the shelf above the computer or near the microwave, and not in his cozy crib. In the middle of the night he jumps into my bed and hugs me with his paws. At three o'clock in the morning he can rush around the room, chasing a toy. Maybe treat me to a chicken heart. And I understand that this is the best proof of her love.

He loves to climb into the closet. Or better yet, in boxes and bags.

He often sleeps on his back, exposing his tummy to me. In my opinion, by this she demonstrates her complete trust in us. Likes to butt heads: man, I love you very much. Never bites or scratches. Only sometimes he bites. It can rather be understood as a kiss. If he walks on me, he always hides his claws.

The only thing I scold her for is that she likes to lie on the kitchen table or hob at night. Although I don’t leave food behind and wipe everything thoroughly. I recently read that you can wean your cat off this bad habit by wiping the surface with a lemon, spreading out an orange peel, or covering the table with foil. Cats don't like this. The foil on the table rustled, and the cat did not jump on the table. Progress!

But there’s a problem with the induction hob: you can’t put foil on it and you can’t rub lemon on it. You need to experiment with orange and tangerine peels or use baking paper.

Maine Coon activity

Coons are usually active from morning to evening. For two thirds of the day, the cat either sleeps or dozes, periodically glancing at me to see what I’m doing. If I work at the computer, it just doesn't go away. It seems to me that the cat is trying to help.

Coons quickly adapt to the rhythm of life of their owners. Even adult cats love to play like kittens. But if you want to rest, they won’t interfere. They'll settle down next to each other. If you want to take it in your arms, so be it.

Peculiarities

In addition to positive and negative qualities, Maine Coons also have breed characteristics that are not characteristic of any other cats in the world.

Consider, for example, their manner of quenching thirst.

If ordinary cats simply come up to a bowl of water and lap it up, then for Maine Coons this process is much more complicated.

Having approached their drinking bowl, these cats begin to intensively dig the floor around it and only after that begin to drink.

Having quenched its thirst, the cat again begins to make raking movements with its paws. Why does Maine Coon do this? He follows the instincts developed during the time when these cats led a semi-wild lifestyle in the forests of North America.

According to them, the cat must first dig up a source of water, and after quenching its thirst, cover it again with earth to hide it from prying eyes. Another amazing feature of these cats is that they love to eat by picking up pieces of food from their bowl with their paws. Because of this, the place where the Maine Coon eats often has to be cleaned.

The third feature of Maine Coons is that they are not at all afraid of water.

They can play with running water from the tap, and some representatives of this breed love to swim.

Bathing a Maine Coon at home. 9 tips from breeders

Maine Coons, as island aboriginal cats, who also often lived on ships, should not be afraid of water. Many people write that when they take a bath, the coon sits next to him on the headband. As I already wrote, this is far from the case for me. Perhaps, after all, I scared my girl, as happens when a child is not bathed correctly. In addition, although coons are not afraid of water, they do not like it when they are forcibly kept in water. Now I’ll try to bathe the cat according to all the rules.

So, what do experienced owners and breeders advise us?

Before swimming, be sure to trim your nails. I usually trim my nails once every two weeks. The cat is accustomed to this procedure. The curved transparent part of the claw needs to be cut off. If you cut off more, then this is the same as cutting off the first phalanx of our finger. You understand that this will not lead to anything good.
Then apply “Groomers Goop” degreasing paste to the tail, armpits, tummy, and sides with a flat wide brush, as if we were dyeing hair, and leave for 5 minutes.
Pour water at 36-39 degrees into a large basin or just into a bathtub. We put a leash on the cat and tie it so that it does not run away or someone needs to hold it. Gradually lower the cat into the water and carefully water it with water, as when bathing an infant. The main thing is that water does not get into the ears. We wash off the paste and try to wet the cat well. It is difficult to get the Maine Coon wet; the undercoat remains dry for a long time. We drain the water.
Apply degreasing shampoo and rub well into the cat’s fur and rinse. After washing, the wool should squeak when you run your finger over it.
Next, apply texturizer shampoo, leave for 5-7 minutes and rinse.
Apply color enhancer Jerob, leave on for 5-7 minutes and rinse off.
If desired, use air conditioning. 1 teaspoon per 500 mm of water and quickly rinse. Rinse the fur thoroughly with water until the water becomes clear. We close the ears with our hands to prevent water from getting in.
Squeeze the fur, tail, and paws to remove excess water. We wrap the cat in a sheet or terry towel and wait until the water is absorbed. You don't need to dry it with a hairdryer. Cats are afraid of hair dryers because they hear sounds at a frequency of 60 kHz, even picking up the slight rustle of a mouse. Can you imagine how terrible the noise of a hairdryer or vacuum cleaner is for them?
The cat has been drying for days. You cannot open the window or create drafts. You can't take it outside for three days.

This is a major pre-show wash. It is usually held three days before the exhibition. And for an ordinary pet, it’s enough to wash the coat well until it’s crunchy and rinse with water so that the shampoo doesn’t remain on the coat like a clean cat will soon begin to lick itself and may get poisoned. For beauty, you can wash it with color enhancing shampoo. There is one for each color.

You can also rub the paste on your cat once. After sterilization, the greasiness of the wool disappears and the paste is practically not needed. And I decided for myself that for the first time I should use the services of a groomer with his own detergents, and then wash the cat once every three months in a simplified version. I read on one of the sites that you can wash your cat with laundry or baby soap instead of degreasing shampoo. I can’t recommend it as I haven’t tried it myself.

