What are Maine Coon kittens like - characteristics and distinctive features of future giants

A Maine Coon kitten is an amazing combination of impressive appearance (the largest among domestic cats) and a friendly disposition, regal bearing and playfulness, the image of a hunter and the disposition of a homebody. All these qualities appear at a very early age. You need to choose a kitten carefully, knowing exactly for what purpose the animal is being purchased. Caring for a Maine Coon is not very difficult, and the return - love and devotion to the owner - lasts a lifetime.

Tips for choosing

Meikoons are especially loved for their impressive size: cats reach up to 8 and even 10 kilograms. Cats are smaller. Like any other animals, Maine Coon kittens differ from each other in character, breed quality, and color. The most important thing is to choose an honest breeder and correctly identify the breed, without accidentally buying a mixed breed. Maine Coon is a native breed; they are not crossed with other species, which means that purebred kittens are expensive and are of interest to scammers.

If an animal is purchased for exhibitions, then purebredness is one of the most important qualities; a cat will simply be disqualified for being a crossbreed.

Socialization

The environment in the new home should be calm - moving is stressful for a kitten, so noise and screams can greatly frighten it.

It will take the kitten a couple of weeks to get used to the family, during which time you need to show as much patience and friendliness as possible.

Maine Coon kittens willingly frolic together

Maine Coons get along well with dogs and other cats.

Until the pets get used to each other, they should not be left alone - this may take several weeks. It is also unacceptable for them to show aggression towards each other.

How to proceed when choosing a kitten?

1. Read articles and books about the breed, visit cat shows, chat with owners and cattery owners. The larger the exhibition, the better the quality of the animals.
2. The best thing is to study the breed standard according to felinological systems: TICA, WCF, CFA.
3. Immediately give up the idea of ​​buying a Maine Coon at the market or from someone else.
4. Compare the cost of kittens: real Maine Coons cannot be cheap.
5. You should definitely visit the nursery where the cats live and are raised and take a closer look at them.
6. Look not at the color of the coat, but at its quality: a purebred Maine Coon in any color looks luxurious, its coat is silky, and grows densely.
7. It is necessary to independently check the kitten for the absence of diseases, carefully examine it: there should be no discharge from the eyes and nose, the fur is smooth and silky, the kitten is playful.

It is recommended to buy a kitten at the age of three to three and a half months.

Distinctive features for a Maine Coon kitten: a “box” muzzle, tufts on the ears, a long tail.

How to choose the right purebred pet?

When choosing a pet, you should pay attention to its weight - even small kittens are massive.
Maine Coon kittens, in comparison with other large-bodied cats, look more massive. However, it is worth remembering that only a purebred kitten will have all the characteristics of the breed. Even Maine Coon mixes with similar characteristics will still not match the characteristics of purebreds in size and weight. In addition, before purchasing a new family member for your home, it is important to first determine the gender, carefully study the characteristics, description, as well as the rules of care, maintenance and feeding.

Purebred kittens are selected according to the following parameters:

• Price. Three month old Maine Coons are not cheap. If a breeder offers to purchase a cat for a symbolic price, then at best he is half-mixed.
• Documentation. Parents' passport, birth certificate, pedigree, and vaccination certificate are required.
• Health. A healthy baby is active, friendly, and inquisitive.
• Age. 3-month-old kittens are separated from their mother. Until the age of two months, the mother teaches the babies basic skills, at the age of 2 months. The baby receives the first vaccination, and another 2 weeks, a maximum of 3, are required for recovery and adaptation.

Nurseries

Since Maine Coons are a show-class breed, their breeders are very attentive to where the kittens go, how they plan to keep them and in what capacity - for breeding, for exhibitions, for themselves.
You can find a cattery through a cat club, on the Internet, or at exhibitions.

You can wait for the kittens to arrive by booking them in advance. Catteries usually have their own Internet - a resource where information about all cats, cats, matings, exhibitions, and connections with foreign breeders is indicated. Professional breeders are interested in acquiring new animals every two to three years.

