The Maine Coon is adored by so many. Its impressively luscious coat of hair, and large muscular framed body make this cat breed almost immediately recognizable.
However, what is the purebred Maine Coon personality traits? Find out now!
Maine Coons are known for being very intelligent, curious, and loyal. Their dog-like personality means it’s not unusual to see a Maine Coon cat playing fetch! This playful cat breed continues to be playful well into their adult lives. They are highly affectionate, sociable, and laid back. Maine Coons love human company.
Keep reading to unlock the secret personality traits that you can expect your Coon to display.
What Is The Personality Of A Maine Coon?
The Maine Coon cat is famous for so many things, including its very mysterious heritage, and its true love of life and adoration of human company.
Its laid-back nature also makes this particular cat breed an ideal fit for families across the world, especially those with young children.
Whilst this popular cat breed has held the hearts of millions, particularly those living in the United States and Japan, their true lineage is still steeped in mystery and intrigue!
Their mysterious history, combined with their great personality have made this cat breed even more desirable.
With so many different cat breeds to choose from, you might be a little surprised to hear that the Maine Coon cat is the third most popular cat breed in the United States!
So far, I’ve given you a very brief insight into the Maine Coon temperament. However, there is so much more to say about the personality of this majestic-looking cat.
Take a look at the following less-known Maine Coon personality and behavioral traits.
This table of contents will help guide you quickly through the key subjects discussed:
Maine Coon Temperament And Personality Overview
Maine Coon cats are the oldest natural cat breed in North America, originating in Wiscasset, Maine.
They are native to Maine (hence their name) and are loved so much in New England that they have been honored with the title, ‘State Cat Of Maine’.
This cat breed is famous for its multitude of nicknames, including ‘gentle giants’ and ‘dog of the cat world’.
Their playful, affectionate, and highly intelligent nature has made them one of the most desirable large cats to own.
It’s not surprising therefore that owners speak with such love and joy when talking about their Maine Coon cat.
15 Key Maine Coon Personality Traits
The table below summarises the general Maine Coon temperament and personality traits you can expect from male and female Maine Coon cats.
| Maine Coon Personality | Description |
|---|---|
| Affectionate | Very affectionate, love to groom their owners |
| Loyal | Extremely loyal cat breed. Not likely to leave you for another family |
| Forgiving | A compassionate breed that forgives |
| Intelligent | This clever breed learns basic rules, and can be taught tricks! |
| Playful | Maine Coon kittens are very playful cats. Playful nature continues late into their adult lives |
| Good Hunter | Known for their impressive hunting skills. Good ‘mousers’ |
| Love Water | Bizarre love of water. Often found playing in the water, or patting water bowl with paws |
| Pet Friendly | Friendly temperament. Adapts well to other cats or dogs. Likely to seek friendship with other pets! |
| Resilient | A very hardy cat breed able to cope with the harsh New England weather |
| Curious | Very curious, and love to investigate |
| Laid Back | One of the most laid back cat breeds you can buy |
| Family Friendly | Great family pets. Not phased by loud children or noisy busy homes. Calm nature makes them ideal around children |
| Love Cuddles | Love being picked up, and cuddled! |
| Sociable | Won’t shy away from humans. Wants to spend every moment with owners. |
| Love Company | Will follow you from room to room. Love spending time with humans |
Male V Female Maine Coon Personality
If you are not sure whether to buy a male or female Maine Coon, take a look at the following table to understand the key personality differences between male and female Maine Coon cats.
| Personality | Male Maine Coon Personality | Female Maine Coon Personality |
|---|---|---|
| Sociable | Very sociable. Adapt well to strangers, quickly | Initially less sociable. Take time to ‘warm up’. Do not adapt to strangers or other people quickly |
| Outgoing | Very outgoing, and playful. Love having a good time with anyone! | Less outgoing than their male counterparts, but will become more outgoing once they get to know their owner |
| Comical | Known for being very comical. Love to entertain their human owners | Less likely to want to entertain their human owners |
| Personality | Males are physically bigger. Some claim their personality is bigger than their female counterpart | Females are physically smaller than the male, with more reserved personality traits |
| Attention | Like to be at the center of attention. Will seek out attention from strangers. | More aloof. Prefer to study strangers first, before approaching |
| Human Interaction | Will demand more attention from humans | Very friendly, but require less attention from humans |
Should I Buy A Male Or Female Maine Coon?
