r/MaineCoon Oct 27 '19

Mod post "Is my cat a Maine Coon?": A quick guide

123 Upvotes

Because one of the most common posts on this sub is “is my kitten part Maine Coon?” I thought adding a post with identification information might be useful. While the "suspected" MCs posted here are adorable, this is a breed-specific sub and it is important to try to post MCs only. If anyone disagrees with what I’ve said here or would like to add something, let me know! I am an enthusiast, not an expert.

Additionally, keep in mind that all cats within any breed vary and most domestic cats from shelters are mixes of several/many breeds, just like dogs. The only real way to know that you have a MC/part MC is to buy from a breeder who can provide you with CFA registration paperwork (or similar pedigree documents from recognized organizations) or get genetic testing done.

With the growing popularity of the breed, many breeders require those purchasing kittens as pets to sign contracts ensuring they will spay/neuter the kittens and/or withhold the kitten's "papers" until they receive proof that the cat was fixed. A kitten purchased with breeding rights goes for upwards of $3000 - there just aren't many purebred MCs running the streets and having kittens. This isn't to say you won't find a full or half MC in a shelter, but it does make it unlikely. And beware, the people who try to sell cheap MCs are probably not selling MCs, just fluffy kitties.

I’ll start with some common myths I see:

The "M" on the forehead is a MC trait/identifies a MC - Not at all! An M marking on the forehead is a trait common to cats with tabby markings regardless of breed or coat length. Literally just Google image search "cat" and you'll see so many kitties with Ms that are definitely not MCs. Many MCs have tabby markings, so many MCs have an M, but solid colored MCs do not.

Long hair + large size = MC - Nope! Norwegian forest cats, Siberians, and ragdolls are a few of the other common/well recognized breeds with longer coats and larger body sizes. Also, some domestic cats just have long hair and are big boys. It happens.

Lynx tips and/or toe tufts mean a cat is a MC - Lynx tips and toe tufts can be present on long or medium haired cats of any breed. Moreover, some MCs have very small or absent lynx tips/toe tufts.

How to identify a MC:

Face shape - This is probably the best way to tell a MC from a Norwegian forest cat or Siberian, along with body shape. Norwegian forest cats have triangular faces with cute little noses that look kind of delicate. MCs have long but wedge shaped faces with rectangular mugs. This varies by cat and may be less prominent in kittens and females or obscured by the angle of the photo. Siberians have shorter faces and BIG, ROUND, irresistible eyes that are not often seen on MCs.

The face shape can be hard to distinguish, especially from one picture. Here are some good guides: https://thelittlecarnivore.com/en/article/what-are-the-differences-maine-coon-norwegian-forest-cat

https://www.mainecoonfancy.com/forums/topic/20885-comparison-chart-maine-coon-siberian-and-nfc/

Coloring - A wide range of colors are acceptable for MCs but if your large, fluffy kitty has Siamese points (lighter body with dark patches on the face, ears, tail, or feet) you've probably got more ragdoll than MC. Siamese points aren't generally accepted as a breed standard for MCs. Doesn't mean your cat isn't part MC, but it's definitely an indication of crossbreeding. Nearly every other color or coat pattern is possible for MCs.

Behavior - MCs are friendly, smart, and chatty. Not every MC chirps exclusively (or at all), and other breeds can also chirp, but this is one common vocal trait for the breed. They are generally considered soft-spoken cats. Some MCs like water, but it's not as common a trait as people think! Both of mine will play in their water dish or with the stream from the faucet but they absolutely hate baths. Doglike behavior is often present, but it’s also present in other breeds and not present in all MCs. It's difficult to identify a MC based on behavioral traits.

Other - Comically large paws and/or ears as a kitten. Beautiful, fluffy tails are basically a must. Long, sturdy bodies (longer and lither than Norwegian forest cats and Siberians). They often have "ruffs" around their necks but are less likely to develop a full-on mane than a Siberian or Norwegian forest cat.

ETA: don't know where the photo of the cat with raw meat came from, MC not confirmed :P


r/MaineCoon Apr 29 '22

Results from Recent User Poll, and New Rules for the Sub

33 Upvotes

Hi all! I'm here to report the results of our recent subreddit poll. In the poll, I asked about users' opinions regarding allowing breeders to promote their cats/catteries and about allowing outside social media links on posts. There was also an open ended response question about general subreddit improvement. This poll was fueled by continued user reports expressing that these kinds of posts were annoying/unhelpful to the community. Also, this sub isn't a marketplace or advertising platform. This is a place to see and discuss Maine Coons.