If the same animals constantly mate with each other, and there is no influx of new blood, it means that the owner makes money from breeding and selling, and he is not interested in improving the quality of the breed. A professional breeder will definitely invite the future buyer to the nursery, show all the animals, and help with choosing a kitten. If the weight of the male cat has been declared, you can ask for a control weighing - this is a normal procedure.

Before purchasing a kitten, you must find out whether the nursery is registered in the felinological system; this is a guarantee of purebred animals.

There are nurseries in apartments and outside the city. Even if it is located far from the city, it is better to visit it. When purchasing, an agreement will be concluded between the buyer and the seller on how the animal is planned to be used, how it can and cannot be crossed, and how the matings will take place. Nurseries provide all documents for kittens.

Price

The price for a kitten of this breed depends on its status . There are three groups of animals that differ in cost:

1. Show class.
2. Brit class.
3. Pet class.

The first category is animals intended for participation in exhibitions.

They cost more than all the others. The price can reach 100 thousand rubles.

The future owner of a Maine Coon pays this amount for a quality animal that meets the breed standards.

It has a purebred pedigree and will be able to exhibit and receive awards. It is used for mating.

The second group are female kittens suitable for breeding. They can produce show class offspring. They cost 30-35 thousand rubles. These cats have slight deviations from the standards, for example, too long or short hair, incorrect color or eye color. This does not affect their ability to exhibit and receive awards at shows.

The third group is exclusively pets for the home . They are the cheapest - 15-20 thousand rubles. They have many deviations from the breed standard and therefore cannot participate in exhibitions. They will not be used for mating either. But they possess all the other advantages of the breed - appearance, character - and therefore will become wonderful pets.

What else affects the price?

1. The most expensive will be a kitten under 4 months of age.
2. Cats are more expensive than cats.
3. Unusual colors are more expensive.
4. Mental abilities of the breed.

The intelligence of Maine Coons is absolutely consistent with their appearance and size.

These cats are considered real philosophers.

They think well, learn easily, and are capable of contemplation.

Their actions are logical, they are able to perform conscious actions (the same qualities are attributed to some types of dogs, for example, border collies and Labradors). Maine Coons have a very good memory, they can remember many words and commands.

They are well versed in intonation, distinguish human speech, its nuances, gestures and even understand glances. Maine Coons are called thinkers because they are able to remain in a state of peace and observation for a long time. Cats are not isolated from kittens even in the first minutes of their birth. Male Maine Coons actively participate in the life of their offspring, in raising and playing with kittens.

How to distinguish it from an ordinary cat?

It is sometimes difficult for a non-professional to distinguish a purebred animal from a mongrel cat. What to pay attention to in this case, here are the characteristic features of the breed:

1. Maine Coons are larger than regular kittens. On average, a newborn weighs 100-150 grams, and regular kittens weigh 80-100 grams.
2. The Maine Coon kitten is more active and stronger than ordinary cats.
3. By three months, an animal of this breed already weighs on average about 2 kilograms for girls and 2.5 for boys. Simple cats at this age weigh no more than one and a half kilograms.
4. The coat is thicker and fluffier than that of ordinary kittens.
5. The body is large, the head is massive.
6. The tail is thick, the paws are impressive, sometimes even at a young age you can see tufts of hair between the toes - a characteristic feature of Maine Coons.
7. A purebred kitten has at least 4 generations of ancestors in its pedigree.

Below are photos of purebred kittens.

How to breed?

Puberty in cats of this breed occurs at 6-7 months. Before mating, the animal is tested for infectious diseases, dewormed, and given the required vaccinations according to the schedule. Pregnancy lasts on average 65-68 days. During this period, the animal’s condition is monitored by a veterinarian, and it is important for the owner to monitor nutrition and provide vitamin and mineral supplements. Maine Coon kittens look like two weeks old. And one-week-old babies, with proper development and the absence of congenital disorders, weigh up to 2 kg.

Amazing baby

The popularity of the Maine Coon breed was brought by an unusual kitten with a human face. A two-month-old cat named Valkyrie has attracted the attention of users all over the Internet. The owners posted a video and photographs online showing a face that is surprisingly human-like. “It’s as if a person was imprisoned in a cat’s body,” this is how they spoke about Valkyrie. The video received over a million views, going viral and becoming memes. The unusual color of the Valkyrie - “black smoke” - added even more mystery to this cat.

