Chapter 1
A Giant Built for Snow
Picture a snowy farm in Maine on a freezing winter morning. A huge, shaggy cat pads across the drifts as if the cold were nothing. Its fur looks like a winter coat, and its tail looks like a scarf. How did this cat get dressed for snow?
Bigger Than Many Dogs
Maine Coons are giant cats, bigger than many small dogs. Standing next to a little dog, a Maine Coon can easily look like the larger pet! Females are usually smaller than males, and every individual cat is a little different.
A Very Long Kittenhood
A Maine Coon grows up slowly, so a young cat can look full-grown long before it is finished. Each cat develops at its own pace, which means there is no single finish line.
Snow Pants Built In
A Maine Coon's heavy, shaggy coat grows longest on its belly and back legs. That long fur helps keep out wet snow, like a pair of snow pants. The fur on the shoulders and neck is shorter. That means the longest fur sits exactly where a walking cat brushes against the snow.
Warm Air Trapped in Fur
Why does fur keep a cat warm in the first place? Cat fur has two kinds of hair working together. Soft, fine down hairs grow close to the skin, and longer guard hairs lie over them. Tiny spaces between all those hairs fill with air. That trapped air slows the escape of body heat, a bit like the stuffing inside a puffy jacket.
Not Always Brown Stripes
The cat in these pictures is a brown tabby, but Maine Coons can come in many colors and patterns. Some have tabby stripes, while others are one solid color from nose to tail. Long fur alone does not make a cat a Maine Coon, either. Plenty of longhaired cats belong to other breeds, or to no particular breed at all.
Chapter 2
Scarf Tail, Mitten Toes
Have you ever wrapped a scarf around your neck on a freezing day? Now imagine that the scarf grew right out of your own body. Then you look down and discover that your hands are wearing mittens too. Meet the rest of the Maine Coon's winter gear.
A Scarf for Bedtime
A Maine Coon can wrap its long, bushy tail around itself when it curls up to sleep. The tail works like a warm, fluffy scarf. On a cold winter night, that extra wrap of fur can help keep the sleeping cat cozy.
Mittens on the Paws
Some Maine Coons are born with extra toes, so their wide, fluffy paws can look like they are wearing mittens! Breeders even have a special name for one kind of extra-toed paw. They call it a mitten paw.
Toes That Run in Families
Extra toes are common in some Maine Coon breeding lines. A breeding line is a cat family that stretches from grandparents to parents to kittens. Scientists discovered that a kitten needs an extra-toe gene from just one parent. Yet not every kitten with that gene grows extra toes, so the trait can seem to skip around.
Do Extra Toes Get in the Way?
Veterinarians studied X-rays of some Maine Coons with extra toes. They found no clear sign that the extra toes harmed the cats. Cat shows are stricter: one big cat club's show rules still ask for the usual number.
Chapter 3
A Cat That Likes Water
Do you think all cats hate getting wet? Many Maine Coons would surprise you. Leave the kitchen tap dripping, and one might hop up to watch every single drop. Plip, plip, pat!
Drip, Drip, Pat
Many Maine Coons are fond of water. A Maine Coon may sit beside the sink and stare at a dripping faucet. It can reach out a paw and pat each falling drop, as if the water were a toy.
Dunking and Splashing
Water play does not always stop at the tap. Many Maine Coons dunk their toys in water, and some even wash bits of their food. A few curious cats try to join their people in the shower! So a soggy toy next to the water bowl may be an important clue.
The Cat Decides
Many Maine Coons like water, but certainly not all of them. One cat may splash happily in its bowl, while another stays far away from every drop. Water play is something each cat chooses for itself. Nobody should ever put a cat into water for fun.
Wet Snow, Dry Skin
Remember the snow-pants coat from Chapter 1? That heavy coat helps shed wet snow, because water tends to stay on the outside of the fur. But water-resistant is not the same as waterproof. A soaked cat still gets wet right down to the skin.
Chapter 4
A Cat That Chirps
Close your eyes and listen carefully. Is that a bird chirping out on the porch? Look again, because a Maine Coon can chat in little chirps and trills, too. What would you say back?
Chirps and Trills
Maine Coons often chat with little chirps and trills, not just meows. A chirp is short, like a bird's call, and a trill is a rolling, bubbly sound. If a Maine Coon talks to you, answer softly and let it come to you.
Why Answer Softly?
Loud, unfamiliar sounds can frighten cats. A sudden shout or bang may send a cat running to hide. So when a cat chats with you, use a quiet, calm voice. Gentle, predictable sounds help a cat feel at ease.
Does a Cat Know Its Name?
Scientists designed a careful test to find out. In the study, they played a list of other words to each cat. Many cats reacted less and less as the words went on. Then each cat heard its own name. Many of those cats reacted more strongly again, which showed they could tell their name apart from other words.
Smile With Your Eyes
A slow blink is a long, gentle closing of the eyes. Scientists tried it with cats in their own homes. In the study, cats narrowed their eyes more after a person slow-blinked at them. The cats were also more likely to approach a stranger's hand after a slow blink.
Chapter 5
Living With a Maine Coon
Suppose a big, shaggy cat came to live at your house. What would it need from you every day? Think about brushing, games, cozy high places and plenty of patience. Let's discover why each one matters.
Brushing a Big Coat
A long, shaggy coat sheds plenty of loose hair. Regular brushing can lift that loose fur away. A grown-up can help choose a brush and show you how. Go gently and watch how the cat responds. If the cat walks off, the brushing is finished for now.
Play Like a Hunter
Even indoors, a cat plays like a hunter. Toy play can let a cat chase, pounce and catch, with no real prey needed. Drag a toy away from the cat, the way a mouse might scurry. Then let the cat catch it, because the cat should always win in the end!
Room for a Big Cat
Raised resting places can let cats watch their world from up high. A big Maine Coon needs a sturdy perch that fits its whole body, with room to stretch out. Cats can also use a quiet hiding spot, as long as the way out always stays open.
How to Say Hello
Every Maine Coon has its own way of meeting people. Some love company, while others prefer a little space. Sit low and still, and slowly hold out a hand. Let the cat sniff, rub against you or walk away. When a cat chooses to come close, that hello means even more.
Maine Coon Quiz
How big can a Maine Coon get?
Show the answer
It can be bigger than many small dogs.
Where does a Maine Coon's coat grow longest?
Show the answer
On its belly and back legs. This helps keep out wet snow.
What can a Maine Coon do with its tail when it sleeps?
Show the answer
It can wrap the tail around itself like a scarf.
Do all Maine Coons have extra toes?
Show the answer
No. Only some are born with them.
What might a water-loving Maine Coon do?
Show the answer
Many watch a dripping tap, dunk toys or even visit the shower.
Maine Coons often chirp. What should you do if one chirps at you?
Show the answer
Answer softly and let it come to you.
Glossary
- breeding line
- A cat family that breeders raise, from parents to kittens.
- down hairs
- Soft, fine hairs close to a cat's skin that trap warm air.
- guard hairs
- Longer outer hairs that lie over the down hairs.
- perch
- A raised resting spot where a cat can watch its world.
- polydactyly
- Having extra toes, as some Maine Coons do.
- slow blink
- A long, gentle close of the eyes. Cats in the study often narrowed their eyes back.
- trill
- A rolling, bubbly sound a cat can make.
- water-resistant
- Able to keep out some water. A water-resistant coat helps, but it is not waterproof.
How We Know
Every fact here comes from a published source. A cat club describes a breed. A study tests one question.