28 Best Reasons to Own a Maine Coon Cat
Maine Coons are the most popular domestic cat throughout the world. Have you ever wondered why they are the most favored feline companion? Have you ever thought about owning one and tried to think of reasons why you should?
We have shared our home with two Maine Coon boys for over 13 years and I can think of so many reasons I would recommend them. Here, I’ve compiled 28 reasons which I think will make you want to rush out and buy one immediately.
Maine Coons are gorgeous…one look and you’ll be smitten
I’m looking at my red tabby Maine Coon, Harry, at this very moment. He is staring at me as I type and looks absolutely stunning. My heart lurches.
From the tips of their ears to the end of their tail, Maine Coons are great big beauties, whichever color you decide on. I guarantee you’ll fall in love at first sight.
Maine Coons are large cats
These cats can vary in size. My two are bigger than any other cats I’ve ever owned. Harry is 38 inches long from nose to tail and our white Maine Coon, Charlie, is 39 inches.
The average length of a Maine Coon is 40 inches. A female generally reaches between 8 and 14 inches in height and can weigh between 10 and 15 pounds.
A male’s height is usually between 10 and 16 inches and his weight between 15 and 25 pounds. Of course, weight can vary according to diet and lifestyle
Maine Coons are good with babies and children
We had shared our life with our two Maine Coons for almost 2 years before our son, Joe, was born. They were extremely well behaved with him from the start.
They intuitively knew he was a lot more delicate than us. They never attempted to walk across him or lay on him.
Maine Coons are renowned for being gentle with children and babies which is one of the reasons why they are the most widely chosen family cat.
Maine Coons are extremely communicative
Did you know grown cats don’t meow at each other? Meowing is the way they communicate with humans. Of all the cats I’ve owned, Maine Coons are by far the most talkative.
Once you’ve lived with one for a while you will begin to understand what their different meows, chirps, and trills mean.
They also have the loudest purr and there’s nothing more heartwarming than a happily purring cat curled up on your lap.
Maine Coons also make a lot of one syllable noises such as “mow”, “ow”, “a” and “eh” – these are very cute and endearing.
Maine Coons seem to converse
If your Maine Coon meows at you and you speak back to it, it will often respond with another meow or Maine Coon noise. It really does feel like you can hold a conversation with one of these cats.
Maine Coons are funny
We have had many a laugh over the years at the things Maine Coons do. As kittens our two used to run upstairs on the bottom surface, clinging to the carpet, and then squeeze through the open tread at the top.
As they got older they used to somehow lay down in the 3-inch gap between the kitchen wall units and the ceiling. They still prefer to sleep in boxes half their size instead of their cozy beds.
They are quite clumsy at times, losing their footing and then acting as if nothing has happened.
Maine coons are friendly
Maine Coons are friendly cats and love to be around you. Ours are usually there to greet us when we come home. If my husband works from home, Charlie will literally lay on his desk all day. At night they sit on us or next to us as we watch TV.
Maine Coons will demonstrate their love for you
Maine Coons have particular ways of expressing their love for you. One particular way they have of demonstrating this is by showing you their belly.
When a Maine Coon rolls onto its back and displays its tummy in front of you it is demonstrating that it absolutely trusts you as this an extremely vulnerable position.
However, it is not an invitation for you to tickle it and if you swoop in wriggling your fingers you may find yourself in a vice-like grip of needle-sharp claws.
Maine Coons have so much fur!
Maine Coons are unbelievably furry. They have thick, long silky coats, some are more fluffy than others. They have a particularly long fur around their neck which resembles a lion’s mane.
Their fur is water-resistant and water tends to sit on it which keeps their skin dry if it rains. If you are allergic to the dander from a cat’s skin, this thick layer of fur can help to minimize the symptoms…this is true for me anyway.
Maine Coons have such expressive faces
Sometimes their facial marking or the way their fur is laying can make a Maine Coon look innocent, grumpy, cheeky and so on.
Our white Maine Coon, Charlie, has no marking at all and so when he stares at you he looks completely innocent.
