I'm about to go look at a litter of Main Coon cats. I have a 6 year old dog and a 15 year old cat

[Raven]

here now. Any advice?

[secondwind]

1. Ask the 15 yr old cat what he/she thinks.

[Raven]

4. He is going to be pissed. He's still pissed about the dog.

[secondwind]

6. If you think it will work out, go for it.

We once had a Maine coon, loved that cat!

[blm]

2. No. Just jealous.

🥹

[CentralMass]

3. They are beautiful cats.

[PortTack]

5. My sister has 3 Maine coons..they are very friendly cats. Big cats 20-25 lbs can be average

We have a Norwegian forrest cat, the forerunner to Maine coons. He’s a big cat…@ 18th lbs..not fat. He has a very funny fun personality.

[TigressDem]

17. Did any of your Main Coons like water?

As a kitten, mine jumped in the shower to be close to our house sitter while we were gone on vacation.

After that he liked to sleep in the sink.

[PortTack]

19. No, but they aren't too bad when they have a hair cut and bath.

The Maine coon does need grooming. Their fur is oily and matts easily

[SalamanderSleeps]

7. We have two in our household.

They both have wonderful personalities. Very loving. Both can go out on leashes if they go together.

Still, we have to keep them under control because if they were left to their own devices they would murder half the neighborhood.

Hope you can have one or two of your own.

P.S. Kiss your curtains goodbye.

[applegrove]

8. I had a big cat named Monster. He was fixed at two just before I got him.

Last edited Sat Sep 10, 2022, 06:19 PM - Edit history (1)

He had battle scars from his time as a Tom. His ears were all ragged. He would attack me with a bite on my shoulder (but he was missing a fang so he could not hurt me or puncture though he tried). He did get less aggressive with me as we were together. He always slept in my armpit. Loved that guy.

There was a Main Coon across the way. A few times he marched into my apartment and played with Monster's toys. Monster stayed way back. I guess cats asses size up other cats more than dogs do. The Main Coon was huge. Monster didn't even hiss. Main Coons are so relaxed that they don't need to establish dominance I don't think. So your current cat may just give up the territory if faced with a grown Main Coon. Don't know about a kitten. In my experience older cats are quite patient with kittens.

[underpants]

9. Main Coons are awesome. Our girl was basically like a dog.

At least it was for me. She was my girl. She passed while we were at the beach. We got the call from the cat sitter. Two days after the eclipse in 2017. Man that was a miserable drive back home.

[Quakerfriend]

10. Ah, me jealous!

I would ask how big the parents were-
I know some are huge!
- Hope you’ll post some pics!

[Raven]

11. Good question, thanks!

[TigressDem]

12. LOVE Main Coon cats.

When I bring animals together, I pet them each and let them sniff our combined scents. Many times. As often as needed.

I make sure all animals know I AM THE ALPHA and I don't put up with any crap.

Now the oldest cat may still be the actual ruler, but has to behave or face me.

I have a 22 year old Egyptian Mau who still doesn't like our son's black tom cat who is 5 times her size. BUT she doesn't jump and attack him any more when he wanders down stairs into her territory. She growls a bit if he's eating her food or at my grandson if he tries to pet her after petting him, but it's a protest, not an attack. I can pet Harry and then her and she tolerates it.

IF there is aggression, I will pick up a cat by the "scrap of the scrawny" (back of the neck) because that is what a Mama cat does and their body goes limp. I will tell it, "NO" firmly and then talk calmly about how we are a family now and that is not allowed. Cats are smart. They may not hear the words, but they can understand tone.

IF every time the cat or dog steps out of line they get a calm but firm reprimand, it will sink in.

Dogs understand they are beta if you lay them down with your hand on their neck to keep them from rising. Or hold the collar. My son would put his hand around the muzzle of his pitbull. Add a GRUFF NO, like a bark, then the calm explanation about this kitten is part of our pack. MINE and you hold it close, pet it and let the dog sniff. OURS and when the dog's body relaxes and they seem to be trying to get back on your good side, they heard you.

[wnylib]

15. OMG. You have an Egyptian Mau?

I have a cat who is 1/4 Egyptian Mau and 3/4 plain old domestic shorthair. She does not have the beautiful Mau coat. Her coat is tortoiseshell tabby - black and gray striped with random streaks of red and a small white area under her chin. Her mother was half Mau.

But she does have some Mau behavioral and personality traits. She's a delight. I never even knew about the Egyptian Mau breed until I got her.

