10 Fascinating Facts About Maine Coon Cats
Here are 10 fascinating facts about Maine Coon cats that may just surprise you!
Maine Coons are famous for being the largest domesticated cat breed in the world and for their appearance in the award-winning Harry Potter movies. They are obsessed with water and have semi-water-repellent fur. These highly trainable cats can be taught to play ‘fetch’ and their behaviors often resemble those of a dog.
Keep reading to discover some interesting Maine Coon cat facts that you are unlikely to have heard before.
10 Fascinating Facts About Maine Coon Cats
Are you looking for 100 Maine Coon facts? Or, merely want to discover 10 facts about Maine Coon cats that you previously didn’t know?
Here are some awesome Maine Coon facts:
1. Maine Coon Cats Can Swim
Maine Coon cats are hiding an amazing secret behind all their thick dense fur.
In fact, their hidden talent is so well hidden that you likely did not even realize your huge and regal-looking Maine Coon cat is actually a very capable swimmer!
Whilst most cats stay clear of water, the Maine Coon is well known for being obsessed with it. Some Maine Coons even enjoy a bath!
So, do not be shocked when you find your gentle giant spending copious amounts of time splashing the water out of their bowl or drinking from the faucet.
Their semi-water-repellent fur means they really are not too bothered if they get wet.
2. They Have A Mysterious Lineage
Maybe you believe the claims that Maine Coons came about when a long-haired domestic cat mated with a raccoon.
Or, do you simply think these gentle giants come from French royalty?
Whatever you believe, you are not alone in wanting to discover what is the history of a Maine Coon cat.
The frustrating fact of the matter, however, is that no one knows for sure how the Maine Coon cat breed arrived in Maine, United States.
What we do know though, is that the Maine Coon used to be a wild cat.
Their superb hunting skills enabled them to live for many decades in the wilderness in Maine, eating prey such as:
- Small Rodents
- Insects
- Small Mammals
We will never know for sure if this cat breed is descended from the Norwegian Forest Cat or Turkish Angora cat, or were they Viking Ship cats, or Charles Coon’s ship cats?
It is clear, however, from various scientific studies that the myth relating to the Maine Coon cat being part Raccoon is biologically impossible.
3. Maine Coon Cats Are Built For Winter
Maine Coon cats are affectionately referred to as ‘snow cats’ due to their thick dense fur and massive paw pads.
Whereas other cat breeds might rush inside the second the temperature levels drop, this is not the case with the Maine Coon cat breed.
Instead, their three layers of thick dense fur help to keep them feeling snug and warm, even in the most bitter of winter climates.
Having survived many of Maine’s freezing cold winters whilst living undomesticated in the wild, it is safe to say that their thick fur works effectively!
The Maine Coon cat is also literally built for cold weather too since their extra-large paw pads enable them to walk on top of the snow, rather than sinking into it.
4. A Cat With A Human Face
Have you ever heard of the human-looking Maine Coon cat?
If not, you might be surprised to hear that one Maine Coon cat named Valkyrie became an internet star when people noticed his face strongly resembled that of a human being.
Whilst this story might sound a little far-fetched, it is actually true!
In general, though, the Maine Coon cat’s face does not usually resemble that of a human being. Instead, they are beautiful-looking felines. Their kind and loving eyes will melt your heart the second they look at you.
However, if you are more fond of cat faces that resemble human beings, then start your search for your ideal Maine Coon kitten with a registered Maine Coon cat breeder specializing in Russian Maine Coon cats.
Whilst these breeders cannot guarantee you a Maine Coon human face in their litters, cats from the Russian region tend to have a more serious regal look about them.
5. Oldest Maine Coon Cat On Record
The average lifespan of a Maine Coon cat is between 12 and 15 years old.
With this in mind, therefore, you might be surprised to hear that one treasured Maine Coon living in Exeter, UK, smashed this cat breed’s usual lifespan predictions when he reached a staggering 31 years!
Rubble, the Maine Coon cat, set the record for the oldest Maine Coon cat in the world after living until he was an eye-watering 31 years old.
With the average lifespan of cats in general being between 12-18 years, it is no wonder that Rubble became famous overnight.
However, despite such an impressive lifespan, Rubble cannot be considered the oldest cat in the world.