Harry, however, can pull off all sorts of looks depending on how he “styles” the fur on his forehead. He can appear quite frowny, grumpy, and sometimes rather regal.
Maine Coons develop their own cute habits
Maine Coons can have behavior patterns. For instance, Harry always lays on my legs when I read in bed but as soon as I put my kindle down he jumps off and curls up above a hot-water pipe under the floorboards.
In the morning he jumps on me with a loud meow about a minute before my alarm goes off. He follows me into the bathroom and watches while I clean my teeth. He then waits at the door to be let out as soon as I turn the shower on.
Maine Coons are cuddly
With all that fur it’s like holding a living teddy bear. If you build up trust between you and your Maine Coon it will happily be cuddled. But let this happen when your cat is ready.
You can’t rush this. Harry likes to sit on my folded arms with his paws over my shoulder … I think he likes this elevated position. Charlie is more of a lap cat and also can’t resist squeezing in front of a laptop.
Maine Coons have tufty ears
Maine Coons have large, pointed, tufted ears. They look so much like those you might see on a lynx. Because these cats evolved to endure extreme weather they have fur inside their ears to keep them warm.
The size of a Maine Coon’s ears means they have extremely acute hearing. Even when they look fast asleep they are aware of every noise around them. These beautiful ears add to the overall stunning appearance of a Maine Coon.
Maine Coons have fluffy paws
These cats have large tufty paws to match their large tufty ears. This is another asset that racks up their cuteness level. They have a really cozy appearance and that extra fur between their toes provides them with plenty of protection for walking in snow and ice.
Maine Coons look like mini versions of lions
Maine Coons have the most majestic appearance and you could pretend you own a mini lion. It’s their mane that gives them such a regal appearance. I think our Harry looks like a lion and often struts along like one too.
Charlie lounges along my husband’s legs looking for all the world like a white panther sleeping on the bough of a tree. Of course, it’s only their appearance that resembles these big wild cats. They have the most gentle natures.
Maine Coons have amazing tails
Maine Coons have almost excessively long fluffy tails. Our two’s tails account for about half of their overall length. If you include the length of the fur at the tip they measure 19 inches.
They use their tales to signal their emotions. If you see a Maine Coon swinging its tail wildly you can be fairly certain it’s angry. A tail held high is a happy sign.
If a tail is down to the ground a Maine Coon is stressed or feeling poorly. If you see a tail held horizontal to the ground there is generally some stalking in progress or possibly a little curiosity has been invoked.
By the way, if a Maine Coon starts to tip the end of its tail from side to side, that’s a warning to stop whatever it is you’re doing.
Maine Coons have engaging eyes
I think Maine Coons have the most engaging eyes. They are large almond-shaped and sometimes almost round. Most cats don’t like to hold eye contact with you but I find Maine Coons do. They slow blink at you and if you return the slow blink you can be sure there is real love and affection between the two of you. In a Maine Coon’s world, this kind of eye contact is equivalent to kissing.
Maine Coons are good company
Whenever we are home our Maine Coons are around us or nearby. They seek us out if we move to another room. They are almost dog-like in the way they come to greet us when we come home.
One of our Maine Coons likes to sit on us all evening, he just loves to be as close as possible. The other lies nearby and he occasionally sits on our laps, but is generally happy just to be in the same room.
Maine Coons have loud purrs
As you would expect from such a large cat, Maine Coons have a loud purr to match. There’s nothing lovelier than the sound of a happy cat purring on your lap.
When a Maine Coon is really excited its purr goes up in pitch and volume, it almost sounds manic. Sometimes when our cats are laying on their own I catch them purring with contentment.
This is such a lovely thing as I know they are feeling good even without human interaction.
Maine Coons are playful all their lives
This is why they are such great cats for children. A Maine Coon will play at any age. They love to chase pieces of string, little soft toys, feathers, balls and so on.
They never seem to grow out of this playfulness. And it’s really good to encourage cats to play no matter what age they are as it’s good for their well being.
