Maine Coon cats are well known for having long, luscious, thick coats of hair. Their long fur doesn’t just look impressive though. Instead, it also has a very practical use too, since the dense thick fur keeps them warm.
Maine Coon grooming is not limited to brushing their thick dense fur, which should be done 2-3 times a week to help prevent tangles and matting. Owners must also maintain their Maine Coons oral hygiene by brushing their cat’s teeth regularly. Claws should be trimmed, especially indoor Maine Coon cats. Bathing helps remove dirt and loosen dead fur.
Keeping your long-haired beast’s fur looking great can often be a concern for many owners though.
However, if owners follow these simple Maine Coon grooming tips, tangles and matting will become a distant memory.
Maine Coon Grooming Tips
As a Maine Coon owner, you’ve probably already noticed a number of tumbleweeds of fur rolling around your home.
These are the dead-loose hair that has become detached from the Maine Coons fur, so do not start worrying that your precious cat is going bald!
You are probably also aware that the Maine Coons long fur will need more attention, than a short-haired cat’s fur, right?
If not, you are about to find that out!
The table below quickly summarises the key Maine Coon grooming tips, that you need to be aware of when caring for your Maine Coon cat:
| Maine Coon Grooming | Description |
|---|---|
| Start Young | Maine Coon grooming should start at the beginning when your Maine Coon is still a kitten |
| Take Your Time | Never rush the grooming process. Introduce grooming slowly, and take it at the speed that your cat sets. You may find grooming your cat to be relaxing too! |
| Regular Brushing Routine | Establish a regular Maine Coon grooming routine. Aim to brush Maine Coons fur 2-3 times a week, to remove loose dead hair and dander. This helps keep the coat clean & free of knots |
| Claw Clipping | Keep an eye on your cat’s claws, especially if you keep an indoor Maine Coon cat. Should claws get too long, clip them, or ask your local vet to |
| Bathing | Wash Maine Coon with specially formulated cat shampoo and conditioner no more than once a month, to help keep their fur clean of dirt, and dander. Bathing also loosens knotted hair, or loose dead hair |
| Trim Fur | Some owners like to trim their cat’s fur into various different Maine Coon hairstyles, e.g. a lion cut. This Maine Coon grooming tip is down to personal preference. |
| Feeding | A Maine Coons diet plays an an important role in the overall condition of their fur. Only feed them high-quality dry food, high in protein |
| Deshedding Tools | Use de-shedding tools to reduce cat fur shedding. Use as necessary, or once a week |
| Raking Tools | Grooming rakes help to break matted, tangled hair. Detaches knotted hair from Maine Coon, without hurting their skin. Use as and when required |
| Scratching Post | Scratching posts are a great way to enable your Maine Coon cat to keep its claws in good condition. They also reduce the chances that your cat will scratch furniture |
| Professional Cat Groomers | Maine Coons love human company and attention. Grooming your cat regularly strengthens the the bond between cat and owner. If you need an extra level of assistance to keep your Maine Coons fur looking great, contact your local cat groomer |
| Brushing Cats Teeth | You can brush your Maine Coons teeth using specially designed cat toothbrushes, and toothpaste! |
| Spray Conditioner | Use specially formulated cat conditioner spray, to keep your Maine Coons fur in a healthy, shiny condition |
Maine Coon Grooming Guide
Maine Coons are a fabulous, extremely family-friendly, loving cat breed.
Known as ‘gentle giants’ due to their gentle laid back nature, they make the perfect companion and are great family pets.
Unlike other cat breeds, they adore human company and will spend as much time with their family as possible.
They are very dog-like in nature, and are known for being loyal, energetic, highly intelligent, and fun!
Owning a pedigree Maine Coon cat is an absolute privilege, but potential owners should never underestimate how high maintenance a Maine Coons coat will be.
If you are not already battling non-stop cat hair shedding around your home, then you may instead be dealing with almost daily knotted fur.
Whichever Maine Coon grooming challenge you are currently experiencing, I have the solutions for you below. So keep reading to learn how to groom your Maine Coon cat correctly.
1. Start Young
Maine Coons love getting attention e.g. stroking or brushing.
However, to give yourself the best possible chance of establishing a successful regular grooming routine with your cat, it is important to start grooming them whilst they are still a kitten.
