The Maine Coon breed is easily recognizable by its distinctive long thick hair. But, as with any long-haired species, the hair will require regular grooming, to prevent matting and tangles from developing.
Maine Coons require daily grooming to prevent their hair from becoming matted and tangled. Use a soft brush to detangle your Maine Coons thick dense fur. Washing their fur will also help to loosen excess hair that has become tangled within their fur. Clip Maine Coon claws regularly if the cat is not an outdoor cat.
Regular claw clipping is also advisable if your Maine Coon is a house cat. If you are unsure what steps are required, take a quick peek at our advice on ‘how do you groom a Maine Coon cat’.
These tips may take time to implement but are a necessary evil to keep your prized pet happy, and content.
Maine Coon Grooming Tips
So you’ve fallen in love with the Maine Coon breed, but didn’t fully appreciate that your Maine Coons fur would require so much care and attention.
Rather than stressing out, take these simple steps to keep your Maine Coons fur in tip top condition moving forwards.
1. Groom Your Kitten
Not all cats liked to be groomed, so the best way to get your Maine Coon used to a great grooming schedule, is by starting the process when your cat is still a kitten.
This step is highly advisable for two reasons:
- Familiarity: Your Maine Coon kitten will get used to being brushed on a regular basis.
- Stronger Bond: Daily brushing helps build a stronger bond between kitten and owner. The act of brushing itself is a sign of love in your Maine Coons eyes.
2. Establish A Routine
Maine Coons are a very intelligent breed of cat.
They are known as the ‘dog of the cat world’ and are very dog-like in their nature.
This clever breed of cat can even be taught simple commands, such as ‘down’, ‘no’, and fetch!
If you want to establish a successful grooming routine with your Maine Coon, then consistency is key.
So be realistic about your available time, because the grooming process should not be rushed. Nor should it be a quick process where you are rushing to get onto the next task in your life.
Instead, the grooming routine should be a calm bonding session between your Maine Coon, and you.
Maine Coons love the company of humans, so the added bonus of having their thick dense fur brushed, whilst spending quality time with their human, is like the cherry on the top of the cake for this breed of cat.
Frequency
Set a grooming schedule, which is no less than one good brush each week.
The more consistent you are with grooming on a regular basis, the more likely it is that your grooming routine will be accepted by your Maine Coon.
Mutual trust will develop between your Maine Coon, and yourself, the longer this routine is in place.
Outdoor Maine Coon
If you have an outdoor Maine Coon (i.e. a Coon that is allowed outside your home unsupervised), it is important to understand your cats daily routine, before deciding when you will groom your cat.
For instance, does your cat like to trek outside and explore later in the evening? Or, does your cat tend to be in a more playful mood in the afternoon?
Learn your Maine Coons schedule, then set a grooming routine that works around your cat’s lifestyle!
This is important because there is no point trying to groom a Maine Coon that is in its playful crazy half-hour mood.
Both parties must be relaxed and calm, for the grooming session to be successful.
3. Use A Soft Brush / Mitten
If you are new to Maine Coons, and keen to understand ‘How do you groom a Maine Coon cat’, I would recommend that you start with a soft brush, or mitten.
Soft-bristled brushes are important, because if your cat’s fur has become matted and tangled, the last thing your cat wants is to have its skin, and fur tugged at by a hard bristle brush!
Or worse, a rougher hair detangling device designed to cut the trapped loose hair out from under the healthy long hair.
Try More Than One Brush!
Don’t be surprised if you end up trying a range of different cat brushes. It personally took me ages to find the right brush for my Maine Coon.
He was a fussy little thing and wasn’t a fan of most brushes I purchased in the beginning. Finally, we got there though!
Rather than end up with an expensive redundant box of every brush you can think of (like me), start with these three brushes instead.
Not only will this save you time, but might also save you a ton of cash!
a) Self Cleaning Brush
I’ve personally tested most of the brushes available for sale, and have concluded that this self-cleaning brush from Amazon is one of the best brushes yet.
It literally only takes me one click of the button, and the fine wires retract. This action pushes all the excess hair off the brush wires, which you can then quickly wipe of the brush. Voila!
b) Pet Grooming Mitten
If you plan on brushing your Maine Coon every day, I would recommend you try this grooming mitten sold on Amazon.
Maine Coons adore human contact, and company, so your cat will absolutely love being gently stroked with this mitten!
c) Cat Grooming Rake
For cats with pre-existing badly matted hair, you can use this cat grooming rake (link to Amazon) to carefully (and gently) brush the tangled matted hair out of the dense undercoat of your Coon.
Please note that your Maine Coon may not enjoy having its knots tugged out, so it is important to keep the process short.
If you need to make repeated attempts to finish removing stubborn matting, at a later, then so don’t worry.
You must never force your cat to endure long sessions of fur dematting, as this will develop a negative link between grooming, the brush used, and the owner.
4. Bathing Maine Coon Cats
Maine Coons are fascinated by water, and can often be found patting the water in their water bowl, or even going for a quick swim in the pool!
If you choose to bathe your Maine Coon, make sure not to wash them with cat shampoo more than once a month.
It is likely that too-frequent shampooing may strip the naturally produced oils from a Maine Coons skin.
These oils are important in producing the cat its luscious, soft, long-haired fur (source 1).
Recommended Cat Shampoo:
This hypoallergenic shampoo is great for cats, particularly those with allergies, or sensitive skin. Available on Amazon (click here).
Alternatively, if you don’t mind spending a few pounds more, this cat shampoo and conditioner smells absolutely amazing (link to Amazon).
It’s also available to buy on Amazon, and the company selling it has a great ethos too – they donate a small portion of their profits to a pet with cancer, each time someone buys this product.
5. Claw Clipping
If you keep your Maine Coon indoors, you will need to ensure that you clip their claws on a regular basis.
To do this, I would recommend using this easy-to-use professional pet nail clipper available on Amazon. Alternatively, the vet can do it for you, for a small charge.
Outdoor Maine Coons will not need their claws trimmed, because the cat naturally scratches trees etc, whilst exploring.
Whether you have an indoor, or outdoor Maine Coon, both will require a scratch post to ‘go at’ within the home.
This will help reduce the chances that your Maine Coon will destroy the fabric on your treasured antique chair!
6. Correct Diet
The Maine Coon is a very special breed of cat.
To keep their long hair in great condition, you need to make sure that you are feeding them a balanced diet containing the correct nutrients, minerals, and vitamins that they need.
I use this Maine Coon breed-specific dry cat food (see on Amazon) because it has been specifically designed with the breed’s health requirements in mind.
Conclusion
The Maine Coon breed is a fabulously beautiful breed of cat. Whilst they may take considerably more time to look after, than the average short-haired cat, in my opinion, they really are worth it.
You will likely build up a far closer bond with your Coon, because of their love for human company.
Their dog-like personalities make them great companions, and their love and loyalty for their owners are evident.
I hope I have answered your query ‘How do you groom a Maine Coon cat?’ in enough detail.
