13 Ways To Keep A Maine Coon Entertained

You’ve likely heard that Maine Coons are intelligent and need ample amounts of social interaction with their humans every day. But, do you know how to keep a Maine Coon entertained when your workload is going crazy?

How To Keep A Maine Coon Entertained

Maine Coons are very sociable felines that are happiest when spending time with their family. Owners can entertain their Maine Coon by playing with them for 30 minutes a day and purchasing a range of cat toys that match their high intelligence levels.

While the majority of cat breeds are fine being left alone for hours, even days, Maine Coons are not. These social felines will instead show signs of Maine Coon depression if left alone for too long.

This cat breed is suited to owners who work from home or spend ample time within the home. 12 hours is the absolute maximum time a Maine Coon should be left alone.

If you work away from home, it’s advisable to buy two Maine Coons so they can keep each other company. This is an expensive option, but helps prevent your cat from becoming depressed and lonely.

A lonely, bored, Maine Coon may become destructive and depressed and will not only shun you and put a strain on your relationship but might also destroy your furniture!

1. String Toys

String toys are great fun for your Maine Coon. They should be considered one of the vital Maine Coon cat accessories!

The string emulates the tail of a rat, mouse, possum, etc and it feeds into your Maine Coon natural prey drive. This is most likely true but we cannot know for certain why cats love string toys. All we know is that they love them!

Dragging string or a string toy across the floor and yanking it out of the way before your Maine Coon catches it, is a great game and helps them hone their hunting talents.

2. Feather Toys

Cats naturally hunt birds, they are a good source of food in the wild and are in abundance. It is estimated that domestic cats kill billions of wild birds each year in America alone so they are predisposed to be interested in feather toys.

Feather toys work much the same as string toys, in that they emulate prey.

Cats also just love feathers, the same way many “water” or hunting dogs do, it is in their DNA, and a feather toy is a simple and fun way to allow them to give in to their instincts without decimating the local wildlife.

3. Laser Pointer

Cat laser pointers are excellent fun and are perfect for owners that don’t quite have the energy for a more intense and hands-on version of playing with their Maine Coon.

As Maine Coon toys go the laser pointer might be one of the best Maine Coon toys on the market!

Laser pointers are great fun for you and your cat as watching them ping about the room like a maniac in search of the ever-elusive and the never-quite catchable red dot is a joy to behold.

4. Balls

This Maine Coon cat product needs very little explanation! Throwing the ball for your Maine Coon to fetch is great fun and they rarely tire of a game of chase.

If you were hoping to play fetch and that your Maine Coon might bring the ball back for you to throw again (like a dog), you are in for a struggle, unless you trained your cat to do this whilst they were kittens.

It takes some serious Maine Coon training to teach a Maine Coon to play fetch, but if you are a determined owner, here’s what you need to do.

A ball should be considered one of your other Maine Coon necessities.

5. Catnip Toys

If you are wondering how to entertain a Maine Coon cat for hours on end with very little input, catnip toys might be the right choice of Maine Coon cat toy, for you.

Catnip toys give off pheromones and scents that relax your Maine Coon and make them a little goofy.

Catnip is perfectly safe for your Maine Coon, and you may find that your Maine Coon mostly just wants to roll in it!

You can find many instances of catnip toys online, whether it is in the form of a treat that they can chew on or whether the catnip is stuffed inside a teddy bear or some other such toy.

6. Puzzle Toys

Many people wonder how to prepare for a Maine Coon kitten, and one of the best things they can do is try to find toys that help with their early development.

Puzzle toys that require logic, and problem-solving, not just brute force to solve them – will be excellent for teaching a young Maine Coon to be more inquisitive and explorative.

BEWARE: This toy can backfire on you, by making your already very clever cat too clever!! But it is fun nonetheless!

Puzzle toys are one of the best tips for owning a Maine Coon that may end up being left alone for hours at a time.

This is because Maine Coon toys such as this will keep your cat engaged and distracted with something else to do, for a large amount of the time.

7. Going On Walks

Going on walks is a great way to keep your Maine Coon cat entertained.

By taking your Maine Coon on a walk, and getting them to wear a specialist Maine Coon harness to keep them safe at all times, you can pair two wonderful things together – the outside world, and safety.

Getting to spend quality time exploring the outdoors with their human family, is your Maine Coon cat’s ideal scenario.

Maine Coons love to go on a walk, which not only helps combat their boredom but also helps prevent them from becoming claustrophobic inside a smaller home.

Here’s a great guide on how to teach a Maine Coon cat to walk on a leash.

8. Slow-To-Eat-Treats

A good way to keep your Maine Coon entertained for long amounts of time is to provide them with treats or food that are very slow to eat, or slow release.

Fill this slow feeder with Maine Coon dried biscuits to make a great treat for them that will take them a while to chew and digest.

9. Climbing Trees

Cat trees and towers are a great way for your Maine Coon to feel more connected to the outside world, where they would experience climbing trees. Scratching and trimming their claws on them.

In the wild, Maine Coons would spend a lot of their time up in trees and it is generally considered a safe space for them to rest.

Maine Coon cats climb trees for two key reasons:

• Food: That is where the food is often found since birds like to sit in trees, too!
• Access: Not many other animals could get up a tree the way a Maine Coon can!

Many cat trees have little sleeping cubbies around the top that Maine Coon cats love to hide in.

10. Another Maine Coon

Owning two Maine Coons is better than just one!

Maine Coons are very social beings and you will find that they are entirely happier when there is another Maine Coon in the house for them to hang out with. Especially if they end up being left on their own for long periods.

It may seem a little brash, bringing a second cat into the mix, but you will find that the entertainment they provide each other as well as the company will make your life a whole lot easier.

If you can stomach the second set of vet bills, that is!

11. Maine Coon Tricks

Training sessions and teaching your Maine Coon to do tricks is not only fun for you but can be super fun for them as well.

Maine Coon cats love hanging out with you and if there are treats involved in the training process then they are the merrier for it.

You can teach Maine Coons to do a fair amount of stuff:

• Sitting
• Shaking hands with you
• Maine Coon kisses
• Coming to you when called
• Playing Fetch

They are also capable of leaping through objects and running through a cat tunnel.

The limits are your imagination and how much patience your Maine Coon has for repetitive tasks!

12. Cuddles

Maine Coon cuddles are great fun for both you and your Maine Coon.

You will find that if they are sat on your lap or cuddled up next to you, they will settle down rather quickly and probably just go to sleep.

If you cannot seem to tire your Maine Coon out and are indeed still dead-set on trying to entertain them, this should be the pinnacle of your bag of tricks.

For your devoted Maine Coon, your love and affection are the most enjoyable thing of all.

13. Cat Tunnel

One of the best things we ever bought for our three Maine Coon cats, is a super-large cat tunnel!

Cats love hiding, running in and out, and chasing each other through a cat tunnel.

Cat tunnels are also a great place for Maine Coon cats to rest when they just need a bit of space from busy family life.

If you’re like me and value cat toys that are foldable and thus space-saving, this is also a great option because you can quickly fold it up and store it, then let it pop open when you need it next!