This makes grooming a normal process between owner and cat, and your Maine Coon will not grow fearful when grooming tools appear.
2. Take Your Time
Owners should start the grooming process extremely slowly, so as not to scare their Maine Coon.
If they don’t want to be groomed, never force them to be, since this will result in a negative association developing with grooming.
The best way to start is by simply placing a soft grooming brush on the floor, and allowing your Maine Coon kitten to investigate it.
Give them time to smell, scent, pat, and play with the brush all on their terms.
This is important since it lets your cat get to know the brush. If your kitten seems accepting of the brush, pick your cat up and gently brush them with the soft brush.
Always let your Maine Coon decide how long they want to be brushed for, and offer them a treat every time they allow you groom to them.
As time goes on, you can lengthen the grooming session.
3. Grooming
The Maine Coons coat is admired by millions and is a key physical characteristic of the breed.
It can take many years for their fabulously impressive coat of fur to grow, so it is imperative that owners keep it in tip-top condition.
Grooming your Maine Coon on a regular basis will make a massive difference in this matter.
Aim to brush your Maine Coon 2-3 times a week with a soft brush, or wire slicker brush.
If you are running short of time, it is important that you brush your cat no less than once per week, as a minimum.
Grooming is rather time-intensive but will strengthen the bond between cat and owner.
Keeping your Maine Coons fur in a healthy condition also far outweighs the psychological distress that they could experience if their fur became severely matted.
During the damp, wet Winter months owners should pay particular attention to their Maine Coon grooming schedule and routine, to prevent loose hair become knotted and tangled within the Maine Coons dense undercoats.
Best Grooming Brush For A Maine Coon Cat
There are a wide variety of Maine Coon grooming brushes, rakes, gloves, and tools that you can use to keep your Maine Coons coat looking at its best.
No single brush will be suitable for all of your grooming needs, since each brush type performs a different grooming purpose.
For instance, owners use a rake tool to carefully groom their Maine Coons thick silky undercoat, to remove dead loose cat hairs that have become caught within their dense fur.
This is an important grooming process since it prevents your cat’s fur from becoming matted.
The grooming glove on the other hand enables owners to lightly brush their Maine Coons outer coat, loosening small knots and tangles.
The glove gently massages their cat’s skin, stimulating their cat’s blood circulation rates.
This is beneficial since blood circulation is known to help improve a cat’s hair quality.
For more detailed information on this, take a look at my article Top 5 Brushes For Maine Coons.
4. Establish A Routine
Once you start grooming your Maine Coon, it is important that you establish a regular routine.
Regular brushing will not only ensure that your Maine Coons fur never becomes matted but will also become like second nature to your cat.
Such routines will vary from home to home, but in general, you should pick a time when both you and your cat are feeling relaxed.
An ideal time for Maine Coon grooming might be whilst you settle down in the evening to watch tv.
Allowing your Maine Coon to sit on your lap to be cuddled is the perfect opportunity for you to gently start to groom them, so have your grooming tools handy!
Owners that groom their Maine Coon cats on a regular basis tend to find that their bond with their cat is far stronger.
This is because Maine Coon grooming builds a level of trust between the cat and the owner.
Increased levels of trust are particularly important if your Maine Coon cat’s fur ever does become matted, since an owner is more likely to be able to remove the matted hair, with the cat’s permission.
5. Claw Clipping
Maine Coons claws are curved, very sharp, and can be fully retracted.
They are an extremely important part of your cat’s armory, offering them a high level of protection from any predators that they face.
Known for being excellent hunters, the Maine Coons claws play an important role when hunting because their claws grip the ground whilst running, enabling them to hunt prey.
Maine Coons also have scent glands on their paws, so when they scratch things, they are actually marking things as a sign for other cats.
It is important that owners keep an eye on their Maine Coons claws, to ensure they are not getting too long.
This is particularly necessary for owners that keep their Maine Coon 100% indoors, since their cat will not be naturally wearing their claws down outside, by walking, climbing trees, and scratching.
Scratching Post
When Maine Coons claws become too long, they may revert to destructive behavior like scratching tables and sofas, in an attempt to shorten their claws.
It is therefore important for both your cat (and home furniture) that owners enable their Maine Coon to groom their claws, by placing large scratching posts strategically around their home.
