13 Ways To Keep A Maine Coon Entertained
You’ve likely heard that Maine Coons are highly intelligent, with a need to have 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? Read on to learn some simple changes you can make, to keep your Maine Coon happy.
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. A cat tower and large scratching post will also help keep a Maine Coon cat happy and healthy.
In this article, we cover the key steps to take, to ensure your Maine Coon is mentally and physically stimulated, and most importantly, happy!
How To Keep A Maine Coon Entertained
The Maine Coon is the biggest and longest domesticated cat breed in the world.
These large and playful gentle giants have snuck their way into our hearts and have become one of the most beloved pets in America, and the world over.
These kitten-like felines remain youthful and goofy throughout their adult life and are much closer in temperament and affection to that of a dog than most other cat breeds.
If you like cats and dogs equally, a Maine Coon will be the ideal cat breed for you since these felines act like they are dogs!
Keep in mind, though, that whilst the majority of cat breeds are perfectly fine being left alone for hours, even days, Maine Coons are not.
These incredibly social felines will begin to show signs of Maine Coon depression if left alone for too long.
12 hours is the absolute maximum time a Maine Coon should be left on their own.
This cat breed is ideally suited to owners that work from home, or spend ample amounts of time within the home.
If this is not you, it might be best to consider adopting or purchasing a different cat breed.
If you are away from home, it would be advisable to buy two Maine Coons at the same time, so that they can keep each other company.
Whilst this is a very expensive option, it will help prevent your cat from becoming depressed and lonely.
Maine Coons desperately need our attention and to play games with us, have a run-around, and explore, or they can become severely unhappy and stressed.
These are the key signs of a stressed Maine Coon cat that you need to watch out for.
Not only is that upsetting for you, and your Maine Coon, but it can lead to an unpleasant cohabitation experience including, but not limited to, the destruction of your precious furniture!
This is why you will want to take all of this information to heart to ensure your Maine Coon is fully entertained throughout the day.
A lonely, bored, Maine Coon is likely to become destructive and depressed and will not only shun you and put a strain on your relationship but might also destroy your furniture!
In the following section, we have 12 excellent methods for keeping a Maine Coon entertained throughout the day.
To cover all angles, the 12 methods stated below can be used in the following circumstances:
- While you are away from the home
- Whilst your Maine Coon is alone
- When you are together with your Maine Coon
Many first-time owners are fraught with questions such as how to keep a Maine Coon entertained or how much stimulation will a Maine Coon need to be happy.
These are good questions as keeping your pet entertained is an often overlooked aspect of pet ownership.
Since we can entertain ourselves we might assume cats can too, and while that is true to an extent it does not paint the complete picture.
Maine Coons are prone to boredom and it is our job to ensure that does not happen.
1. String Toys
String toys are great fun for your Maine Coon.
They should be considered one of the vital Maine Coon cat accessories!
Some people believe that 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 sure why exactly cats love string toys. All we know is that they do seem to 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
Feather toys work much the same as string toys, in that they emulate prey.
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 there is ample evidence that they are predisposed to be interested in feather toys.
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.
Especially when your Maine Coon is still a kitten!
4. Balls
Another one of the best toys for Maine Coons is the simple ball.
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
The best answer to the question, what do Maine Coons like to play with, is you!
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.
Such as this awesome slow-feeder toy, sold on Amazon.
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.
I love this awesome cat tunnel sold on Amazon, as it has so many different tubes for your Maine Coon to play in.
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!
How To Play With A Maine Coon Cat
Playing with a Maine Coon cat is not overly difficult.
The above methods of entertaining them will constitute 99% of what “play” for your Maine Coon is.
To simplify things for you a little, it may help to think of your Maine Coon the same way you might a young child.
They do not need you to play “make-believe” with them so much as they simply want you to be present with them.
Throwing a ball, or using a laser pointer to guide them around your living room in a mechanic frenzy to catch the little red dot, are all excellent games for Maine Coons that never get old.
These games feed into the natural predator instincts that all cats have, even domesticated house cats.
What Maine Coons find fun is usually an expression of their natural instincts.
Chasing, catching, climbing, running, etc. These are all highly enjoyable for your Maine Coon and get them up and about moving around.
Just as you and I might feel better after having gone to the gym, gone on a run, or even walked to the shop – so will your Maine Coon feel better having stretched their legs and had a good run around.
Playing with your Maine Coon does not need to be complicated.
In most instances, they do not need you to contribute much effort!
If you want to play with a laser pointer, for example, you do not even need to leave your couch.
You don’t necessarily even need to take your eyes off the tv, just guide the red dot around the room and let your Maine Coon entertain itself.
That being said, it is fun to engage and buy into the game a little!
Conclusion
In this article, we have covered two important queries – how to keep a Maine Coon entertained, and how to keep my Maine Coon happy.
Hopefully, you now understand that your obligation to their happiness can be easily fulfilled with a little attention.
Maine Coons are happiest when they get to play for at least 30 minutes a day, though more is naturally more enjoyable for them.
Without this 30 minutes of playtime, and realistically an hour or so together on the couch in your bed cuddling your Maine Coon will undoubtedly feel neglected and they will be quick to share their lack of satisfaction with you.
Remember, a Maine Coon is a big responsibility, and part of that responsibility is making sure that their emotional and social needs are met. Alongside their physical exercise requirements.
Cats can be quite lazy, so you may even have to try to encourage them to play a game with you.
Related Questions
Maine Coon Tips And Tricks
The best Maine Coon tips and tricks are to break up their day with little games or activities. 30 minutes of play does not need to be all in one chunk, it could be broken up into 5-minute intervals throughout the day.
Do Maine Coons Play Fetch?
Maine Coons are excellent at chasing a ball. However, they are less likely to grasp the fetching the ball back aspect of the game (unless trained), simply catching the ball and keeping it for themself.
Why Does My Maine Coon Cat Bite Me?
Maine Coons can bite for several reasons, whether it be via play, a warning to respect their boundaries, or because they are injured or sick, etc.
