If you’re a cat lover, then there is a certain amount of truth in the idea that one cat is much like another. These little pets are fun, resourceful creatures that will, if treated right, come to bond with their human in a way that only cat owners can really understand.
Any cat can be a good cat. If you sense a “but” around the corner, then here it is… all cats can be delightful pets, but you may find yourself besotted if you take in a Maine Coon – and once you’ve got one, it’s hard not to fall in love with them.
As you can see from the picture, Maine Coons are striking cats. They have naturally long fur, large expressive eyes, and when they grow to their full size they can be up to 1.5 times the size of a typical domestic cat. They’re also highly energetic, and as we’ll go on to see, they have a set of habits that you might not be familiar with even if you’ve been keeping cats for years…
They’re often called the “dogs of the cat world”
While many breeds of cat are – at least initially – quite standoffish around humans, Maine Coons are quite the opposite. The first time you bring one home, they’re likely to be shy like any cat, but once they have the measure of the place, they’re very present and cuddly. Much like dogs, they’re also happy just to be around you. If you’re working and can’t pick them up, most MCs will curl up at your feet and doze there.
They’re comfortable with the outdoors
Although you probably shouldn’t let your Maine Coon out (like any cat, they can cause chaos in local bird and other wildlife populations), they’re capable of dealing with even the harshest winter day. Thanks to their long, bushy, waterproof fur, their tufted paws and long tails, they can wrap up warm and wait out even the frostiest day. This is understood to be evolutionary, as early Maine Coons had to handle long New England winters.
They love water
Bathing a cat is nobody’s idea of the funnest time, least of all the cat themselves. However, the mess of fur and yelling that you expect from a feline is unlikely to materialize with a Maine Coon. In general, they love water perhaps the most out of any modern pet, and you should make sure you keep their cat water fountain topped up too; they enjoy drinking it as well as playing in it.
Oh, about playing…
If you get a cat because you expect a pet to be sedentary, then you might find your Maine Coon to be a surprise. These animals like to be active; they’re prodigious hunters, so they’ll enjoy dangling pole toys and anything that swishes around near then. They also like climbing, so getting a cat tree and building it high is also likely to go down well. Maine Coons have a lot of energy, so give them a chance to tire themselves out during the day – or you could find that they’ll keep you awake at nights…
If you’ve never had a Maine Coon before, they can take some getting used to. But once they’ve got their paws under the table, you’ll never regret taking them in.
