Maine Coon Vs Cornish Rex
If you are deciding between the Maine Coon Vs Cornish Rex, you might have a hard time choosing between them!
These two cat breeds are very different, but they both have huge personalities.
The Maine Coon is a large, long-furred cat with a powerful, stocky build and large paws. The Cornish Rex is a slim breed with short, wavy fur and an egg-shaped head with enormous ears. The Cornish Rex is playful, athletic, and social, while the Maine Coon is devoted, energetic, and gentle.
Both Maine Coons and Cornish Rex cats develop close bonds with their owners, but they have very different ways of showing affection.
The Maine Coon is a charmer, while the Cornish Rex is a natural entertainer.
Read on to find out which of these breeds will capture your heart forever!
Maine Coon Vs Cornish Rex
The Maine Coon is a large, powerfully-muscled breed that looks more like a miniature lion than a domestic cat.
The Cornish Rex is slimmer with longer limbs and huge, batlike ears.
The Maine Coon has a long, luxurious coat that is semi-water repellant, while the Cornish Rex has a short, delicate coat with beautiful waves.
Both breeds are known for being playful, athletic, and loving towards their owners.
Overall, however, the Maine Coon is more easygoing and devoted while the Cornish Rex is more energetic and mischievous.
Origins
The Maine Coon as we know it first originated in the American state of Maine.
However, these cats are the ancient descendants of the Norwegian Forest Cat, which was once kept by Vikings.
When Vikings traveled to America long ago, they must have accidentally or intentionally left some of their Norwegian Forest Cats behind.
These cats were already built for cold, snowy weather, and as they mated with local cats in Maine, they began to adapt even more to their environment.
In the 1800s, farmers and sailors discovered that these Maine Coon cats were better hunters, and they soon began to grow in popularity.
Today, they are mostly famous for their sweet personalities and enormous size.
Read more about their origins, here.
The very first Cornish Rex cats were born in Cornwall in 1950.
A barn cat gave birth to a litter of mostly normal kittens, but one had a fine, curly coat.
The owner was told by a geneticist that, to preserve this trait, it would be best to breed the offspring with the mother.
When the mother had her second litter, two more kittens had the very same coat as their father.
Over time, these kittens were crossed with various cat breeds such as the Siamese, Burmese, and British Shorthair.
These cats then had one copy of the recessive gene responsible for that curly coat and could be bred with other cats with that same recessive gene to produce curly-coated kittens.
Crossing these cats with other breeds added more diversity to the gene pool and introduced some interesting colors and patterns to the newly-developed Cornish Rex (source 1).
Physical Appearance
The Maine Coon and the Cornish Rex look wildly different in just about every way.
While the Maine Coon is thick, well-muscled, and rectangular in appearance, the Cornish Rex is slim and dainty with long, slender limbs.
The Cornish Rex has particularly long hind legs.
The Maine Coon has a wedge-shaped face with oblique eyes and a powerful muzzle. Whereas the Cornish Rex’s head is egg-shaped with a Roman nose and enormous ears.
Maine Coons have medium to long fur throughout the body, with longer tufts on the tips of their:
- Ears
- Paws
- Shoulders
- Chest
- Haunches
Cornish Rex cats have very thin, delicate, and wavy fur without any guard hairs, which makes their fur extra soft. They also tend to have curly whiskers.
The Maine Coon is the largest cat in the world, typically weighing between 8 and 25 pounds.
They usually measure about 8 to 16 inches tall and 19 to 40 inches long.
The Cornish Rex weighs between 5 and 10 pounds, stands 8 to 12 inches tall, and measures 12 to 17 inches long.
Cornish Rex cats have large, oval eyes that can be blue, gold, or odd-eyed.
Some Cornish Rex cats can have green or hazel eyes, depending on coat color.
Most Maine Coons have green, gold, or copper eyes, but they can also be blue or odd-eyed (source 1).
Fur Colors and Patterns
Maine Coons come in almost all colors and patterns found in cats, except the colorpoint pattern and rare dilute colors like:
- Chocolate
- Cinnamon
- Lilac
- Fawn
The Cornish Rex comes in any possible fur color and pattern (source 1).
Personality and Temperament
The Maine Coon is a laidback, gentle creature that loves spending time with its owners above all else.
These cats like to lie near their owners or hang out in the same room, but they are independent enough that they do not get in the way or demand attention while you are busy.
Maine Coons are also extremely playful and kittenlike, similar to the Cornish Rex.
They have strong hunting instincts and need lots of toys to chase around. They are also big climbers that need at least one extra large cat tree.
Since the Maine Coon is so smart, they can easily become bored and may become destructive if they do not get enough enrichment.
The Cornish Rex personality is even more energetic and athletic than the Maine Coon.
They are often called clowns or acrobats due to their love of performing all sorts of crazy tricks for their owners!
These cats also have a special sense of humor, although this sometimes makes them more prone to mischief.
Since they are so energetic, some people wonder, are Cornish Rex cats cuddly?
Cornish Rex cats are huge cuddlers.
If you have a Cornish Rex, beware that they might just body slam you at any time throughout the day!
They love to be picked up and petted, but they can be a bit too demanding and clingy for some owners (source 1).
Intelligence
Maine Coons and Cornish Rex cats are both highly intelligent.
While many intelligent cats, such as the Siamese, also have a stubborn side that makes them difficult to train, Maine Coons are so easygoing that they are very easy to train.
These cats can be taught how to play fetch, walk on a leash, and perform tasks or tricks.