8 people responded. For the first question, "Should r/mainecoon ban posts from breeders that are promotion for their cats/litters/cattery?", 87.5% of repsondents favored banning breeder promotion on the sub. For the second question, "Should r/mainecoon ban posts that include promotion of a user's other social media accounts? (E.g., "follow my cat on instagram")", 62.5% voted to ban posts that did not otherwise add content to the sub, 12.5% voted to allow these posts, and 25% voted to ban these posts entirely.

In response, I propose the following rules.

Rule 4. No posts or comment activity from breeders/catteries promoting their business or arranging sales of cats.

We ban and will remove:

  • Pictures of new litters/kittens that in any way state they are for sale
  • Links to the breeder/cattery website or social media in the post title or comment section
  • Pictures with the breeder/cattery URL, logo, or name
  • Posts that are accompanied by links/advertisements for new litters in the comments section (this includes comments like "message me for pricing")
  • Any explicit discussion of buying or selling kittens between the seller and a buyer in the comments section of a post
  • Any kind of "announcement" of new litters or new breeding adults

We do not ban, but ask breeders to please limit:

  • Repeated pictures of new litters/kittens (one post per week allowed)

Breeders/catteries may post:

  • Any pictures of their cats that do not reference their business or violate the above guidelines
  • Mentions that they own a cattery/breed cats that are informational or provide context for other discussion

Rule 5. Posts that link to or promote a user's outside social media accounts are allowed only under limited circumstances.

We ban and will remove:

  • References to your Instagram/Twitter/YouTube/etc username in the title of the post
  • Explicit requests to "follow me/my cat" in the title of the post

We ask users to please limit:

  • Any posts that require users to visit an outside social media website to view (e.g., Instagram, Youtube, Twitter; Links to Imgur ARE allowed as this is a primary image hosting platform for Reddit)
  • Repeated requests for followers in the comments section

Users may post:

  • A link to their social media accounts in the comment section of their own posts for other users who are interested
  • Pictures that, as part of a picture of a Maine Coon, contain relatively discreet URLs/handles for outside social media accounts

I also want to address the following comment from a respondent: " Maybe having a permanent sticky for Breeder questions and maybe a community updated wiki of "subreddit trusted" breeders, maybe similar to how /r/tea has a list of approved vendors. Consolidating the info would be really helpful, assuming semi regular updates like once a quarter. "

I agree that having breeder reviews/testimonies as part of the sub is valuable, and this was the intended effect of the "Breeder Review Thread" that is usually stickied on the sub. After this post is unstickied in a week (Reddit only allows two at a time), I will re-sticky that thread. I will also work on adding a subreddit wiki/about section that links to past breeder review threads and I continue to encourage users to contribute to the review threads. While it seems obviously unwise to endorse a breeder/cattery by the owner's testimony alone, but I think reviews from consumers are helpful and should be more accessible. I'm happy to link the usernames of breeders who have their catteries reviewed by other users (as long as the reviews are genuine) at their request! I would be more proactive in updating/consolidating that information myself but we're a mod team of one at the moment. I'll try to do this at least once or twice a year, and I'd appreciate it if y'all would continue to add your experiences to the review thread or to individual posts on the sub that I can link in.

This post will remain stickied for at least one week, after which the new rules will be posted. If anyone has comments/proposed amendments, I'm happy to hear from you!


r/MaineCoon 6h ago

apple’s granddaughter 🍓

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148 Upvotes

i recently posted my girl apple and i wanted to introduce her sissy strawberry as well! strawberry is technically her granddaughter 😉


r/MaineCoon 2h ago

I painted my cat (a Maine Coon) as a 16th-century monarch, because this is exactly how cats see themselves 😂

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26 Upvotes

r/MaineCoon 13h ago

Pip doesn't care I'm trying to make lasagna...

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172 Upvotes

r/MaineCoon 10h ago

1st Time Cat Owner — Meet Backwood

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11 Upvotes

(Ft. Nice photos I got of him in the vet office. 📸)

Meet Backwood! He's my first cat and my first Maine Coon, and I'm really excited to welcome him home finally.

I've been doing my homework on the breed and getting everything ready for him. I know Maine Coons have their own quirks, and I'm looking forward to learning even more as I get to know his personality

For all the experienced Maine Coon owners here: what was something about your cat that you didn't expect when you first brought them home?