These not only encourage your cat to not scratch the furniture but also enable them to keep their claws in great condition.
Since your Maine Coon is one of the biggest domesticated cats in the world, it is important that you purchase a large scratching post that will withstand your cat’s weight and strength.
You also should not forget that your Maine Coon is far stronger than the standard cat, so buying a small cheap scratching post is a false economy, since it will not withstand the power of a Maine Coon, and will likely get knocked over on a regular basis.
I have found this scratching post from Amazon to stand the test of time.
At 32 inches tall (81cm), this post was designed with large cats in mind and allows our Maine Coon to stretch out fully whilst scratching.
The large base helps to sturdy the post from being knocked over, and its classy look will ensure it looks great in any room of your house.
Cat Nail Clippers
If the scratching post is failing to remove the dead husk of your cat’s nail, consider trimming the very tip of their nail using cat nail clippers.
This can be done quickly, using this professional set of cat nail clippers selling on Amazon at a discounted rate.
Cat Nail Grinders
If you are worried about cutting too much of your treasured Maine Coons claws off with the clippers, why not consider using a cat nail grinder?
These devices quickly remove the tip of the nail and require no manual effort.
A cat is more likely to accept an owner using a nail grinder because the process can be performed quickly.
Cat Nail File
Owners should also consider using a cat nail file such as this one from Amazon, to slowly but carefully file the husk of the cat nail off.
Filing will take longer to complete and it may take time for your Maine Coon to adjust to this particular grooming routine.
However, filing is one of the best ways to groom a Maine Coons claws since the file makes no noise, is soft and gentle on your cat’s claws, and the owner is able to control how much nail is filed off.
Cat Towers
There are many benefits to owning a large cat tower.
They encourage your Maine Coon to exercise on a regular basis and also provide your cat with a safe place to rest, whilst also enabling them to observe household activities.
Another key advantage of the cat climbing tree is that they have scratching posts integrated into their posts. This offers your Maine Coon ample chances to self groom their own claws so that you do not have to.
You will need a large cat tower because your Maine Coon will be too big to sit in standard-sized cat hammocks, tunnels, and bases.
When I upgraded to a huge cat tree tower, I purchased this extra-large cat tower from Amazon. It was delivered quickly, and my Maine Coon is a complete fan!
Declawing
Unless it is for medical reasons, you should never declaw your Maine Coon cat.
Declawing can be psychologically harmful to your cat because you are restricting their physical movements, i.e. ability to run, chase, hunt, jump, etc.
A cat that is unable to perform such basic instinctive behavior may become depressed, or destructive.
According to The Humane Society Of The United States, declawing can also be painful to the cat, potentially leading to an infection, back pain, lameness, and tissue necrosis – otherwise known as tissue death.
They also advise that declawing may encourage your cat not to use their litter tray, since the litter may irritate their declawed paws (source 1).
Although owners may see declawing as an ideal solution for stopping their Maine Coon cat from clawing or scratching at their furniture, many other kinder alternatives should be considered first.
6. Bathing
This might come as a surprise to you, but Maine Coon cats are known for loving water!
Unlike most cats, this particular cat breed is simply fascinated with water, and can often be found patting their water bowls for fun, or even trying to turn on the faucet (tap)!
Many owners claim to bathe their Maine Coon cats on a regular basis, to keep their fur coat looking at its best.
Bathing is also a great way of loosening tangled hair, removing dander and dirt, and reducing your cat’s hair shedding rates.
If you are keen to start bathing your Maine Coon, it is important to introduce the concept of bathing whilst your Maine Coon is still a kitten.
The process should be taken very slowly, and you must never force your cat to take a bath if they do not want to.
You must also only use a shampoo that has been specially formulated to be used on cats, like this one.
I personally didn’t try to bathe my Maine Coon whilst he was a kitten since I didn’t think it was necessary.
I also found regular grooming with brushes to be more than adequate for his Maine Coon grooming routine.
Bathing Maine Coon Cats
Out of pure interest though, I did recently create a short video on Youtube whereby I introduced our Maine Coon cat to the idea of having a bath. He definitely wasn’t a fan of the idea!
