Maine Coon

Often follows you around the house

Many Maine Coons follow their people from room to room and watch what is happening at home. You may hear soft trilling sounds as they go. They often stay playful well into adulthood. Some settle on your lap, while others prefer a spot nearby.

Combing, shedding and tangles

The coat is shorter at the shoulders and longer along the belly, flanks and backs of the hind legs. Longer hairs can form a thick collar around the front of the neck, known as a ruff. The tail is bushy too.

Two or three thorough combing sessions a week are a useful starting point. You can work gently through small sections with a metal comb, without pressing against the skin. This lets you reach the undercoat, the shorter hairs beneath the longer outer coat. A quick brush over the surface may miss loose hairs and small tangles underneath. It is worth paying particular attention to the areas behind the ears, under the front legs, in the longer fur on the hind legs and at the base of the tail. More frequent combing may be needed during shedding or if knots form between sessions.

If the comb catches, you should avoid pulling. A small, loose tangle can be gently teased apart with your fingers. Tight mats should be removed at a veterinary clinic or by an experienced cat groomer.

Heart and hip health checks

Maine Coons can develop hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, usually shortened to HCM. The heart muscle thickens, making it harder for the heart to fill with blood. An ultrasound scan of the heart, called an echocardiogram, can show these changes.

A DNA test is also available for a known variant in the MYBPC3 gene that increases the risk of HCM in this breed. A positive result means the variant is present. It does not mean the cat already has heart disease or will definitely develop it. A Maine Coon without this variant can also develop HCM. When choosing a kitten from a breeder, you should therefore ask to see and discuss both parents’ DNA results and their most recent heart scan reports.

Maine Coons can also have hip dysplasia, a condition in which the hip joints do not form properly. When choosing a kitten, it is worth asking whether the parents’ hips have been x-rayed and having any available reports explained to you.

Breeding cats can also be screened for spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, and pyruvate kinase deficiency. SMA damages nerve cells in the spinal cord, causing an unsteady gait and loss of muscle in the hind legs. In pyruvate kinase deficiency, an enzyme needed by red blood cells does not work well enough. The cells break down too soon, which can cause anaemia. It is worth asking for both parents’ DNA results for these inherited conditions too.

For your own cat, a lean, well-muscled body avoids adding strain to the joints. Limping, stiffness or a reduced willingness to jump should be checked by a vet.

Does a Maine Coon suit your day-to-day life?