Maine Coon kitten size

Maine raccoon cats are born quite large in size and weigh an order of magnitude more than kittens of other breeds. For example, if the weight of a newborn Persian breed varies between 125-150 g, then a Maine Coon kitten is born weighing 125-170 g. According to average statistical data, the weight of a newborn Maine Coon is significantly influenced by the number of kittens in the litter, therefore , the fewer kittens, the greater their weight.

The rate of growth processes and weight gain in a newborn directly depends on its gender, as well as the characteristics of the parental genotype. As a rule, kittens born from a physically healthy and massive cat grow and develop faster. The kitten's growth can be negatively affected by the cat's use of hormonal drugs that can provoke a pronounced endocrine imbalance.

In order for a Maine Coon kitten to gain height and weight correctly, it is necessary to comply with a number of requirements, including ensuring optimal sanitary and hygienic conditions in the place where the animals live, preventing stressful situations in the form of noise and temperature changes, and proper and balanced nutrition for the nursing cat and kittens.

Important! remember that the daily rate of weight gain for a healthy newborn Maine Coon should be about 10-11 grams.

The suckling period lasts from birth until four weeks, and is also characterized by constant and stable growth. In the first ten days, the kitten’s body weight doubles, and by a month the weight becomes approximately four times greater.

Return to content

Popular colors

The breed standard recognizes all colors except chocolate, brown, lilac and fawn. The most popular color of the Maine Coon is the red tabby tabby. This is a bright red animal with a clear pattern that looks like a marble pattern.

“Tabby” (brindle) implies the presence of stripes on the body.

Black tabby and black tabby are also popular colors among Maine Coons. Smoke colors (white root and colored tip) are also very common.

Varieties of coloring

The classic color of red Maine Coons is solid red. This is the name for uniform coat color - bright brick or rich orange. Interspersed with white, stripes and stains on the body, tail, paws and head are allowed.

Experts distinguish the following color varieties of the breed:

• brindle - the presence of dark, clear stripes characteristic of tigers;
• spotted - torn stripes and spots;
• marbled - the presence of stains appearing in the red fur;
• smoky - the roots of the hairs have a white tint, and the tips are red

Smoky, in turn, are divided into:

• standard - the approximate ratio of white and red is 50/50;
• chinchilla - 1/8 of the hair is dyed red, the rest is white;
• shaded - 1/4 of the hairs are colored red.

There are often cases of two-tone white and red coloring of Maine Coons.

Depending on the proportions of the combination of white and red, two-color Maine Coons are divided into:

bicolor - distribution of white and red colors in a ratio of 50/50;

van - only the ears and head are colored red, sometimes also the tail;

harlequin - only a few red spots are noticeable on the body;

white medallion - a red cat, with a beautiful white spot on its chest and white socks on its paws;

white tuxedo - red color throughout the cat's body, with the exception of the white collar and white socks on the paws.

Height and weight by month

Newborn kittens weigh up to 120 g; by the end of the first month of life, kittens weigh up to 600 grams, males - up to 800.

By the end of the second month, females weigh about 1.3 kg, males - up to 1.5 kg.

At 3 months, kittens usually double their size: females - up to 2.4 kg, males - up to 3.6 kg.

At 4 months, girls weigh up to 3.6 kg, boys - up to 3.9 kg. By six months, the kitten’s growth slows down, females reach from 2.8 to 4 kg, males from 3 to 4.5 kg. By 8 months, the Maine Coon adds about 1.5 kg to its weight. At 9 months, cats weigh up to 6 kg, males - up to 7 kg. At 10-11 months, the weight of girls is up to 7 kg, boys - up to 7.5 kg. By the age of one year, kittens can reach 8 - 9 kg.