Watch my video here:
7. Trim Fur
Although it is not to everybody’s taste, some owners do like to trim their Maine Coons fur into various different Maine Coon haircut styles.
This can be beneficial if your cat is prone to matted hair, or during the Summer months when a Maine Coon often struggles with the hotter weather conditions.
If this is something that you are seriously considering, please ask a qualified veterinary professional, or specialist groomer to trim your Maine Coons fur.
Do not try to do it yourself, since trimming hair is harder than it looks, and you may hurt your Maine Coon cat without meaning to.
Maine Coon Haircut Styles
The ‘Maine Coon Lion Cut’ appears to be a particular favorite of many, and involves the majority of the Maine Coons fur being shaved off.
This leaves only their regal-looking mane of hair around their neckline, four furry-looking boots around their paws, and a tuft of hair at the end of their tail.
8. Feeding
An important part of caring for a Maine Coon, is feeding them the correct diet. In order to keep their fur healthy and shiny, make sure that you always feed them high-quality dry food.
Look for kibble biscuits that are high in protein, contain low levels of carbohydrates, and include fat and fatty acids such as Omega 3 and 6.
It does not have to cost a fortune to feed a Maine Coon cat, especially if you feed them a high-quality dry food diet.
Wet food is permitted, but should be limited to no more than two portions a week since the moisture can cause dental issues to develop.
Salmon Oil
Should your cat’s fur have lost its glorious shine, consider adding a few pumps of salmon oil over their food to give them an added burst of goodness, that will help revive their Maine Coon coat.
9. Brushing Teeth
A Maine Coons dental hygiene should be high on your Maine Coon grooming schedule since poor oral hygiene can lead to the buildup of plaque and tartar on your Maine Coons teeth.
Like humans, the Maine Coon cat can also suffer from dental diseases that are both painful, and very expensive to fix.
If this is something you feel able to do, it is important that you introduce this concept to your cat whilst they are still a kitten. Delaying the start of tooth brushing will likely lead to unsuccessful results.
To avoid your Maine Coon suffering from such issues, aim to brush your cat’s teeth every day (or a few times a week), with a toothbrush that has been designed specifically for the job.
Feeding your Maine Coon high-quality dry food will also limit the chances of these issues occurring.
10. Dematting Maine Coon
If you do not groom your Maine Coon cat on a regular basis, their fur will become matted. In scenarios such as this, don’t panic!
Instead, reach for a de-matting tool, such as a Mat Splitter.
These tools are designed to split the matted fur apart, making tangled fur easier to remove. They are gentle on your cat’s sensitive skin, and if used correctly will not tug at their skin.
For a complete guide on the best Maine Coon grooming tools, take a look at my article, top 5 brushes for Maine Coons.
11. Maine Coon Shedding
The Maine Coon coat is thick and luscious, getting far thicker during the winter months to keep your cat warm.
As the springtime approaches, they begin to shed their Winter coat as their bodies prepare for the warmer season to start.
Most Maine Coon owners are no doubt familiar with the picture of tumbleweeds of cat hair rolling around their home.
Although these are easy enough to scoop up and bin, many owners still prefer to use de-shedding tools to limit the amount of cat hair shed.
There are many different de-shedding tools available on the market, such as the FURminator which claim to reduce cat hair shedding by up to 90%.
Owners can also use rakes to loosen dead hair that has become tangled within the Maine Coons thick undercoat layers.
Conclusion
One of the key beauties of the Maine Coon cat relates to its fabulously thick fur.
Their coat may have been evolved out of necessity so that the Maine Coon breed could actually survive the harsh winter weather of New England, but this fact doesn’t make their luscious fur any less impressive.
Ultimately, if you purchase a long-haired cat then you know that a level of grooming will be required.
In regards to the Maine Coon specifically, I always like to say that with great beauty, comes high maintenance!
Whilst their fur may take a lot of maintenance though, having a happy Maine Coon really is all the payment that you need. The more love and attention you show them, the more you get back in return.
Was I prepared for the amount of actual Maine Coon grooming required?
If I am honest I was completely naive to the level of care and attention that our Maine Coons fur coat was going to involve. I learned very quickly though!
Thankfully, introducing grooming techniques early on in our kitten’s life really did have a big impact on my overall success rate in the Maine Coon grooming department.