Domestic Longhair vs Maine Coon
The check that settles it
Maine Coons are much larger and rectangular, with a squared muzzle, heavy boning and lynx tips on the ears. Size alone is the usual giveaway.
Confirming a domestic longhair
- Long coat without the specific build of any longhaired breed.
- Moderate head and body — not the rectangular frame of a Maine Coon or the flat face of a Persian.
- Coat often seasonal, with a heavy winter ruff that thins in summer.
Confirming 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.
- 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.