Maine Coon Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)Here are the most Frequently Asked Questions we get on a daily basis. Is my cat a Maine Coon?Although many long haired cats share similar characteristics to the Maine Coon, there is no definite way to tell if a cat or kitten is a Maine Coon just by looks or behavior. The Maine Coon is America's only native longhair cat and evolved in response to New England climate. Although your cat may have similar characteristics and/or behaviors to the breed. Really, the only way to prove a cat is a Maine Coon is by looking at a cat's pedigree going back several generations or more. Without a pedigree proving the cat in question is in fact a Maine Coon, there is really no way to tell. How big does a Maine Coon get?From own personal observations at our cattery and talking to other Maine Coon breeders, we can say with a degree of certainty that Maine Coon females run in the 8lb to 14lb range. The Maine Coon male can run on average from 13lb to 25lb with some healthy, non overweight males making it into the 30+ lb range (not a myth!!!). How long does it take for a Maine Coon to mature?Maine Coons take an average of between 3 to 5 years to fully mature although usually within the first 18 months you should have a good indication of how big your Maine Coon is going to get. Also remember that fixed (spayed or neutered) Maine Coons will weigh more than breeding males and females. I heard that Maine Coons are big nasty tempered cats, are they?The Maine Coon breed is also known as the "Gentle Giants" and the cats themselves are very lovable and friendly. Most Maine Coons prefer to watch their owners perform whatever activity is going on at that moment and sometimes will try to help out. The personality of the breed is not known for "lap cats" but for a cat that prefers to sit or lay close by to you. But there are always exceptions to that rule and we've had a few Maine Coon "lap cats" at the cattery. The Maine Coon males tend to be clown-like, love to play and get attention with the Maine Coon female being more dignified but still love to play and show affection. These cats adjust well to multi-pet households and as well as get along with most children too. The Maine Coon is very intelligent and can be taught tricks such as fetch and even to shake hands. Don't be surprised if you take away a cat toy or cat treats and hide them only later on to be found in possession of your Maine Coon, they're smart. What colors and patterns does a Maine Coon come in?Maine Coons not only come in the more standard browns and silvers the most people think of but the breed comes in over 30 or more colors. These colors contain such a variety including blues, blacks, browns, reds, silvers and whites to name a few. The Maine Coon comes in different mixing patterns such as mackerels, shaded, smokes, torbies, with white, and even solid colors such as black, blue, red, white and tortoiseshell Maine Coons.  The Main Coon breed's eye color varies but the primary eye colors are green, gold or copper. Blue eyes, or one blue eye with one gold eye, are possible in white coat cats. Lastly, all Maine Coons share similar facial markings usually with a distinct "M" pattern on the forehead. For more information on Maine Coon Colors, we've written an article with the CFA color standards and with MORE pictures of the colors that we produce here at the Timberkatz Cattery. What kind of grooming regiment does a Maine Coon require?The Maine Coon coat is one that is a shaggy coat which is soft and silky to the touch. The fur is dense and water resistant developed over time for the harsh New England climate where the breed is said to originate. Longer hair is found both on the Maine Coon's ruff (on their chests similar to the mane of a lion) and on the back of their legs (known as britches). Maine Coon's fur consists of 2 layers, an undercoat which has wooly or down hairs, (soft hairs that provide additional insulation), coarser awn hairs, (having thickened tips that are longer than the down hairs), and guard hairs (coarse, thick, protective hairs) that make up the topcoat. It is the guard hairs which makes the Maine Coon water resistant, being able to repel both snow and water on their coat. With all that said, the coat of Maine Coon is very easily groomed and should be done once or twice a week (depending on the season and the amount of fur). Special attention should paid to the stomach, chest, leg and britches areas of the Maine Coon since this is where most matting of the fur happens. When it does, just gently comb out the matt or pickup a special de-matting comb sold at most pet stores for cats. Why do you not let your Maine Coon kittens go before 12 weeks of age as some breeders do?The first 12 weeks of a kitten's life are crucial to its healthy development. When a kitten leaves its environment before 12 weeks of age, it can experience social, emotional and health issues throughout its lifetime. Most reputable breeders won't let their kittens go before the 12th week. Those that do are more interested in moving the kitten out of their cattery and getting their money as opposed to producing a happy, healthy and well adjusted kitten. If a breeder lets you take a kitten home before 12 weeks of age, BUYER BEWARE, they may be a dreaded BACKYARD BREEDER! To be a better educated kitten buyer, please read the following article about the Kitten Development Stages. What sets Timberkatz Cattery apart from others that are out there?Our kittens are handled from birth, monitored and given the attention needed for them to thrive. Once the kittens are able to crawl out of the crib and litterbox trained (at 4-5 weeks of age), they are allowed to roam our home. The kittens are raised underfoot, not kept in cages and are in constant human contact on a daily basis. When our kittens leave our home to go to yours, they're ready to be a loving member of your family. We photograph our kittens and post pictures of them in our Photo Gallery showing how our kittens grow from a few days old to 12 weeks old when they leave our home. We are the only breeder on the internet that has over 1,000 pictures online of our cats/kittens. We post pictures of each litter and once these kittens leave the cattery, we post updated pictures when they become availiable. Our cats are shown in various cat show circuits such as CFA, CFF & TICA throughout the year as long as the show don't conflict with our busy work schedules. Although we'd like to show more, the reality of the matter is that we go to as many cat shows as we can based on our work schedules. We are always doing research to learn more about cat behaviors, feline diseases, feline genetics and other related topics to keep us better informed about what we do. Good breeders are required to continue learning and it's not just about putting a male and female cat together to have a litter of kittens. We do test our adult cats to make sure our Maine Coons are healthy and take them in for yearly checkups. For a list of things we test our Maine Coons for, just ask us. We fell in love with the Maine Coon breed and want others to learn about the breed. We love to answer questions about the Maine Coon breed, our cats and kittens, passing along information to anyone else who wants to know. Just go and read some of our Articles that we've written to better inform the public. We have many former clients of ours that have
signed our guestbook to back up these claims and we have more
testimonials in our Before
and After pages on our website. By all means, look around our web site and if you have any questions, drop us an e-mail and we'd be glad to assist you.
|
