Maine Coon

Temperament

The Maine Coon pairs calm with curiosity. It likes to be at the center of household life: it follows people from room to room, peeks into cupboards and watches you cook, yet it rarely asks to be carried. Instead of picking one favorite person, it usually adopts the whole family and drifts from lap to lap. Its voice is surprisingly soft for such a big cat; it chirps and trills more often than it meows. It stays playful like a kitten for a long time, happily fetches balls and loves to play with water, tipping over its bowl or batting at a stream from the faucet. It greets strangers with mild curiosity and usually accepts dogs and other cats without drama, though a toddler or a puppy may be startled by its size at first. It is sociable but not clingy: it can handle a few hours alone as long as someone gives it attention afterward.

Energy

calmvery energetic

Affection

independentvelcro pet

With children

not idealgreat

With other pets

difficultgreat

Trainability

stubborneager to learn

For first-time owners

for experienced ownersyes

With strangers

waryoutgoing

Playfulness

dignifiedeternal puppy

Shedding

minimalheavy

Grooming

easydemanding

Being left alone

strugglescopes well

Apartment living

needs a house and yardgreat in a flat

Talkativeness

quietchatterbox

Indoor-only life

needs outdoor accessgreat

Scores of 1–5 compare the breed with other breeds of the same species, based on the sources at the bottom of the page. Every animal is different. How we score traits

Who is the Maine Coon for?

A Maine Coon is a great fit for a family with children or a dog, and for anyone who wants a sociable cat that does not demand attention every minute and has room for big cat furniture. It is a good breed for a first-time owner, as long as you accept the cost of more food and larger supplies. It is a poorer choice for someone living in a very small studio, someone who hates tumbleweeds of fur on the floor, or someone looking for a cat that reaches adult size within a year.

Size and looks

Care and exercise

A Maine Coon's coat mats less easily than a Persian's, but it does not take care of itself. Combing it with a metal comb 2–3 times a week for 5–10 minutes is usually enough, paying extra attention to the belly, the armpits and the britches on the hind legs; comb more often during shedding season. Baths are rarely needed. This cat needs room: a sturdy, tall cat tree with wide shelves, a large litter box (standard ones are often too small) and daily play with a wand toy or a ball. A cat-proofed balcony or an outdoor enclosure is a big plus. It grows slowly, so do not overfeed it hoping it will grow faster; extra weight strains the joints, which are already a weaker point in this breed. It responds well to clicker training and a harness, so it can learn to go for walks and do simple tricks.

Health and breed-related conditions

The Maine Coon is a fundamentally hardy cat, but it has a few well-documented inherited problems. The most important is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: some cases are linked to the MYBPC3 A31P mutation, but a negative DNA test does not rule the disease out, so the parents should also have regular heart ultrasounds. The second concern is hip dysplasia. In data from the American OFA registry, about one in four cats X-rayed had changes, and Swedish studies found an even higher rate. Large cats often do not limp; they just jump less, which is easy to miss. The breed also has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), for which there is a genetic test. Extra toes in polydactyl cats are usually just a cosmetic trait.

• hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)The breed's most important health problem. In some cats it is linked to the MYBPC3 A31P mutation, but the disease can also develop without it.
• spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)An inherited motor neuron disease described in Maine Coons; a DNA test is available.
• hip dysplasiaIn the OFA registry, changes were found in about 25% of cats X-rayed; in Swedish PawPeds data, in more than a third.
• polydactylyExtra toes appear in some lines and usually cause no health problems.

This is general breed information, not a diagnosis. If something worries you, talk to your veterinarian.

Breed history

The breed descends from cats that arrived by ship with settlers in New England and spent generations adapting to the harsh Maine winters. The dense, uneven coat, large paws and long tail are the result of that natural selection, not of breeders' work. Its documented history goes back to the 1850s, and in 1895 a tabby Maine Coon named Cosey won the first major cat show in the United States. Later, the fashion for Persians pushed the breed into the shadows, and for several decades it was nearly forgotten. Enthusiasts revived it in the 1960s and 1970s, and the Maine Coon earned full championship status in the CFA in 1976. Today it is one of the most popular breeds in the world.

Fun facts

• The first major cat show in the US, in 1895, was won by a tabby Maine Coon named Cosey.
• The Maine Coon is the official state cat of Maine.
• Extra toes used to be so common in Maine Coons that TICA keeps a separate polydactyl variety.
• A male Maine Coon can weigh more than 9 kg, although average adult males are noticeably lighter.

Frequently asked questions

This breed also appears in

• Long-haired cat breeds
• Largest cat breeds

Sources

1. 1TICA – Maine Coon breedtica.org
2. 2CFA – Maine Coon Catcfa.org
3. 3VCA Animal Hospitals – Maine Coonvcahospitals.com
4. 4International Cat Care – Inherited disorders in catsicatcare.org
5. 5Scientific Reports (2019) – hip dysplasia in Maine Coon cats (PawPeds)nature.com
6. 6PMC – Prevalence of MYBPC3 mutations in Maine Coon cats with HCMncbi.nlm.nih.gov
7. 7FIFe – Breedsfifeweb.org
8. 8WCF – Breed standards semi-longhairwcf.de

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.