How Big Are Maine Coon Cats?
If you have seen photos of these enormous, majestic beasts, you might want to know how big are Maine Coon cats?
After all, many of the photos look unbelievable, and some people even wonder if they have been photoshopped!
Male Maine Coons weigh between 15 – 25 pounds on average and measure 19 to 40 inches long and 10 to 16 inches tall. Female Maine Coons are slightly smaller, and they typically weigh about 8 to 12 pounds on average. They generally measure between 19 and 40 inches long and 8 to 14 inches tall. They also have very large paws and long tails.
If you want a cat that more closely resembles its wild ancestors than its domesticated relatives, then the Maine Coon might be the cat for you!
Not only do their faces look like wildcats, but they are also the largest domesticated cats in the world.
Read on to find out all about the Maine Coon’s incredible size.
How Big Are Maine Coon Cats?
The Maine Coon is a rugged, wild-looking cat that has become famous for being the largest domesticated cat breed in the entire world.
Their long, thick fur might make them look a bit bigger than they truly are, but their stocky, muscular build and huge ancestors are mostly responsible for how big these cats are.
However, the size of Maine Coons varies a lot based on cat genetics as well as their gender.
Looking at Maine Coon size and weight is a great place to start if you are trying to understand how big these cats are.
However, if you want to know more specific information like how big are Maine Coon cats feet, you might be better off getting a Maine Coon of your own! (source 1).
Here is a quick comparison of female and male Maine Coon dimensions.
Male Maine Coon Dimensions
Below are the dimensions of a male Maine Coon cat:
1. Weight
Male Maine Coons weigh between 15 – 25 pounds on average once they are fully grown.
2. Full Length
If you measure a Maine Coon from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail, it typically measures between 30 and 56 inches.
Without including the tail, they typically measure between 19 and 40 inches long.
If you are curious about Maine Coon size cm, they typically measure between 48.26 and 101.6 centimeters long, not including the tail.
3. Height
Male Maine Coons stand between 10 and 16 inches tall on average.
4. Tail Length
The average tail length for Maine Coons is between 11 and 16 inches.
The longest recorded tail length for Maine Coons (and, by extension, any domesticated cat breed) is 16.3 inches!
Learn more about why the Maine Coon Cat Tail is so long.
Female Maine Coon Dimensions
Below are the key dimensions of a female Maine Coon cat:
1. Weight
The average weight of a fully-grown female Maine Coon is between 8 and 12 pounds.
2. Full Length
At their full length, female Maine Coons measure between 30 and 56 inches long.
If you want to know how long are Maine Coon cats without measuring the tail, they typically measure between 19 and 40 inches long.
3. Height
If you want to know how tall are Maine Coon cats, female Maine Coons measure, on average, between 8 and 14 inches tall.
4. Tail Length
The tail length of female Maine Coons ranges between 11 and 16 inches long.
Maine Coon Male Vs Female Size
If you have ever wondered are male Maine Coons bigger than females, here is a Maine Coon size comparison by sex.
Many animals differ in size and appearance based on sex. For example, female bald eagles tend to weigh 10 to 15 pounds, while males only weigh between 6 and 9 pounds.
Like humans, male cats are more likely to be bigger than females.
So, how big are female Maine Coon cats compared to males?
Female Maine Coons typically measure 8 to 14 inches tall and 8 to 12 pounds, while males measure about 10 to 16 inches tall and weigh between 12 and 25 pounds.
How Big Is An Average Maine Coon Cat?
If you want to know how big are full grown Maine Coon cats, size will depend on many factors like:
- Diet
- Genetics
- Gender
So, what is the average size of a male Maine Coon cat and a female Maine Coon cat?
The average size of a male Maine Coon is 15 to 25 pounds, 19 to 40 inches long, and 10 to 16 inches tall.
The average female Maine Coon weighs between 8 and 12 pounds and measures between 19 and 40 inches long and 8 to 14 inches tall.
Maine Coon Size Chart
If you have ever wondered how big are Maine Coon cats at six months, here is a handy chart so you can find the average weight of a Maine Coon by age.
| Chart created by: mainecooncentral.com | Maine Coon Male (lbs) | Maine Coon Female (lbs) |
|---|---|---|
| Newborn | 0.2 – 0.37 | 0.2 – 0.33 |
| 1 Month | 1.37 – 1.8 | 1.2 – 1.63 |
| 3 Months | 3.7 – 5.3 | 3.3 – 5 |
| 6 Months | 7.5 – 13 | 6.8 – 9.5 |
| 1 Year | 12.8 – 19.9 | 9.9 – 14.3 |
| 2-5 Years | 12.8 – 25 | 9.9 – 15 |
| 5 + Years | 15 – 25 | 9.9 – 15 |
This Maine Coon size chart by age compares male and female Maine Coons from when they are first born to when they eventually stop growing between the ages of 3 and 5.
