How Do You Know if a Cat Is a Maine Coon

Download Commodity

Download Article

In that location are several ways you lot can identify a Maine Coon. One way is by looking at its concrete features similar its big size, shaggy fur, tapered tail and ears, and large optics. Since Maine Coons are outgoing and friendly, you tin can too identify them by observing their behavior and personalities. As a last resort, contact your vet to get a Dna examination.

1. 1

   Cheque the length of the cat'southward fur. Maine Coons have a long, shaggy glaze. The fur is not thick, but it is plentiful. Its paws, tails, and ears are covered in fluffy tufts of fur.^[1] The fur on the cat's dorsum should be shorter toward the front of the true cat and longer toward its rear. Fur on the cat's sides, likewise, should gradually go longer from front to back.^[2]

   • The brown tabby blueprint is the virtually common color pattern for Maine Coons.^[3] However, Maine Coons are available in 75 different color combinations.

2. 2

   Look for a large true cat. Maine Coons are the largest of all cat breeds. They have a sturdy and rugged look nigh them. Some people have even likened them to small bobcats. If you have a true cat that seems unusually large, information technology might exist a Maine Coon.^[four]

   • Male person Maine Coons tend to weight 15-25 pounds. Females tend to weigh 10-fifteen pounds. If your cat falls within these weight ranges, you lot only might take a Maine Coon.
   • Males are usually 10-sixteen inches (25-41 centimeters) tall and 40 inches (101 centimeters) long. Females tend to be 8-fourteen inches alpine and around twoscore inches (101 centimeters) long. Employ a yardstick or tape measure to obtain your cat'due south length and top.

   Ad

3. 3

   Impact the cat. Maine Coons have an oily, fluffy glaze that they've developed to protect themselves from harsh wintertime weather condition. Maine coons accept big, fluffy tails that they use to continue themselves warm when they're resting.^[5] The fur should be fine. Their bodies are house and muscular.^[half-dozen]

4. 4

   Bank check the true cat'southward miscellaneous trunk characteristics. Maine Coons have muscular legs that are medium in length. The legs should be proportional to the body. The body must exist long, not compact. Maine Coons accept tails that are wide at the base, then narrow gradually. Effort reaching the cat'southward shoulder with its tail. If you tin achieve or near accomplish the shoulder, the tail is correct length to suggest it might be a Maine Coon. The tail should take long, flowing fur. Finally, look for tapered ears. The ii ears of the Maine Coon are wide at the base and taper to a betoken. They volition be positioned relatively close together, with no more than one ear's width betwixt them.^[7]

   • The ears will have tufts of fur growing within them. Most of the European-type cats will also have lynx-like tufts of fur on the points of their ears.
   • The true cat will wrap its tail around itself to stay warm in cold weather. The tail is fluffy and quite long.

5. 5

   Look for large eyes. The Maine Coon's optics are slightly oblique (slanted), non perfectly round. They are typically light-green or golden, though they might be blue, as well.^[8]

6. 6

   Look for a long growing cycle. Most cats accomplish their full size when they are 9 to 12 months old. Maine Coons, nevertheless tend to grow for at least ii years. Some accept been known to grow for four years. If you lot've a cat that but seems to keep growing, information technology might be a Maine Coon.^[nine]

   Advertisement

1. one

   Look for a friendly demeanor. Maine Coons are well-known for their friendly, relaxed personalities. They get on well with children and other pets. If this sounds like your cat, you might accept a Maine Coon.^[10]

2. two

   Check for a dear of h2o. Maine Coons savor splashing and spilling water. They're even known to splash about in toilets. If your true cat seems to have a special fascination with water, and it shows other signs of beingness a Maine Coon, it'southward possible that it's a Maine Coon.^[xi]

3. 3

   Look for "dog-like" behaviors. Most people know that dogs are generally extroverted and true-blue. Maine Coons, besides, are renowned for their reliable and outgoing beliefs. If your cat greets you in the morning time and when you arrive at domicile, it might be a Maine Coon.^[12]

4. iv

   Go a genetic exam. Some other manner to identify a Maine Coon is to get a genetic test. This involves a vet or other medical professional person taking a DNA sample from your cat. Typically, this is done past swabbing the inside of your cat's cheek for skin cells, cartoon a vial of blood, or clipping a bit of its fur. The vet will then use this biological sample to compare your cat's genome against known Maine Coon Deoxyribonucleic acid and look for a friction match.^[thirteen]

   • Genetic tests are about 90% accurate.

