Maine Coon character and habits
Craving for everything unique does not pass by the breeders of unusual animals. One of these pets today is the Maine Coon cat with its inherent regality and large size. Consideration of the topic of his character and habits deserves special attention.
Description of the breed
Maine Coon is often called a wild cat for his formidable and majestic appearance. Felinologists are still arguing about the history of the origin of these animals, which differ from ordinary cats in their size and appearance. It is believed that Maine Coons first appeared in the northwestern United States, in Maine, which partly explains the name of the breed.
Meny-kun is called the Maine raccoon cat, she appeared at the end of the 19th century, belongs to the long-haired cat breed. Its average life span is about 12-15 years. Height at the withers varies from 25 to 45 cm, and the length from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail in some cases reaches 1 m or more. There are cases when the length of males reached 135 cm.
The Maine Coon has a large head, massive and high legs, a powerful chest. It cannot be confused with ordinary cats due to its unusual appearance. The coon's ears have tassels like a lynx. In addition, he has prominent cheekbones, and the shape of the head is oval, elongated upward. There are long horizontal hairs in the ears, and there are tassels between the claws of the paws.
Maine Coon eyes are different from those of ordinary cats. They are not round, but rather oval, they seem to be half-closed. Perhaps that is why the animal's gaze is imperious or even regal. Such a pet is always self-confident, its weight can reach 13-15 kg. Kittens grow very quickly, acquiring all the external features of the breed by 3 months.
That is why they try not to buy them before reaching this age, because given the high cost of the animal, there are scammers among the breeders.
Maine raccoon cat with developed muscles is very graceful, unlike mongrel cats, it has a very long and fluffy tail. As for the wool, it is incredibly thick and dense, but at the same time silky. The color of the animal can be different, for example, solid smoky, spotted or brindle.
Maine Coon never makes heart-rending sounds that yard cats are famous for. Whatever he needs, he will melodiously say about it, purring his request to the owner or mistress of the dwelling.
Advantages and disadvantages
Those who want to get an exotic animal need to know its positive and negative sides. For example, this pussy is not so easy to care for: its excrement exudes an eerie smell, and therefore you need to get rid of waste products immediately. In addition, she has a strong shedding, from which scraps of wool will be scattered literally everywhere, which will require constant and thorough cleaning. In addition to her, you will have to save your pet from excess hair, because without leaving it will roll into tangles, provoking the appearance of various diseases.
Maine Coon is a huge cat, and it is weight that is often his predisposition to cardiac problems. The health of the animal will have to be constantly taken care of, because the representatives of the breed may experience problems such as dysplasia of the hip joints and arthritis. Specialist supervision and active development are prerequisites for care.
You need to feed the coon correctly, because ordinary cat food is not suitable for him. Moreover, he should have his own diet, balanced and correct.... He loves industrial-type feed, which can be either wet or dry.But the price of such food differs significantly from the analogs of its segment, as well as the cost of the cats themselves, which amounts to several tens of thousands of rubles.
Cats are active and fully mentally mature by the age of three. However, during this time in the house, they will have time to destroy the upholstered furniture, and even other interior items. Moreover, if a person comes across a cat with character, in the presence of other pets, he will take on the role of the leader of the pack, and this can affect the character of other pets.
Walking with the Maine Coon is not so easy either. Despite all his charisma and regal greatness, he can not resist seeing the bird. The owner will have to try to prevent the ruin of bird nests by constantly training the cat and walking him in a harness.
We'll have to take care of preventive vaccinations in a timely manner, visit a veterinarian, and give the animal antiparasitic drugs.
Considering that the cat is clean, you will have to make sure that no wool lumps stagnate in her stomach. To do this, they usually use a special paste that cleans the pet's body and prevents intestinal obstruction. It will also be useful to grow weed, which cats adore.
However, despite a lot of negative points, the coons themselves are truly unique creatures. They love to eat very much, although they have to dose food in order to avoid feeling unwell. Cats are literally mesmerized by the water, on the jets of which they can look for a long time, and therefore bathing will not be a problem. Although, on the other hand, spilled water may remain after it if the cat decides to frolic.
