Maine Coon

The Maine Coon is a large domesticated cat breed, often called "the gentle giant". It is a social cat and is often said to have "dog-like" characteristics.

The coat is long or medium in length, soft and silky, and shorter on the head and shoulders but longer on the stomach and flanks. Some Maine Coons have a leonine ruff around the neck. The double coat is mostly self-maintaining thanks to a light undercoat, and it is thicker in winter and thinner in summer.

Males usually weigh 8 to 10 kg and females 5 to 7 kg. Adults stand 25 to 41 cm tall and can reach up to 97 cm in length including the long, tapering, bushy tail. The body is solid and muscular with a broad chest and a rectangular shape. Large paws with toe tufts and heavily furred, tufted ears complete the look.

Brown tabby is the most common pattern, though Maine Coons can come in any colour that other cats have. The breed is pedigreed in all major cat registries worldwide.

The Maine Coon comes from the US state of Maine, where it is the official state cat. It was selectively bred from one of the oldest landraces in North America. Genetic studies suggest the cats descend from cats brought to New England by Puritan settlers from the UK in the 1600s and 1700s, and among European cats they are genetically closest to those in the United Kingdom.

Folk tales claim the breed is a hybrid with a raccoon or bobcat, or descends from Viking ship's cats, or from cats belonging to Marie Antoinette. Science points elsewhere. The resemblance to Siberian and Norwegian Forest cats comes from convergent evolution in harsh climates, not close kinship. Since the 19th century, Maine Coons have been bred for larger size.

In the late 1860s Maine farmers held a cat contest at the Skowhegan Fair, and in 1895 a brown tabby Maine Coon named Cosey was named Best in Show at the first North American cat show in New York. Popularity then fell as other long-haired breeds such as the Persian arrived. The breed was even declared extinct in the 1950s, though this was an exaggeration.

A club formed in the early 1950s wrote the first breed standards. The breed gained provisional recognition from the CFA in 1975 and championship status in 1976, and Maine named it the state cat in 1985.

The Maine Coon is known as a large, social cat, and the nickname "the gentle giant" reflects its reputation. It is often described as having "dog-like" characteristics.

The breed is slow to mature. Full size is normally not reached until three to five years old, while other cats take about one year.

Lifespan figures vary. Swedish insurance data from 2003 to 2006 put the median lifespan at over 12.5 years, with 74% living to 10 or more. A UK study found a life expectancy of 9.71 years for Maine Coons, compared with 11.74 years for all cats.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart condition, has been observed in the breed. A mutation in the MYBPC3 gene is linked to it, and about one-third of Maine Coons tested for it at one US university laboratory carried it. Not every cat with the mutation shows signs of disease.

Hip dysplasia is found in the breed, most often in males of larger, big-boned breeds, and 24.3% of Maine Coons in one database were dysplastic. The Maine Coon is also one of the more commonly affected breeds for spinal muscular atrophy, which is caused by an inherited mutation. Entropion, an eyelid problem, seems more common too.

Small kidney cysts are seen with low incidence, but they are a different condition from the polycystic kidney disease found in Persians. Polydactyly (extra toes) is also seen and does not appear to cause other health problems.

This is general awareness only, not veterinary advice. Always consult a vet about your pet's health.

How big do Maine Coons get?

Males usually weigh 8 to 10 kg and females 5 to 7 kg. It is the largest non-hybrid cat breed, and full size is not reached until three to five years old.

How long do Maine Coons live?

A UK study found a life expectancy of 9.71 years, compared with 11.74 years for all cats. Swedish insurance data gave a median of over 12.5 years.

Are Maine Coons part raccoon?

No. That is a myth. The breed descends from cats brought to New England by Puritan settlers from the UK.

Are Maine Coons friendly?

They are described as large, social cats nicknamed the gentle giant, and are often said to be dog-like.

Do Maine Coons need a lot of grooming?

Despite the long coat, the breed needs minimal grooming compared with other long-haired breeds, because the double coat is mostly self-maintaining.

A male Maine Coon named Stewie was recorded by Guinness World Records in 2010 as the longest cat, at 123 cm from nose to tail tip.

The big paws are often compared to snowshoes, and the bushy tail can curl around the face like a scarf or beneath the cat like a cushion.

In 2024 the Maine Coon was the most popular breed with FIFe, making up 24.7% of registered kittens. In 2025 it became the most registered breed with the CFA.