Instead, that world record is still held by a domestic cat named Creme Puff, who lived until the grand old age of 38 years. Creme Puff’s owner was Jake Perry, of Austin, Texas.
6. You Can Train A Maine Coon
Maine Coons are known to be exceptionally intelligent and trainable felines.
Therefore, as long as you start training them whilst they are still kittens, the Maine Coon tricks you can teach them are endless.
Why not teach your Maine Coon to do the following:
- Play fetch
- Pick things up
- Place their paw in your hand
- Go for walks on a harness
- Talk to you
You can even teach your Maine Coon to take their medicine! Please note that you should only teach them this Maine Coon trick if the vet has prescribed them medication that needs to be taken.
This was a personal favorite Maine Coon trick of ours, as it proved to be an invaluable skill for our Maine Coon cat to learn whilst young.
It has literally made it so easy for us to give Pippin (our male Maine Coon cat) his prescribed veterinary medicine.
It is worth noting though, that training a Maine Coon cat is substantially harder the older they get. These cats become stubborn with age, particularly the male Maine Coon cat.
So, if you have your heart set on your cat playing ‘fetch’ with your cat, start training them whilst they are still kittens!
7. The Cloned Cat Breed
Did you know that a Maine Coon cat was once cloned?
Whilst this story might sound a little far-fetched it is actually a true story, not a myth.
A woman living in Texas was left feeling devastated when her cat named Nicky died at 17 years old.
She loved ‘Nicky’ so much that she decided to genetically clone her dead cat, and call the new kitten ‘Little Nicky’.
A Maine Coon kitten named Little Nicky was genetically cloned for the eye-watering sum of $50,000 by a California company called Genetic Savings & Clone Inc (source 1).
The cloning received a great level of criticism within the scientific community, which almost universally slammed cat cloning as a bad thing.
8. Official State Cat Of Maine
One fascinating Maine Coon fact that you may not have heard about, is that the Maine Coon cat was named the ‘Official State Cat Of Maine’, in 1985.
Having originated in Maine, US, this huge cat breed won the hearts of the Maine population, having narrowly dodged extinction in previous years (source 1).
Once named the official state cat, the Maine Coon cat’s popularity rose dramatically.
9. Maine Coons Enjoy Going For Walks!
As mentioned earlier in this article, the Maine Coon cat is very trainable, provided that you introduce the training idea whilst they are still young.
You are likely not surprised to learn therefore that you can take your Maine Coon cat for a walk, on a leash, like a dog.
Whilst this is not something common to the UK population yet, the Americans are well known for their huge love of this cat breed.
They will therefore regularly take their Maine Coon cats out for a walk, using a harness.
10. Exceptionally Long Tails
If you have ever seen a Maine Coon cat, you know that their long tail is one of their much-loved attributes.
Whereas most cats’ tails measure roughly 12 inches long, the Maine Coon cat’s tail can reach a staggering 16 inches long!
Their long bushy tails are a sight for sore eyes, and have led many people to joke that Maine Coon cats have a ‘big bushy tail, with a cat attached’!!
So, why do Maine Coon cats have such long tails? And, do their tails have an actual purpose?
If you want to learn more about the Maine Coon cat tail make sure you read this article.
Conclusion
The famous Maine Coon cat has won the hearts of millions of owners across the world, but what is so special about the Maine Coon cat breed?
In this article, you will have discovered 10 fascinating facts about Maine Coon cats, that you likely did not know.
Whether it be that they have superb swimming abilities; or maybe you were shocked to discover that a Maine Coon cat was cloned?!
Whichever new Maine Coon fact and information you discovered, I hope you enjoyed reading some of the fascinating information about the Maine Coon cat breed.
Related Questions
Maine Coon Personality
Maine Coon cats have very loving and affectionate personalities. They adore spending time with their human family and will follow their owners from room to room, watching everything they do.
How Many Types Of Maine Coon Cats Are There
The Maine Coon cat is a single breed, that comes in a variety of different coat colors and patterns. It is thought there are 75 different Maine Coon colors in existence.
Maine Coon Size
The Maine Coon cat is the largest domesticated cat breed in the world, weighing in as large as 25lbs! They are the longest cat on record too, reaching up to 45 inches in length.