Coons are quite sociable and not depressed. They have a beautiful and wide chest, often almond-shaped eyes. Cats are empathetic, delicate and, unlike many brethren, can do an upright stance. Their period of activity lasts at least 5 years, after which some individuals may have a decrease in playfulness.
Even taking into account their excellent appetite and a threefold portion of food in comparison with an ordinary cat, they do not allow themselves to beg for food, relying on the fact that the owner himself must know that the animal is hungry. This is convenient and allows you to adapt to their feeding regime. In addition to industrial food, the pussy also loves natural food.
Mating becomes possible when the cat reaches the age of one and a half to two 1.5-2 years.
How do cats differ from cats?
Despite the unity of the breed, female Maine Coons are different from males. For example, one of the differences is size. The body weight of the females is less, as is the degree of development of the muscles and the length from the nose to the tip of the tail. As a rule, males are heavier and larger, their weight often exceeds 10-11 kg.
Differences can also be traced in the behavior of male cats. As they grow up, they acquire not only independence, but also complete confidence in their own superiority. Their character changes: in other individuals, there is a tendency to dominance, willfulness, or even some stubbornness. These character traits interfere with learning, but if you let the situation take its course, then problems will come in the future.
As a rule, they flow into complete disobedience and non-recognition of the owner. Cats of the breed are more affectionate, they often show affection for the owner. However, their mood can be changeable, and therefore Unlike males, Maine girls do not always follow on the heels of a person... However, they are cleaner and love to groom their fur for hours.
As for the puberty period, it is accompanied by scratching of the doors in cats and the urge to escape into the street. Cats, on the other hand, are not so active and do not seek to run away from home. Speaking about such a moment as marking the territory, it is worth noting an interesting nuance: during the sexual hunt, cats not only mark their territory, but also guard it jealously.
Getting rid of the fetid odor is very problematic, and the urine of cats smells sharply, it is impossible to reduce it even by castration.
During estrus, the behavior of females may differ from the usual. Cats, unlike cats, when communicating with the owner or owner, tend to show their attitude and win the favor of a person. If the animal is guilty of something, it seems that it understands its guilt and agrees to compromise, which is rare in some wayward cats. If we compare the hunting instinct, then in females it is better developed: they love to hunt rodents and birds. There is an opinion that at the same time animals draw a clear line between pets and street prey.
How do they behave?
Both male and female raccoon cats are naturally smart and quick-witted. They are quite quick-witted, amenable to training and are characterized by an easygoing disposition. There is usually no problem with training these animals. In addition, these pets intuitively feel the mood of the owner.
Despite its large size and formidable appearance, almost any Maine Coon is peaceful. It is not without reason that they call him a born contemplator: the animal is curious, he is interested in literally everything. It loves open space, but at the same time it is in accordance with the living conditions. However, crampedness can strain the Maine Coon, whose type tends to be sanguine.
The representative of the cat breed has an excellent memory, he is able to memorize not only the commands of the owner, but also to distinguish the intonation of the voice. Guided by human gestures, manner of conversation and intonation, the cat catches emotions. His behavior is considered deliberate: he, faster than his usual brother, guesses how to open the door with his paws using the handle. In addition, it is easy to teach him to use the toilet.
Maine Coon's habits are unique. He studies not only living objects or occurring events: he is often carried away by a film on a monitor or TV screen. In this case, the animal often studies not only movements, but also sound. As for other character traits, here, too, the coon is different from the usual domestic cat.
He is surprisingly positive about water and water treatments. Both a small kitten and an adult cat love to splash in the water, both in the bathtub and in the open pond. When he is thirsty, he first tastes the water by dipping his paw into it and bringing it to his tongue.
Having licked the drop, he determines whether it is worth drinking the given liquid.