We’ve actually hand-picked the best toys for the Maine Coon currently available – ones that have actually worked and they haven’t got bored with after 10 seconds.
Maine Coons are gentle
As long as you raise a Maine Coon kindly it will always be a gentle cat. If you train your cat to pounce on your hand then you are asking for trouble and you shouldn’t be surprised if it pounces on your hand when you aren’t expecting it to.
Our Maine Coons have never swiped at us for no reason. Of course, a provoked cat may lash out to protect itself.
I was so touched to see that when our son Joe, as a toddler, grabbed at our Maine Coon Harry, taking him by surprise, Joe was warned with the gentlest of pats, much more gentle than I know an adult would have been swiped.
Harry seemed to instinctively know that Joe was more fragile. After that, I was careful to supervise Joe around the cats at all times and to teach him to be very gentle with both of them.
We have never had any other incidents and our cats have always been gentle unless frightened or provoked.
Maine Coons are intelligent
These cats definitely learn things and have an understanding of people. I’ve never had cats respond to their names like Maine Coons do.
Our two can both be in the room and you can call Harry and only Harry will look up or maybe move his ears in recognition. I then call Charlie and there will be no response from Harry but Charlie will react.
If Charlie finds he can’t get on one of our laps, he will sit on the coffee table and block our view of the TV as he knows this will make one of us sit up for him to get comfortable on one of us.
If Harry wants immediate attention he knows clawing the carpet will get a response.
Maine Coons come in so many colors
There are 5 solid Maine Coon colors: black, white, blue, red and cream. And then there are all sorts of other color combinations and patterns such as smoke, tabby, and bi-colors.
I think all Maine Coons are equally beautiful but if you have a fetish for a particular color you’re sure to be able to find it.
Maine Coons are a healthy breed
In the thoroughbred cat world, Maine Coons are one of the healthiest breeds. Do buy from a trusted breeder who can prove their parent cats have been screened and are clear of genetically transmitted illnesses.
As long as you care for your Maine Coon correctly, keeps its vaccinations up-to-date, and get it treated by a vet should it develop any illnesses, the two of you should have long and happy lives together.
Our two are almost 14 and they are still wonderfully fit and healthy.
Maine Coons are inquisitive and curious
They really are such nosey cats. They will be there to investigate anything new you bring home. You won’t be the first to try out your new sofa! They will wiggle into the smallest of spaces to see what’s in there.
A paper bag is irresistible and a kitchen cupboard left open is hard to resist. Of course, this nosiness and curiosity can get them into trouble. Charlie once spent 2 nights in a near neighbors garage after sneaking in.
Harry got trapped in the recess behind a drawer because he squeezed through a 2-inch gap at the back of the drawer, unnoticed, and then the drawer was closed.
Maine Coons are clean cats
You will notice lots of primping, preening and cleaning of all that glorious fur. Give them a helping hand with their grooming as much as possible to prevent furballs.
From kittenhood, they soon learn to use a litter tray but do like it to be kept clean. They aren’t always keen to share a litter tray.
We’ve only had a handful of incidents in over 13 years and there’s always been a distinct reason such as illness or stress.
Our two much prefer to go to the toilet outside and luckily they can do this because we live in a very rural, quiet area where they can safely go outside whenever they please.
If you are to keep a Maine Coon inside a clean tray in a quiet location is very important.
Maine Coons are accomplished hunters
It’s natural for cats to hunt and Maine Coons are no exception. You will never have a mouse in the house problem if you own a Maine Coon.
If yours becomes an outside cat, expect “presents” from time to time and act honored when you receive them. Don’t punish your cat for doing what comes naturally.
Maine Coons sleep in the funniest places
It’s generally a waste of money to buy a Maine Coon a special bed as it will rarely be used. A Maine Coon will sleep almost anywhere and you will find yourself asking, “How can that be comfortable?”
To sum up…
Maine Coons are just the most amazing cats to share your life with. And that’s all I have to say really.
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