The Maine Coons personality traits make them an ideal addition to any home, whether male or female.
Their laid-back temperament and high levels of affection towards their owners mean that you really cannot go wrong if you are not sure what gender of Maine Coon cat to buy.
Ultimately, your decision will be dependent upon the character traits you are looking for in a cat.
Playtime is important to your Maine Coon, so make sure you have plenty of free time to stimulate the Maine Coon’s intelligent minds via play.
Male Maine Coon Personality
If you want a more playful cat that’s good around strangers, then consider buying a male Maine Coon. They are often considered the life and soul of the party, in the cat world.
You can expect a male Maine Coon to be confident, inquisitive, and demanding attention from its humans.
Only buy a male Maine Coon if you have ample free time, to bond with your cat.
The males need a higher level of attention than their female counterparts, so an inability to offer this will damage them psychologically, lowering their sense of well-being.
Female Maine Coon Personality
Female Maine Coons make great companions, once they get to know you. They are less outgoing than their male counterparts, but still full of energy and playfulness.
Their intelligent, and loveable nature makes them ideal pets.
If you have less free time on your hands, consider purchasing a female Maine Coon because they require less attention.
Are Maine Coon Cats Friendly?
Maine Coons are one of the friendliest cat breeds you could ever purchase. They adore human company, and will actively seek you out!
For instance, it would not be unusual to find your Maine Coon coming to greet you when you arrive home (like you would expect a dog too!).
This may sound bizarre, but our male Maine Coon (‘Pippin’) always does this.
In fact, he tends to rush towards us at pace, the second we pull our cars into the driveway!!
Maine Coons love attention, and are known for being ‘gentle giants’. They are always so friendly, very gentle, and caring around children and other pets.
Watch this short video of our Maine Coon ‘Pippin’ interacting with our 5-year-old daughter. He often grooms her, and their bond between them is strong.
You will see how laid back Pippin is to her pushing and prodding him! They love each other, which is amazing to see.
Are Maine Coon Cats Affectionate?
Maine Coon cats are extremely affectionate, and loyal beasts. If you are not keen on owning an overly affectionate cat, this is definitely not the cat breed for you.
It would not be uncommon for a Maine Coon to almost ‘force’ their affection on you, at times.
I’m not kidding, either!
They get into these moods where it seems like they will not take no for an answer, no matter how many times you tell them that you do not want attention at that particular moment!!
In such scenarios, expect them to jump or climb onto you repeatedly (even if you repeatedly put them back onto the floor), and then insistently groom you for a while.
This is a key Maine Coon personality trait that you need to be comfortable with!
You will likely find the male Maine Coon cat is more affectionate to strangers than the female Maine Coons.
Females Maine Coons are ultimately just as affectionate, but more reserved in their nature. They may take some time to ‘warm up’ from being aloof, a trait more familiar with ‘normal cat breeds’.
Are Maine Coon Cats Aggressive?
Some cat breeds are naturally more aggressive than others.
Naturally, with a young toddler wandering around our home, I was keen to establish if Maine Coon cats are aggressive or not, before purchasing a kitten.
I think I’ve literally read EVERYTHING there is to be said on this subject.
I also now have over 7 years of experience actually living with a Maine Coon cat in my home, so think I can say with certainty that it is not in the Maine Coon personality to be aggressive.
In fact, I reckon you would have to really push your Maine Coon to its limits to get anything more than a disgruntled hiss or chirp when you move them off a seat that they don’t want to move from!!
Maine Coons are known for being crazily friendly, and I’ve even heard some people rank the Maine Coon as one of the top three most friendly cats!
Reasons Your Maine Coon Is Aggressive
Although rare, it is possible that your Maine Coon cat might display more aggressive traits than what the literature suggests.
This is possibly the result of the following two scenarios:
Second Hand Maine Coons
With the average price of a Maine Coon kitten setting owners back an average of $1000 (£811), this is not a particularly cheap cat breed to be purchasing.
Even older Maine Coons will cost you roughly $600 (£487).