Regardless of the condition of the animal, it rarely hisses. His "voice" differs from other cats: it is rather a purr than a meow. Some breeders note that the cat's "voice" resembles a bird's chirping. Such a pet cannot be called a thief: he is not interested in the master's food left on the table. What is going on around him is much more interesting for him, and therefore he will gladly climb onto the windowsill to observe what is happening on the other side of the glass.
The parental instinct of pedigree cats is also interesting. If ordinary cats strive to distance themselves from raising offspring, then male coons, on the contrary, try to take every possible part in teaching little fidgeting kittens the wisdom of life. At the same time, they take an active part in the formation of their habits and regal attitude towards everything that happens.
By their example, they show how to behave, protect kids from falling.
An interesting point about the behavior of cats is the fact that they eat differently from their usual counterparts. They will not bury their heads in food, but instead will begin to eat with their paws, picking up each portion of food with their claws. For the rest, they do not tolerate loneliness and always wait with barely noticeable impatience for the owners from work. If the kun gets very bored, he will follow the person for a long time or even sit next to him, if he is allowed to.
Attitude towards people and other animals
The nature of the Coons goes against their appearance.This formidable at first glance cat is surprisingly mobile and curious. She loves to study everything that is possible, she is distinguished by good nature and complaisance of character. However, despite the fact that she is peaceful and plays with everyone with pleasure, she singles out one person from the family, whom she favors more than others.
This cat does not accept familiar relations with strangers, and even guests of the household. She not only does not allow herself to be similar, but also does not tolerate the same in relation to herself, and therefore he will not allow himself to be cuddled or hugged until he has fully studied the person. Before starting any kind of communication with a new person, the cat examines him for a long time. In relation to children, she is peaceful, never allows herself to harm them. If the child hurts the cat during the game, the animal prefers to leave.
As for other pets, the Maine Coon gets along well with them. If a conflict is brewing, then he is never its initiator. The cat understands the separation of objects that are in the house, as theirs and strangers. He does not take someone else's, playing with his toys, and different things can be used as them. He can carry himself away even with an ordinary trinket.
It is also noteworthy that Mei-kun does not allow himself to behave badly when dealing with dogs. He carries himself with dignity, without any aggression, fear or mistrust. In most cases, this cat is prone to sociability, and this is precisely the reason for her getting along with other pets. In addition, by nature, it is characterized by the expansion of the pack.
However, there are individuals who look at small rodents or domestic birds with hunting eyes.
Habits
Maine raccoon cat is very active and does not feel embarrassed when moving around the house (apartment). Unlike sedentary cats, this animal moves most of its time. This is normal and contributes to the development of the skeletal and muscular systems. An active cat cannot be restricted in movement, because it needs constant physical activity.
Maine has a developed hunter instinct: he can sit in ambush for a long time, tracking down potential prey. At the same time, the pet is very smart and resourceful. He is able to understand his name and is quick to learn some commands. For example, being in the same situation several times, he quickly understands what needs to be done.
For example, after the phrase "let's look ..." he will already raise his head and search.
Kuhn is very resourceful and can amuse himself. However, it is worth noting that without learning, he grows up completely different and cannot fully reveal his abilities. In no case should you offend him, because the handsome raccoon can distance himself from people from this. A hyperactive cat vitally needs special toys, scratching posts, as well as large playgrounds. Walking in the fresh air is a prerequisite for the active growth and health of the animal.
Owner reviews
Most Maine Coon breeders agree that the representatives of this breed are quite sociable and communicative. The owners are convinced that cats are unique and really behave royally towards all family members and even other pets. Breeders note that much depends on the name given to the pussies to reflect their majesty and grace. They are intelligent, well-mannered creatures. - commentators note, leaving reviews on the vastness of the World Wide Web.
In their opinion, sometimes coons treat dogs better, while they may be reluctant to go into their arms. However, some representatives of the breed still do not like water, while others are allergic to dairy products.
In some reviews, it is noted that cats literally meet their owners at the doorstep, missing them during the day, nuzzle the owner and sniffle.
10 interesting facts about Maine Coons, see the video below.