I'd love to hear your experiences with the breed and see how Backwood compares as he grows


r/MaineCoon 1d ago

Our Sweet Babies

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120 Upvotes

Here is another picture of our Freya girl and her naughty naughty sister Calypso 🤭 peep the extra toes 😍


r/MaineCoon 2d ago

my firstborn 🍎

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1.4k Upvotes

my gorgeous Apple

the cuddliest, sweetest baby ever


r/MaineCoon 1d ago

Information for Maiane Coon

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I wanted to get a Maine Coon, unlike the normal cat I have. What are the differences here, like changing the diet and other things? Thank you all so much.


r/MaineCoon 2d ago

My boy with his brother from another mother

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507 Upvotes

r/MaineCoon 2d ago

TICA Maine Coon Breeder List

9 Upvotes

I'm curious as to if there are any requirements besides a membership in TICA to be listed as a breeder on their site and why a breeder that lists TICA on their own site wouldn't be listed as a breeder on TICA's site. The reason I ask is about 2 weeks ago when I decided I might actually get a full blood MC, I looked on their site and there were 0 breeders listed for my state and only a couple in neighboring states. I ended up finding a few breeders on CFA's site. Those breeders have TICA on listed on their website, but they're not listed on TICA's website as a breeder.

Fast forward to this weekend, when there is a TICA show in my state and suddenly there's about a dozen breeders listed. Many are not actually located in my state though. However, when I click on the breeder there's two boxes which indicate whether that breeder has shown at a TICA show and whether they have registered any litters with TICA. Many of the breeders have done neither which makes me a little suspicious as to the quality of cat I might get, much like I feel when I go to a breeder's own site and there's just the one page with minimal information.


r/MaineCoon 2d ago

My boy

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163 Upvotes

r/MaineCoon 3d ago

Cuteness alert: Kismet 10.5 months

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611 Upvotes

r/MaineCoon 3d ago

7 month female Maine Coon doesn’t eat

4 Upvotes

Im 25 and about 4 months ago me and my girlfriend got ourselves a maine coon kitten
We live in poland, vets are extremely expensive here
Everything was fine up until around two weeks ago, we changes her food to a more rich in meat one and she was very picky about it in the begining, she ate it only a little bit and then left a little bit more and more and more still in the bowl, basicaly she lost more and more apetite as the two weeks have gone by, but she would still eat her dry soul (i should also add here that she weighs around 5,2kg). She was still very playfull but furing the last couple of days she did become more sleepy.
She still wants to play but i noticed that its just not it.
She also doesnt want to eat the dry anymore too
We went to the vet two days ago, the vet told us, from the putside she is in perfect condition and that we need to get her poop checked.
Yesterday she slept throughout the entire day so i got scare and went to the vet today again, we did a scan (its called an USG in polish, idk whats the english equivalent of it) and blood work.
The USG showed that she has bigger lymph nodes behind her kidneys than usual.
They gave us some very caloric food and some very tasty sauce for the cat. We got home and she still doesnt want to eat it, she eats her snacks and livks the sauce but it just looks like she doesnt want to bite the food and/or has trouble biting it.
We finaly got some food into her with the help of a syringe. I am in absolute panick mode. My last cat who was 3 years old and just came to me from somewhere died two years ago from FIP which mutated as a result of kidney failure and now im scared that she has the same thing because he also just started to not eat. I should also mention that she doesnt leave the flat. She is a house cat.
I dont know what to do and what i should do tomorrow, i dont want to just sit at home and wait for something bad to happen. I want a diagnosis
Does anybody have any advice?
She is neutered.
We are students so affording mega expensive helathcare is also pretty difficult


r/MaineCoon 4d ago

The kitten is 8 months old

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333 Upvotes

r/MaineCoon 4d ago

Show Cat Level Grooming Tips Sought!

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335 Upvotes

Hi all! So happy I found this sub. We have a gorgeous MC that wasn’t going to quite make it as a show cat. We groom him multiple times a week (he hates it, whatevs, I carry on) but I’m looking for next level tips.

How do we get the sleeker looks? I come from the horse world so I’m down to try safe shampoos, conditioner, different combs, brushes! Do the show cat peeps just continuously take weight out of the undercoat?