Adopting a ‘second-hand’ cat is such a worthy cause though, and gives an older Coon the chance to find a family that will give them the love and affection that this breed both needs and deserves.
The disadvantage of purchasing an older Maine Coon though is that their history is unknown.
Despite what the seller tells you, you can never be completely sure as to what the Maine Coons history really entails.
In an ideal world, you would hope that they had lived a happy and fulfilled previous life, but this isn’t necessarily true.
If your Maine Coon appears more aggressive than you were expecting from this particular breed, ask a vet to check for any underlying health issues.
If no known issues exist, their aggressive behavior might be the result of their former treatment.
In such situations, only time will help, as you will need to gain the Maine Coon’s trust and loyalty.
Tread carefully with mistreated cats, as psychologically they will be suffering from how their previous owner treated them.
Health Issues
If your Maine Coon cat starts developing more aggressive tendencies, not fitting with their usual personality traits then please do not ignore these.
Sometimes cat diseases or health issues can affect a Maine Coons personality traits.
In such scenarios, seek professional veterinary advice asap, to rule out any illness in your cat.
Are Maine Coon Cats Cuddly?
Believe it, or not, Maine Coon cats love to be picked up and cuddled by their human family!
In fact, we have regularly picked up our Maine Coon since he was a kitten. We hold him in our arms like you would a baby.
He’s a pretty heavy beast now, but he’s still always up for human interaction and affection.
He rarely has an issue with cuddling, and seems to love getting this added level of attention from us, where he is able to groom our faces with his extremely rough tongue!
Maine Coon Dog Like Behaviour
The Maine Coon cat is both large and very muscular, with males often growing to a massive 15-25 lbs (6.8 – 11.3 kg) in weight!
These remarkable creatures can achieve a length of 40 inches (101cm), and 10-16 inches (25-40cm) in height.
Their immensely large physique makes them hard to not notice when they enter a room and is possibly one reason why they have earned the name ‘dog of the cat world‘.
Another Maine Coon personality trait that has resulted in their ‘dog of the cat world’ nickname, is their love of human company, and dog-like characteristics.
Some owners even purport to have been able to teach their Maine Coon cat to play fetch with a ball! …. Can you even imagine that?!
Like dogs, the Maine Coon is also obsessed with water.
If you introduce bathing to your kitten from the beginning, they will likely take a bath quite happily! This is certainly not a personality trait usually associated with any ‘normal cat’!
Maine Coon Kitten Personality
Maine Coon kittens have become massively popular over the last few decades, particularly in the United States and Japan.
Sadly, as with everything that is popular and expensive, you must be savvy to avoiding ‘backyard breeders’ who have set up Maine Coon breeding farms to make a fast buck.
Many of these kittens appear to have come from loving homes, yet have been raised elsewhere, in poor conditions.
Consequently, with their high price tag, it is wise to always do your research before buying any Maine Coon.
It goes without saying that you should always purchase your Maine Coon from a reputable breeder since they will have screened the breeding cats for diseases Maine Coons are prone to.
With this in mind, you may be unsure how to spot if the kitten you are viewing is even a Maine Coon kitten, or not.
Don’t worry, use this quick guide to determine if the kitten you are viewing has these particular personality traits.
| Maine Coon Kitten Personality | Description |
|---|---|
| Vocal | Maine Coon kittens are known for their chirps and trills. They do not make meowing sounds |
| Personality | They have huge personalities that you cannot resist! |
| Temperament | Maine Coon kittens are laid back, and not aggressive |
| Playful | Maine Coon kittens are known for their playful nature that continues long into their adult lives |
| Other Animals | They are great with other animals |
| Friendly | Usually super friendly with humans. Love a cuddle and attention |
| Water | If you see them playing with water, you’ve got a Maine Coon kitten on your hands! Maine Coons love water, particularly the kittens |
Are Maine Coon Cats Needy?
If you were expecting the Maine Coon cat to have a more needy personality trait than the average cat, you would be wrong!
Maine Coon cats love human company and attention but are still regarded as very independent cats. All they need to stay happy is:
- Human contact and affection
- Time with their human family
- Cuddles and affection
- Play and mental stimulation
- High-quality dry food diet
- Plenty of freshwater
The Maine Coon is more than happy to sit at your feet all day long, whilst you work. Their dog-like personality makes them happy and content, as long as they are around their owners.
