Maine Coons! Stories and Experiences?

Holly may look like a diva, but she's a total goofball. Friendly, sweet...everyone loves her. If she's sitting in the window and people walk by they wave to her...doesn't happen with my other cats and it's not always people who know her. Just looking at her seems to make people smile.

She's extremely inquisitive, has to help with everything. She loves to watch water...whether it's the toilet swirling or the kitchen faucet dripping. When she was a kitten she made the connection that the handle makes the toilet water swirl. She tried her hardest to pull that handle but didn't have the weight behind her to make it happen (the handle now has bite marks all over it). She finally gave up, I think if she tried now she's get it and my water bill would be astronomical. She pulls up the heating vent covers, moves cats beds around the house, swings the picture over the bed when she wants me to get up. Jumps off the headboard right on to my belly in the middle of the night...ooooomph!

Demands that she get a "topping" on her wet food (a few kibbles, some freeze dried chicken etc.). We have a ritual...I serve the food, she rejects it and gives me the evil eye until I provide the topping, then she'll eat. The topping cannot be put on the food when initially served...it gets rejected and then a different topping is required.

She loves a good treat toss...every piece becomes a hockey puck for at least 10 seconds before getting eaten. I often find her sprawled out on her back in the middle of the floor. I can blow raspberries on her belly.

She gets along fine with my other two cats, she's definitely low girl on the totem pole. She a peacemaker.

Grooming is something your really have to keep after. Once week combing/brushing works OK for me given my very busy schedule. But I'm usually cutting out a mat here and there, which can make her coat (especially her ruff) look pretty ragged. Doesn't bother me, but if you're showing your cat you can't have that. You need to prevent mats from forming and that's going to mean daily maintenance. She sheds quite a bit, but that's partly because she doesn't get daily grooming...the good thing is that it sits on the surface of the furniture or carpet and you can just run a hand or lint brush over it and get the worst of it. I have a much worse time getting up the short hair from my other two.

We are blessed with 2 beautiful coonies.

Tequila who turned a year old this month is just a sweetheart. He tips the scale at 17 lbs and is a sturdy boy. He is like a dog. He's not a lap cat. He will sleep by you and want to be near you where ever you are. Cuddle time is on his time. Not yours.
I also trained Tequila to shake a paw, give me high 5's and play fetch. They are very intelligent too.

Maya is 7 months old and she is a little fearless bugger. She's at about 7 lbs and is very long. She is very much like doodlebug's Holly. She is very expressive. She will chatter/trill/talk when she needs to do #2, she will tell you when she wants to cuddle amongst other things. Cuddling with her is her laying on our chest and suckling on our earlobe while kneeding our face. We've got to watch out for the sharp claws. We call her fearless because when she was not even 4 months old, she jumped from the cat tree to the kitchen counter that was about 5 feet away. She will balance on the back of the dining room chairs and then jump. She looks like a flying squirrel all spread out. LOL!

Shows are a lot of work. I took them a show last month and they did very well. Would I do it again? I don't know. That's an entire thread itself.

MC's coat is actually suppose to be easier to care for when it comes to long haired cats. I find that true. Grooming any long hair cats should be done on a regular basis. Tequila has a longer coat than Maya right now. He's had a few more mats than her but I have not had to use scissors yet to get them out. I just use a comb with rotating teeth and it works the mats out without alot of pulling and yanking. A good quality brush and comb is a necessity.

They are known to be the gentle giants. And they do live up to that name. Although I do think it all depends on the upbringing too. They both got along with our senior, anti-social manx. We didn't the introduction period. And that says a lot.

I can take either of them on an elevator with dogs in it and they will sit in my arms and just look and even try to play with the dogs. Their temperments all depends if the breeder did their job or not. It all begins from there.

Maine Coons are a joy to have as pets. If you are fortunate to be owned by one of these, you won't regret it.

My Saoirse is a Maine ****. I love the breed (this is my second) because they attach themselves to a family member and want to be around them all the time. If I get up to go to the bathroom, she follows me. Leave the computer to make some tea, she follows me downstairs. They are not usually lap cats (some are) but want to sit next to you instead. Many are fascinated with water. Saoirse spends a lot of time just sitting in the wet sink and loves to lick water from the faucet. She jumps into the wet shower while I'm drying off and will roll around in it. Likes to drop kibble in her water bowl and play with it too.

Since they are a natural breed their coats are easier to take care of than some other long-haired breeds but I do brush her out a few times a week especially now when she is shedding her winter coat. I clip her claws and brush her teeth at the same time and keep all her grooming supplies in a small basket. They are prone to getting mats under the front legs and on the belly. MCs don't meow so much as "trill" their vocalizations and many have very beautiful musical-sounding voices. Many (but not all) have a silky ruff on their front and long tufts of fur that grow out of the tips of their ears (lynx tips). This gives them a wild look. I think a large male with long lynx tips is a much wilder looking cat than many designer cats that result from domesticated breeds crossed with wild cats.

MC don't reach full growth until around 4 years of age with females much smaller (mine is 11 solid pounds of muscle) than the males. They act like kittens well into adulthood too. Saoirse bites at my buttons when I hold her and bats at my earbuds. Any bit of ribbon or string embellishment on my clothes and she uses those big snowshoe paws of hers to go for it. Sleeps very little too and wants you to play with her constantly. When she runs (gallops) through the house it sounds like a horse is bearing down on you. Some MCs love cat and dog company and others don't. Depends on the cat.

Right now Saoirse is kind of mad at me:catsm. I had her microchipped Saturday and the needle was BIG so she is hanging out downstairs watching birds and hitting up hubby for more chicken. I think she is still a bit sore because she hasn't dragged "bird on a stick" up here yet and demanded play time.

Pedigree MC kittens around here are expensive and there can be a waiting list. A cheaper alternative is a retired breeding cat like mine. However, the breeders are very picky about who gets their cats and will want references so be prepared. Adopting a retired show or breeding cat means you get a gorgeous animal (many are champions) for a fraction of the going kitten price. They are neutered when you get them and usually well taken of. When you are checking around for kittens, ask the breeders if they have any adults available or do they anticipate retiring any of their queens or studs soon. Go to cat shows and introduce yourself to the local breeders too.

I registered with the "Fancier's Breeder Referral List-Retired" to receive tweets when retired breeding cats were available. Got the tweet about Saoirse on a Monday morning and she was here with us the next Sunday. I had just about given up hope finding an affordable MC when Saoirse entered our lives. She is such a joy. I hope you are able to find one of these cats to call your own.