5. 5

   Monitor the cat's health. Maine Coons typically have good wellness. Still, they are susceptible to 2 conditions. One is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a condition that causes the walls of the heart to thicken. The other status is feline hip dysplasia, which is caused when Maine Coons' hips don't grade properly and results in hurting and arthritis.^[xiv]

   • The breeder you obtain your Maine Coon from should screen for HCM earlier y'all buy it.
   • Considering Maine Coons are naturally large, there is piddling y'all can practise to forbid hip dysplasia. Your vet volition assistance you care for your cat should it develop this condition.

   Advertisement

1. 1

   Decide if a true cat is right for you. Like all cats, Maine Coons are an investment of both fourth dimension and money. They can cost anywhere from $400 to $1,000, and they as well require ongoing costs like cat food, true cat litter, and vet visits. Plus, since Maine Coons are relatively outgoing, they crave some attention and amore every day. If you are a busy person, consider a pet that requires less free energy.^[fifteen]

   • If you want a less energetic Maine Coon, think about getting a full-grown cat instead of a kitten.

2. 2

   Choose a reputable breeder. Reputable breeders volition not have Maine Coons (or whatsoever other brood) available year-round. They volition as well not take purchases online or have multiple litters on their premises. Instead, they'll insist on a strict contract that describes what happens in example y'all can no longer take intendance of the cat, and provide as much data equally possible about the cat's pedigree and health.^[16]

   • Contact the Maine Coon Breeders and Fanciers Association for a list of reputable breeders in your area.

3. 3

   Consider alternatives. Buying your Maine Coon from a breeder is the most common way to get one. But you could also become your Maine Coon from a rescue organisation like Maine Coon Adoptions or Maine Coon Rescue. Contact one of these organizations or a similar group about getting a Maine Coon.^[17]

4. 4

   Visit the cat before you lot buy information technology. Reputable breeders or cat sellers will welcome y'all to visit the cat in the location where the cat was raised. The true cat should exist raised indoors. Be wary of breeders who try to run across you in a location that is non the place where the Maine Coon was raised (typically the breeder'southward domicile).^[18]

   • If y'all come across that the Maine Coon was raised in a small, dirty, or crowded pen, choose another breeder. These weather propose that the cat might have fleas or illnesses.
   • Besides, do not obtain a cat that was raised in isolation, as information technology may have difficulty socializing with other pets or people when introduced to your abode.

5. 5

   Exist patient. Maine Coons will probably not be bachelor right away. Cats raised properly need to be about 12 to 16 weeks old before they tin can exist separated from their mothers. Additionally, many breeders have wait lists that forestall quick and easy purchase of a Maine Coon.^[19]

   Advert

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your electronic mail accost to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

• Don't try using the cat'southward colour as an indicator of whether it is a Maine Coon. Maine Coons are bachelor in 75 different color combinations.^[20]

Advertisement

Most This Article

Article Summary X

To place a Maine Coon, get-go past checking its size, since Maine Coons are the largest brood of cats, weighing as much equally 25 pounds and measuring up to 16 inches tall. Additionally, look for a long and shaggy coat, and fluffy tufts of fur on its ears, paws, and tail. So, check to see if the ears are no more than an ear'southward width autonomously and tapered to a signal at the acme. You tin can likewise look to see whether the true cat'due south tail is long enough to reach its shoulders, and appears wide at the base merely narrow at the tip. For more tips from our Veterinary co-author, similar how to tell a Maine Coon based on its personality and behavior, read on!

Did this summary aid you lot?

Thank you to all authors for creating a folio that has been read 127,984 times.

Did this article help you?

thomaspoick1949.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Identify-a-Maine-Coon

Share this post