They are even quite tolerant of the idea of moving from one room to the next, as you move around your home during the day!
However, it is important to note that Maine Coon cats may become more clingy and needy if you work outside the home.
This issue can be overcome though, by leaving an old t-shirt or jumper on their cat bed, so that they can always smell their owner’s scent nearby.
Furthermore, when you return home, it will be important that you spend quality time with your cat, grooming and playing with them.
Outdoor Maine Coon Cats
Maine Coons love to play and are extremely curious little beings.
They are more than happy to seek mental stimulation and play from the outside world. If you allow your Maine Coon outside then you will find that they are not a cat breed known for their needy or clingy nature.
Indoor Maine Coon Cats
If you own an indoor Maine Coon cat you must actively ensure they get the physical and mental stimulation they need on a daily basis, to ensure they stay fit and healthy.
Owners will need to play with their cats since indoor Maine Coons require more mental stimulation since they cannot run and play in the outdoor world.
Indoor Maine Coon cats may be needier on their owners, but this theory is currently unproven.
Are Maine Coons Talkative
The Maine Coon cat breed is truly unique, and their love of talking to their owners is yet another Maine Coon personality trait that will amuse you on countless occasions.
Watch this short video of our Maine Coon cat ‘Pippin’ talking to my husband. This is a regular daily event, whereby Pippin loves to instruct us with his chirps and trills.
Maine Coons Tell You What They Want!
In my experience, our male Maine Coon loves to talk to us on a regular basis. Sometimes it even feels like he is trying to hold a conversation with us (yes, I know that sounds crazy).
Pippin is well known for gaining our attention, then chirping away for a few moments, before then walking towards his treat box.
He always stops en route to the treat box, then turns his head to check that we are following him, and understand his commands!! He seems to think he is the boss!!
Are Maine Coon Cats Playful?
Maine Coon cats have personalities full to the brim with playfulness.
Not only are they are an inquisitive and intelligent cat breed, but also love to play with all the humans in their family household.
They particularly enjoy playing simple games such as ‘catch the string’ with excitable young children!
Their playful personalities make them fun to be around.
However, it is important to make sure that you spend time with your cat each day, playing.
They adore having fun with their owners, and exercise is also great for this particular cat breed, especially if they are kept indoors permanently.
An extra level of exercise is also advisable since Maine Coons are prone to obesity.
Buy Them A Cat Tower!
It’s hard not to fall in love with your Maine Coon cat because their amazing personalities make them so irresistible.
To help keep their active minds busy, consider purchasing a large cat tower for them to play on.
There are many great cat towers designed specifically with large cat breeds such as the large Maine Coon in mind, so keep an eye out for them.
Maine Coons do not reach full size until approximately 3-5 years old, so don’t waste your money buying a small cat climbing tower, even whilst your Maine Coon is a kitten.
I personally made this particular mistake, and quickly found I had to buy a very large cat tower for my home since my kitten outgrew the cat tower quite rapidly!
These towers are great for providing hours of fun for your Maine Coon cat, for many hours, whatever their age.
Which Maine Coon Colouring Has The Best Personality?
I was quite surprised when a friend once asked me if the black Maine Coon personality was different from the orange Maine Coon personality, or tabby Maine Coon personality!
To put the record straight, all Maine Coons have the same, or similar personalities to the ones I listed in the article above.
The only difference you will immediately note is that the males are likely to be more sociable, playful, and immediately more friendly than the female Maine Coons.
In total, there are roughly 75 different Maine Coon colorings. It is very unlikely that you could ever prove each Maine Coon coloring has a different personality type.
Conclusion
As you can see, the Maine Coon cat breed is full to the brim with personality, particularly the males who seem to match their large size, with even larger personalities!
The Maine Coon personality makes this cat breed one of the most desirable in existence.
They are brimming with personality and love, yet have also thoroughly earned their ‘gentle giant’ nickname, with their gentle laid-back disposition.
Their love of play and kitten-like behavior long into their adult life makes them comical, and fun to be around.