Characteristics and description

Weight and dimensions

The animals are large in size; adult individuals grow a little more than one meter in length.
Distinctive features of the Maine Coon breed are its large build and large body weight. An adult cat reaches a length of about 1.35 m, height at the withers - 25-50 cm. The length of the cat is 1-1.1 m, and height - up to 20 cm. Growth, development and formation of the physique continues until the age of 4. The cat has very large, powerful limbs, large paws, and there must be tufts of hair between the toes. The muzzle is elongated in length, the skull is massive, the cheekbones are high, the ears are also large, crowned with tassels at the tips. The eyes are medium-sized, oval-shaped, widely spaced.

The animal is quite weighty, while other large breeds of cats, for example, Pallas' cat, reach a maximum weight of about 5 kg. The maximum weight of a Maine Coon girl ranges from 6 to 8 kg. The largest cat reaches a weight of up to 15 kg. Maine Coon kittens are born large - about 600 g. In the first two to three months, their weight should be at the level of 1.5-2.3 kg. A three-month-old kitten looks like a six-month-old normal one, and a 5-6-month-old kitten looks like a fully formed adult cat. The table will help you find out the minimum and maximum body weight indicators:

Age by month	Average weight indicators, kg
	Cat	Cat
7	3,5—4,2	4,0—6,5
8	3,8—4,5	4,5—6,9
9	4,3—5,0	5,0—7,2
10	4,5—5,5	5,5—7,5
11	4,7—6	5,7—8,0
12	4,9—6,5	6,0—9
18	5,0—6,8	6,5—9,5

At 2 years old, a Maine Coon cat can weigh about 10 kg. The animal grows and develops up to 4 years. With proper care and proper feeding, body weight sometimes reaches 15 kg, cats are a little lighter, their average weight ranges from 7-8 kilograms. Despite their impressive size, the owners note that the animals are not lazy, active, and mobile.

Changing teeth

Kittens' teeth change quite painfully and unpleasantly for others - the animal begins to gnaw on everything and experiences discomfort. This usually occurs at 6 months, but can happen later, at 9 months. At this age, baby and permanent teeth are adjacent. Just like in humans, teeth first become loose and then fall out. Baby teeth need to be removed.

It is necessary to inspect the animal’s gums while changing teeth. If ulcers and suppuration appear, you need to show your pet to a veterinarian.

Remedies that relieve pain when changing teeth:

1. Sea buckthorn oil.
2. A solution of oak or chamomile bark.
3. Yarrow solution.

For purebred animals, the process of the appearance of new teeth is very important: at this moment, a bite is formed, one of the breed standards. If it is violated, the cat will lose its exhibition qualities. Therefore, it is important not to leave your pet to its own devices during this period, but to monitor how the teeth are changing and, if there is any problem, go to the doctor.

Feeding

In the first months of life, kittens need milk in large quantities; the mixture can be purchased at pet stores.

Goat milk is allowed. In the first month, the kitten should eat about six times a day, in small portions.

It is better to ask the cattery what kind of food the cats eat and stick to that diet. Grown-up kittens are fed meat and vegetables.

Animals under 6 months of age need to be fed four times a day. The diet includes vegetables, cottage cheese and whey.

Adult cats - from one year old - are fed with specialized food:

1. "Royal Canin" for Maine Coons.
2. "Bosch Sanabelle Grande" for large breeds.

Vitamins

The best set of vitamins for cats of this breed is found in fish oil, eggs, dairy products, and tomatoes. For healthy skin, give cabbage, liver, and yeast products. Vegetables and fruits will boost your cat's immunity. With the help of natural vitamins, you can balance your pet’s diet so that he gets the maximum benefit from his food.

But to maintain health, you also need special products that contain zinc, copper, manganese, and iron. Pet stores offer vitamin complexes with taurine. They improve vision and digestion. For good skin and coat condition, vitamin complexes with biotin are given. The animal also needs calcium, vitamin B6, A, B and D.

Maine Coon cat breed

They are famous for their hunting skills and love to watch birds outside the window. Catching a mosquito or a fly will not be difficult for them. If you suddenly find mice in your country house, feel free to forget about them and leave this matter to them. A distinctive feature of a hunter is his extraordinary mental abilities. He, like the Devon Rex, will never touch small pets and birds that live in the same territory with him. Shows indifference to aquarium fish.

