Maine Coon
Also called coon cat, gentle giant.
One of the largest domestic breeds, and the one every large fluffy cat gets called. The build is the test rather than the size: a Maine Coon is rectangular and heavily boned, with a distinctly squared muzzle.
- Coat
- Long
- Build
- Large and rectangular
- Head
- Wedge
- Weight
- 5.5–11 kg
- Origin
- United States
What it looks like
Very large and rectangular, with a long shaggy uneven coat, a ruff, heavy boning, a squared muzzle, large tufted ears and a long bushy tail.
The characters that confirm it
- A squared, blocky muzzle — the single best character, and quite unlike a domestic longhair's rounded face.
- Rectangular body: long, with a broad chest and substantial legs.
- Large ears set high and wide, usually with lynx tufts at the tips.
- A shaggy, uneven coat — shorter on the shoulders, long on the flanks and belly.
- A long, wide, fully plumed tail.
Temperament
Sociable, tolerant, vocal in a chirping rather than yowling way, and unusually interested in water.
Health
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy runs in the breed and there is a genetic test for one of the causal mutations. Hip dysplasia and spinal muscular atrophy also occur. Ask a breeder for test results.
Confused with
The profile. A Norwegian Forest Cat has a straight line from the brow to the tip of the nose and a triangular head; a Maine Coon has a concave curve and a squared muzzle.
Most large fluffy cats are domestic longhairs. Without the rectangular frame and squared muzzle, it is not a Maine Coon.
Questions about this breed
How do you recognise a Maine Coon?
A squared, blocky muzzle — the single best character, and quite unlike a domestic longhair's rounded face. Rectangular body: long, with a broad chest and substantial legs.
What is a Maine Coon like to live with?
Sociable, tolerant, vocal in a chirping rather than yowling way, and unusually interested in water.
What health problems do Maine Coons have?
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy runs in the breed and there is a genetic test for one of the causal mutations. Hip dysplasia and spinal muscular atrophy also occur. Ask a breeder for test results.