[TigressDem]

16. Mine isn't full pedigree, but she looks like one.

(I had to look her up because her coat had the spots and stripes and she was this silver shade of grey I'd never seen before)



My son found her accidentally. Almost ran over her.

As a tiny kitten she got separated from her mom and litter mates and was wandering in downtown area.

He brought her home and my hubby WANTED to say "NO" but when my son put that itty bitty kitten in his hands....

Hubby said, "OMG you are just the tiniest bit of fluff and not much more." She fit in his hands with room to spare.

She is still Tiny. And of course that was the perfect name.

Today at 22 years old, the cat sits in my hubby's lap all day long while he works from home and he says, "The warden has me in 'kitty jail' today."

The grandkids come down and try to get in jail too.

[wnylib]

18. So, does she look like the kittens

in the pic that you posted?

They are pretty rare (and expensive). Pet Maus are usually neutered by breeders before they are sold, so strays are not common. I got mine from a coworker who got the mother from a breeder. An oops pregnancy that resulted in my coworker's half Mau. The half Mau mother of my cat has a nearly perfect body conformation of a Mau, but her coat is calico, not the spotted Mau coat.

Ocicats and Egyptian Maus look a lot alike. There are silver ocicats and silver Maus. There are also bronze Maus and tawney ocicats that look like bronze Maus.

Ocicats usually live longer than Maus. 18 to 20 years for an ocicat and around 15 years for a Mau. Ocicats were developed from a cross between Siamese and Abyssinians. Maus are a naturally spotted breed that was outcrossed with domestic shorthairs to improve the Mau temperament.

[TigressDem]

20. As a baby, yes.

And she definitely has the size of a short hair.

When she was in her prime she weighed maybe 7 pounds, but it was all muscle.

She got sick last year and seemed to be about 2-3 pounds and I could feel every bone.

Now she's up to 3-4 pounds and seems a little feisty.

[wnylib]

22. Glad to hear that she is doing better.

Don't know about you, but I tend to get anxious when anything is wrong with a fur baby.

[TigressDem]

23. Thanks

Yeah, it's like having kids. Just with tails, fur and a few extra feet.

Right now it's about quality of life. As long as that is good we are working around the rest.

[GreenWave]

13. Maine Coons are primarily gentle.

Since they will weigh 20 pounds or so a modest cat tower is better to reduce wear and tear on their bones.

My guy who died in February had a bone structure issue
and a tall cat tower. He was only 9.

The dog will become a playful chew toy with the Maine Coon playing patrol guard at the top of the stairs.

The other cat may freak out at the size and possibly start urinating to express displeasure.

[grumpyduck]

14. We had a Maine Coon for about ten years.

Got along fine with the other two cats. Funny, friendly, smart. He would look at me directly in the eyes before jumping on my lap. Once I picked him up wrong somehow and had to go see a chiropractor. Not kidding, and I still laugh about it.

Rocky. I miss him.

[Skittles]

21. I cat-sat for a Main Coon

he was very arrogant and entitled.....yes INDEED

[area51]

26. Interesting, I adopted a part Maine Coon kitten

which had been dumped in my neighborhood. He's a diva. I wouldn't want to get another of this breed, but perhaps he's an outlier.

[Skittles]

27. for the most part the cat ignored me

he went to great pains to register disgust in his face when he'd see it was me and not his hoomans. One day I got a glass of water in the kitchen....well, I dropped the glass and it shattered....that cat came whipping around the corner and confronted me like, WTF do you think you are doing.....when he started moving forward I pushed him back, I didn't want him cutting his paws...well, he took great exception to THAT......argh

Still, his hoomans LOVED that big cat, said he was really a big sweetie pie

[Wicked Blue]

24. Best cats ever!

We had a wonderful Maine Coon for 15 years. Her name was Rooney.

When I took my daughter out in the stroller, Rooney followed us up and down the sidewalk, tail held high, like a well-behaved dog.

[Raven]

25. The kitty has landed! What a day yesterday! I ended up with 2 kittys. One for me and

one for my granddaughter, Lola. They are both black and white, one a male with a white face and a black mustache. The other, a female with the same white face and a black dot on her nose. They both have the famous 6 toes. I got them back to my house after a chorus of meows all the way home.

Both Kitties refused to venture out of their little carrying cases.until Lola arrived. She sat down on the floor and began quietly talking to them. She's 9 and this is her first pet, but I think she's a natural. She took the little mustached kitty home with her last night and this morning I have the little black dot asleep in my lap as I type this.

Pictures as soon as I am able.