The owner will be pleased with the complete absence of the habit of stealing or begging for tasty things. They simply consider it beneath their dignity, and do not show any interest in their master's food. You can be calm about the contents of your plate, since this cat will never get into it.

Maine Coons are great singers. They have amazing vocal abilities. It is rare to hear them meow, instead they make gentle purrs, purrs and coos. If you have several cats of this breed in the house, you can feel like an inhabitant of the savannah or simply be transported to the night forest; They communicate so interestingly with each other and with the owner. Every human intonation is easily remembered by these cats, and it’s as if you are having a real dialogue with your pet.

Cats of this breed have an entertaining way of “raking” the water in their bowl before they drink it. They can dig for something around the bowl and along the edges for a long time, as if trying to drive something away; they often continue their “excavations” in the water.

It is not uncommon to see Maine Coons picking up food from their bowl with their paw and putting it into their mouth, just like a human eating from a plate with a fork. It is amazing how, at first glance, paws that are completely unsuited for such a task cope with such a difficult task. These cats surprise with their ability to lift small objects from the floor, easily holding them in weight. Nothing is impossible for these cats: they can open interior doors and cabinet doors, and even turn on the water tap.

These cats love water. They are not afraid to bathe; they often turn over a tray of water and climb into sinks and washbasins. Despite their size, they are very fast. When necessary, Maine Coons behave quietly, retract their claws and step on surfaces softly and silently.

Interesting facts about animals

Vaccinations

The first vaccination is given at the age of two months. This is a complex against:

1. Viral infections.
2. Tracheitis.
3. Chlamydia.
4. Pailenkopenia.

To prevent the body from being overloaded with vaccines, a special vaccination schedule is prescribed. The first - up to a year.

It is necessary to vaccinate a kitten before three months and after eight months, since from 4 to 7 months, during the period of teeth change, the animal’s immunity will be weakened, and it does not need to be undermined by vaccines. Vaccinations are given only to healthy animals, before which an anthelmintic is given. 10 days before vaccination, the cat is treated against fleas and ticks. The second vaccination occurs along with the rabies vaccination. A doctor must administer the vaccine.

Education

On the one hand, Maine Coons are freedom-loving and independent and do not lend themselves to drill or “dog” training, on the other hand, they are very smart and trainable animals.

At an early age, the kitten is taught to use a litter tray and scratching post.

In further training, the method of prohibitions and rewards is used. Spanking, beating, or any physical punishment against these cats is excluded. Maine Coons are humane, they must know their owner as a source of affection. You can use a spray bottle of warm water to teach prohibitions.

When a cat scratches something that is not allowed or climbs onto a forbidden object, it is lightly sprayed with water, creating discomfort. You can use odors that are unpleasant for your pet, for example, citrus, by treating them, for example, with curtains that are torn or torn by a cat. You can train your Maine Coon using your favorite food, encouraging him to perform various actions, or through play.

Care

The Maine Coon, like any pet, needs to be carefully looked after and monitored for the pet’s health. A set of simple steps for care:

1. Vaccinate once a year against rabies, calcivirosis and other diseases.
2. Treat for fleas and ticks.
3. Brush about twice a week, more often during shedding periods. Bath several times a month.
4. Examine your teeth and gums for tartar buildup or other problems. If necessary, see a veterinarian and add vitamins to the diet.
5. Examine your eyes and wipe them daily with a clean piece of cotton wool. If discharge appears, wipe with a weak tea solution. If necessary, contact a specialist.
6. Use spacious trays with filler, preferably wood. Keep them clean at all times.
7. Communicate and play with the animal more often.

Growth up to a year and per year

The difference in weight and height between the sexes of cats is not large, but there is. An animal per month is in the range of 560-680 grams. In this case, a cat can reach 750 grams.

At 1 year old, a Maine Coon cat has a weight mark of 6 kg. At the same time, the cat may well score all 9.

It is worth noting that if the figure reaches 10 kg closer to 2 years, it means that the cat’s nutrition at one year old was not correct. It is necessary to contact a veterinarian without fail. 10 kg or more negatively affects the state of the cardiovascular system and joints.