How to properly care for pets?

In order for your four-legged friends to grow healthy and always look attractive, they require high-quality care and maintenance. Maine Coons are not too capricious and demanding, however, their owners should pay great attention to the condition of the ears, eyes, paws and claws, muzzle and coat. Next we will talk in more detail about how to properly keep this breed at home.

Maine Coon Health

Maine Coons are a healthy, hardy breed that evolved in the harsh northern climate, where the fittest survived. These cats have excellent immunity and rarely get sick. If large breed dogs live less than small dogs, then, to the delight of Maine Coon owners, this does not apply to cats. Large cats live as long as regular cats; they can live 16 years. This breed is known to have longevity; for example, in the USA, a Maine Coon cat lived for 26 years. I hope that my cat will also live a long and happy life.

Maine Coon diseases

Coons have a heavy body. And, if an ordinary cat can, having fallen from the ninth floor, slow down its fall and land on all fours. The Maine Coon, due to its large body weight, cannot do this; you need to be even more careful with it, do not leave open windows and do not even allow it to climb too high. Coons can suffer from heart disease. Therefore, there is no need to buy play sets that are too high, so that the coon does not learn to jump from great heights. He doesn't need this load on his heart.

These large cats are susceptible to cardiomyopathy, hip dysplasia, polycystic kidney disease, and muscle atrophy. And every owner must do everything to prevent them from getting sick. Properly organize your pet’s nutrition and carry out vaccinations in a timely manner. It is often believed that since a cat is a domestic cat and does not come into contact with street animals, vaccination is not necessary. But we ourselves can bring infection on our shoes and clothes. This happened in my childhood, when a domestic cat died of rabies.

Vaccinations for Maine Coons. Vaccination rules

The list of vaccines is usually standard for cats in a given region. But sometimes, in order to exclude other diseases, other vaccines are prescribed for the benefit of the animal, especially if you plan to take the cat to another region. 10 days before vaccination it is necessary to carry out deworming. The cat eats raw meat, although it is deep-frozen, fish and it needs worm prevention. Vaccination is given only to absolutely healthy pets. After vaccination, you need to quarantine for 10-14 days.

Maine Coon: sterilization

If you do not plan to breed, it is better to sterilize your pet. For a very long time I could not decide to have surgery. Take a healthy cat and put it under the knife. But after reading many articles, I realized that there is no need to torture either the cat, stuffing her with pills, or the whole family who hears her groans. In addition, unsterilized cats, deprived of the opportunity to mother, may develop cancer.

The main thing is to choose a good clinic with kind, experienced doctors, and perform the operation after the cat reaches puberty. You can do a simplified operation, but a cavity operation is better. The clinic will tell you about the operation more professionally. My cat tolerated the operation well and the next day, thank God, she was practically healthy.

Description of the breed standard

Maine Coon cats are one of the largest breeds in the world. They are distinguished by a wide chest, a massive head, a powerful body, and the presence of tufts on the ears.

Attention : Maine Coon cats finish their growth at 3-5 years.

Coat structure and color

The coat of this breed is characterized by a close fit to the body and is waterproof. It completely covers the paws, most of the body and half of the tail. The hair on the head and shoulders is slightly shorter than on the hind legs and body. The undercoat is thick and soft to the touch.

Maine Coon colors come in:

chocolate;
lilac;
color point;
faun (sea sand color or light beige);
cinnamon (cinnamon color).

Attention: Coons are not allowed to mix colors. For example, white spots on a chocolate color are unacceptable, as this indicates a mixed origin.

Eye shape and color

The eyes of this breed are large and wide-set. Their shape is oval, and their stance is slightly oblique. As for the eye color, it is always uniform and harmonizes with the overall coat color.

Features of the skull, muzzle, ears

The head of the Coon is large, with a square skull and straight outlines. It is characterized by high cheekbones, a curved profile, and a nose of medium length. Their chin is massive, and located in line with the upper jaw and nose.

Maine Coon ears are large and wide, gradually tapering towards the ends, with a high and vertical set. The distance between them should be no more than the width of one ear. The ears are characterized by tufts.

Characteristics of the torso

The body of Maine Coon cats is large, rectangular and long. The chest is wide. The paws are strongly muscular, large and of medium length. The tail is wide and gradually tapering towards the end.

Let's sum it up

I told you everything I knew about these beautiful cats. The main thing is not to offend the kun. Even if we discard the mystical stories that something bad will definitely happen because of the negative energy released by an offended cat. This is too kind, wonderful and vulnerable creature. Offending him is the same as offending a child. If you learn this simple rule and love your pet, you will receive a devoted friend for the entire time allotted to both of you by fate.

I hope you liked this article , Maine Coon care: nutrition, health, apartment maintenance. Character of cats. Reviews from owners (PHOTOS) Please read our article Maine Coon: cat breed, description, photo

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Interesting facts about the breed

The most interesting facts about the Maine Coon breed are:

big sizes. Some individuals reach a weight of up to 12 kg. The average weight of females is 7 kg, and males - 8 kg;
ability to withstand frost thanks to thick and waterproof wool;
various colors. They come in smoky, brown, tortoiseshell;
love for water. They never refuse a bath and love to swim;
unusual manner of communication, coons practically do not meow, but purr more;
The length of a cat's tail can reach 70 cm.