Cornish Rex cats are very eager to please, and since they love performing for their owners, they quickly pick up on tricks and commands.
They can also be taught to play fetch or walk on a leash, which is a great way to channel their energy and enthusiasm.
Vocality
The Maine Coon is a soft-spoken cat that usually vocalizes when there is something it wants.
They do sometimes chat with their owners for fun, but they rarely meow. Instead, Maine Coons tend to warble, chitter, trill, or chirp at their owners.
They have a very soft but unique voice, which many owners find soothing and adorable.
Some Cornish Rex cats can be quite loud and vocal, which could be owed to the introduction of Siamese into the breed early on.
Most Cornish Rex cats are moderately vocal, however, and they usually meow to ask for food, attention, or playtime (source 1).
Good with Other Pets
The Cornish Rex is moderately good with other pets.
These cats love companionship, so they tend to make friends with other cats and dogs, but their intense personalities can be offputting to some animals at first.
The Maine Coon is probably the best cat breed to get if you have other pets.
They are incredibly confident, social creatures that love making friends with anyone they meet!
They are famous for getting along well with other cats and even dogs.
Grooming
Maine Coons need to be brushed at least once a week, with these types of cat brushes.
Their long, thick fur sheds a lot, particularly during the spring and fall.
The long tufts of fur on their paws and haunches are prone to mats and tangles, so it is important to trim your cat’s fur if it gets dirty regularly.
Cornish Rex cats have very fine, delicate fur, so you should avoid brushing as much as possible.
Instead, Cornish Rex cats should be bathed somewhat regularly to keep their coat clean and free of greasy buildup.
These cats rarely shed, which makes keeping the house clean a lot easier!
Cats typically thermoregulate by trapping warm or cold air in their undercoat.
Since the Cornish Rex lacks both guard hairs and a soft, dense undercoat, they are particularly prone to hyperthermia and hypothermia.
They should not be allowed out on hot or cold days, as they can also develop sunburns or frostbite more easily.
It is important to regularly trim your cat’s nails, and you should also wipe down their ears with a damp cotton ball to reduce buildup.
These are my favorite cat nail clippers.
It is also a good idea to wipe your cat’s face and paws with a damp washcloth if they feel greasy or dirty.
Family Friendly
The Maine Coon and Cornish Rex are both wonderful options for family pets.
Maine Coons are so easygoing and gentle that they make wonderful companions for children because they do not mind being dressed up or rolled around in a stroller!
Cornish Rex cats are so playful that some adults find it hard to keep up with them, but children are the perfect companion for Cornish Rex cats!
Cornish Rexes tend to make close friends and playful companions for children!
Health
When comparing Cornish Rex vs Maine Coon health, the Maine Coon is considered a healthier breed overall due to more variety in the gene pool and less inbreeding.
Maine Coons are known to have health problems like:
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Hip Dysplasia
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency
- Polycystic Kidney Disease
Cornish Rex cats are also prone to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy like Maine Coons, and they are also prone to conditions such as:
- Hypotrichosis
- Patellar Luxation
- Vitamin K-Dependent Coagulopathy
- Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Price
If you are looking for Maine Coon or Cornish Rex kittens, neither breed is particularly cheap.
A Maine Coon starts at about $1,000, and the Cornish Rex price ranges from about $1,000 to $2,000.
While both breeds start at about the same price, Maine Coon breeders are easier to find, while the Cornish Rex is rarer (source 1).
Hypoallergenic
Maine Coons are not hypoallergenic.
But they do produce less Fel-D1 protein than other cats, making them more suitable for allergy sufferers.
Their long, thick fur sheds so often that they may be a worse option for owners with cat allergies.
While the Cornish Rex is not considered fully hypoallergenic, people with allergies have reported less severe reactions to these cats.
This is possibly due to their lack of guard hairs which reduces the overall amount of shedding.
Popularity
The Maine Coon was crowned the second most popular cat in the world in 2022, according to the CFA.
Even though the Maine Coon nearly went extinct in the mid-1900s, they have made a miraculous comeback, particularly in the last few decades.
The rise of social media has allowed Maine Coon owners to share just how enormous and gorgeous these cats are!
The Cornish Rex, sadly, did not make it onto the top 10 list of 2022.
These cats may not be as well-known as Maine Coons, but they still have a dedicated following of breeders, fanciers, and Cornish Rex owners who champion them as one of the best cat breeds of all time (source 1).
Diet
Maine Coons and Cornish Rex cats both require diets with lots of protein, a moderate amount of fat, and a small amount of carbohydrates.
Animal fats and proteins are essential to both breeds. They also require lots of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which keep their coat and skin healthy and moisturized.
It is best to provide a combination of wet food and dry food.
Wet food is more flavorful and provides more hydration, while dry food is better for dental health.
Lifespan
Most Maine Coons can be expected to live between 12 and 15 years.
The average lifespan of a Cornish Rex cat is between 9 and 13 years (source 1).
Bite Force
Cornish Rex cats have a bite force similar to an average cat, which is typically about 70 PSI.
The Maine Coon, however, has a slightly more powerful bite force of up to 75 PSI (source 1).
Conclusion
When comparing the Maine Coon Vs Cornish Rex, both breeds are considered playful, devoted, and social cats that can be easily trained to perform commands and tricks.
The Maine Coon is a larger, more muscular breed that is known to be gentle and easygoing.
Cornish Rex cats are generally more energetic, intense, and cuddly than Maine Coons.
Both make wonderful pets, but they need lots of enrichment, playtime, and social time.