Thank you for any recommendations!


r/MaineCoon 4d ago

Feeding

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51 Upvotes

When I was a kid a bully told me that if I pet pussy willows they would turn into a lion. I would like to introduce Miss P. Willow. Her breeder had her on Ian’s hairball and Royal Cain kitten soft. What do people feed their Main Coons?


r/MaineCoon 5d ago

Can we just 😍

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745 Upvotes

Please take a look at my 3 month old baby and tell me how adorable she is 😍🥰🤗


r/MaineCoon 5d ago

Maine coon behavior

21 Upvotes

Can anyone tell me do maine coons behave alot different than other cats. I've had cats my entire life but my first maine coon and have never had a cat who behaved like this. He is more than a handful. He's 2yrs old with Extremely high energy. I have alot of play sessions with him to try and calm him down. He has window seats, cat trees, lots of toys, etc. I even take him for walks. He is into Everything and is destructive. Had him for a month now. Do I just hang in there or is this the way MC cats are?


r/MaineCoon 4d ago

First time Maine Coon owner. What should be in my beginner starter kit?

7 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m planning on getting a Maine Coon kitten in the future, and I’ve never owned a cat before. I want to make sure I’m properly prepared before bringing one home, especially since I know Maine Coons can have different needs because of their size and long coats.

What would you recommend for a complete beginner starter kit?

I’d especially love advice on:

Food and water bowls/fountains
Best kitten food (wet + dry)
Large litter boxes and litter
Litter boxes that help control smell
Automatic/self-cleaning litter boxes. Worth it or not?
Cat trees/scratching posts that are sturdy enough for a Maine Coon
Beds/carriers
Brushes, combs and grooming tools
Nail trimming
Dental care/teeth brushing
How often they actually need baths
Toys and enrichment
Harness/leash training
Clicker training and teaching tricks
Toilet training. Good idea or should I stick with a litter box?
Cord/house kitten-proofing
Anything else you wish you had bought or known before getting your first Maine Coon

I’d also really appreciate specific product recommendations, especially things that will still work once the kitten grows into a huge adult Maine Coon. I’d rather buy the right size the first time instead of replacing everything later.

Any beginner tips are welcome!

Thank you!


r/MaineCoon 5d ago

Our Mc is unmanageable

38 Upvotes

Are all Maine Coons this… special? 😂

We live in a house with plenty of space and have two cats. Our regular shelter cat is an absolute sweetheart and completely easygoing. Our Maine Coon, on the other hand, is a piece of work.

He’s 12 months old. He used to be cuddly in the mornings, but not anymore. He has never really been playful, he is VERY vocal, and the one thing he absolutely LOVES is going outside.

It’s not possible for him to be an outdoor cat where we live, so I walk him on a leash once a day at the same time. The problem is that now he demands to go out multiple times a day with extremely loud, persistent meowing. I ignore it and don’t give in, but honestly, the constant noise is starting to make me really anxious.

He also meows loudly during the night and wakes everyone up. He sounds like human baby - that loud. I’m getting to the point where I feel like I can’t do this anymore.

I’ve had cats my entire life and they’ve all been pretty normal, lovely cats. I even had an adopted half-Maine Coon who was an absolute sweetheart. This guy feels like we somehow brought home a cat that requires specialized training, almost like a Bengal, except he isn’t particularly wild or energetic.

Is this a Maine Coon thing? Is it his age? Or did we just get an unusually high-maintenance individual? 😅

I’d especially love to hear from anyone whose Maine Coon was like this around one year old — did they eventually calm down?


r/MaineCoon 5d ago

Cat tree advice?

3 Upvotes

I will admit that I don’t have a big beautiful MC. I do have a big beautiful flame point Siamese boi who is 18 inches shoulder to hip. Thank you, CDS! I didn’t wake up one morning and decide to get a huge cat, but what can ya do?! He also weighs 18 pounds.

I want to get him a cat tree but a lot of them seem tiny! So I thought that maybe folks who have cats with a bigga figga could advise.

I’m hoping to avoid blowing a fortune, because of course.

Got any advice for me? 🐾💕


r/MaineCoon 7d ago

New Kitty!

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686 Upvotes

Hello everyone! This is my new kitty :) He needs a name!


r/MaineCoon 7d ago

Her Majesty, The Queen

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234 Upvotes

Istariël- 10 month old, female, blue Maine coon. Shot on iPhone 15 pro max. Post in Snapseed and PS.


r/MaineCoon 7d ago

Tips for brushing teeth of a sassy puss

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65 Upvotes

Anyone have any tips for brushing their cats teeth? My chest magnet gets very annoyed whenever i try, shes had alot of teeth removed due to infections so I dont want her to have anymore teeth removed.