Maine Coon Size Record
If you want to know how big Maine Coon cats grow, they usually weigh between 8 – 25 pounds once they have reached their full size.
For those of you who are curious about the exceptions to this rule, though, there are many Maine Coons that have far exceeded their average dimensions.
Here are the five biggest Maine Coon cats that have ever been recorded (source 1):
1. Stewie
Stewie still holds the record for the largest Maine Coon ever recorded!
He measured a total of 48.5 inches.
Stewie was a loving, sweet cat who spent his free time volunteering as a therapy cat at a local senior center.
His community was devastated when, on February 4th, 2013, Stewie passed away at age 8.
Even though he has since passed, no cat has broken his record since.
2. Barivel
Barivel is the largest domestic cat alive today.
After Stewie passed, the title for largest living cat passed to Barivel, who measures a total of 47.2 inches long!
Today, he lives with his loving owners in Italy and has thousands of adoring fans on his Instagram account.
Learn more about Barivel The Maine Coon Cat.
3. Ludo
Ludo once held the record for the longest cat alive before that title was passed to another cat.
At his largest, Ludo measured a total of 46.6 inches long and weighed an incredible 34 pounds!
Sadly, he died in June of 2019.
4. Omar
Omar is another incredible Maine Coon who resides in Australia.
His owners provide him with a diet of raw kangaroo meat, which is perhaps what helped him get so big!
Not only does this cat weigh about 30 pounds, but he also measures 47.2 inches long!
5. Cygnus
Cygnus was immortalized in the Guinness Book of World Records for his incredible tail, which measured a total of 17.58 inches.
Tragically, Cygnus and his feline friend Arcturus both died in 2017 when a fire blazed through his family’s home.
How Big Are Giant Maine Coon Cats?
Most Maine Coons average between:
- Weight: 8 – 25 lbs
- Length: 19 – 40 inches
- Height: 8 – 16 inches
While these dimensions are already quite large, you might want to know how big are the biggest Maine Coons?
The largest recorded Maine Coon was Stewie, who measured a total length of 48.5 inches!
Of course, it was pure luck that Stewie’s owners ended up with such a massive cat, but who knows? You might just get lucky enough to get a Maine Coon that is just as big!
Why Are Maine Coon Cats So Large?
If you want to know why are Maine Coons so big, here are three reasons why these cats are so massive:
1. Enormous Ancestry
Genetic testing shows that the closest relative to the Maine Coon is the Norwegian Forest Cat.
These cats were once kept by Vikings, and it is believed they were brought by ship to northeastern America sometime before the 1800s.
Maine Coon cats were already quite large, but a combination of natural and intentional selection has made them even bigger.
2. Natural Selection
Natural selection means that animals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and bear offspring than animals without those traits.
The Maine Coon originated in the state of Maine, where it is believed Norwegian Forest Cats mated with local domestic and feral cats until the Maine Coon breed was developed.
The harsh, snowy climate meant that larger, more muscular cats with wide paws were better able to travel through the snow and successfully kill prey.
3. Intentional Selection
In the mid-1800s, sailors and farmers took an interest in these enormous cats, which often had wide, polydactyl paws.
Their paws allowed them to better grip mice and other pests, making them more proficient hunters than other cats in the area.
Farmers and sailors were more likely to keep Maine Coons than other cats and preferred cats with bigger paws.
Today, large Maine Coons are more popular than ones of average size, which means the breed will likely only get larger (source 1).
What Cat Is Bigger Than A Maine Coon
While Ragdolls, Savannahs, Siberians, and Norwegian Forest Cats are some of the largest cat breeds out there, there are no domesticated cat breeds bigger than the Maine Coon.
The Maine Coon even rivals certain wildcats in size!
For example, bobcats typically weigh between 13 and 30 pounds and measure between 30 and 50 inches long.
While bobcats are usually a bit taller than Maine Coons, standing about 21 inches tall, there are many Maine Coons that weigh much more than the average bobcat! (source 1).
Maine Coon Size Compared To Normal Cat
If you’ve ever wondered how big are Maine Coon cats compared to normal cats, here’s a chart to show you the main size differences between regular cats and Maine Coons.
| By Maine Coon Central | Maine Coon Male | Maine Coon Female | Regular Cat Male | Regular Cat Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 12 – 25 lbs | 8 – 12 lbs | 6 – 10 lbs | 6 – 10 lbs |
| Height | 10 – 16 inches | 8 – 14 Inches | 10 Inches | 9 Inches |
| Length | 19 – 40 Inches | 19 – 40 Inches | 28 Inches | 20 Inches |
| Tail Length | 11 – 16 inches | 11 – 16 Inches | 11 Inches | 9.9 Inches |
When it comes to a comparison of Maine Coon vs normal cats, Maine Coons are significantly larger.
Even the female Maine Coon size vs normal cat size is much bigger, even though female Maine Coons are much smaller than the males (source 1,2,3).
Read our complete guide on Maine Coon Vs Regular Cat Information.
Maine Coon Size Comparison To Dog
While the largest cat breed weighs about 8 to 25 pounds, the smallest cat breed weighs just about 5 pounds!
While this may seem like a drastic difference, it is nothing compared to the diversity of dogs.
Even though both dogs and cats were domesticated from just one species, why is it that dogs vary so much in shape and size than cats?
After all, while the smallest dog breed weighs just a pound, the largest dog can weigh well over 150 pounds!
The reasoning for this comes down to how and why humans domesticated cats and dogs in the first place.
Most cat breeds are pretty similar in size and shape because, historically, their only job has been to hunt pests.
Furthermore, cat domestication was a more passive process than the domestication of dogs.
Cats incidentally began hanging around humans once they began storing grain, which attracted mice.
Humans kept these cats around since they were so good at hunting pests, but they did not make an effort to change them.
After all, the size and shape of a cat do not affect its ability to hunt!
Dogs, meanwhile, have been domesticated to perform all sorts of jobs from guarding to hunting.
The tiniest of dogs were kept as companions.
The long, skinny body of a dachshund was perfect for hunting otters, badgers, and other tunnel-dwelling creatures.
The enormous Great Pyrenees were bred to keep wolves from stealing sheep.
Today, cats may not vary much in size, but perhaps one day this will change.
After all, the Maine Coon has skyrocketed in popularity due to its size, and it is possible that responsible breeders might be able to produce Maine Coons that are bigger than small and medium dogs! (source 1,2,3).
What Makes A Maine Coon Cat Different?
The most obvious difference between Maine Coons and regular cats is their impressive size.
However, many other behavioral traits separate Maine Coons from normal cats, as well.
Here are some examples:
Voice
Everybody knows that most cats meow, but the Maine Coon has a soft, distinctive voice that is completely different from most cats.
Instead of meowing, they usually:
- Squeak
- Chirp
- Trill
Maine Coons usually only vocalize if they want something such as attention or playtime, but they occasionally like to have little “chats” with their owners for fun, too.
Doglike Personality
Maine Coons are often called the dogs of the cat world because of their intelligence, cat trainability, and ability to learn tricks or how to play fetch.
Maine Coons are also incredibly loyal and often follow their owners around the house.
Fondness For Water
It is no secret that most cats hate water, but did you know that many Maine Coons love to play in water?
This can likely be attributed to their snowy origins and semi-water-repellant fur.
Lots of Maine Coons love to hang out by the sink or tub, and may even learn to turn on faucets!
Paws
Many people know that Maine Coons have much larger, wider paws than the average cat.
Maine Coons are also more likely to be polydactyl, meaning they are more likely to have extra toes. Read more about the Polydactyl Maine Coon Cat.
Another unique feature of Maine Coons is that they often use their paws like hands!
Many Maine Coons dip their paws into their food or water bowls which, while messy, is also pretty adorable.
Some Maine Coons even learn how to open doors!
Patience
Despite their size and wild looks, Maine Coons are one of the gentlest, most patient cat breeds out there.
They get along famously well with kids, and will even tolerate playing dress-up or tea party! Is dressing up a cat cruel though? Find out about the Dangers Of Dressing A Cat.
They are also great if you already have pets, as Maine Coons love to make friends with just about any animal.
Conclusion
Many people want to know how big are Maine Coon cats, but when they see pictures, they cannot help but wonder, are Maine Coons really that big?
Even though some owners use Photoshop or forced perspective to make their cats look bigger than they are, Maine Coons are significantly bigger than the average cat.
So, how large do Maine Coon cats get?
On average, they weigh between 8 and 25 pounds and measure 19 to 40 inches long and 8 to 16 inches tall, making them the largest domesticated cat breed in the entire world.
